6m FT8 QRP (Friday)

Once again, I was briefly on 6m FT8 using 2.5W TX to the V2000 vertical omni antenna. After the brief TX period (no spots!), I am RX only (no spots!). OK, it is early. Maybe things will get better.

UPDATE 1414z:  9 stations spotted on RX today. See map.

UPDATE 2040z:  Still just those 9 stations spotted. Now QRT.

160m FT8 RX overnight

Overnight I was on 160m FT8 RX with the active loop antenna on the shack window. In all 206 stations were spotted. 

Newmarket - NOT amateur radio

We do most of our food shopping in nearby Newmarket, which is the worldwide home of horseracing. 

Sunspots - Friday December 31st 2021

Solar flux is 102 and the SSN 77.  A=8 and K=1 

160m FT8 RX with the active antenna

As 6m and 10m seem to be dead now, I have QSYed to 160m FT8 RX. I shall probably leave it running overnight. At 2011z, 70 stations spotted.

UPDATE 2108z:  86 stations spotted on RX today. 

Rally

As far as I know the Sparkford Wireless Group rally near Yeovil is still on this Sunday January 2nd. Contact the organiser to confirm.

Baking time - NOT amateur radio

 

Our younger granddaughter making minced pies in the kitchen.

Super DX by E layer

Recently, there have been reports of DX contacts on 6m between New Zealand and South America. For as many late spring/early summers as I can remember there have been 6m VHF QSOs between western Europe and Japan.  All these QSOs appear to be via E layer, but I think these are too far for multi-hop Es.

My own theory is this is some sort of chordal hop E layer propagation. It always seems to be in late spring/early summer and is linked to noctilucent clouds which form in the mesosphere around this time (late June, early July in the northern hemisphere).

I get the impression that these modes may well work at far higher frequencies, possibly even microwaves.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/super-dx . 

See also John's blog at https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/ .

10m WSPR QRP TX (Thursday)

 For most of the day since breakfast I have been on 10m WSPR TX with my 500mW W5OLF WSPR beacon. At the moment the vast majority of spots are by EA8BFK (2880km) with a couple by local G4KPX (14km). I think the spots in the Canaries are single hop F2 as some are very strong.

ICOM IC-7300 transceiver

Although you get the impression (I may be wrong) that all UK dealers have been instructed to hold the price, it looks like there are special "gifts" being given away with the intention of attracting buyers. This is a 100W HF, 6m and 4m SDR transceiver with auto ATU.  It has (at last) some competition from Yaesu. It has proved very popular in the last few years.