Sunspots - Sunday November 8th 2020

Solar flux is 90 and the SSN 37. A=5 and K=1 We are definitely climbing out of the solar minimum.

Earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground

At VLF, LF and MF I have used this at 2 QTHs with great success. My own theory is this acts as a loop in the ground which gets bigger with rising skin depth i.e. as frequency is reduced. I am sure a full sized antenna would be better, but this works way beyond expectations.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/antennas/earth-electrode-antennas

Thank you! - NOT amateur radio

One blog reader very kindly sent me a great gift in the post. This was a total surprise and very much appreciated. To avoid embarrassing him, I won't name him, but the parcel arrived safely - thank you so much. 

There are some very kind people in this world, certainly far more good people than bad.

US president - NOT amateur radio

It is now 1525z on Saturday days after the US election and still they have not finished counting!! You would think one of the biggest economies in the world could organise this better. Perhaps this goes with the territory and the country that can only find old men to govern them can only find a pathetic system to count votes.

2m FT8 QRP

Most of the day I have been on 2m FT8 using 2.5W and the big-wheel omni antenna. Although I have been on TX, I am mostly on RX. So far today I have been spotted by 26 stations in 3 countries and I have spotted 60 stations in 8 countries.

UPDATE 2246z:  QRT. 

Another Tenner transceiver photo

Some years ago I designed and made the Tenner transceiver for 10m CW. It produced about 500mW but gave me loads of contacts with just a low wire dipole. As 10m starts to get better as we climb cycle 25, this could be increasingly useful.  

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/10m_tenner .

Sunspots - Saturday November 7th 2020

Solar flux is 94 and the SSN 35.  A=8 and K=1.

Things are improving fast. 

Today's village walk - NOT amateur radio

Today has been cold and very sunny, so we went for a walk around the village. In Priory Wood, planted to celebrate the millenium in 2000, they were felling some trees. It was very muddy. We saw a jay and green woodpecker quite close.

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

For about 20 minutes I have been on 2m FT8 QRP.  So far 22 stations in 6 countries have spotted me with the furthermost being EI2FG (565km).

UPDATE 1615z:  Currently spotted by 30 stations.

UPDATE 1825z:  36 stations have spotted me today. G0LRD has a 2m grabber that I find useful (see photo). 

UPDATE 2220z:   1 QSO today.  Now QRT.

Village walk - NOT amateur radio

On Wednesday we did a nice walk around the village, bumping in to several old friends. Like today, the weather was cold and sunny.  

We will be going for another, different, village walk shortly. Today's walk includes some bits that are likely to be muddy!