Sunspots - Friday August 7th 2020

Solar flux is 73 and the SSN 14.  A=5 and K=2.

10m FT8

At about 1417z I swapped from 10m WSPR (500mW) to 10m FT8 (4W) using the indoor loop in the shack.  No spots yet.

UPDATE 1830z:  6 spots of me so far, all in Europe. Probably Es. Just 3 spots on RX.

Open! - NOT amateur radio

Our local museum has now opened one day a week. It should have opened at Easter. So good to see it in action again.

23cm

This is a band I have never transmitted on. Many years ago I borrowed a RX converter and had a play one evening with an indoor home-made 4 el antenna. Quite a few people have played around on the band with the SG labs 2W transverter that comes with a PCB HB9CV antenna.

Some erect serious stations with big antennas and linears with far more power. These people can access scatter modes and get ranges that some would consider amazing for a microwave band.

I guess the trouble is that we cannot do everything as time and money are limited.  There is so much I would like to try!

See http://www.sg-lab.com/TR1300/tr1300.html

Pye - NOT amateur radio

For a long time in the last century, Pye was a very big name in the electronics world. Pye made a diverse range of products. Now there is a website and permanent exhibition to celebrate this.

See https://www.pye-story.org/

UK economy - NOT amateur radio

In the last few hours the Bank of England has produced revised predictions for the UK economy. Although the fall-out from Covid-19 will have grave consequences for the whole of the world, the predictions of the UK are not quite as dire as they once were. Yes, the dip into recession will be bad and the recovery slower, but things could have been much graver. It says something when a dip of 9.5% in economic activity is considered good news!

10m WSPR

As it is there, I have turned on the 10m W5OLF 500mW WSPR beacon using my indoor loop. No spots of me yet today (it is now 0805z).

If 10m WSPR remains quiet, I may try 10m FT8 later.

6m FT8

A few moments ago (it is now 0802z) the 6m FT8 gear was turned on (10W to V2000 vertical omni antenna). So far, nothing yet spotted on RX and no spots of me on TX. Although the main Es season is over, there could well be some Es at some time in the day. The main trouble is many just assume it is all over and desert the band!

UPDATE 0819z: Just a single spot of me so far by G4IFX (146km). On 6m FT8 RX nothing.

UPDATE 0923z:  3 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX. With 1 Italian spotted the looks like there is some Es around.

Pig statues - NOT amateur radio

"Each to their own", they say. Well, I was surprised to see 2 pig statues in a local garden yesterday. Well I guess it is a change from pixies and garden gnomes!

Projects for the autumn/winter

For several years I have had an E-field probe that needs erecting in a nearby tree.  This should be a good RX antenna on 137, 472 and 1800kHz. It might also be effective on higher bands too. The antenna is very small.

I also want to erect either a wire dipole or inverted V for 10m, which is my favourite band and which should be better next year.

My problem is ladders. Since my stroke in 2013 I feel very wobbly on ladders! I have not ventured into my floored loft since 2013! I have a box of amateur gear up there waiting to be explored, HI. I have forgotten what it is in it.

I shall try to do these projects before the end of 2020.