10m FT8 (mainly RX)

At the moment, and for much of the day, I am on 10m FT8 RX with the indoor loop. If I spot anyone at all I shall be pleased! At 10m, the loop should be more efficient, but will there be activity?

As Bas recently mentioned, especially on N-S paths there is still propagation on 10m. Have a go on 10m today!

Sunspots - Thursday March 5th 2020

Solar flux is 70 and the SSN 0. A=6 and K=1.

2m FT8

Have now QSYed to 2m FT8.  A couple of QSOs so far.

Stations spotting my 2m 10W
to the big-wheel this evening

UPDATE 2105z: So far this evening I have been spotted by 25 stations in 6 countries. Several 2-way QSOs with the 10W and big-wheel. The map shows stations spotting me this evening.

First cut - NOT amateur radio

First cut 

Today, I cut our grass for the first time this year. Intentionally, the cut was with the blades set high.

Still no sunspots

We had a few in January, but it has been spotless since. If we were after the minimum I should have expected to see a few by now. We live in hope! Solar flux is still very low. It would not surprise me to hear we are only now at the solar minimum.

Chocolate bars getting smaller? - NOT amateur radio

The common view, widely held, is that chocolate bars are getting smaller and that this is a clever marketing ploy: we cannot be sure they are really getting smaller or that they seem to get smaller as we grow up.

The truth is some have indeed got smaller, but some have actually got bigger!  Most seem to have shrunk in recent years.

See https://www.confectionerynews.com/Article/2015/11/13/Chocolate-bar-sizes-Historic-comparison-of-Hershey-s-and-Mars-bars#

See also https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-5128597/Graphics-reveal-chocolate-shrunk-size.html

Transatlantic on 472kHz WSPR

Jason, M1PRO, built my 472kHz transverter and reports on his blog that he was spotted in the USA last night.

2m FT8 activity contest this evening

Some East Europeans have started 2m and 70cm FT8 activity contests each month. I shall take part in the 2m session tonight.

See https://www.ft8activity.eu/index.php/en/

17m FT8

At about 0905z I went on 17m FT8  with about 8W to the tiny indoor loop antenna. Although no spots on RX, I have already been spotted by 2 stations on TX!!

UPDATE 1025z:  4 spots of me so far with best DX 5B60ALJ (3185km). 2 RX spots so far on 17m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1040z:  6 spots of me so far this morning on 17m FT8 RX with the tiny indoor loop.

UPDATE 1132z: My tiny indoor loop continues to amaze me! So far this morning with 8-10W 17m FT8 this has been spotted by 8 stations right across the compass. On 17m FT8 RX 6 stations spotted so far.

UPDATE 1207z: 11 stations has so far today spotted my signal on 17m FT8 TX. Quite amazing.

UPDATE 1415z: 24 spots of me on 17m FT8 TX (10W) with best DX being a spot by KC5LT (4058 miles). All on the tiny indoor loop!

UPDATE 1534z: 35 spots of my 10W 17m FT8 today so far and 63 stations in 5 continents spotted here with the loop on 17m FT8 RX.

17m FT8 TX today

UPDATE 1810z: 40 spots of my 17m FT8 TX today. I am running 10W. Now QSYed to 2m FT8.

USA presidential elections

The money spent in the campaign strikes me as obscene. The amounts of money spent by these candidates is staggering. Talk of caring about the poor rings hollow with me.

To me it smacks of ego and power. In the USA you choose, but personally I find them all a poor choice whether Democratic or Republican.

It seems a general problem that we lack politicians who have good motives and are electable. I can think of very few people.  Everyone has dark secrets, but, tell me, who can you think would really make a good leader in any country? Sorry, but I bet you are struggling.