70cm FT8 activity contest (Wednesday)

Stations spotted on 70cm FT8  tonight

Tonight was the UKAC activity contest on 70cm FT8. I had one QSO, but spent most of the time on RX. 30 stations were spotted with the 2m big-wheel omni antenna.

Rally news

This unusual as it is on Friday evening.  Junk sale. Best to check details first.

Friday August 11th 6-9pm  Cockenzie and Port Seton ARC . No contact details or postcode, sorry. I think this is Scotland.

70cm activity contest

Last night, I went on the 70cm activity contest (UKAC) organised by the RSGB. I was in for about 40 minutes in 2 sessions with 10W and the 2m big-wheel omni. 4 QSOs were made (see map).

Usually the 70cm FT8 activity session is this evening.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Wednesday)

 My 500mW TX WSPR beacon is on.

UPDATE 0917z: Lots of Es spots. 

UPDATE 1022z: 37 unique stations have already spotted me on 10m WSPR. Excellent Es.

8m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

Currently, I am on 8m FT8 with my 2.5W and dipole.

UPDATE 0917z:  SR4BBX spotting me.  Now EI9KP (649km) too.

Sunspots - Wednesday August 9th 2023

 Solar flux is 159 and the SSN 115. A=8 and K=1.

Back on 8m FT8 tomorrow

Not quite sure why, but my 8m SWR is back to normal. My intention is to try 40.680 MHz QRP FT8 tomorrow.  Hopefully there will be some Es around.

432 MHz activity contest this evening

Starting at 1900z, this evening is the RSGB organised 70cm activity contest. I usually go on for a short time with 10W and my 2m big-wheel omni antenna. Sometimes I work over 100km whereas other times I work nobody.

Quack march - NOT amateur radio

 

Seen crossing our drive.

10m 500mW WSPR TX (Tuesday)

My 10m 500mW WSPR beacon has been on since breakfast. So far, spotted by 6 stations with the furthermost SDRPT (1598km) in Portugal.

UPDATE 1837z:   15 spots of my 500mW 10m WSPR TX today with the furthermost PU5ALE (GG32 10191km) in Brazil. QRT soon.

6m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

My gear (2.5W to the V2000 vertical omni) has been on since breakfast. So far just spotted in the British Isles with the furthermost a spot by EI3KD (583km). On RX the furthermost is Latvia.

UPDATE 1042z:  My 2.5W has just been spotted in the Canary Islands Is by EA8DBM (3016km). So far today, 25 stations have spotted my 6m QRP FT8 in 7 countries. I think this is Es but it could be F2. Almost certainly Es as I am now getting lots of spots from Spain and Portugal on 6m QRP FT8.

UPDATE 1320z:  43 stations have now spotted my QRP 6m FT8 today.

UPDATE 1606z:  59 stations have spotted me so far (see map).

Sunspots - Tuesday August 8th 2023

Solar flux is 170 and the SSN 101. A=12 and K=1. 

At Anglesey Abbey - NOT amateur radio

 

This was at Anglesey Abbey earlier. I think they are called "lords and ladies".

Stick with it!

 Today, the Es on 10m and 6m seems very good on FT8.

See https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/radio-propagation-maps/europe-sporadic-e/ .

10m QRP WSPR TX (Monday)

My 500mW TX WSPR beacon has been on most of the morning.  23 stations have spotted me, mostly I guess via Es.

UPDATE 1636z:  43 stations have spotted my QRP 10m WSPR  today. Certainly a very good Es day.

6m FT8 (Monday)

My 6m FT8 QRP gear has (2.5W to the V2000 vertical omni) has been on most of the morning.   So far, 73 stations have spotted me today.

Stations spotting my
QRP 6m FT8 today

UPDATE 1435z: 117 stations have spotted my 2.5W 6m FT8 today. Who said the Es season has ended?

Sunspots - Monday August 7th 2023

Solar flux is 174 and the SSN 97.  A=4 and K=2.

Muntjac deer - NOT amateur radio

These are deer the size of large dogs. They are an introduced species and they are getting bolder. This one just stared at us, then calmly walked into the sweetcorn. They can be a real pain in the garden when they eat flowers.

Amused me!! - NOT amateur radio

This was on Facebook earlier. It made me chuckle. I guess the label was created by someone who doesn't know English. 

Afternoon walk - NOT amateur radio

 Later, we hope to go on a walk in the village. It is an area called "Paulines' Swamp". It is a nature reserve created some years ago in memory of the wife of a well known village person.

The YouTube video is a view of our village, taken with a drone.  Pauline's Swamp is just visible after 2 mins 10 secs at the very top. If you did not know, you would not know!  Our house also on near the windmill.