Christmas nearly over - NOT amateur radio

This weekend it is time to take down the cards and decorations. It seems they have been up for a very short time. 

We will blink and it will be next Christmas!

10m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

As WSPRnet seems to be in trouble, I am on 10m FT8 using 2.5W. It looks like all my spots so far are from the East via F2. On RX the band is well open to the east with plenty of stations in Australia and the Far East.

UPDATE 1155z:  11 stations have spotted me this morning on 10m QRP FT8. I wonder if the vertical coax to the 2m big-wheel (suitably matched) might be better? Might try this tomorrow. It could be this would be more omni-directional.

WSPRnet in trouble?

Overnight I went on 630m QRP WSPR, but I think WSPRnet had/has a problem so I do not know who was spotting my 10mW ERP.  

Until this is fixed, there is little point me being on WSPR TX.

UPDATE 1740z:  It looks like it is still in trouble. Unless things are fixed in the next couple of hours, I shall probably give 630m WSPR a miss tonight. If it is soon fixed, my 10mW ERP WSPR will be on. 

Oscar 100 activity levels

Every few weeks I take a look at the online SDR at Goonhilly Downs in Cornwall , UK monitoring the narrowband transponder on this geosynchronous satellite. 

It has certainly encouraged amateurs to experiment with microwaves but, in my honest personal opinion, it has not attracted the following I was expecting. There is still plenty of space. 

In my view, because it does not cover the USA and Japan, we have not see dedicated Japanese "black boxes" which could transform things. There is not enough profit to make it worthwhile. 

This is a pity as it offered DXing without QSB at any time covering large parts of the planet with small, fixed antennas. There is no need for towers, big beams and linears. Antennas could even be ground mounted.

2m FT8 UKAC last evening

Last night was the first 2m FT8 activity contest. I worked a couple of stations using 2.5W and my big-wheel omni antenna, but I was not seriously taking part. I was only on for about 15 minutes. 

The map shows the stations spotted on 2m FT8 RX. It seems to me these distant stations are coming through by tropospheric scatter.

Bargains from China?

Banggood is selling some very low cost transceivers and receivers. These are far below the prices we are used to. In many cases, these are with free shipping from China. In some cases I am unsure if there is VAT and duty to pay. I am also concerned about quality control.

In the end, Chinese products really will be competitive against the Japanese. They are not there yet, quite. I give it 5 years, possibly less.

Sunspots - Thursday January 4th

 Solar flux is 140 and the SSN 63. A=11 and K=0.

Revising - NOT amateur radio

For the last few days, our younger grandson has been staying with us. Here he is revising for his GCSEs. I am asking him science questions and my wife is doing Shakespeare.

I seem to recall doing the same about 30 years ago with our sons!

Amateur radio: the great leveller

One of the aspects of our hobby I really like is that it is not political in the least. What binds us is a common interest in radio. Politically, we may be poles apart, but it matters not. None of us is perfect. As individuals, we are all equal.

Whether you live in deepest Africa, China, Australia, Russia, the USA or elsewhere does not matter at all. Back in the days of the USSR, it was common to hear chats between people in the USA and the USSR.  Today, I exchanged Happy New Year's emails with a station in Moscow. Tomorrow it will probably be someone in the USA!!

WSJT-X 2.7.0 - rc3

Those interested in digital modes may be pleased to hear that the latest release candidate of WSJT-X is available. I have no idea when this will be formally released.

See https://wsjt.sourceforge.io/wsjtx.html .