10m WSPR RX

Although this has been posted before, you may get inspiration or ideas from it. I used low cost 14.060MHz crystals from the GQRP Club sales, pulled and doubled. The same idea would work on FT8 and PSK. 

Sunspots - Sunday January 3rd 2021

Solar flux is 82 and the SSN 22. A=2 and K=1. 

QSY to 2m FT8 QRP (Saturday)

At about 1735z I QSYed to 2m FT8 with 2.5W and the big-wheel omni antenna.  I am monitoring using the grabber at G0LRD. See http://82.71.9.63:8080/cap/ .  

So far, 3 stations in 2 countries have spotted me on TX the furthermost being GW8ASD (242km) in North Wales with just one station spotted here so far on RX. So far only G and GW stations spotted or spotting me.

UPDATE 1827z: Spotted by 6 stations so far on 2m FT8 QRP TX today.

UPDATE 2045z: 10 stations have spotted me so far with the furthermost EI3KD (583km).

GQRP Technical Pages

Many times I have said how great the GQRP Club magazine SPRAT is. 

Members can now buy the entire collection of back issues on a DVD or memory stick. It is probably worth joining for this alone, although SPRAT always has some excellent articles.  I think non-members can also buy these, but they are more expensive. My view is simple: join!  You are unlikely to regret it.

On the internet are several useful pages of technical resources which builders may find helpful.

See http://www.gqrp.com/tech.htm

More memories of Christmas - NOT amateur radio

More experiments with collages on Google Photos. These pictures are trying to summarise Christmas 2020, which to most of us is odd. I hope Christmas 2021 is far better.

6m FT8 QRP (Saturday)

Since about 1000z, I have been on 6m FT8 with 2.5W and the V2000 vertical omni antenna. Spots by G0PQO (50km) and G7SOZ (31km) on TX within 15 minutes and nothing yet on RX.

UPDATE 1034z: Just 2 spots so far on 6m FT8 RX G0MBL (129km) and G0ROG (142km).

UPDATE 1556z: 6 spots of my QRP FT8 TX with the furthermost being by G7RAU (461km). On 6m FT8 RX 19 stations in 3 countries spotted with the furthermost being GM4UYE (509km).

Collage experiments - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday I played with collages on Google Photos. This was my first attempt. 

Sunspots - Saturday January 2nd 2021

 Solar flux is 80 and the SSN 23. A=4 and K=0.

Feels like a Sunday?

Don't know about you, but I keep thinking today is Sunday! All these public holidays are really confusing me. 

I was expecting to send out my usual Sunday reminders for the East Cambs net, then I realised it was Friday.

Short loft antennas

At the old QTH I had a problem with 160m antennas. At one time, we were going to try a local 160m AM net. Somewhere I have some crystals. My solution was this small loft vertical that worked really well. It can easily be adapted for your situation. I was surprised how good it was.

Although my antenna was on 160m, the same idea (helical windings and a top hat) could be used on other bands like 80m, 60m, 40m, or even 630m.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/antennas/160m_loft_ant.