10m WSPR QRP TX (Saturday)

Later, I hope to be on 10m QRP WSPR TX as we are out shortly. 

Yesterday was pretty successful on 10m WSPR. I am surprised by the number of active WSPR stations on 10m. Although I may be wrong, I think there are more stations active on 10m WSPR than last summer. I would have expected fewer as more people try FT8. WSPR works with far weaker signals and takes up far less bandwidth than FT8 that needs about 50Hz.

UPDATE 0920z:  On TX now.

UPDATE 1912z:   27 spots of me today.

8m experiment (Saturday)

As we are out this morning, I cannot go on 8m QRP TX on 40.680 MHz USB dial until later. Whilst on 8m, I shall also go on 10m QRP WSPR with my 500mW WSPR beacon from W5OLF.

UPDATE 0928z: EA8BFK (2880km) has spotted me. Probably F2?

UPDATE 1340z:  EA8BFK, HC02 (1808km), SR4DON (1352km) and EA3ERE (1153km) spotting me on 8m FT8 today Another decent day.

More Kingfisher Bridge - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday we went for a walk at a local nature reserve called Kingfisher Bridge. Last time we went (pre Covid) there were water buffalo, but these seem to have gone. We saw Konik ponies and one little egret, but we were disappointed. It was very dry.

Kingfisher Bridge - NOT amateur radio

This collage was created by my wife and shows the nature reserve near us called Kingfisher Bridge. 

Sunspots - Saturday August 6th 2022

 Solar flux is 114 and the SSN 69. A=6 and K=1.

Blackberry and apple crumble - NOT amateur radio

 

For lunch, we had homemade blackberry and apple crumble with ice cream. All the fruits were wild. It tasted great.

Cornwall beacon

I understand that the people who run the GB3MCB beacon have (at last) been granted permission to install 8m and 5m beacons. These will run 24/7 and they should really help with transatlantic propagation research. 

It is a pity this approval by OFCOM took such an age. Still, I suppose they had to be woken up first, then trained to understand something about RF, told where Cornwall is.....

Me sarcastic?

8m FT8 QRP TX

Since getting home just before lunch, I have been on 8m QRP FT8 TX on 40.680 MHz USB dial. No spots yet at 1425z.

UPDATE 1456z: Just spotted by S50B (1220km). Thank you Borut. Also spotted by HC02 (1808km) in Portugal. Thanks Hugh. Still not being copied outside Europe apart from the Canary Is. In a way, I am surprised not to have had even a single spot from the USA. Maybe later by F2? My dipole should be optimised for the USA.

UPDATE 1613z:   3 stations have now spotted me today on 8m QRP FT8 TX. Last one was EI9KP (649km). I called 9A2Y (1567km), but he could not copy me.

UPDATE 1927z:    4 stations have spotted my 8m QRP FT8 today.

10m WSPR QRP TX

 As I am on 8m FT8 QRP TX, I am again on 10m WSPR with my 500mW W5OLF beacon. 4 spots by so far today. Many look like Es.

UPDATE 1447z:  6 unique stations have spotted me today so far. Furthermost remains EA1FAQ (1249km).

UPDATE 1908z:   25 stations have spotted me today (see table).

UPDATE 2014z:  28 stations have spotted me today.

Shetland sun - NOT amateur radio

This photo was posted on 365project recently. It shows a rare nice day.