Sunspots - Saturday October 11th

 Solar flux is 121 and the SSN 87. A=9 and K=3.

USA call areas

Maybe I am just too old, but I remember when W7 or W6 was on the west coast and W4 was on the east coast. These days it could be anywhere! In many ways we have gone backwards not forwards.

Sinclair portable

This dates from the 1960s I think and was a medium wave AM radio in kit form.

10m 500mW WSPR (Friday)

 When on 6m FT8 I can go on 10m WSPR with my beacon.

UPDATE 1415z:  11 spots mainly from the USA and Canada.

6m 5W FT8 (Friday)

I have now gone QRT on 10m FT8 and am now on 6m 5W FT8.

UPDATE 1540z:  33 stations have spotted me.

Wicken Fen

This is either the oldest, or nearly the oldest, National Trust reserve in England. 

It is about 6km from us.  It has a rich diversity of wildlife and they try to maintain the water levels so it is as the fens used to be before it became rich lands of agriculture. 

I have just been lent a book all about it. It is hard reading!

10m 4W FT8 (Friday)

For a change, I am on 4W 10m FT8 today. My gear was turned at breakfast time.

UPDATE 1222z:  Spotted by 202 stations with the best ZS2PA (9870km) in South Africa. See map.

Sunspots - Friday October 10th

Solar  flux is 122 and the SSN 87. A=5 and K=2.

10m 500mW WSPR (Thursday)

My beacon was turned on at about 1150z. The USA is starting to come through.

UPDATE 2142z:   27 stations are spotting me, including most of these in the USA or Canada. Best DX was a spot by ZD7GB (7611km). Now QRT.

6m 5W FT8 (Thursday)

My 5W 6m FT8 was turned on at about 1150z.

UPDATE 2135z:  22 spots with the furthest SM4VBO (1310km). Now QRT.