630m WSPR overnight

 

In all, 16 stations spotted my 10mW ERP WSPR overnight withe the best LB1HI (1047km).

Lock-up - NOT amateur radio

Most villages had lock-ups where local villains could be locked-up. The one in the photo is at Swaffham Prior near Cambridge and also housed the local fire engine.

8m WSPR RX (Wednesday)

As a Canadian is doing some transatlantic 8m WSPR tests, I shall be on 40.680MHz WSPR RX for the next few days during the daytime.

UPDATE 1614z:  No spots. I notice there are no other WSPR 8m spots.

UPDATE 1652z: I am wondering about the next Es season on 8m. I was considering using 10mW ERP under ISM rules. FT8 might be a better mode, but is less sensitive. On the other hand the TX burst is only 15 seconds whereas WSPR needs almost 120 seconds, so FT8 would be better on short openings. Operating under ISM rules (certainly in the UK)  implies 10mW ERP and meeting IR2030, but is open to all without the need for a TX permit to beacon WSPR or FT8. I would expect 8m FT8 would be much harder than WSPR, but there might be more monitors? Last Es season I was running 2.5W, so I would be far weaker.  The difference is 24dB, so most of the time I would be far too weak to copy on FT8. Perhaps some local FT8 tests at 10mW ERP are called for?

Sunspots - Wednesday March 20th

 Solar flux is 169 and the SSN 123.  A=9 and K=1.

630m QRP WSPR (Tuesday)

So far, my 10mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground has been spotted by 10 stations with the furthermost EI0CF (602km).

Faroe Islands - NOT amateur radio

These islands are between The Shetland Is and Iceland. They are very remote. A friend on 365project recently posted this photo. 

Red legged partridge - NOT amateur radio

We used to see a lot of these in our garden, but it is a while since I have seen one. 

They can be very tame.

6m QRP FT8

This morning, I am again on 6m FT8 with my 2.5W to the vertical V2000  omni antenna, Mostly UK with some Scandinavian spots on 6m FT8 yesterday.

UPDATE 1646z: 12 spots of me (see map), all in England. 7 stations spotted here (England and Wales).

630m QRP WSPR overnight

 

Either conditions were poor or people are QSYing as only 13 spots of my 10mW ERP WSPR overnight.

10m QRPP WSPR

My WSPR beacon without the PA is on again with 500uW on 10m. Once again, I was spotted in the Canary Islands yesterday. 

My article on these 500uW (0.5mW) tests was in the April 2024 RadCom by the RSGB.

At 500uW (0.5mW) is far harder at the RX end than with 500mW (30dB weaker). I was surprised to get spots at all as many people have a high local noise levels which masks weak signals.

UPDATE 1644z:  No spots.