QSX all band, all mode transceiver kit

QRP-labs has the multi-mode QSX transceiver in development.

The single band QCX CW transceiver is good value for money with many complex features. I am sure the multi-band QSX transceiver will be pretty good too. The QSX is expected to have a built-in spectrum analyser to help with filter alignment.

As I am poor at kit building these days, since my 2013 stroke I am wondering if they are also offering built units too when the release date comes? I am pretty sure that the finished unit design will be very good.

See https://www.qrp-labs.com/qsx.html

Sunspots - Tuesday April 21st 2020

Solar flux is 68 and the sunspot number 0. A=18 and K=2. These figures look really poor and are the worst for some time.

US oil prices - NOT amateur radio

As I write, the West Texas oil prices have recovered after turning negative! These are strange Covid-19 times indeed with demand slumping and storage capacity in the USA now full.

In the morning things could well have changed again. As I write, WTI oil prices have recovered a bit.

Portuguese amateur - abandoned house

Southgate News has a piece found on YouTube showing an abandoned house in Portugal. The shack uncovered has many old QSL cards on the walls.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/april/abandoned-mansion-of-a-portuguese-radio-amateur-found-his-radio-room.htm#.Xp2mwWjYq00

DX.QSL.Net

One of the best sites for solar forecasts is DXQSL. I now get most of my data from there.

Zoom - NOT amateur radio

We, like many, are missing seeing our grandchildren. Luckily we can still keep in touch by Zoom video.

Hope? - NOT amateur radio

Early results on trials with the drug remdesivir on humans with Coronavirus have been promising. Also, there are trials of blood plasma. Is there light at the end of the tunnel?

Results published for the April 2020 UKAC activity contest

The results of the latest 2m activity contest have been published. Although my voice is poor and I run QRP to an omni antenna for less than an hour I came credible 70th in the AL section. I am not a serious contester!

Can it get worse? 10m

For about 30 minutes now, I have been on 10m FT8 with 2.5W and the tiny 45cm indoor loop. The last few days have been dire. I have (so far) only been spotted by local Gs. and I have only spotted one South American and a few southern Europeans on Es yesterday. Today, so far, just spots by local M1BXF (13km).

UPDATE 1001z:  Still no RX spots and just spotted by M1BXF on TX. It looks like the Es "season"  has not yet properly started. We get the occasional brief opening. In the Es season proper 10m can be open for hours with strong signals.

UPDATE 1342z:  At the moment still being spotted only by 3 local stations on 10m FT8 TX. Still nothing spotted yet today on 10m FT8 RX here.m FT8

UPDATE 1515z:  Yes it can get worse! Still no RX spots at all so far today and just 3 local spots on TX.

UPDATE 1817z:  On 10m FT8 RX 6 stations in the Canary Is spotted just before tea.I guess this was Es. Still just the local Gs spotting my 2.5W.

UPDATE 2030z:  Now QRT. I shall try 15m FT8 tomorrow with 2.5W and the tiny 45cm indoor loop.

10 years ago - NOT amateur radio

This photo was taken 10 years ago. It shows one of our grandchildren smelling daffodils. Happy days!