630m WSPR overnight

 

9 stations spotted my QRP 630m WSPR overnight.

Winter gloom

This is perhaps the gloomiest time in the UK. Days are short, nights are long, trees are bare and everywhere is miserable. At least after Christmas evenings start to get lighter and bulbs start to appear like snowdrops and daffodils. After about January 6th mornings start to get lighter too. By the end of January there is a clear difference.

Sunspots - Wednesday December 13th 2023

 Solar flux is 126 and the SSN 120. A=10 and K=1.

500uW (0.5mW) 10m WSPR TX

My 10m QRPP WSPR experiment continues.

UPDATE 1542z:  No spots today.

8m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

 My 2.5W to the dipole was turned on about 1040z. So far,  no spots.

UPDATE 1540z:  No spots today.

Old friends - NOT amateur radio

We have known these friends since the mid-1970s. They moved away from the village some years ago, but had returned to see old friends and hand out Christmas cards. They came for a meal last night.

630m QRP WSPR overnight

13 stations spotted me overnight  (see table) and I spotted the furthermost as SM2DJK (1720km). I am still using my FT817ND to drive my transverter. I have not tried the IC-705 yet. As sensitivity is probably determined by external noise rather than noise figure, I cannot think there would be any difference, so the stations I spot are probably a function of my antenna and any directivity.

Changes coming to the UK amateur licences

 OFCOM has announced future changes to the amateur radio licences.

Along with other things, they are increasing power limits, which I already think are too high! HI.

See https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0033/272985/Updating-the-amatuer-radio-licensing-framework-overview-of-key-changes.pdf

Sunspots - Wednesday December 12th 2023

 Solar flux is 126 and the SSN 87. A=3 and K=1.

630m QRP WSPR (Monday)

My 10mW ERP 630m WSPR was turned on at teatime.

UPDATE 2139z:  9 spots of me so far.