2m FT8

At 1933z I QSYed to 2m FT8. So far tonight 9 stations have spotted my 2.5W to the big-wheel omni antenna with the furthermost being a spot by ON6LEO (392km). On 2m FT8 RX just 2 stations spotted this evening.

UPDATE 2017z: Now RX only. 3 stations in 3 countries spotted.

Rowan trees - NOT amateur radio

We have several of these in our garden. The one in the back garden was stripped of berries by the birds weeks ago, whereas the ones in the front garden have hardly been touched. I guess these must be a different variety that is not attractive to the birds.

Autumn - NOT amateur radio

The garden is suddenly looking very autumnal with trees losing leaves or leaves changing colour. Another few weeks and most deciduous trees will be leafless until next spring. It is odd, but in the colder months we have little wish to be in the garden. 

Today is exceptionally mild for early November. We even have sparrows nest building in the loft above our bed! They are in for a nasty shock when the first frosts come.

Covid-19 English month lockdown - NOT amateur radio

Strangely, I feel slightly safer this morning. 

The UK Prime Minister has, reluctantly, agreed to a month long lockdown in England to try to bring the virus under control again. Although damaging to the economy, he probably had no choice. His scientific advisors that he claims to follow had been advising this for weeks!

Let us hope this helps. Our "track and trace" system is not coping, we urgently need a testing system that can give results fast (maybe the saliva test?) and we will be closer to better treatments and a vaccine.

This next month has to be used wisely. Sadly, the track record of the UK government is not good. I appreciate they have a very hard balancing act to perform, but at least "follow the science" and do not ignore timely advice.

10m FT8 QRP

 At 0930z, I turned on 10m FT8 with 2.5W and the indoor (poorer) loop. After 5 minutes, no spots.

UPDATE 1210z:  No spots of me so far, but 20 stations spotted, mostly in eastern and northern Europe.

UPDATE 1447z:  13 spots (all Europeans) of my 2.5W 10m FT8 so far and 30 stations spotted on RX. There has never been a day recently when I have not spotted plenty on 10m FT8 RX even on just the indoor loop. In a year from now it should be even better. 

UPDATE 1920z: 80 stations spotted on RX and 23 stations spotted me today (see photo) on TX.  And this is on the poorer loop!

Sunspots - Sunday November 1st 2020

Solar flux is 77 and the SSN 26. A=10 and K=3.

2m FT8

At about 1656z I QSYed to 2m FT8 using 2.5W to the big-wheel omni antenna. I was on 10m earlier. Just a spot by G0OFC (81km) so far and nothing yet on RX. As usual I can use the grabber at G0LRD to check on my signal. See http://82.71.9.63:8080/cap/ .

Stations spotting my 2m
FT8 QRP this evening

UPDATE 2222z: 13 stations in 3 countries have spotted me.  On RX 22 stations in 5 countries spotted.

UPDATE 2234z:  QRT.

Next autumn

This autumn has been strange. With luck we should see a Covid-19 vaccine widely available and the health implications of our pandemic crisis should be largely behind us. It will take years for the economies of the world to re-adjust, but they will.

On the amateur radio front, we should be climbing up sunspot cycle 25 and North Americans should be reliably coming through on 10m. In the last peak there were VE and W stations on 10m AM coming though just above 29MHz. I even copied some well on a super-regen RX mobile! If the solar predictions are to be believed, the next solar cycle will be much like the last. Compared with the 1950s, this was a poor affair, but 10m was once again a good DX band.

Dr John Campbell - NOT amateur radio

This has been a strange year because of the Covid-19 pandemic. For open, clear and good summaries of the pandemic I turn to the videos produced by Dr John Campbell. These were recommended to me by a doctor many months ago.

 

Halloween 2020 - NOT amateur radio

This year is strange in so many ways. Children are being encouraged not to go "trick or treating" this year and instead enjoy Halloween at home. The collage shows some of the pumpkins seen on our walk earlier.