Returning migrant birds - NOT amateur radio

Sand Martin

Already we are hearing and seeing chiffchaffs and sand martins are regularly being seen in Devon. Up here in East Anglia, we usually see returning swallows by mid-April with swifts later, usually early May. These returning migrants bring joy to the heart.

My dad, who died in 1987, regularly saw returning sand martins on the golf course at Thurlestone in mid-March.

See https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/sand-martin/

Life goes on - NOT amateur radio

Mute Swan

Strange how we all adjust to a new reality. Just a few months ago we would not have believed it. In the strange times at the moment some people have been very kind.

Today we did a walk and saw very few people. Life and nature carry on. Nice to think this mute swan knows nothing of Covid-19!

20m FT8

Once again, I am on 20m FT8 (10W with the indoor loop). So far today 11 stations have spotted me with the best DX being KI8JP (3916 miles). On 20m FT8 RX 125 stations spotted with best DX being K7SCX (7505km).

Stations spotting me to 1730z

UPDATE 1617z: 55 stations have now spotted my 10W FT8 and I have spotted 224 stations so far.

Stations spotted today here to 1730z

UPDATE 1730z:  287 stations spotted so far today. 58 stations spotted here.

UPDATE 1915z:  75 spots of me today. A few QSOs.

UPDATE 1946z: 77 stations spotting me today so far. Activity now dropping off. On 20m FT8 RX 455 stations spotted her.

UPDATE 2011z: The last map shows the stations spotting me on 20m FT8 TX.

VHF/UHF beacons on FT8?

It seems to me to be a "good idea" if all beacons had an FT8 transmission slot. A single FT8 TX slot is only 15 seconds, but this would allow monitoring of beacons at great range.

For those not equipped for FT8 there could still be a CW slot. All the beacons in a region could co-exist in a few kilohertz of band which beacon hunters could monitor all the time.

WSPR is too long at 2 minute transmission cycles, but FT8 would be far better. Shorter TX slots would make monitoring by modes like aircraft and other types of scatter more probable.

On reflection, maybe all beacons including HF ones need an FT8 slot?

Sunspots - Friday March 20th 2020

Solar flux is 72 and the SSN 0. A=12 and K=1.

2m FT8

As 20m seems to be closed now, I have QSYed to 2m FT8 instead. On 2m FT8 RX stations as far apart as Brittany and Germany spotted.

On 2m FT8 TX (10W to the big-wheel omni) 10 stations have spotted me so far with the best being GD3YEO (384km).

As I have said before, I am convinced this is some sort of scatter mode, but not aircraft. Polarisation does not seem to matter much and it seems to be there nearly all the time.

UPDATE 2140z: 14 spots of me so far this evening with best DX a spot by GI6ATZ (479km) and 10 spots of others.

Stations spotting my 10W
on 2m FT8 TX this evening 

UPDATE 2310z: After a QSO with a Dutch station, I am now QRT. In the end, 20 stations spotted me.

Covid-19 spread - NOT amateur radio

If you are like me, you are probably fed up with talk about Covid-19.

This map seems quite good. You can animate it to show how the disease has spread across the planet.

With a vaccine likely to be some way in the future, I hope they can re-purpose some existing anti-viral drug to lessen Covid-19s effects. Some are already being trialled.

Another rally postponed

I have been informed about another rally that has been postponed. If the background makes this hard to read I apologise, but this is as I received it.

Sunday 22 MARCH : POSTPONED

CW BOOT CAMP. Stirling and District ARS, Unit 68, Bandeath Industrial Estate, Throsk FK7 7NP GMDX in conjunction with Stirling & District ARS are running a CW Boot Camp in Stirling. Great opportunity to improve you CW skills, registration open to all. Further information at https://www.gmdx.org.uk/cwbootcamp.

A list of rallies can be found at http://rsgb.org/main/news/rallies/

20m FT8

For about 15 minutes, I have been on 20m FT8 with 10W to the tiny indoor loop.

Already over 40 stations have been spotted, but no spots yet on TX. Although I thought that I chose a clear frequency, I must be swamped by a big station that I cannot see. If this persists, I might try a QSY.

UPDATE 1047z: Now QSYed.  70 stations spotted and I have been spotted by 3 Europeans so far.

UPDATE 1345z: So far today, 31 stations have spotted my 10W 20m FT8 including 4 in the USA.

UPDATE 1505z: Now 36 stations spotting me today so far.

UPDATE 1703z: Now 77 stations spotting my 10W FT8 on 20m. On 20m FT8 RX 442 stations spotted with best DX E20EHQ (9459km).

Amateur VLF

The photo shows the amateur VLF activity received here 9 years ago.

Amateur VLF activity is only possible with very stable signals and very long integration periods.

The exception is earth-mode, which can cover some remarkable ranges with low power and simple equipment. My best DX on earth-mode is nearly 6km with just 5W.