Sunspots - Thursday July 16th 2020

Solar flux is 68 and the SSN 0. A=5 and K=0.

Anglesey Abbey earlier - NOT amateur radio

The photo shows some of the things we saw in the grounds at Anglesey Abbey earlier.

10m FT8 (5W)

Just now I decided to go on 10m FT8 with the tiny indoor loop antenna and 5W. Plenty of stations spotted across Europe and 3 spots of me already from Scandinavia.

UPDATE 1915z:  37 unique stations have spotted my 5W 10m FT8 TX today. All were in Europe. On RX, 206 stations spotted with the best DX being J69DS (6840km) in St Lucia, West Indies.

DATV in the Netherlands

According to a piece in Southgate News VERON is encouraging operators to demonstrate DATV (digital amateur TV) on 2m in August.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/july/datv-in-2m-band-on-august-22.htm#.Xw6884jYq00

Facebook memory

The photo shows the sky 2 years ago. It appeared as a FB memory today.

Shack photo

The photo shows the shack earlier with the tiny indoor 10m band loop antenna on the left.

Collapit - NOT amateur radio

When I lived in Devon a long time ago one of my favourite spots was Collapit Creek on the Kingsbridge Estuary. This photo is probably over 100 years old and shows some people in a rowing boat. As a teenager I regularly saw kingfishers there.

Last night on 70cm

Every 2nd Tuesday in each month the RSGB holds an activity contest on 70cm. Although I normally stop on for less than an hour because of my poor voice, I usually submit a score in the AL (low power) section. I run 10W to the 2m big-wheel as I have no suitable 70cms antenna.

In the end I managed 5 QSOs with 2 at 105km. Although I have no chance of ever winning, I usually submit a score.

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

10m WSPR spots of 

me last night to 2050z

As I needed my main rig (used on FT8) for the 70cm UKAC contest last night, I decided to put my W5OLF beacon on 10m WSPR.

Much to my surprise, I was spotted by 10 different stations all after 1900z.

Sunspots - Wednesday July 15th 2020

Solar flux is 69 today and the SSN 0. A=11 and K=0.