6m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

At the moment (Sunday morning) 6m seems wide open to many parts of Europe (Es?) with my 2.5W FT8  to the V2000 omni vertical being spotted by 27 stations across the continent. See map

CQWW contests in 2024?

This was, perhaps, the biggest set of contests in the world. Even without submitting a score, it gave many a chance to work new countries and US states. 

With the demise of CQ magazine, it is not clear what the situation is in 2024. Looking at the website, you could be forgiven for thinking it is still on. However, that information may have been put up ages ago, before the magazine closed. 

This is one of my pet hates - not knowing the date the webpages were updated, but that is a different story.

If anyone can tell me if it is on or off, please let me know.

10m 500mW WSPR yesterday

When I am on 6m, I keep forgetting that the 10m antenna is free and available.  Last evening I remembered so I went on 10m QRP WSPR with my beacon. The spots were as shown in the table.

6m QRP FT8 yesterday

At about 1650z yesterday, I decided to try 6m FT8 with my 2.5W using the "old" PC.  Just G spots from local(ish) stations. Later, stations in Denmark and Sweden spotted me. In all, 15 stations spotted me. See map.

Sunspots- Sunday October 20th

 Solar flux is 162 and the SSN 101. A=23 and K=1.

QDX and QMX+ issues

 With the "other" Windows 10 PC, everything seems to work on RX, but even though the QDX goes to TX there is no RF being sent. Also, I get a "rig control error" going to TX even though the CAT works and it is "seeing" the QDX. As far as I can see, everything is correctly set and I tried a power cycle on the QDX before starting the PC.  It should not be this hard.

Going back to the SignaLink USB and FT817ND I get no issues at all with the "old" PC. For now, I give up.

8m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

 My 2.5W 8m FT8 is on again. No spots, although I see far more stations are now monitoring the band.

UPDATE 1513z:  G4FKI (60km) and IZ1DYE (973km) spotted on 8m FT8 RX although nobody has spotted my 2.5W yet. The map shows the stations monitoring 8m FT8.

UPDATE 1609z: PJ4MM (7483km) spotted on 8m FT8 RX.

Detecting life in outer space - NOT amateur radio

As far as I know SETI, the search for intelligent life in outer space, has been going for about 60 years without success. 

According to a link in Amateur Radio Weekly there may be another technique. If we find intelligent life "out there" it could/should have a profound effect on life on Earth. 

Excuse the journalism in the link!

AI - NOT amateur radio

This morning I had an email inviting me to try Google’s new AI tool called Gemini. 

It makes some mistakes, but in the main it produces amazing text and images based on the information available in seconds.

In coming years it is likely to get even better. Used for good, it a powerful tool. In the wrong hands it could be very dangerous.

Peak of solar cycle 25

It looks like we are at the peak of this cycle. We have well exceeded the peak expected.