Yaesu FT77

Way back in the last century, I bought this radio. It came after the FT7 (which I loved) and had the WARC bands. I guess this would have been in the mid 1980s. I did not warm to the rig. As for the DX worked with it, I cannot remember. As I recall it had a noisy RX. Mind you, after the FT7 most receiver sounded noisy!

See https://www.rigpix.com/yaesu/ft77.htm .

12m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

This is a band I rarely go on and as my QDX covers this and the antenna is still a good match, I am giving it a try.  After about 5 minutes, I am being spotted by 10 stations (3 in the USA) and I have spotted 47 stations including the west coast of the USA.

UPDATE 1747z: Spotted by 140 stations and I have spotted 428 stations on 12m FT8 with the QDX. Now RX only. Power on 12m is about 3.9W.

Stations spotted on 12m
FT8 with the QDX

UPDATE 1929z:  739 stations spotted on 12m FT8 RX.

10FT8R receiver

At the moment 10m is in great shape with plenty of DX via F2 most days. We are also approaching the Es season in the northern hemisphere. My 10FT8R receiver (been on this blog before) makes a great, low cost, 10m FT8 RX. This is very inexpensive, yet works well.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/10ft8r-rx

Thetford Priory - NOT amateur radio

This was destroyed by King Henry VIII hundreds of years ago. It upsets me when history is destroyed. Nobody has any right to destroy our past. We may not agree with the views when these things were created, but (please) do not destroy them. Had King Henry VIII has a son early on, history might have been so different.

Coffee time - NOT amateur radio

 

This morning, we went to Thetford. It is about 25 minutes from us. With me driving, it is a bit slower! This was where we had coffee.

10m FT8 RX (Sunday)

Apart from a brief QRP 10m FT8 TX session (11 spots of me) I am on 10m FT8 RX with the QDX. It is now 0930z and 96 stations were spotted after about 20 minutes. We are out for the morning, so just on 10m FT8 RX. After lunch I may try TX.

Stations spotting me on
10m QRP FT8 today

Stations spotted today
on 10m FT8 RX

UPDATE 1430z: 1025 stations spotted on RX and 86 stations have spotted me with the tiny QDX.

UPDATE 1445z: 1066 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX with the QDX and 98 stations have spotted me. I reckon the QDX is about size of a pack of cards. Amazing. It is just too easy!

20m FT8 RX with the QDX

Stations spotted on 20m FT8 RX
with the QDX and 10m antenna

Overnight, I left my QDX on 20m FT8 RX using my totally non-resonant 10m antenna. In all, 841 stations spotted as the map shows. Too easy!! I guess I was on for about 15 hours.

CDARC talk on my website

I think this file is now shared. If you have problems getting it, please discuss with me. I created it in (free) Open Office and saved it in Powerpoint. 

Open Office is totally free and every bit as good as Microsoft equivalents in my view.

There is a link on this page below.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/other-amateur-radio/cdarc-talk-march-2023 .

Sunspots - Sunday March 12th 2023

 Solar flux is 157 and the SSN 126.  A=7 and K=2. 

Snow - NOT amateur radio

This winter we have had far more snow and frosts than in most winters. This was our rear garden yesterday. Afterwards there was bright sunshine!