10m FT8

As 10m Es was pretty good yesterday, I have decided to try 10m FT8 again today with my 2.5W and uessthe tiny indoor loop antenna. The rig was turned on at about 0834z.

UPDATE 1417z : 2 spots of my 2.5W so far with the more interesting being by MW0ZZK (334km) in NW Wales. Not sure what propagation this was - too near for Es and a long way for tropo. Aircraft? 2 Gs spotted so far on RX plus 1 in Poland.

UPDATE 1435z:  Now CT2EHX (1815km) spotted.

UPDATE 1535z: Now 7 stations spotted here today on 10m FT8 RX. It almost feels like someone has turned on the Es switch. I guess more people are now monitoring.

Stations copied here
today on 10m FT8 RX

UPDATE 1743z: 4 stations have spotted my 2.5W today although IQ3NX (1129km) is reporting the wrong band!! On 10m FT8 RX, 16 stations spotted so far today.

Climbing pound? - NOT amateur radio

Since the coronavirus hit the world, everything feels different.

It almost feels surreal and that somehow life will never, ever, be quite the same again. Right now things seem dreadful. In time, things will get better, but it will take time and hard work.

Since the crisis started the UK Pound fell heavily against the Euro. In recent weeks it has regained much of those losses. Maybe the world sees the Euro under threat as the coronavirus debt has to be paid, probably by the richer north.   With the UK out of the EU, perhaps the UK will be master of its own destiny? At the moment it is still climbing.

The world has never been in this situation before and we are all searching for a way. The hope is in a vaccine (some way off) or drug treatments (possibly sooner).

UPDATE 0840z: Still climbing.

Gecophone 1920s crystal set

When I retired in 2008, I was given a 1920s crystal set as a leaving present.

It was in good condition and was a total surprise.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/gecophone

DST100 receiver

Way back in the early 1960s, my very first communications receiver was a war surplus DST100 bought for £7 from a local garage. It was huge and very heavy! It was also very deaf, but Roger Thorn G3CHN managed to breath new life in it and it lasted me for many years.  He probably put in new valves.

It needed 2 people to lift it and was a tank radio made by Murphy. It was certainly built like a tank and could probably have survived a direct hit!

To think now we can get an SDR in a USB stick with better performance and a much wider frequency range.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/dst100

Early voice recordings - NOT amateur radio

It is often thought that the earliest voice recording was by Thomas Edison, but there is evidence that the earliest recording was in fact made in France in 1860. You can hear this at http://graphics8.nytimes.com/audiosrc/arts/1860v2.mp3

See also https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/voice

Sunspots - Tuesday April 14th 2020

Solar flux is 70 and the SSN 0.  A=5 and K=3.

Oil producers agree 10% cut in output? - NOT amateur radio

Although I have yet to see this confirmed, it looks like the biggest oil exporters including Saudi Arabia and Russia have agreed a 10% cut in oil output in the light of a heavy fall in demand.

I think this should help to stem the heavy falls in recent weeks. Whether or not oil prices recover remains to be seen.

See https://www.ft.com/content/5ad12d12-d662-4e5b-88c8-6836dd1fb29a

Codar AT5 transmitter

Way back in the late 1960s, I had a G8 call and used to operate the station of the late G4PJ under supervision. 

Bill had a Codar AT5 160/80m AM/CW 12W TX which put out a good signal. I recall very well working a station about 70 miles away on 80m AM one afternoon.

Although I owned the companion RX (the T28) , I never owned an AT5. I wanted one! The photo shows the AT5 transmitter. We have come a long way since those days.

Still no swallows here - NOT amateur radio

Although there may be the odd swallow (summer migrant bird) here, I certainly have not seen any yet. The very earliest I have seen them up here in East Anglia is April 7th, but the more usual date is mid-April.

They have been seen in Devon now for several weeks. Once they arrive, I usually see several in the next few weeks. In the meantime, I shall keep looking.

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

10m FT8

Yesterday was, I think, the first Es opening I had experienced on 10m this year.  Es can occur at any time of the year, but it is much more common in spring and early summer.

Since about 1040z, I have been on 10m FT8 with 2.5W to the tiny indoor loop antenna. Almost immediately I was spotted by G4ERO (13km) shortly followed by G4KPX (14km). At least I am getting out! There are obviously people looking.

UPDATE 1230z: A couple of central Europeans have been spotted, but nothing yet beyond locals spotting me.

UPDATE 1320z: SP2WKB (1178km) has spotted my QRP 10m FT8. I get the feeling Es is really starting. Plenty of southern Europeans spotted today on 10m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1435z: Definitely Es! So far today, 12 stations have spotted my 10m FT8 QRP to the tiny indoor loop.

UPDATE 1838z: 16 stations have spotted me today so far. The map shows the stations spotting me today. As I have to go QRT soon, I doubt I shall get many more 10m FT8 TX spots.  This is the best day yet this year on 10m especially considering the tiny indoor loop and 2.5W.