6m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

My QRP 6m FT8 was turned on about 0800z.  

UPDATE 1046z:  10 English stations have spotted me See map.

UPDATE 1255z:   11 stations spotting me.

UPDATE 1518z:  12 stations have spotted me. See map.

Websites and dates

This really annoys me. It would be really helpful if people put dates when webpages were updated. I can’t tell you how often I have seen data only to see it was created some years ago and the data is out of date!! 

As an example CQWW contest website. Dates are shown for 2024, but were these written last year? The last blog update was April. 

This has happened so many times. All it needs is a footer saying when the webpage was last updated.

Sunspots - Thursday August 22nd

 Solar flux is 239 and the SSN 176. A=8 and K=2.

Brandon Country Park - NOT amateur radio

This is about 30km from us. 

It has a series of lovely woodland walks with plenty of heather in bloom on the heath as the photo shows.  

As you would expect with a large quantity of trees, many are felled or fall down naturally.

10m 500mW WSPR (Wednesday)

Whilst on 6m, I keep forgetting the 10m antenna is available, so I can use my 10m WSPR TX beacon.

UPDATE  0952z:  No spots of me.

UPDATE 1715z:  Spotted by 6 stations.

6m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

My 2.5W 6m FT8 was turned on about 0800z. 

UPDATE 0843z:  Spotted by 9 English stations. It makes you think how useful 6m FT8 could be inter-G when the band is not "open". Also many of those spotting me so far are probably cross polarised and using horizontal antennas. Just one G spotted on RX.

UPDATE 1721z:  20 stations spotted.  One might be Es.

CQWW contests?

As I recall, CQ magazine has stopped. At one time the CQWW contests were perhaps the most popular in the world. Even without submitting an entry, it was a way to contact new countries. When my voice was good I used to fill pages in the logbook. In later years, it has become too hard for me.

With the demise of CQ, I wonder what is happening with these contests?

Sunspots - Wednesday August 21st

 Solar flux is 244 and the SSN 200. A=7 and K=3.

8m or 6m?

In recent times, I have not been on 8m much, even though I have a UK T&I permit to TX on the 8m band. 

The main reason is I know what the band can do with Es. It is possible to span the European continent with just a few milliwatts of FT8 on 8m. 

The 8m band, being between 10m and 6m, comes into its own when the F2 MUF just exceeds 47MHz. 

With the sunspot count being good recently, it has exceeded 50MHz, especially on N-S paths.  Activity on 6m is much higher, so getting spots is easier than on 8m currently. 

As the F2 MUF goes down, I expect 8m will be more useful showing how the F2 MUF can reach 8m, but not 6m. I shall probably try again on 8m this autumn It would be great if more PTTs allowed amateur access. 

I hope the FCC, OFCOM and the RSGB are listening!

Moulton flowers - NOT amateur radio

As mentioned before, Moulton (near us) is a delightful village to walk around, with an old packhorse bridge, the church, river, thatched cottages and flowers.