6m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

Today, I am currently on 50.313 MHz vertical on FT8 with my 2.5W. Already 2 G spots of me shortly after 0500z. My antenna is the V2000 vertical omni. 

UPDATE 0729z: 10 spots of my QRP so far.

8m between seasons

My experimental licence has been held since April 2022. So, I have experienced two Es seasons and F2 last autumn and winter. My 2.5W to a low dipole has been copied widely in Europe by Es and in the USA, Caribbean and Canada by F2. 

On RX I have spotted S.Africans on several occasions. In the autumn it would be great to be copied in South Africa with my QRP FT8. Last summer was disappointing with fewer active TX stations than in 2022.

At the moment, we are between seasons. The big Es openings have all but ended and F2 has not really started. Better equipped stations are tapping in to TEP either directly or with F2 linking up with Es.

Overall, I am disappointed in 8m. I was hoping there would be far more activity by now, but if anything there are fewer stations active on TX. Where are the experimenters?

Sunspots - Tuesday August 22nd 2023

 Solar flux is 149 and the SSN 102. A=9 and K=2. 

Dahlias - NOT amateur radio

 

The dahlia garden at nearby Anglesey Abbey is now open. These are some of them. 

The area in front of the dahlias is grassed and this gets very churned up after wet weather.

The next solar peak

In the past, there has been a lot of doubt and uncertainty over the timing of this. The site I mostly use has been predicting the next maximum in November or December 2023 for some time. 

Quite often we get a second peak after the first. What is clear from other cycles is that conditions could be good for several years after the peak. 

In the past I have worked stations in Argentina on QRP 10m SSB when the sunspot count right at the minimum has been zero. Quite often 10m propagation is there but there is a lack of activity. With FT8, we can now monitor the higher bands and see. Stand alone 5W FT8 transceivers for 10m can be obtained quite inexpensively freeing up "the big rig".

See https://www.solen.info/solar/images/comparison_similar_cycles.png .

Said on FaceBook in 2012 - NOT amateur radio

This was said by me on FaceBook in 2012. Nothing changes!

Bill and Ben - NOT amateur radio

If you are of a certain age (old) in the UK you may remember the TV show for children called "Bill and Ben". In it, two flower pot men were accompanied by a little weed. 

This sunflower poking over a wall on our walk yesterday reminded me! 

8m QRP FT8 (Monday)

My 2.5W gear was turned on just before breakfast. 

UPDATE 2112z:  No spots all day.  My inclination is to concentrate on QRP 10m FT8 for now. If I go on 8m QRP FT8 I must remember to try 10m QRP WSPR TX with my 500mW TX beacon. Now QRT. If anyone needs me on 8m I can be active on 40.680 MHz FT8 TX in minutes.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Monday)

My 500mW 10m WSPR TX beacon was turned on just before breakfast. So far, 2 stations have spotted me.

UPDATE 1355z: 4 stations have spotted me. Most of these look like F2. 

UPDATE 1730z:  6 stations have spotted me.

UPDATE 2100z: 10 stations spotted me in the end. QRT now.

Sunspots - Monday August 21st 2023

Sunspot numbers seem to be a bit lower this month. 

Solar flux is 146 and the SSN 93. A=11 and K=2.