TinySA

Thanks to Martin, G8JNJ, my attention has been brought to a small spectrum analyser that is well within amateur budgets. It also acts as a signal generator. Amazing. In Europe the TinySA may be obtained from  the Danish Amateur Shop.

See https://shop.edr.dk/vare/tinysa-spectrum-analyzer/

See https://www.tinysa.org/wiki/

6m FT8

Today, I decided to go on 6m FT8 (0830z). Already 1 station has spotted me - G0DYW (77km). So far, he is the only station spotted on 6m FT8 .

UPDATE 1257z:  6 stations have spotted my 10W to the V2000 vertical omni today so far. 4 stations spotted so far with the furthermost being F6HGB (985km).

UPDATE 1430z:  Now spotted by 7 stations with the best being DJ8RZ (881km) on TX and I have spotted 5 stations on RX.

UPDATE 1925z: 12 stations have spotted me with the furthermost being SM7CAD (1140km). Gone are the days of big Es openings for this year, but even with my small system there is still some occasional DX.

Covid-19 Joke - NOT amateur radio

 This was on Facebook earlier. 

Sunspots - Wednesday September 22nd 2020

Solar flux is 72 and the SSN 0. A=6 and K=2.

NanoVNA spectrum analyser?

For about $50 you can buy a NanoVNA. This is excellent value. I have never used one, but I believe it can be used as a spectrum analyser. If so, this brings spectrum analysers well into amateur budgets. I am half tempted. There are several YouTube videos on the NanoVNA, although I have not yet watched any.

If you have one, please tell us how you found it.

SPRAT on DVD

In what is probably the best value around, you can buy every issue of SPRAT on DVD from 1-174 for just £5 plus postage for members of GQRP club. It is more if you are not a member. It is worth joining just for the DVD. 

Many times I have said that SPRAT is brilliant. The latest version, 184, has just come out.

See http://www.gqrp.com/

Walk collage - NOT amateur radio

 

The photo is a collage of our walk early this morning.

Hepburn tropo forecast

A useful resource (although I rarely use it!) is the Hepburn tropo forecast. I think this is done for all areas on the planet, although the link is for western Europe. This could be useful if you are a keen VHF/UHF DXer. Click the main map to get forecasts for future dates.

See http://www.dxinfocentre.com/tropo_eur.html

2m FT8 (10W to the big-wheel omni antenna)

Since arriving home from our walk and doing some gardening, I have been on 2m FT8. So far (at 1050z)  40 spots of me in 3 countries and 1 QSO.

UPDATE 1947z:  Now 78 spots of me in 9 countries today on 2m. 5 QSOs. I am convinced that these sort of 2m results are possible with 10W and a big-wheel at any time.  It seems far too common to be due to aircraft. A more probable hypothesis is that this is some other scatter mode that FT8 allows simple stations to access. Somewhere I read that FT8 is about 18dB better than SSB. That is like changing a dipole to a huge beam! Nearly every time I go on 2m FT8 I get spotted in N.Ireland. This is far too random for aircraft surely!

Marsh harrier - NOT amateur radio

We went for a walk around the village of Reach earlier. On the way we picked blackberries and saw a marsh harrier and a few house martins. 

See https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/marsh-harrier/