My intermittent coax plug has been fixed and now on 10m FT8 with the FT817ND at 2.5W. So far spotted by just 1 G station, but spotting stations across the world on RX.
UPDATE 0944z: 12 stations have spotted my 2.5W and 67 stations spotted here.
UPDATE 1000z: Thunder stopped play! All disconnected. See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/other-amateur-radio/lightning-maps .
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| 160m FT8 QRP TX |
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| 160m FT8 RX |
Very late in the day, I decided to switch from 8m to 10m FT8. Just a couple of spots of my 2.5W from the FT817ND. I also discovered that my 10m coax antenna plug is intermittent. This needs investigation. Quite a few stations spotted on RX.
UPDATE 1803z: 4 spots of my 2.5W with the furthermost 9G5AF (5189km).
These rallies have been notified to me. I do not have contact details, but advise checking with the organisers first if intending to travel a long way.
Sunday May 7th - Dartmoor Radio Rally, Yelverton, PL20 6AL
Sunday May 7th - Hamfest Rally,Thorpe Camp Visitor's Centre. No postcode given.
Earlier. I got my first 8m FT8 report for a while. This was Martin's SDR at WESSEXSDR (265km) at a respectable - 17dB S/N.
See https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/swift/ .
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| Spots of my QRP FT8 on 160m with the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground last evening |
It is not dark here for about 90 minutes, but my 2.5W to the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground has been spotted on 2 SDR's in the west country the furthermost WESSEXSDR (265km).
Today, for only the second time, we had a cup of tea in the garden. Despite looking (and listening) for about a hour, no swifts seen or heard. This is a bit early. Hopefully within a few weeks we will hear the screams, look up and see some. Numbers are meant to be down, although locally they seemed as numerous.
For the last couple of hours I have been on 8m QRP FT8 again on 40.680 MHz. No spots.
UPDATE 1641z: No spots.
After returning from shopping, I plan to return to tests on 40.680 MHz FT8.
Later this summer, I want to give 8m WSPR a go, probably at 1W. I am hopeful that more Europeans will give 8m WSPR a go using ISM rules. In many countries a licence is not needed under ISM rules.
On 8m FT8 and WSPR at the same time I can only go on if I am RX only on FT8 at the time.
Many years ago, the RSGB organised some 10m activity contests in the evenings. This must have been 40 years ago at a guess.
Despite using 10W pep and a dipole, I could work stations 150km away consistently. With more power and a small beam, even better results would be possible. These days we have digital modes that can work with very weak signals indeed, so spanning such distances with very simple antennas like dipoles and CB whips should be even easier.
At the moment 10m is a great DX band, but at sunspot minimum, people often desert it, sadly. What I am advocating is that more of us should stick with it in the quieter years when it behaves more like a VHF band.
As a final reminder, Es is good in the Es season at any point in the solar cycle. DX has been worked from the UK by F2 N-S with QRP SSB even when the sunspot count was zero at solar minimum. People often desert it when it is a lack of activity and not poor conditions. I hope FT8 will help at such times.
Since about 0800z, I have been on 10m QRP FT8 with the tiny QDX. Just 3 inter-G spots of me so far. It is a bit early.
UPDATE 0859z: TA9J (3463km) has also spotted me by what I think is F2 propagation. Now 5 Gs have spotted me. No Es apparent.
The May leg of the RSGB organised activity contest on 2m is tonight starting at 1900z. Activity levels are usually good with portables on hilltops.
It lasts (I think) for 2.5 hours although with my QRP, omni antenna and poor voice I am usually on less than an hour.
This really does not feel like a contest. It is more a way to stimulate activity and work squares.
