630m 10mW ERP WSPR (Sunday)

 After tea this evening, I QSYed to 630m WSPR.   So far, 5 stations have spotted me at 2055z.

East Anglian Churches blog - NOT amateur radio

When I was fitter we visited many churches in East Anglia, I kept a blog so we could later recall those visited. It is some while since this was updated, so an aim for 2024 must be to visit some more and update this blog.

See https://eachurches.blogspot.com/ .

10m 500mW WSPR TX (Sunday)

My beacon was turned on at about 1046z. So far spots from Italy and the Canary Is..

UPDATE 1228z:  10 stations have spotted me so far today. Most look like F2 propagation.

8m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

 My 2.5W 8m FT8 was turned on about 1046z. Just local spots so far.

UPDATE 1208z: ZS3/V51PJ (9081km spotted on 8m FT8 RX).

UPDATE 1234z:  The logbook shows 4 countries spotted on 8m FT8 RX  this week.

"The Screaming Sky -- in pursuit of swifts" by Charles Foster - NOT amateur radio

This book, loaned to me by my son, is about the lives of swifts.  Reading it makes you realise they are only here for a few months, with their real home in Africa. Funny, I always await the joyous return of the swifts every spring.

 See https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/swift .

Sunday plans

 After a spot of gardening, I shall probably go on 8m QRP FT8 and 10m 500mW WSPR TX with my beacon. Yesterday was quite good on 8m with the E-W MUF obviously high enough to support 8m propagation at times.

630m QRP WSPR TX overnight

 

In all, my 10mW ERP 630m WSPR was spotted by 19 stations (see table).

Spooky moon - NOT amateur radio

 

It is almost Halloween. This was the moon rising over a neighbours' house.

Sunspots - Sunday October 29th 2023

 Solar flux is 128 and the SSN 70. A=19 and K=4.

630m QRP WSPR

Even though the output power judging by the antenna current seemed normal, I was getting no spots. Moving down in frequency and spots came immediately. Was my transmission just outside the WSPR window?   Last night I was about 16 Hz inside the top edge.

UPDATE  1815z:   4 stations have spotted my 10mW ERP tonight.

CQWW SSB

This is the biggest contest in the world. At one time, I used to be very keen on this as a way of working some new DXCC countries. I have never submitted a score. These days I just take a peek, and give it a miss. It is on all weekend.

All change - NOT amateur radio

We have one garage in our village selling fuel. When we came in 1975 there were 3.   Attached to the garage was a very useful Co-op shop. Both the garage and shop are now Asda. Luckily, the same staff seem to be there.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Saturday)

My tiny 500mW 10m WSPR TX has been on most of the morning. So far,  25 stations have spotted me.

8m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

Apart from a very brief transmission early this morning - spotted by local G4WSZ (12km), I have been RX.

UPDATE 1530z: This afternoon, I have been on 40.680 MHz QRP FT8 TX. 4 stations have spotted my 2.5W to the  dipole including 1 in the USA and 1 in the Caribbean. On 8m RX,  3 countries have been spotted.

Back garden - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday, I cut the grass. I usually cut it for the last time of the year in late November or even December. I think the grass often grows over the winter and I am always pleased to do a "tidy up" cut in March. The photo shows our back garden yesterday. 

The leaves are still on the trees mostly, but they will soon be gone until spring.

630m QRP WSPR overnight

In all, 13 stations spotted my 10mW ERP from the earth-electrode antenna in the ground on 630m overnight with the furthermost SM6NOC (1054km).

In the last 2 weeks I have been spotted by 33 stations on 630m QRP WSPR TX as the table shows. 

Sunspots - Saturday October 28th 2023

 Solar flux is 128 and the SSN 66. A=11 and K=1.

630m QRP WSPR (Friday)

This evening, I QSYed to 630m WSPR QRP TX (with 10mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground) earlier than usual. So far (at 1820z)  3 stations have spotted me.

Quote in "The Knowledge" today - NOT amateur radio

This quote was in "The Knowledge" today. 

"War is the unfolding of miscalculations." Historian Barbara Tuchman

8m QRP FT8 (Friday)

 My 2.5W 8m FT8 gear has been on much of the morning. So far, just local G4WSZ (12km) spotting me.

UPDATE 1215z:  2 locals have spotted me and I have spotted ZR1ADI (9777km) in South Africa yet again.

UPDATE 1408z: Sadly, I was called by a station in Luxembourg, but we were unable to complete the 8m FT8 exchange. 4 stations have spotted me today.