2m FT8 QRP (Thursday)

Since 1845z, I have been on 2m FT8 RX with the FT817ND and the big-wheel omni antenna. So far, just one station spotted - G8GXP (201km).

UPDATE 2100z: 8 stations spotted with the furthermost being DL6YBF (471km).

UPDATE 2118z:  I have just turned on my 2.5W TX. 3 stations in 2 countries have spotted me on TX and I have spotted 11 stations on 2m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 2144z: 7 stations have spotted me tonight so far with the furthermost being ON6LEO (392km).The TX spots are shown on the second map with the RX spots here on the first map.

UPDATE 2201z:  Now 8 stations have spotted me with the best DX EI2FG (565km).

UPDATE 2230z: QRT.

WSJT-X v2.3.0-rc2

For the last 12 hours or so, I have been using the latest "release candidate" version of WSJT-X, which is 2.3.0-rc2.  Certainly on FT8 it appears stable and works well. The only thing I have found is an annoying pop-up box saying I do not have logbook of the world on my PC. I seem to recall this on an earlier version.

See https://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/wsjtx.html

Winter - NOT amateur radio wife took this

According to the UK Met Office, we are, from December 1st, in winter. I agree that December, January and February are winter and March is the start of spring. 

We have had some very wet days this year. There have been far more wet days in this part of England than I ever remember. It is very dull.  November and December are among the dullest of months. At least in January the days are getting longer and there is new hope around with snowdrops, daffodils and buds starting.

My wife took the photos in the collage yesterday.  

Winter!

15m FT8 RX

At about 0900z, I turned on 15m FT8 RX using the FT817ND and the tiny indoor loop. It is now 0915z and already 28 stations spotted including the Middle East and Asiatic Russia spotted.

UPDATE 1115z:  136 stations spotted on 15m FT8 RX today so far. The furthermost is UA9Y (5055km).

UPDATE 1520z:  372 stations spotted so far today on 15m FT8 RX. See map. As you can see, plenty of North and South Americans spotted. It is hard to think this is not too far off sunspot minimum. What will it be like at the maximum?

Sunspots - Thursday December 3rd

 Solar flux is 105 and the SSN 41.  A=4 and K=0.

2m FT8 QRP (Wednesday)

At about 2020z, I QSYed to 2m FT8 QRP with 2.5W to the big-wheel omni. 7 stations spotted on 2m FT8 RX with best DX DL6YBF (471km). On TX, my 2.5W has been spotted by 8 stations with the furthermost being EI2FG (565km).

15m FT8 QRP (Wednesday)

As 10m FT8 was looking rather quiet, I have QSYed down to 15m FT8 with 2.5W and the indoor loop. So far (at 1520z) 22 stations have been spotted on RX and 1 local station has spotted me on TX.

UPDATE 1803z:  35 stations spotted on RX. Just 1 local has spotted me on TX.

More Trump stuff - NOT amateur radio

It is still true that I have met not one person outside the USA, online or in person, who has a good word to say about President Trump. I appreciate this is not so in the USA where nearly half the people voted for him.  

The more time passes the deeper hole he seems to dig at least for those of us outside of the USA.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55156241  .

Perverse? - NOT amateur radio

On the day a vaccine for Covid-19 was approved for UK rollout, the value of the UK pound against the major currencies such as the euro, yen and US dollar has fallen! OK I appreciate a BREXIT deal has still to be done, but I was expecting the pound to have a good day.

2m TEP

Southgate News has a piece relayed from EI7GL's blog about the 6000km trans equatorial propagation from Argentina to the Dominican Republic.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/december/6000km-tep-path-on-144-mhz.htm#.X8di32iTLrc