Sunday plans

Getting the optical gear working 

As today looks dull and wet, these are my plans :

• Email G4BAO to set up a sked on 23cm SSB.  Email written and sent.
• Try to get the optical gear working. All gear assembled. Spectran installed. 
• Go on 10m FT8 daytime. RX on morning. Off late morning.
• Go on 630m WSPR RX this evening. Went on late morning. 

Doing anything these days is so much harder. After getting my 481 THz gear together I feel exhausted. I cannot remember how I interfaced from the optical RX to the PC. I must find out. It was 10 years ago!!

I may try a local CW test after dark this evening bouncing off a wall about 200m away - small steps.

The other Burwell - NOT amateur radio

We live in Burwell in Cambridgeshire. There is another Burwell in Lincolnshire that is much smaller. It is shown in the photo 

Sunspots - Sunday March 26th 2023

Solar flux is 160 and the SSN 105.  A=15 and K=2. 

Magnolia - NOT amateur radio

 

Magnolias in bloom are a sure sign of spring. We saw this in the nearby village of Lode. There were at least three.

630m WSPR RX (Saturday)

Rather earlier than normal, I have turned on 630m WSPR RX. So far spotted PA3GSH (396km), so my system is working. 

Again my "antenna" is the coax to my 2m big-wheel omni antenna tuned with a ferrite rod on the bench.

UPDATE 1930z: 2 stations spotted so far this evening with the furthermost DB8BG (498km).

UPDATE 2220z:  QRT soon. 6 stations spotted this evening. Furthermost was SM6BGP (981km).

Progress

About a week ago, I outlined the projects that I hoped to tackle in the next 4 weeks. So far, I am making progress. 

• My FT-710 now works with FT8 .
• I have had a QSO on 4m FT8, albeit with my 2m big-wheel and coax via the auto-ATU in the FT-710.

Next week, I hope to re set up my optical gear and do some local tests and arrange a 23cm SSB sked with G4BAO. 

Progress!

10m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

At the moment, I am on 10m FT8. So far, 3 stations have spotted me after about 5 minutes and 5 stations have been spotted on RX.

UPDATE 1152z:  6 stations have spotted me today so far with the furthermost RA9CIN (3701km). On 10m FT8 RX 78 stations as the map shows.

UPDATE 1225z:  12 stations have spotted me, 1 QSO and 123 stations have been spotted on 10m FT8 RX.

Spots of my QRP 10m FT8 today

UPDATE 1725z: 354 stations spotted on RX and 18 spots of me today on 10m FT8 QRP TX.

Lincoln 2013 - NOT amateur radio

In 2013, we visited Lincoln. It was very cold! The photo shows Lincoln Cathedral proudly on the hill. 

Sunspots - Saturday March 25th 2023

 Solar flux is 158 and the SSN 108. A=66 and K=2.

630m WSPR RX (Friday)

At 1850z my 630m WSPR RX was turned on. No spots yet.

UPDATE 2206z:   Still no spots.

UPDATE 2208z:   I am puzzled. G6AVK is usually copied, but I have had no spots all evening. As far as I can tell, everything is correct. It is not just uploading to WSPRnet as there are no local spots either!

UPDATE 2240z : Restarted WSJT-X and immediately got spots from the Netherlands and Germany. Not sure what was going on. Now QRT.