6m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

Just 3 stations in the UK spotting me so far today.

UPDATE 0940z:  Just 5 UK stations spotting me.

UPDATE 1445z:  16 stations have spotted me today, including several in mainland Europe. See map.

UPDATE 1840z: 25 stations have spotted me. See map.

10m QRP WSPR (Wednesday)

My 500mW beacon has been on since just before breakfast. Just EA8BFK (2880km) spotting me multiple times. I assume this is F2 propagation. 

UPDATE 1427z:  16 stations have spotted me today. A lot of these are in the USA. See table.

UPDATE 1855z:  23 stations have spotted me today. See table.

WSPY and 10FT8R

 One of my Facebook memories today was the circuit for my 10m WSPR RX on which my 10m FT8 RX was based. See my website for details.

Sunspots - Wednesday September 11th

 Solar flux is 205 and the SSN 147. A=7 and K=1.

Malta cathedral - NOT amateur radio

This was St John’s Co Cathedral in Valletta yesterday. I prefer East Anglian simple churches! It seems there is gold leaf everywhere.

Most churches on continental Europe seem highly decorated - not to my taste.

6m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

My 2.5W 6m FT8 has been on for the last few hours. Spotted by 7 stations (mostly England) with the furthermost DK8NE/6 (702km). See map.

10m 500mW WSPR (Tuesday)

Since returning home again from Malta this afternoon, I have been on 10m QRP WSPR with my little beacon. Already spotted by 5 stations with the furthermost the German research station in Antarctica.

70cm activity contest

 This is this evening starting at 1900z. I usually go on for a short time with 10W to the 2m big-wheel.

UPDATE 1956z: I did not stay on long, but worked 3 stations with the furthermost G4CLA (105km). It was a miserable evening with lots of rain.

Sunspots- Tuesday September 10th

 Solar flux is 215 and the SSN 213. A=9 and K=3

472kHz transverter

 It will soon be time to go back to 472kHz. For some reason a myth has grown up that you need very big antennas and extensive ground systems. Also that high power helps! Nothing could be further from the truth.

I can only speak from personal experience. My transverter produces about 10W into 50 ohms and gave about 10mW ERP into my earth-electrode antenna in the ground. My earths are about 10m apart. It has been received on WSPR as far away as Finland and I got spotted in Norway most nights. It was in QST about 10 years ago. It is also described on my website.