10m QRP FT8 (Friday)

 

This afternoon I decided to concentrate on 10m QRP FT8. At 1442z, 85 spots of my 2.5W. See map.

UPDATE 1724z:  So far today my 2.5W 10m FT8 has been spotted by 171 stations across the planet. I have spotted 400 stations here.

Moon - NOT amateur radio

This was the moon in our close on Wednesday evening. 

Sunspots - Friday September 20th

 Solar flux is 161 and the SSN 109. A=20 and K=1.

The Faroe Islands - NOT amateur radio

As mentioned before, one of the things I like about 365project (NOT at all connected with Microsoft) is seeing places I am never likely to visit, such as this view from a friend in these far-flung islands between Scotland and Iceland.

Sepura SCL3 - NOT amateur radio

It  seems amazing that I have been retired from Sepura for 16 years now! These days I am totally out of touch, but they seemed to have moved on a lot. 

Take for example the SCL3 portable (shown in the photo) that looks like a fusion of TETRA and 4G/5G technology. It looks just the product mission critical services would need. 

It looks more like a mobile phone than a traditional TETRA transceiver. I hope it is successful.

See https://scl3.sepura.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/SCL3_Brochure_converted_compressed.pdf.

6m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

Just 5 English spots of my 2.5W 6m FT8 so far today.  See map.

UPDATE 1627z:  So far today, my QRP 6m FT8 has been spotted by 14 stations including one in the Baltic that could be Es.

Rallies this weekend

The following have been notified, but always check details are correct before going far.

• Saturday September 21st - East Midlands and Electronics Rally, Doncaster, DN10 4FX. Contact www.g0raf.co,uk/rally . Please note this is a 1 day event, not 2. The location is actually nearer Gainsborough.
• Sunday September 22nd - Weston super Mare Radio Society 9th Radio and Electronics Rally, Worle, Weston super Mare,  BS24 7DX. Contact westonradiosociety@gmail.com .

Interesting how many radio rallies have broadened their appeal to include a wider audience than in the past.

10m 500mW WSPR (Thursday)

 Just 13 spots of me by EA8BFK (2880km) in the Canary Islands, presumably via F2. 

UPDATE 1146z:  YOs also spotting me. This is probably F2 as well. See table.

Sunspots - Thursday September 19th

 Solar flux is 163 and the SSN 106. A=12 and K=2.

Advertisers and radio magazines

Today I received my copy of the RSGB RadCom. One large UK dealer has most of the advertising space. I have no idea what this must cost, but it must be a lot. If this major dealer decided to stop advertising, or advertised far less, it would have a major impact on the RSGB and the remaining UK radio magazine available on newsstands.

Without this one dealer, I suspect RadCom would have to shrink in size and the one remaining magazine radio amateurs could  buy in newsagents would enter terminal decline.

I hope I am wrong.