10m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

 In all, my QRP 10m FT8 has been spotted by 5 stations. These seem to be via Es.

UPDATE 0937z: My QRP FT8 spotted by 11 stations including ZS4ZO (9235km).

UPDATE 1405z:  12 stations have spotted me in the last 30 minutes.  Best DX is a spot from South Africa again.

UPDATE  1832z:  77 stations have spotted me on 10m QRP TX (see map) and 107 stations spotted here on 10m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 2125z: Still lots of Es spots of my QRP even though it’s very late.

Muntjac deer - NOT amateur radio

 These dog sized, introduced deer are a real menace eating many garden plants. One of our neighbours is trying to keep them at bay by planting these!

Sunspots - Wednesday July 17th

 Solar flux is 242 and the SSN 250. A=10 and K=1.

QMX+ oddity

 After about 4 hours with no spots of me on TX, I noticed the QMX+ display had an "s" after the VFO A frequency and no power, suggesting the TX had detected a high SWR and inhibited TX. A little while before I had been successfully TXing on both 10m and 6m FT8 and I knew the SWR was good. I feared the PAs had been blown, but could not understand how this could be with a good SWR and several diodes in the supply line.

In desperation, I thought I should turn off the QMX+ and turn it on again. At first the QMX+ sound cards were not recognised. I unplugged the USB cable, waited a decent while (20secs?) and reconnected it. Power was immediately visible and on 6m FT8 I was spotted all over Europe. It was NOT the PAs (thankfully) so must have been the firmware.  I think there is another possible bug.

UPDATE 1930z:  49 spots of my QRP FT8 this evening on 6m with the QMX+. It is a good rig, but there are still (I think) a few teething problems.

6m QRP FT8 with the QMX+ (Tuesday)

Spots of my QRP 6m  FT8 this afternoon

Just one station spotted so far on RX - G3XDV (45km) and 11 spots of my QRP FT8 TX using the V2000 vertical omni antenna (see map of spots of me).  No Es spotted today. 

10m QRP FT8 with the QMX+ (Tuesday)

So far this afternoon my QRP FT8 has been spotted by 13 stations with the furthermost ZS4ZO (9235km). On RX the furthermost are a couple of stations in Brazil.

QMX+ audio levels - success!

Using PuTTY on Windows 10 I increased the audio settings in digital modes on 10m and 6m FT8 on my QMX+.  

The audio level on FT8 with WSJT-X is now comfortably in the green whereas it was low and in the red as delivered. 

Perhaps Hans should increase the default audio levels on higher bands? By default it was set to 54 on all bands and I have adjusted 10m and 6m to 99. It certainly works. I was getting 10m FT8 spots before even with the level still in the red.

The QMX+ is a great radio.

PuTTY issues solved in the end (I think)

It looks like I have solved the problems I have had with PuTTY.  As I mentioned yesterday, I am a total PC dummy and have never had occasion to use a terminal emulator before. I looked for guidance on the internet and was taken to a Computer Weekly page that was (for me) useless gobbledegook. 

In total fairness to Hans of QRP Labs, I think the instructions in the QMX (not QMX+) operating manual are very clear for Linux users, but perhaps a few words for Windows users would make things totally clear that you have to choose "serial" and put in the COM port number. Also, I had to plug the USB cable in after waiting about 10 seconds for the QMX+ to be recognised (I think!).  

Once I quit PuTTY I shall see if the new audio levels are better on the higher bands.

European Es - Scandinavia again

This is, I am sure, more than coincidence as I have seen this pattern for many years. Scandinavian countries dominate. Es is not exclusively Scandinavian stations, but these are far more common than earlier in the Es season here. It is almost like there is some other Es mechanism in play.

See https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/radio-propagation-maps/europe-sporadic-e/ .

US politics - NOT amateur radio

In the end I have come to the conclusion that I do not understand US politics at all. 

I am sure the Republicans say ill of the Democrats and vice versa. I am sure we hear the political propaganda from both sides, but it is impossible to know that facts. 

One thing is certain: gun crime in the USA is far, far higher than here in the UK and I blame the lax gun laws over there (see graph). 

UPDATE 1429z: If Mr Trump gets in again, the most likely route is USA isolationism. I do not mind that the USA stops being "the policeman of the world", but I can sense dangers over Ukraine, Taiwan and Israel.