630m QRP WSPR (Friday)

This evening, I QSYed to 630m WSPR QRP TX (with 10mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground) earlier than usual. So far (at 1820z)  3 stations have spotted me.

Quote in "The Knowledge" today - NOT amateur radio

This quote was in "The Knowledge" today. 

"War is the unfolding of miscalculations." Historian Barbara Tuchman

8m QRP FT8 (Friday)

 My 2.5W 8m FT8 gear has been on much of the morning. So far, just local G4WSZ (12km) spotting me.

UPDATE 1215z:  2 locals have spotted me and I have spotted ZR1ADI (9777km) in South Africa yet again.

UPDATE 1408z: Sadly, I was called by a station in Luxembourg, but we were unable to complete the 8m FT8 exchange. 4 stations have spotted me today.

10m 500mW WSPT TX (Friday)

My stand-alone 10m QRP WSPR TX beacon has been on much of the morning. 3 stations have spotted me. This all looks like F2.

UPDATE 1308z: 19 stations have spotted me today.

UPDATE 1334z: 24 spots of my QRP so far with the furthermost FR1GZ (9724km)

UPDATE 1535z: 37 spots of me today.

That DX 8m QRP contact yesterday

Yesterday, as reported, I managed to have my first 8m two-way FT8 QSO across the Atlantic. I was using 2.5W and Eden, ZF1EJ, 5W. 

630m WSPR overnight

Overnight I was on 630m WSPR using my earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground with 10mW ERP. 15 stations spotted me. OH1LSQ was on, but didn't spot me. The table shows the stations spotting me in the last 12 hours.

Sunspots - Friday October 27th 2023

Solar flux is 126 and the SSN 57. A=23 and K=3. 

630m WSPR (Thursday)

I have QSYed to 630m QRP WSPR for the evening and night.  8 stations have spotted me so far - all in the UK.

UPDATE 2118z:  12 stations have spotted me.

NanoVNA - very tempted

The NanoVNA is a palm sized vector network analyser  I have the TinySA, which is its brother spectrum analyser. Like many things out of China, there are many clones, so you have to be sure you are buying originals and not copies. One of the things it can do is plot SWR against frequency, so you can check if your antenna is spot on.  It can also be used to check trap frequencies.

See nanovna.com .

UPDATE 1555z:  Ordered from Mirfield Electronics.

Rallies this Saturday

The following rallies have been notified to me. Both are meant to take place on Saturday, October 28th. I always advise checking first before travelling any distance.

-  Essex CW Boot Camp, Witham, CM8 2HE.  Contact g0ibn1@yahoo.com.

-  Carrickfergus Amateur Radio Group Rally Carrickfergus, N.Ireland. No contact details given.