8m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

 I have been on 2.5W FT8 on 40.680 MHz USB dial for about an hour. No spots.

UPDATE 1427z:   Just G0HVQ (181km)  has spotted me today on 8m FT8.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Saturday)

At the moment I am on 10m WSPR with my 500mW beacon. So far today (it is now 1125z) , 4 unique stations have spotted me. There is some evidence of winter Es. 

UPDATE 1145z:  Still the same 4 stations spotting me.

Stations spotting me today

UPDATE 1529z:  16 unique stations spotting me today on 10m QRP WSPR TX  (see table).

Plans for today (Saturday)

Later this morning I expect to go on 10m WSPR QRP TX and 8m QRP FT8. This is still the mid winter Es season so there is a chance of being copied in Europe on 8m FT8 despite the low power. 

VLF earth-mode

This photo was taken in 2011 and shows where my VLF beacon could be received locally. The TX was 5W. 

Oscar 100 - worst yet?

It has never seemed this bad. The photo shows the narrowband transponder on a European weekend morning. Where is everyone? 

Stations on Oscar 100 at 1010z

UPDATE 1012z: A little better, but still very under-used.

Oscar 100 wideband transponder spectrum

UPDATE 1020z: There appears to be better use of the wideband transponder on Oscar 100. Although there is a spectrum display (see photo), I am not aware of a site with DATV streams. If so, I do not know of it.

See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/ .

Apparently (this was news to me) there is a weekly TV net on Oscar 100 on Thursday nights at 2000z. 

See https://batc.org.uk/live/oscar100net . This link streams the results. I must check this out.

Sunspots - Saturday January 14th 2023

Solar flux is 209 and the SSN 181. A=12 and K=3.

20m FT8 RX (Friday)

For the last hour or so, I have been on 20m FT8 RX using the 8m dipole, which is way off tune. At 1858z, 35 stations spotted with the furthermost N1HMT (5245km).

Where I come from - NOT amateur radio

 

This is where I come from in South Devon. This unspoilt area is known as the South Hams.

Solar cycle peak this year?

The 11 year solar cycle is an average with some cycles shorter than this and some longer. 

I am most definitely not an expert on this area, but note my favourite site for solar data is still forecasting the peak in November this year. Whatever, solar conditions are good at the moment. 10m (my favourite HF band) is in great shape and could be for several years. Even in the depths of the last solar minimum some spectacular DX was spotted on FT8.

Sepura - NOT amateur radio

The company I once worked for has been sold again, I understand. 

I retired in 2008. It originated as part of the Pye empire as Pye Telecom. A few years ago it was part of Hytera, but I gather it has been sold again, I think to an asset management company. 

These companies usually grow a business, then sell it again. Such companies are usually not interested in the business as such just increasing its value. To them, it is just a way of making (more) money. I hope it does OK. I am well removed from it these days, but as a once proud RF company, I still have my heart in it.

See https://www.sepura.com/ .