My 500mW W5OLF beacon has been on for about 20 minutes (it is now 1004z). So far, 3 spots by EA8BFK (2880km).
UPDATE 1130z: 24 spots of my 500mW WSPR beacon by 2 stations in the Canary Is so far on 10m WSPR.
UPDATE 1445z: 3 unique stations spotted with the furthermost FY5KE (7110km).
In the last 12 hours only 3 Gs spotted on 70cm FT8 RX suggesting the opening is over for now. Looking at the weather forecast, it could yet be good again.
Later, I shall try 10m WSPR and 6m FT8.
Once again, I am on 70cm QRP FT8 with 2.5W and the V2000 vertical omni antenna. After a brief TX period with 3 spots of me with the furthermost G8VHI (127km), I am RX only. 3 stations have been spotted on RX with the furthermost, GI6ATZ (479km).
UPDATE 1805z: 9 stations spotted on RX including 2 in the Netherlands and 1 in N.Ireland. Some must be tropo, but I wonder if some are scatter?
Back in the summer, the RSGB printed an article of mine on a very simple and low cost RX for 10m FT8 called the 10FT8R. It is also on my website.
Since then, I discovered a low cost source of 14.037MHz crystals, making the schematic even simpler as the inductor next to the crystal is not needed. With a PCB this would make a great club project in the years ahead in solar cycle 25.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/10ft8r-rx .
Although you are most likely to hear broadcast stations, you may also copy amateurs. These days it is harder as most speech is on SSB, so you can only copy the muffled sound of envelope detection, but I have copied AM amateurs on 160m. For envelope detection, you may need a "proper" RX to identify the signal.
There are already promises of better weather to come as this picture from yesterday shows.
