6m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

Very shortly, I hope to be on 6m QRP FT8 with my V2000 vertical omni antenna.

UPDATE 0936z:  6m QRP FT8 on. Spotted by 34 stations mostly in Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. See map. I think this is Es, so I am now on 8m QRP FT8.

Cow Tower, Norwich - NOT amateur radio

As mentioned yesterday, Norwich is a fine city. Cow Tower (shown in the photo) was built at the end of the 1300s as part of Norwich’s defence’s.

See https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/cow-tower-norwich/ .

Amateur radio?

We have to be grateful for "big" stations with "big" antennas, who sometimes hear us when others might not. 

However, this is not my idea of amateur radio fun. I prefer to see how far my QRP signals reach with very modest, low, antennas. 

Each to their own.

Sunspots - July 28th

 Solar flux is 204 and the SSN 178. A=13 and K=1.

Norwich - NOT amateur radio

Today, we took the train to Norwich. It is a very fine city with a fine cathedral shown in the photo.

472kHz transverter

The photo shows me testing my 472kHz (630m) transverter in the back of the garage at the old QTH. Later it featured in a QST article. It is still used now producing about 10W into a 50 ohm load and about 10mW ERP with my earth-electrode “antenna “ in the ground.

Sunspots - July 27th

Solar flux is 176 and the SSN 181. A=23 and K=2.

OFCOM publications

A reminder that OFCOM publishes a number of publications on a number of subjects that may be of interest to radio amateurs. See the OFCOM website.

In a Cambridge shop window - NOT amateur radio

This was in a shop window in Cambridge today. It was a colourful painting in the Grand Arcade.

6m QRP FT8 (Friday)

15 stations have already spotted my QRP 6m FT8 at 0827z.  Many appear to be Es.

UPDATE 1544z:  119 stations have spotted me today. See map. On RX the furthermost was a station in the Gulf A71VV (5190km).