Sunspots - Monday February 17th 2020

Solar flux is 71 and the sunspot number 0. A=3 and K=1.

160m FT8

At about 1700z, I QSYed to 160m FT8. Already, 10 spots of my 10W to the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground with the best DX being DG9BBC (522km).

UPDATE 1740z: 15 stations have spotted my 10W FT8 TX so far with best DX spotting me being OE9GHV (869km). On 160m FT8 RX 61 stations spotted so far.

UPDATE 1815z: 17 stations spotting me this evening on 160m FT8 TX (10W).

UPDATE 1935z: Now spotted by 26 stations on 160m FT8 TX (10W) with best DX being EA1JO (1167km).  On 160m FT8 RX 204 stations spotted with best DX spotted being RW9JZ (4318km).

UPDATE 2027z: My recent 160m FT8 CQ (10W) was spotted by 23 stations in Western Europe. See map.

Stations spotting my last 10W 160m FT8 CQ 

UPDATE 2056z: After spotting 284 stations on 160m FT8 RX, I have moved to 1908kHz RX in the hope of spotting a few Japanese stations in the next few hours. I shall move back to 1840kHz FT8 RX overnight.

UPDATE 2312z: Back on 1840kHz. A recent FT8 CQ was spotted widely in Western Europe. As yet no North Americans spotted. No Japanese tonight on 1908kHz.

The arrow of time - NOT amateur radio

Our everyday experience is that time moves from the past to the future. This is also the basis of all physical laws I think.

Our whole experience of time may be an illusion. What we think are our memories of the past may not be so.

I often wonder if the arrow of time could be reversed.

UK floods - NOT amateur radio

For about 50 years I have lived in East Anglia. For most of that time, it was the driest part of the UK. For several years now it has been much wetter and milder:  now snow and frosts are quite rare.

Whatever the reason, the climate is changing. My personal view is that this is to a great deal due to our influence. There is a certain wise (?) American who thinks that climate change is all a Chinese hoax.  Only today my brother sent me a video of the floods at his home in Devon.

80m ferrite rod TX antenna

Jay, W5OLF has very kindly loaned me a ferrite rod TX antenna that he had been using with 100mW WSPR as a TX antenna in Texas.

Sadly, on a couple of rigs this seems to peak too high in the band. From past experience adding a large capacity across the 50 ohm winding transforms to a much smaller capacitance across the secondary winding. So, I would have expected the resonance point to have shifted LF. I tried a 220pF across the 50 ohm winding but I could not detect an LF shift! The last thing I want to do is alter the antenna itself. At the moment I am puzzled. Maybe the capacitance needs to be much larger. I shall try this next.

If made resonant, I was going to try this on 80m WSPR and FT8.

Some years ago I was surprised how effective a ferrite rod could be on QRP TX.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/antennas/ferrite_tx

UPDATE 1105z: I tried 790pF across the 50 ohm winding and the resonance showed no visible change. I suspect Jay has configured this as a vertical Marconi and not as a conventional ferrite loop. The antenna is encased in heat shrink, so I am unsure of his configuration. Both he and I had assumed a "plug and play" situation!

2m FT8

Just before breakfast, I QSYed to 2m FT8. An initial CQ was spotted by 3 G stations. On 2m FT8 RX 5 stations in 3 countries spotted so far.

Still using 10W to the big-wheel omni antenna.

UPDATE 1005z:  At present, 7 stations spotting me on 2m FT8 TX with the best spot being by DF6PW (562km). No 2-way QSOs yet on 2m FT8.  On RX 12 stations spotted so far. It never fails to amaze me how far my simple station gets on 2m FT8 TX.

UPDATE 1128z: Now 21 stations in 4 countries spotted today on 2m FT8 RX. On TX, 21 spots so far of my 10W in 3 countries with 1 G QSO.

UPDATE 1221z:  22 stations have spotted me so far today on 2m FT8 TX.  Three 2m FT8 QSOs today so far.

UPDATE 1410z:   Now spotted by 30 stations in 5 countries so far today on 2m FT8.

UPDATE 1650z: The map shows where my 10W 2m FT8 has been spotted today so far.  In total 5 QSOs and 36 spots on 2m FT8 TX with 10W and the omni antenna.

Weaver's cottage - NOT amateur radio

This cottage in Canterbury dates from 1500.

Weaver's Cottage, Canterbury 

5MHz in France

Southgate News reports that France has authorised the use of the WRC15 60m band.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/february/wrc-15-60m-band-now-authorized-in-france.htm#.XkkKG46TK00

160m FT8 overnight

Overnight I was on 160m FT8 RX again. Overall it was quite a good night with stations spotted in North America and South America as well as several others including Japan last evening. As usual, still using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground.

Stations spotted on 
160m FT8 RX overnight 

Sunspots - Sunday February 16th 2020

Solar flux is 71 and the SSN 0. A=5 and K =1.