SpaceX launch postponed - NOT amateur radio

The SpaceX mission from Cape Canaveral to the International Space station, a commercial venture, had to be postponed due to bad weather. They are trying again on Saturday. This will be the first manned launch from the USA since 2011.

Japan on 6m?

In the first few weeks of June the 6m path from western Europe to Japan opens up regularly. This is a very long way. I recall a few years ago copying several JAs on 6m JT65. Personally I think this is indeed E layer propagation but not Es. I think it has something to do with E layer ionisation due to noctilucent clouds which form about now. Signals are usually weak and there in the early morning. This is a regular thing.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/noctilucent

Overnight on 6m FT8 with 10W and the V2000 vertical omni

As central Europeans were calling Caribbean stations, I turned off auto sequencing to see if I could get any transatlantic spots on 6m FT8. The last time I got "across the pond" on 6m was 2007 with 1W ERP of CW. I worked a K1 and have the QSL card to prove it. FT8 should be some dBs better than CW so with more power and FT8 I thought I had some chance last night.  Sadly no DX.

Sunspots - Thursday May 28th 2020

Solar flux is 68 and the SSN 0. A=3 and K=1.

The future of amateur radio

Southgate News has a piece from the South African Radio League (SARL) saying that amateur radio is as relevant now as it was 95 years ago. I'd like to believe this, but I don't.

When I was young, radio and whole idea of talking across the planet was pure magic. One had to become a radio amateur to be able to do this.

These days we can video with anyone on Earth using the internet for free. Communicating around the world is no longer magic. As much as we dress this up, this is the reality.

If our hobby is to survive and grow we have to engage people with what is magic for them today. If we do not, I can see our hobby just disappearing within 20 years as many get old and die.

I can see fewer amateurs, a declining market, fewer and thinner mags and fewer manufacturers.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/may/amateur-radio-today-is-as-relevant-as-it-was-95-years-ago.htm#.Xs5S-yjYq00

6m FT8 again

A few moments ago, I turned on 6m FT8 again with 10W and the V2000 vertical omni antenna. Already spotted by 25 stations. On RX 20 stations spotted so far. One QSO so far.

These stations are a mix of Es and G stations.

UPDATE 1046z:   62 spots of me so far today. 2 Es QSOs so far.

UPDATE 1257z: 141 spots of my 10W so far today on 10m FT8 TX.

UPDATE 2050z: 436 spots of my 10W in the last day so far. I see that several stations in middle Europe are calling Caribbean stations on 6m FT8.  Nothing here yet. 

Dry - NOT amateur radio

This month looks like being the driest May on record. Already our lawns are turning brown and the footpaths are cracked.

24 hours on 6m FT8

In the last 24 hours my 10W 6m FT8 has been spotted by 552 stations. Most of them were Europeans by Es. Although l spotted a Brazilian, my 10W to the V2000 vertical omni antenna was not spotted across the Atlantic. Plenty of QSOs too.

10m WSPR surprise

This last few days on 10m WSPR TX have surprised me. I was spotted by 14 stations despite the fact that I was just using the indoor loop antenna and 500mW. I had assumed that most people had moved over to FT8.

Pink Roses - NOT amateur radio

The pink rose in the photo looked like it was "stuck": there were buds, but we feared these were not going to come out.

In the last few days the flowers have started to bloom thank goodness.

Once again our grass is turning brown.