Sunspot maximum late next year?

The site I most use for data is still predicting that solar cycle 25 will peak in November 2023. This seems quite early. Certainly conditions have been good for some time now. 

Even if this is correct, we can expect solar conditions to remain good for several years. I was quite surprised how FT8 proved solar conditions were respectable north-south even when there were no sunspots. 

Often there is a second peak about a year after the first. Fingers crossed!

See https://www.solen.info/solar/ .

Plans for Friday

 As I  did not get around to trying my SDR yesterday, my main aim is to get this going. If time allows, I hope to be on 10m QRP WSPR TXand 8m QRP FT8.

8m permits in 2023?

It would be really great if many more people could come on 8m TX in 2023. What would be helpful would be if many asked for limited access i.e. for a fixed time with limits. The reason is radio science research around solar maximum.

Please ask your local body responsible for permits for limited 8m access. The following would be what I would suggest you ask for:

1. 40.680-40.685 MHz (just 5 kHz within the ISM band limits)
2. 100W ERP 
3. Narrow digital only e.g. CW, QRSS,FT8 or WSPR
4. April 2023 to September 2023 
5. Strictly non-interference i.e.  if any harmful interference the station can be told to immediately go QRT.

This would give access during the Es season in the northern hemisphere. Ideally the permit should be for 12 months, covering the F2 DX season in the expected sunspot maximum (November 2023).

Sunspots - Friday December 30th 2022

Solar flux is 163 and the SSN 113. A=11 and K=3.

GD6ICR on QRZ.com

Mike has this excellent photo on his QRZ.com page.

See  https://www.qrz.com/db/GD6ICR .

Ultra simple 80m transceiver

If you get bored this holiday, you may get some ideas from the XBM80-2 transceiver on my website. It really works!! You would be hard pressed to find anything simpler.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/80m-xbm80-2 .

8m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

About 10 minutes ago, I switched to 8m QRP FT8 on 40.680 MHz. So far today (it is now 1435z) no spots.

UPDATE 1643z:  No spots. QRT soon on 8m. I suspect that with my low ERP, I miss a lot on 8m. Still that was what I wanted to find out: just what could be achieved with an ultra-simple QRP 8m set-up. I think I now know what my limits are and also the limitations of the 10mW ERP (the legal 8m ISM limit for ALL in the UK without a licence) locally. I shall probably renew my T&I permit for another year, although I doubt I shall learn much more. It would be really helpful if more tried to get 8m permits, if only for the Es season. Wouldn't it be great if many countries had 8m FT8 or WSPR access next year?

QDX - creeping up

As mentioned a few days ago, I have ordered a built QDX transceiver for 20-10m from QRP Labs. This is a 5W transceiver that will be mostly used on 10m FT8 and WSPR. 

I can still use voice modes like SSB and FM, but it is much harder for me these days. 

Looking at the priority list, my order is creeping up. I can see it being my main rig and well used when it comes. My antenna is a good match on most of the bands covered by the QDX.

Anglesey Abbey - NOT amateur radio

We go to Anglesey Abbey usually several times a month, but realised we had not been since mid-November. 

We expected to see quite a few snowdrops out and maybe a daffodil.  Instead, we saw no daffodils out (just a few that will be out in 2-3 weeks) and just one snowdrop out. 

In a few weeks many snowdrops will be out. The next few months there is always something to see.

10m FT8 RX (Thursday)

Stations spotted on 10m
FT8 RX to 1322z

Yet again I am on 10m FT8 RX. I have been on since about 1000z. It is now 1012z and, so far,  71 stations spotted.

UPDATE 1322z:   362 stations spotted today. 422 stations

UPDATE 1357z:  422 stations spotted.