Solar flux is 227 and the SSN 164 . A=6 and K=2.
16 Aug 2024
15 Aug 2024
FT8/FT4 and very brief Es openings
Up to now I have always used FT8 rather than FT4, especially with QRP. FT4 is quicker, but not as sensitive as FT8. I can imagine with Es out of season, FT4 might catch some openings that FT8 might miss.
This would apply for other types of propagation too where very brief openings might occur. I can imagine some F2 DX openings might be very fleeting. FT4 might catch these. I am not sure how many monitor FT4, but I imagine far fewer than FT8.
One useful future WSJT-X enhancement would be automatic detection of FT8 and FT4 speeds so stations could use either modes in either slots.
Faroe Islands - NOT amateur radio
As I have said before, the idea is to post something every day.
It is not connected in any way with Microsoft365. It is totally free although for a modest $19.99 a year you may have privacy and more albums.
I have done it for about 13 years and love it. Some use it to show their artistic talent. Others use it as a kind of visual diary. I am the latter!
Well equipped stations
As you know the facet of amateur radio that I most enjoy is QRP. However, I sometimes wonder what having high power, a tower and a big beam would be like.
In a recent 70cm contest I noticed one station working Scotland and France when I could not even hear them! I can imagine that 1000W, a big beam, and a tall tower would certainly help!
70cm UKAC activity contest
I do not submit a log for this but enjoy the activity. It is much easier to copy and work DX on 70cm FT8 than SSB. After working a couple of locals, I was RX only for the rest of the evening and copied stations all over from France 🇫🇷 Netherlands 🇳🇱 and Germany 🇩🇪 as well as the British Isles. Not bad with 2.5W and a 2m omni antenna.
The map shows the stations copied - with a 2m omni antenna!
The human touch - NOT amateur radio
More and more we are losing human interactions.
I can think of several examples: you ring up (almost any business) to be greeted with an AI message like "say in your own words what you want to talk about". With a poor voice I find it almost impossible to be understood. Many supermarkets are replacing checkouts that have humans with auto-tills where you just scan barcodes. You try to talk to your bank and get sent to a call centre on the far side of the planet where you are just a number. Most website chats are just AI bots, not humans. It goes on and on.
Human beings like talking with human beings.
For some lonely people it is the only human interaction they get. In my view we are going backwards as a society. Less and less we are able to speak with each other.
14 Aug 2024
13 years ago on VLF
Before I had my stroke I used to enjoy going out to see how far I could get on VLF earthmode. With 5W 6km was spanned, but much further is possible.
10m 500mW WSPR (Wednesday)
My 500mW WSPR TX beacon has been on for over an hour. 3 stations have spotted me - 1 local, 1 probably F2 and 1 that may have been a patch of Es. Aircraft reflection is unlikely as the signal has to be present for nearly 2 minutes.
6m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)
This morning, my 2.5W FT8 to the vertical omni antenna is on 6m. I am wondering, if as on 2m, I am tapping into some sort of troposcatter mode?
As well as the usual G spots I have been spotted in Sicily and Eire. FT8 works with signals even weaker than CW. I guess it could also be aircraft reflection?
UPDATE 1245z: 37 stations have spotted me on 6m FT8 and I have spotted 23. I think this is Es.
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