13 Nov 2023

Shopping - NOT amateur radio

 

This morning, we went shopping. This was our shopping cart.

630m QRP WSPR (Monday)

My 10mW ERP WSPR from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground was turned on about 1705z.

UPDATE 1720z:   2E0ILY/KIWI (209km) has spotted me.

UPDATE 1940z: 7 UK stations have spotted me this evening.

10m 500mW WSPR TX (Monday)

 My 10m QRP WSPR TX beacon was turned on at about 1504z. So far, I have been spotted by 28 stations.

8m QRP FT8 (Monday)

 My 2.5w system was turned on at about 1503z. So far just local spots.

UK Home Secretary - NOT amateur radio

The UK Home Secretary was Suella Braverman. She has been sacked according to the BBC website. The job of Home Secretary is a most important one needing someone in the position who gains the respect of all the people with whom this person interacts.

SDR

One of my aims today is to get my software defined radio (SDR) installed and working on my shack PC. I have to install drivers and suitable SDR software.

UPDATE  2200z: Did not do the SDR drivers. Maybe tomorrow?

630m QRP WSPR overnight


Overnight, 9 stations spotted my 10mW ERP WSPR from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground including (again) OH1LSQ (1733km).  I am still amazed how few UK TX stations there are on the band.

Sunspots - Monday November 13th 2023

 Solar flux is 137 and the SSN 78. A=10 and K=1.

12 Nov 2023

Current solar conditions

Although I am far from an expert on this sort of thing, I suspect we have now passed the solar maximum in this cycle. Sunspot numbers and solar flux have been lower than past months. Usually, the solar maximum is averaged over several months, so the actual peak cannot be known until we are well over the peak.

Certainly MUFs have been high and my 2.5W 8m FT8 makes it to the USA, Canada or the Caribbean most days. Some amazing DX has been worked on 6m too. 

Solar conditions are currently very good on average. As I have mentioned before, solar conditions could be good for several years to come. With FT8 we could well find the higher HF bands are good for some while yet.

See https://www.solen.info/solar/.

630m QRP WSPR (Sunday)

My 10mW ERP 630m WSPR was turned on at about 1615z. So far, at 1645z, spotted by 3 UK stations. Furthermost spots are by G8HUH (250km).