630m QRP WSPR (Monday)

My 10mW ERP WSPR from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground was turned on about 1840z. After the first transmission, I was spotted by 3 stations.

VY0ERC 10m WSPR beacon

John's blog has a very good piece about this QRP 10m WSPR beacon high up in the Arctic. As John points out, this is a very high latitude and within the auroral zone, which can badly affect FT8 and WSPR signals.

John's blog is always interesting.

See https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/

Crimes against humanity? - NOT amateur radio

We know that what Hamas did on October 7th was horrific and that the people of Israel were severely shocked. 

However, in going after Hamas, Israel is treading a very dangerous path. I am unconvinced that a hospital (or many) and so many houses have to be totally destroyed or so many people left hungry and thirsty. 

The state of Israel is in great danger of losing the sympathy of the world and its leaders becoming afraid to travel abroad for fear of arrest on war crimes.

Meanwhile, 6 months on, Israeli hostages are still being held, or killed by Israeli bombing.

Even if Hamas was to completely disappear, is this a recipe for long-term peace? So much hatred has been created, surely Arab states are even more anti Israel.

Surely, the only way to lasting peace is talking.

Volta's battery

 

This dates from the very early 1800s. It may be the first battery ever made.

Faroe Islands - NOT amateur radio

 

This  photo was recently put on 365project by a friend in the Faroes. It looks very Icelandic.

Sunspots declining?

 Sometimes we see a second peak that can be higher than the first, but at the moment it looks like we are on the downward slopes of solar cycle 25. My favourite site for solar data has just been updated.

Conditions should still be good for several years yet.

Kings Lynn park - NOT amateur radio

 

We saw this on Saturday on our way back to the railway station.

6m QRP FT8 (Monday)

My 2.5W FT8 to the V2000 vertical omni antenna has been spotted by 5 English stations at 0835z, although I have spotted none.

UPDATE 1509z:   5 stations spotted on RX with the best EI3ISB (452km) on the outskirts of Dublin. 11 UK stations have spotted me today. No signs of DX today.

UPDATE 1702z: Guess who spoke too soon!! A station in Norway has spotted my 2.5W QRP 6m FT8.

10m 500uW WSPR (April 1st)

My 500uW 10m WSPR is on, but no spots by 1410z. 

UPDATE 1707z:   Unexpected spots by EA8BFK (2880km). Conditions were good, but not exceptional. I was honestly expecting today to pass with no spots of my 500uW (0.5mW) 10m WSPR. I must see if there is a correlation between solar conditions and being spotted by DX stations on 10m WSPR with exceptionally low power.  My guess (unfounded) would be that this is possible only when conditions are exceptionally stable, although today rather puzzles me. Sadly, I am not great at Excel! I can use it basically, but can't do clever things with it.

UPDATE 1852z: EA8BFK (2880km) has spotted me again!

UPDATE  1900z: I have created a spreadsheet to see if I can discern any patterns.

UPDATE 1935z:  This is the last week with 500uW (0.5mW) 10m WSPR.   Although this is just a few days, it suggests my best chances are when A and K are low.

Sunspots - Monday April 1st

Solar flux is 134 and the SSN 50.  A=8 and K=2.

SSN 50? - not too promising?  I can remember day after day with SSN=0 and there was still plenty of N-S DX on 10m. With FT8 now, QSOs should be even easier. I worked LU with QRP SSB at the bottom of a solar cycle with just a low dipole. Never give up on the higher HF bands!