Since mid morning I have been on 6m FT8 RX with the V2000 vertical with the poor SWR. At 1225z 35 stations spotted on RX so far.
UPDATE 1555z: 75 stations spotted..
UPDATE 1639z: 121 stations spotted.
UPDATE 1941z: 201 stations spotted so far on 6m FT8 RX today.
UPDATE 2147z: QRT.
Yesterday and this morning G3TFX tried to fix my very old V2000 triband vertical antenna. Sadly, we could not remove the bottom collar despite trying everything. It may be possible, but not in situ. Possibly in a vice if the coax is cut this may be possible. I may have to get a new antenna. They are quite expensive.
A local friend Richard G3TFX kindly tried to mend my faulty V2000 vertical. This covers 6m, 2m and 70cm. I must have had it for almost 20 years. Recently it developed a high SWR. When Richard investigated it looked like water had got in and there was some corrosion. He came back today to see if he could loosen the collar at the bottom which he could not release due to corrosion. At the time of writing, this is stuck fast.
At the moment it is about 75cm off the ground without radials and horizontal. Despite this, I have still spotted 172 station on 6m FT8 RX with the best DX spotted A92GE (5036km) in Bahrain!!
A reminder that the 70cm leg of the RSGB activity contest is this evening. As my 2m big-wheel is faulty I am trying with my homemade 4el yagi in the shack.
At the moment, I am not sure which 70cm UK beacons are operational.
Last night GB3LEU at Leicester (432.490MHz) popped up with the indoor 4 el yagi, pointing out the window. Most of the time it is below the noise floor.
Every time some tree surgeons were working about 50m away, I could hear a sprog on 432.432MHz!
It seems few (none?) of the UK beacons have FT8 or WSPR sequences. PI4 which several beacons use, seems to require special software. Personally, I think it would be good to have time synchronised beacons with an FT8 TX slot so there could be more monitors.
