6m FT8 today

It is now 0658z. A few moments ago I turned on my 6m FT8 gear on with 10W and the V2000 vertical omni. So far just a couple of UK stations have spotted me and nothing on RX.  I guess it's a bit early for Es.

UPDATE 1611z: So far today, my 10W on 6m FT8 has been spotted by 27 stations and I have spotted 118 stations.  Just 1 QSO. The impression I am getting is there is still Es around, but less of it.

UPDATE  2110z:  Going QRT shortly. Today, 37 stations spotted my 10W. On RX 140 stations spotted on 6m FT8.

Yesterday on 6m FT8

Yesterday I was late getting on 6m FT8 as we had one of our sons and his children.

In all, 6 stations spotted my 10W FT8 and 30 stations were spotted here. Es is still here.

2m UKAC Activity contest

The latest results have been published and in the low power section I still seem be about a third way down the table. Seeing I am active for about 40% of the time and just use an omni antenna, I am well pleased.

Ultra low power consumption

Recently I bought a new door bell. Unlike my old one, the bell is powered by just pressing the button - no batteries!! I guess you only need power for a few milliseconds. In the past I have seen CW transmitters powered by just pressing the Morse key. Some years ago Michael Rainey in the USA made a CW TX that was powered by shouting in to a loudspeaker.

Do you know of others?

Yesterday at Kingfisher Bridge nature reserve - NOT amateur radio

The collage shows our son and his children at Kingfisher Bridge nature reserve yesterday. It not far from us.

Our younger grandson is very observant. A walk that should have been 1 hour took far longer!

Beetle - NOT amateur radio

This fellow was seen last night. It was about 3cm long.

Oscar 100 update

Regularly, I give an update on activity through the narrowband transponder of Oscar 100, the geosychronous satellite made available to radio amateurs in early 2019. I check the Goonhilly web SDR periodically.

My last very unscientific look suggests that activity levels remain very low. The level of activity continues to surprise me. By now, I would have expected it to be very crowded.

I guess these days it is too hard for most "black box" operators. After all, you have to assemble things and aim dishes! 😀

See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/

Learning CW

With modes like FT8, many people may question why we still need CW. My answer is with CW it is possible to build very simple rigs that can work a very long way.

As an example my recent article in RadCom shows 2 simple circuits and my 15m CW Pipit transceiver (on my main website) was used for a first contact with the USA many years ago despite only having an output of just 800mW. This was with just a simple, low, wire dipole.

Sunspots Thursday July 23rd 2020

Solar flux is 70 and the SSN 11. A=3 and K=1.

OFCOM annual report and accounts 2020

You will be thrilled to know that OFCOM has published its latest report and accounts. See the OFCOM website for more details. Don't all rush.