6m FT8 (QRP) Tuesday

After a really good day yesterday, I am again on 6m FT8 with 2.5W (FT817ND) and the V2000 vertical omni antenna. It is now 0940z and I have been on for about 3 minutes.  Already spotted by G0PQO (50km), with just G0DYW (77km) spotted on RX.

UPDATE 1149z:  4 spots of my QRP TX in 2 countries and 17 spots in 4 countries on 6m FT8 RX today. Definitely winter Es about on 6m FT8.

UPDATE 1435z:  27 stations in 6 countries spotted so far on RX, and I have been spotted by 8 stations in 3 countries on 6m FT8 QRP TX.

Sunspots - Tuesday December 29th 2020

 Solar flux is 87 and the SSN 26. A=7 and K=2.

USA spoilt child? - NOT amateur radio

Without mentioning any names (I am sure you can guess) there appears to be a really spoilt child throwing his toys out of the pram in the USA. Does this person not realise the harm to his future reputation? Please, stop being so childish!! Just grow up.

Yet more homes - NOT amateur radio

 

Every spare space in our village seems to be being used for new houses. This is one plot yesterday.

Label making video

Jason M0NYW has sent me this video on how to make professional looking labels.  Well worth looking at. Look at Jason's example, which looks good to me.

G3XBM video channel

Some of the videos on my YouTube channel may be of interest, as are some of the pages on my main website. Many of these are quite old and probably are in need of an update!

See https://www.youtube.com/user/G3XBM

See also http://www.g3xbm.co.uk

Memories - NOT amateur radio

At breakfast my wife and I were counting up how many walks we had been on this odd year. We keep a record each month. At one point she said a figure and I said she had miscalculated. Without a recording, we can never be sure who was wrong. 

This makes me wonder what other memories may be wrong. Memory is an odd thing: as I said some weeks ago, we think we remember things in the past, but it is entirely possible time is a human construct and each day is new with memories we think we have. This is getting too heavy!

My apologies - 136kHz transverter

Some time ago, I was asked by email if the technique to make this into a full TX-RX transverter as used on 472kHz could be adapted on 136kHz. What happens sometimes with emails is that they get filed and forgotten about. I do not remember replying to this question. So, if I did not answer this please accept my sincere apologies. I just cannot remember.

Yes, the same techniques would work on 136kHz, suitably scaled. This could be a simple way to get on this band. I have to confess I have never been on 136kHz TX from this QTH!

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/mflf/137khz_tvrtr .

6m FT8 QRP (Monday)

After breakfast I hope to go on 6m FT8 with 2.5W and the V2000 vertical omni antenna.   This is now the winter Es season, so it is possible some European stations will be spotted. Yesterday was very promising on 10m. 

UPDATE 0907z:   Already spotted in Sweden by SM4CHK (1138km) on QRP FT8 TX and 16 stations spotted on RX from Scandinavia. This definitely looks like winter Es.

UPDATE 1100z:   Already spotted by 6 stations on QRP 6m FT8 TX right across Europe!  No QSOs.  27 stations spotted so far on 6m FT8 RX again right across the continent with the furthermost being LB7FA (2008km).

UPDATE 1316z:  I have been spotted by 10 stations across Europe with my 2.5W QRP 6m FT8 TX and I have spotted 45 stations on 6m FT8 RX.

Stations spotted
to 1515z on 6m
FT8 RX

UPDATE 1515z: 1 QSO with an LA station.  67 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX. 14 spots of my QRP 6m QRP  on 6m FT8 TX.

UPDATE 1532z: 70 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX. 2 QSOs  (LA and DL).

UPDATE 1712z: 18 stations have spotted my 6m FT8 QRPoday. TX with the furthermost being IS0YFG (1600km).  82 stations spotted today on 6m FT8 RX. This looks like winter Es.

Stations spotting
me today

UPDATE 1819z:  QRT soon.  85 stations spotted today on 6m FT8 RX today.

10m (28MHz) - my best band

Although, at the moment, 10m is not a great DX band, this will soon change. Within a few years it will again be one of our greatest DX bands. Even with simple antennas and low power, worldwide DX should be possible. Being 1.7MHz wide there is space for all modes. Even a wire dipole is very small.

With my poor voice I find FT8 better than SSB or AM or FM. It will be interesting to see the impact of FT8, which is already very popular on many bands. I like it as most DX is concentrated in a few kHz and there are lots of people monitoring.  It works with signals weaker than SSB or CW. Being a very narrow-band mode (each TX takes about 50Hz only) it seems better with man-made noise than wider band modes. 

I suspect there may be less AM activity this cycle, which would be a pity: often operators use old "boat anchor" rigs with beautiful modulation. In the last (poor) sunspot cycle several USA AM stations were copied well in the car with just a super-regen RX and a base loaded whip.

In the past I have well exceeded DXCC with 10W SSB on 10m with low dipoles. 

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