10m QRP WSPR TX

Because I was out most of the day, my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon was only turned on late this afternoon. Despite this, 26 stations managed to spot me before I went QRT. In all, plenty of Es still about. 

Bury St Edmunds Abbey Gardens - NOT amateur radio

 

This morning in the Abbey Gardens. 

70cm 4 element yagi

One of my Facebook memories today was this photo of my 4 element yagi made from a metal coat hanger. It was used out portable in a contest. 

The mast was a PVC pipe trapped in the car door. 

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/antennas/70cm-4el-yagi .

Sunspots - Wednesday day July 6th 2022

Solar flux is 115 and the SSN 92. A=4 and K=1.

10m 500mW WSPR TX

My QRP beacon was turned on at 0909z and already there are 11 unique stations spotting me. A great day already.

UPDATE 1148z:  Already spotted by 28 stations on 10m WSPR today. Brilliant Es conditions.

UPDATE 1605z:  35 unique station spots of me today including 11 from John EI7GL.

8m experiment (Tuesday)

My QRP 8m FT8 TX was turned on at 0909z on 40.680 MHz USB dial. Already 2 spots from Iberia. There must Es about.

UPDATE 1144z:  Already spotted by 4 stations on 8m FT8 TX today with the furthermost EA8BFK (2880km) and I have spotted 3 stations on 8m FT8 RX in 3 countries.

UPDATE 1325z:   5 stations have spotted me today so far on 8m FT8. Very good. On RX, 4 stations spotted. 

UPDATE 1631z:  Now spotted by 6 stations today on 8m FT8 QRP TX. One of the best days on 8m FT8 TX. Rig currently off cooling.

UPDATE 2113z:  7 spots of me on 8m FT8 QRP TX. 

Sunspot peak better than expected?

The latest forecast I have seen is for the peak of solar cycle 25 to occur in November next year with a peak around 143, which is better than expected.

See http://www.solen.info/solar/. 

EI7GL?

John's blog has not been updated since May 22nd. There is a link to it on this blog as it is interesting and useful. It is one of the really good blogs that I often visit. 

Does anyone have any news? I hope he is OK. 

See https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/ .

UPDATE 1633z: I have received 11 10m WSPR spots from John today.

Sunspots - Tuesday July 5th 2022

Solar flux is 104 and the SSN 79. A=21 and K=1.

Our house 2014 - NOT amateur radio

 

This photo of our house was taken in 2014. 

10m QRP WSPR

At 1027z, my 500mW 10m WSPR TX beacon was turned on. 

UPDATE 1048z:   No spots of me today so far.

UPDATE 1225z: Just spots by local G4KPX (14km) and OE3XOE (1233km).

OFCOM measures to protect radio astronomy

 OFCOM has announced some measures to protect radio astronomy. See the OFCOM website for details.

8m experiment (Monday)

At 1027z, my 8m QRP FT8 was turned on using 40.680 MHz USB dial. My rig is a modified FT817ND and a low wire dipole.

UPDATE 1046z:   No spots today.

UPDATE 1227z:  Still no spots. Currently off whilst rig cools.

UPDATE 1505z :  HC02 (1808km) has spotted me. 1 G spotted here. 

Portable HF

This photo was taken, I believe, in the 1990s. I was operating HF portable from my mother's garden. As I recall it was with my 2m VHF Mizuho portable and 10m QRP transverter. 

481 THz beacon TX

Looking through old photos yesterday, I came across this photo of my optical beacon. I still have it, but it has not been used for a while. 

Sunspots - Monday July 4th 2022

Solar flux is 102 and the SSN 42. A=8 and K=3.

Dartmouth Devon - NOT amateur radio

On Friday I did a tour of the South Hams of Devon by bus. One of the places I went to was Dartmouth shown in the photo. It was a good place to just watch the world go by. 

And to think, with my old age bus pass, all this travel was free.

10m QRP WSPR TX

It is now 0935z. Although I have been on TX for about 20 minutes with my 500mW W5OLF beacon, no spots. I guess Es is a bit more "hit and miss" now that the season is ending.

UPDATE 1110z:  So there is life!   Spots by HB9TMC (905km) has spotted me, but only twice.

UPDATE 1344z:   GM0UDL (659km) also spotting me. I have noticed before that more northerly stations appear more commonly later in the Es season.

8m experiment (Sunday)

On my return from Devon, I am now on 40.680 MHz USB dial QRP FT8 TX. It is now 0931z and, so far, no spots. Apart from when the rig is cooling, I hope to be on 8m FT8 TX again today after a few days break.

UPDATE 1112z:  Still nobody spotting me today and nobody else spotted. Currently off whilst the rig cools.

UPDATE 1342z:  Back on TX again. Still no spots.

UPDATE 1725z:  Just a single spot by HC02 (1808km). To be honest, I was surprised to get even this.

UPDATE 1807z:  9A2Y (1567km) and I exchanged reports and location earlier by 8m FT8. What a surprise when no other spots (apart from HB9 and GM) of me seen all day on 10m WSPR.

UPDATE 1837z: S51DI (1288km) spotted on 8m FT8 RX.

VHF NFD

This is one of the major contests. It is on over the weekend. It used to be in September years ago, but it was changed. Often portable stations put on a big effort with high power and big antennas. On my return from Devon I went on, briefly, this morning, but quickly went QRT as my voice was finding it hard work!