10m 500mW WSPR TX (Wednesday)

My 10m WSPR beacon is on. I was surprised (again) to be spotted at 0034z by HB9TMC (905km). Es really is sporadic!

UPDATE 1007z:  8 stations have spotted me this morning.today.

UPDATE 2104z:  26 stations have spotted my 500mW 10m WSPR 

6m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

For some reason my 6m QRP FT8  transmissions were not being reported. Perhaps my timing was badly off or for some other reason. Anyway, I resynced to internet time and restarted PSKreporter and am getting plenty of spots. Some look like Es.

UPDATE 0934z:  13 spots of my QRP 6m FT8 with the furthermost OH6CT (2012km).

UPDATE 1437z:  Having been RX on 6m FT8 for several hours, I am back on QRP FT8 TX again, although I might try 8m FT8 shortly.

Early morning walk - NOT amateur radio

As today is expected to be very hot, we went for a walk before breakfast. On the walk we saw this thistle.

Sunspots - Wednesday July 31st

 Solar flux is 220 and the SSN 261. A=23 and K=1.

It is hard to think we were fearing we were entering a Maunder Minimum just a few years ago. These numbers are good.

6m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

My 6m QRP FT8 to the V2000 omni was turned on at about 1750z.  Just 2 English stations have spotted me.

Promising EU Es?

At the moment, things look promising with regard to European Es.

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

10m QRP WSPR TX (Tuesday)

At about 1233z I switched to 500mW 10m WSPR TX as the European Es looks quite promising. 

UPDATE 1252z:  5 stations have already spotted me. See table.

UPDATE 1534z: Spotted by 18 stations. Furthermost are OE3GBB (1233km) and S57BAT (1233km).

UPDATE 1550z:  Decent Es to central Europe as shown on WSPRrocks by Phil VK7JJ

USA 🇺🇸 and guns - NOT amateur radio

 This poem is about how the world sees certain countries. It is sad but true.

10m QRP WSPR overnight

Yesterday I think the lack of spots was due to a coax fault now mended.

Overnight I was surprised to be spotted by 6 stations some right in the middle of the night.

More swifts? - NOT amateur radio

There are certainly fewer swallows. At one time there were masses on telegraph wires. To see a swallow at all these days is a rare event here. 

The common view is that swifts are in decline too. That is not my experience. Although this may be local, I have found more swifts this summer than the last few years. Last summer I could look skywards and wait 30 minutes to see a swift. This summer, I look up and almost immediately see a swift. It would be good to know the experience of others in the UK. 

Certainly, many swift nest sites have gone. Have they adapted? It would be good if this was true.

See https://rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/swift .