20m FT8

As I have no working external antennas on HF at present (my 10m end-fed has a high SWR for some reason now), I am using the tiny magnetic loop antenna on the windowsill. Even on 20m FT8 TX the results continue to amaze me. Already this morning, lots of stations spotted me. For a loop just 40cm diameter with thin copper wire this is just flabbergasting. 

The map shows the stations spotting me (10W) this morning on 20m FT8 with the tiny loop.

Old friends - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday we had our old neighbours around. They lived next-door and were good people.

Oscar 100

As many will know, periodically, I take a peek at the webSDR at Goonhilly, Cornwall, to check activity on the narrowband transponder. This is just an impression and highly unscientific! My quick look yesterday evening in the UK suggests activity levels broadly similar to last time. There were about 9-10 active SSB stations.

See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/

Sunspots - Monday February 10th 2020

Solar flux is 71 and the SSN 0. A=7 and K=1.

Earth-electrode "antenna" damaged?

Suddenly on 630m, the antenna current meter read 0uA. A check on 160m showed high SWR too.  It looks to me like there is damage to the earth-electrode "antenna". Maybe the feed from the far earth may be broken. I shall have to check in the morning.

Return to 472kHz WSPR TX (less than 10mW ERP)

Using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground I have returned to 472kHz WSPR TX.

As the ground is very wet following the storms, it is very likely the ERP is below 10mW and the size of the loop in the ground is smaller than usual. The antenna current measures lower. If the soil conductivity is higher the signal cannot spread out so much as the effective loop area is smaller.

So far, just 4 spots by G0VQH (15km).

UPDATE 1815z: Still just spots from Jenny G0VQH. May later I may get more spots?

UPDATE 1935z:  QRT. Is the earth-electrode "antenna" damaged?

What is enough?

OK, so if you are chasing that last remaining DXCC entity I can imagine a big beam on a high tower and plenty of power might help. However, recently I have been wondering what constitutes "enough" for mere mortals.

As you will probably have read in earlier blog posts, I use about 10W and often far less. On HF I have no external antennas, so have had to make do with a tiny magnetic loop antenna on 20m, 17m, and 15m. I am sure it would be better on higher bands, but these have seemed dead when I tried. On 630m, 160m and 80m, I have used the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. On 6m, 2m and 70cm I frequently use the V2000 omni vertical. On 2m and 70cm, I sometimes use the big-wheel horizontal omni. I have no beams on HF, VHF or UHF.

What the last few days have taught me is simple, compromise, antennas and low power are perfectly fine most of the time. Yes, I am sure more power and better antennas would give better results, but simple antennas and low power will give you lots of fun.

Storm Ciara - NOT amateur radio

At the moment, we have strong wind and rain as a result of Storm Ciara.  At this time of year, this is unusual. Strong winds are more common in October.

Gusts of wind up to 90mph are battering some parts of the UK. It is not as bad here, but I reckon the gusts are up to 60mph. At the moment trees and the like are OK.

20m FT8 again with the magnetic loop

As of a short while ago, I am on 20m FT8 with the small, indoor, magnetic loop and 10W. Already 3 spots of me, but no 2-way QSOs yet. I am still amazed how well this tiny loop works!

UPDATE 1340z: So far today, 16 spots of my 10W to the tiny, indoor, magnetic loop with best DX SM2UHF (2016km). A reminder that the loop is about 40cm across using 1mm copper wire and is just sat on the shack windowsill.

UPDATE 1456z: 19 people have spotted my 20m 10W FT8 to the tiny magnetic loop antenna so far today. On 20m FT8 RX, 143 stations spotted so far with best DX KF0RQ (7489km) in Colorado, USA.

2m FT8 using the big-wheel omni

At about 0900z I QSYed to 2m. Although no stations yet spotted and no QSOs resulted from my recent FT8 CQs, I was spotted by 8 stations in 2 countries with G7RAU (461km) in Cornwall. As stated in an earlier post, I think I see DX by a mixture of "flat band tropo" and aircraft reflection. In the past I have received very similar numbers of stations with the vertical omni as with the horizontal.

UPDATE 0938z: Just 2 stations in 2 countries so far spotted on 2m FT8 RX. Best DX on2m FT8 RX is GD6ICR (397km).

UPDATE 0957z: 8 stations in 3 countries have spotted my CQs (10W to the big-wheel) so far on 2m FT8 today. Best DX is EI3KD (583km).

2m FT8 (10W) spots 

of me so far today

UPDATE 1224z: 19 stations in 4 countries have spotted me so far this morning. An M station called me shortly after I went back to RX only, so we missed a QSO. On 2m FT8 RX 16 spots in 4 countries so far.