Sunspots - Thursday November 16th 2023

Solar flux is 119 and the SSN 41. A=12 and K=2.

630m QRP WSPR (Wednesday)

 My 10mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground was turned on shortly after 1730z.

UPDATE 1736z:   2 spots of me so far.

Fungi - NOT amateur radio

 

This fungi was on a log at Anglesey Abbey, near Cambridge, earlier.  At one time there was a hornet's nest here.

Medieval stained glass - NOT amateur radio

 

This stained glass is in King's College Chapel in Cambridge and dates from the 1500s.

As locals, we can get in to the chapel free.

The chapel is darker than normal as there is scaffolding and tarpaulins outside.

8m QRP FT8

My 8m QRP (2.5W) was turned on about 0920z.  No spots yet.

UPDATE 1442z: An Irish station called me, but we were unable to complete the contact.

UPDATE  1725z: No spots of me today on PSKreporter.  Shortly QSYing to 630m WSPR.

10m uW WSPR TX

A reminder that today I am trying my 10m WSPR beacon with the PA off. According to my TinySA spectrum analyser the output is about 0.5mW or 500uW. This is pre-programmed to show the power as 0.5W even though the power is actually 30dB lower. As yet, no spots.

UPDATE 1720z: No spots all day. I think conditions have to be well up for this to succeed.

630m WSPR overnight

12 stations spotted me overnight whilst I was using 10mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna"  in the ground.

Sunspots - Wednesday November 15th 2023

Solar flux is 124 and the SSN 86.  A=6 and K=1. 

Bus shelter - NOT amateur radio

We go by this bus shelter every week. Only recently have we noticed how mossy the roof has become. 

We have had a very wet autumn.

10m uW DXing

As an experiment tomorrow, I may leave the PA turned off on my 10m WSPR TX beacon. It is pre-programmed to say 0.5W, but I would guess the actual power out is microwatts. I must check the difference on a spectrum analyser.

My guess is some single digit reports of me might still be copied if my PA was off. Today, there were several such reports. I guess it also depends on the RX station having a low noise floor.

UPDATE 2150z:  Using my TinySA spectrum analyser, it looks like the TX is 30dB weaker with the PA turned off, so the output is about 500uW. I wonder how many will be able to spot this on Wednesday?