FT8 QSOs and power

Most of my FT8 QSOs are with 2.5W and very simple antennas. Although I own an FT-991A, I was considering trading this in for an IC-705. This ICOM radio runs 5W off the battery and up to 10W with an external PSU. This would be more than adequate for me. Most of my FT8 QSOs are with 2.5W and the FT-817ND.

Most of the time I use resonant antennas, so the internal auto-ATU on the FT-991A is not essential. Some worry about the extra loss in ATUs, but this usually just a fraction of an S-point. The IC-705 was going to cover 4m but no longer does on TX. It does not have an internal auto-ATU and is very expensive. Maybe later, when the price drops and the initial bugs are resolved.

Our view - NOT amateur radio

We are lucky to live next door to a fully restored 200 year old windmill. We can see it as we have breakfast and from our lounge.  Not many can say that!

Windose - NOT amateur radio

In 2017 I bought a Windows PC. I have just waited and waited as it booted up, installed updates and did its thing. Meanwhile my Chromebook booted up within seconds.

Now, I am aware that the windows machine probably has lots of bloatware and will need a defrag. My question is why? I am totally delighted with my Chromebook. Compared with the Windows machine it is so much better. Comparing the Chromebook and the Windows 10 machine it is "chalk and cheese": the Windows PC is so slow!

If you are thinking about getting a new PC think about a Chromebook.

6m FT8 (2.5W to V2000 vertical omni)

Perhaps I am just a sucker for punishment, but I decided to try 6m FT8 again today. The gear - FT817ND and the V2000 vertical with cheap CB coax - was turned on at 0811z. 

UPDATE 1108z: Just 3 spots of me so far and 1 spot of others here today on 6m FT8. All are Gs.

UPDATE 1402z:  Nothing further on TX so far today. No Es here. Just a couple of G stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX.

Sunspots - Monday October 12th 2020

 Solar flux is 73 and the SSN 26. A=3 and K=0.

2m FT8 (2.5W to the big-wheel omni)

At 1845z, I QSYed to 2m FT8. Already spotted by 6 G stations, but nothing yet spotted on  RX.

Stations spotting my 2.5W
to the big-wheel tonight 

UPDATE 2045z :  12 stations have spotted me and I have spotted some. 

6m FT8 (2.5W and V2000 vertical omni)

It is now 0857z and I have been on for about 15 minutes. No stations copied on RX, but G3XDV (45km) has already spotted me. No 6m FT8 QSOs yet. 

UPDATE 1845z: 7 stations spotted on RX and 6 stations today - all G.

Operating on 6m

Some call 6m "The Magic Band". This is for good reasons as at times almost every sort of propagation is possible. 

Sometimes it behaves as a good HF band, but most of the time it behaves as a VHF band. With sporadic-E (Es) one can work all of Europe from the UK with simple antennas and low power on SSB.  

FT8 has transformed operation on 6m. Most DX is worked on FT8 these days. Often all you hear is white noise.  Serious 6m operators run full power and big beams on big towers. There is no doubt these will help, but surprising fun can be had with simple gear.

Even in years of very low sunspots some remarkable DX has been worked. Some of this may be due to multi-hop Es, but I think some other form of E layer propagation is involved for some of these contacts.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/6m_op

Fungi - NOT amateur radio

This photo appeared on a Facebook group recently. It shows a toadstool that I am not familiar with. 

OK, the jokes were on Facebook!

Sunspots - Sunday October 11th 2020

 Solar flux is 74 and the SSN 26. A=2 and K=0.