8m QRP FT8

 Much of the day, I have been on 40.680 MHz FT8 with 2.5W to a dipole. No spots. QRT.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Wednesday)

 

Stations spotting my 500mW 10m WSPR today

This morning I am again on 10m (500mW) TX. At 1210z,  6 stations have spotted me.

8m winter Es

 

This report came yesterday from Borut S50B in Slovenia. Signals were obviously just on the edge, but it shows even 2.5W to a low dipole is enough for winter Es on 8m FT8.

Sunspots - Wednesday January 4th 2023

 Solar flux is 149 and the SSN 89. A=6 and K=4.

2m activity contest this evening

Not sure about you, but I am all mixed up over the days of the week! I thought yesterday was Tuesday.  

Tonight is the first 2m activity contest organised by the RSGB. I usually stay on for less than an hour and enter the low power section with my ICOM IC-705 and big-wheel omni antenna.

See https://www.rsgbcc.org/cgi-bin/contest_rules.pl?contest=2mukac .

Chromebook - NOT amateur radio

This is being written on my Asus Chromebook. It has been owned and used for over 3 years. It still has a good battery life, boots up in seconds and does most things I ever need. 

When I first got it, I wondered if I was going to make a big mistake. Instead, it has been brilliant and I have no regrets at all.

8m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

Since just before lunch, I have been on 40.680 MHz FT8 with my 2.5W to the dipole. 

UPDATE 1804z:   No spots on TX or RX today. QRT soon.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Tuesday)

 Since just before lunch, I have been on 10m WSPR TX with my 500mW beacon. So far just local spots.

8m T&I permit

OFCOM has informed me that my T&I permit (and all similar) are not renewable, but I am free to apply for a new one. 

My current permit expires in early April. As there seems little prospect of even a very tiny 8m amateur band, I guess I have little alternative but to pay £50 to do experiments that should be free. 

Perhaps I should ask for 10kW from 1 kHz to 300 GHz, all modes, to show how utterly stupid this is. 

Remember, no callsigns or locations are needed!  How totally stupid!  I could cause horrendous interference to vital services and be totally untraceable!!

Fungus - NOT amateur radio

This was seen on our walk on New Year's Day. This was in a wood planted to celebrate the millennium. It is now a mature wood.