6m FT8

OK, I must like white noise! 

For a change today I am on 6m FT8 QRP with 2.5W and the V2000 vertical omni. It would not surprise me at all if the whole day passes without any spots. Outside of the Es season people often leave the band. With FT8, there is some chance.

UPDATE 0945z: Well, I have already been spotted by G0PQO (50km) at -21dB S/N. This was almost immediate. So much for the whole day without spots!

UPDATE 1035z: I have been spotted by a second station! M1ABK (70km) at -18dB S/N.  I suspect this is ordinary tropo i.e. these stations, if active, would spot me most of the time.

UPDATE 1430z:  1 station has spotted me and I have only been spotted by the 2 G stations earlier. I think I shall QSY to 2m FT8 shortly.

Sunspots - Tuesday November 10th 2020

Solar flux is 90 and the SSN 27.  A=1 and K=0.

OT2CARE

This is a special Belgian call that I spotted this evening on 2m FT8. At first I wondered if it was a pirate!

See https://www.qrz.com/db/OT2CARE

2m FT8 QRP

At about 1645z I QSYed to 2m FT8. So far (it is now 1652z) 6 stations in 3 countries have spotted my 2.5W to the big-wheel omni antenna.  On RX no-one yet spotted.

UPDATE 1757z:  9 stations in 5 countries have spotted me so far on 2m FT8 today with the furthermost being GI6ATZ (479km). On RX 3 Gs spotted so far.

UPDATE 2055z: 18 stations have spotted me and I have spotted 8 stations.

Repairing the "better" 10m loop

This afternoon, I tried in vain, to mend my "better" 10m loop antenna. I failed. 

Before, there was a distinct peak when tuned and the SWR dipped significantly on resonance. Sadly, just a few minutes of soldering work left me totally exhausted and giddy. I shall have to try again another day. After about 10 minutes of physical or mental work I am just knackered. Whether this is my stroke or just old age I do not know.

At the moment I am still on 15m FT8 on the "poorer" loop.

Covid vaccine - NOT amateur radio

There is news today of a Covid-19 vaccine. Already the stock markets have reacted positively. Hopefully this will be the first vaccine of many. 2020 has been a nightmare year. Let's hope 2021 is better.

History

I have been involved in amateur radio for over 50 years and in that time quite a few things have changed. On my main website there is a potted history of G3XBM in amateur radio.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/history

15m FT8

It is now 0916z and I have been on 15m FT8 for about an hour with 2.5W and the tiny indoor loop antenna on the shack windowsill.  So far, just 1 station spotted on RX and no-one has spotted me.

UPDATE 0950z:  12 stations spotted on 15m FT8 RX and nobody has spotted me yet.

UPDATE 1040z: 1 station in Germany near the Danish border DJ3LE (666km) has spotted my QRP and I have spotted 21 stations so far today on 15m FT8.

UPDATE 1235z:  3 stations have spotted me so far today.

UPDATE 1340z:   So far today, 81 stations spotted on RX and 4 stations have spotted me with the furthermost being UA3D (2519km). With QRP and the tiny tiny loop indoors I am amazed that anyone spots me!

UPDATE 1512z:  4 stations have spotted me and I have spotted 107 stations today on 15m FT8  RX.

Connectedness - NOT amateur radio

Ever wondered if you are related to royalty? Well, certainly in Europe, you probably are. 

I can trace my father's line back to the 1500s. Everybody has 2 parents, 4 grandparents, 8 great-grandparents and so on. Going back to the 1500s that means I needed over 8000 people to marry and have children. Going back just 10 more generations, way after Magna Carta, and I have over 16M ancestors, which is far greater than the whole UK population at that time! 

Now I am sure some of my ancestors married distant relatives, so the number will be a bit less, but you get my point: if you go back far enough we are connected. If we go back to the time the Romans came to England certainly one of those is in my family tree.

This is humbling. Just think, we are only here now because those people had children. If just one had not, we would not be here now.

Sunspots - Monday November 9th 2020

Solar flux is 90 and the SSN 40. A=5 and K=0.  

Humming again! Not sure what the latest forecasts for cycle 25 are, but we are off to a promising start.