10m 200mW WSPR (Sunday)

 My beacon was turned on at about 1516z.

UPDATE 2142z: Spots lots of times by EA8BFK (2880km). Now QRT.

QRP drawbacks

Because of my poor voice, I mainly use WSPR and FT8 these days. Especially with FT8 there are couple of things making QRP operation harder these days.

Firstly, it is quite possible to be "clobbered" by a stronger station. Often this station is inaudible and a person does not know he or she is co-channel with a much stronger signal.

Secondly, in some places, the noise floor can be high due to all the noisy electronics many people use like switched mode power supplies in TVs, PCs and the like. Over time the noise floor, especially in towns and cities, is well above what it was even 30 years ago.

You are far less likely to be "sat on" by a stronger station with WSPR than FT8, but cycle times are nearly 2 minutes rather than  just 15 seconds.

Iran war

 "Poking the hornets nest" comes to mind. Let's hope those who started it know how to end it.

PSKreporter.info issues?

On 2 devices are different browsers pskreporter.info maps has been acting strangely this weekend. 

If it was just one PC and one browser I might suspect a local issue. Sometimes it is fine. 

Have others seen similar issues?

UPDATE 1104z: On the IC-705 no issues. I suspect the RX in the QDX-M is not always working properly. Now RX only using the IC-705. There is no issue with PSKreporter.

Chionoxa

 

These little blue flowers, carpeted under the trees last week at nearby Anglesey Abbey, are chionoxa, which look wonderful at this time of year.

10m 2.5W FT8 (Sunday)

 My QDX-M was turned on at about 0852z. Apart from a very brief TX period, I am RX only.

Sunspots - Sunday March 22nd

 Solar flux is 107 and the SSN 48. A=44 and K=4.

10m 200mW WSPR (Saturday)

 Once again I am on 10m WSPR TX. I may change to FT8 later.

Cambridge Botanic Garden last weekend

Last Saturday we went to the Cambridge Botanic Garden.  

It is owned by the University of Cambridge, UK.

End of longwave broadcasting by the BBC?

Yesterday Steve G1KQH passed on the news that the BBC is likely to stop longwave broadcasts later this year.  

The photo shows the Droitwich transmitter near Birmingham.