Sunspots - Thursday January 11th 2023

Solar flux is 195 and the SSN 183. A=9 and K=1.

70cm FT8 activity contest (Wednesday evening)

This evening, the 70cm FT8 activity contest organised by the RSGB starts at 1900z. I believe this coincides with a European 70cm FT8 contest that starts earlier. Activity is surprisingly good.

See https://www.rsgbcc.org/cgi-bin/contest_rules.pl?contest=70cmsgmac .

Stations spotted on 70cm FT8 RX....with the 2m omni antenna!

On the way to Cambridge through the bus window indow - NOT amateur radio

 This was the view on the way to Cambridge through the bus window.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Wednesday)

 At the moment (0848z), I am on 10m WSPR TX using 500mW.

UPDATE 0852z:  Spots by a local and SV9KI (2639km) already.

UPDATE 1940z:  QRT soon. 19 stations have spotted me today.

Stations that spotted me running 500mW 10m WSPR today

Sunspots - Wednesday January 11th 2023

 Solar flux is 193 and the SSN 201 (amazingly high). A=6 and K=2.

40m FT8 RX

Just for a change, I went on 40m FT8 RX using my 8m dipole which of course is very non-resonant. 

After 50 minutes, 104 stations spotted (see map).

70cm activity contest (UKAC)

Tonight is the 70cm leg of the 70cm activity contest organised by the RSGB. It starts at 2000z.  I usually go on SSB for about 45 minutes with 10W to the 2m big-wheel omni antenna. As it sounds rough outside, I expect conditions to be flat. 

UPDATE 2038z:  Just one station worked! It is my view that there are now fewer stations on SSB. After about 15 minutes I gave up as there were so few stations active. Maybe tomorrow in the FT8 UKAC there will be more.

70cm FT8 RX

At the moment I am on 70cm FT8 RX.  Tomorrow is the 70cm activity contest, so tonight I expect to copy none, or at best, very few stations.

UPDATE 1941z:   No spots.

Shetland winter - NOT amateur radio

This photo was posted recently on 365project. It shows the Shetland Is (Scotland) in winter. This far north, days are very short.

Because of the wind, there are very few trees.

Practical Wireless article

In the February 2023 issue of Practical Wireless is my article about 8m. Practical Wireless now incorporates Radio User.  

The latter used to be a magazine mainly for SWLs. I hope the ending of Radio User is not the start of many magazine closures.