Cambridge club Zoom talk

Since lockdown, the Cambridge club (CDARC) has been unable to meet. Instead they have had a series of talks online the latest of which is tonight. 

I have to say, they have all been excellent. So much so, that I rejoined CDARC as a country member. Zoom talks work well for me as I do not have to travel 26 miles at night in the dark. Details of tonight's talk are on the CDARC website.

2m activity contest

The results for the June 2m activity contest have just been published by the RSGB. 

This friendly contest is arranged on all VHF bands every month. I have a go in the 2m and 70cm contests with 10W and my 2m big-wheel omni antenna used on both bands.  Usually I stay on for less than an hour because of my poor voice. It is mostly SSB. 

My position in the low power section has gone up. If I stayed on longer, I could work far more stations. I do not take this, or any, contest seriously.

10m WSPR TX (500mW to the indoor loop)

Using my stand-alone 10m WSPR beacon, I am again on 10m WSPR TX. So far today just spots from local G4KPX (14km) and HB9TMC (905km).

6m FT8

Since earlier this morning, I have been on 6m FT8 with my 10W to the V2000 vertical. 37 spots so far, but no QSOs with far fewer stations on RX. All so far are EU. Most of the spots of me are Es from Europe.

Shack earlier

The photo shows my shack earlier. Currently I am on 6m FT8 and 10m WSPR TX.

Simple VFO

This tiny VFO from ZL2PD may be an answer when the price of crystals is so high. It has a display too.

See https://www.zl2pd.com/sugarcube_VFO.html

Virtual dinner - NOT amateur radio

Every month I used to go to a dinner in local pubs with old work colleagues. At the moment this is not possible so we have a virtual dinner instead via Zoom. It works well.

Yesterday on 10m FT8 with the tiny indoor loop antenna

Yesterday, I went on 10m FT8 with the tiny indoor loop antenna. Much to my surprise lots of QSOs were had and my 10W was widely spotted around Europe. I spotted lots of Europeans and North African stations.

Sunspots - Friday June 12th 2020

Solar flux is 72 and the SSN 11.  A=4 and K=1.

10m FT8

For a change, since 1253z, I have been on 10m FT8 with 10W to the indoor loop. As yet, no spots on RX or TX.

UPDATE 2122z:  36 spots of me and lots of QSOs. Now QRT.