630m QRP WSPR overnight

 

11 stations spotted me overnight. No great DX.

Sunspots- Saturday January 6th

Solar flux is 153 and the SSN 121.  A=5 and K=1.

630m QRP WSPR (Friday)

My 630m 10mW ERP WSPR was turned on at about 1628z.

UPDATE 1904z:   5 stations have spotted me this evening.

8m quiet?

It seems to me that the 8m experiment is drawing to a close.  

With quite a high sunspot number, there have been F2 openings as high as 6m.  40 MHz is between 10m and 6m, so one would expect the F2 MUF to climb to 8m at times when it did not make it to 6m.  

There are very few people active on 8m, whereas there are many on 6m, so short-lived 6m openings are more likely to be spotted, especially on FT8. During the Es season distances up to about 1500km can often be worked. 

At the moment, I am inclined to pay for just one more year on 8m, but it needs more people in more countries. I still find it incomprehensible (and totally stupid) that radio amateurs are not allowed access to just 5 kHz, secondary only, narrow digital only, power limited, no interference, at 8m. It is as if OFCOM (and the RSGB) and the FCC are very "anti" an allocation at 8m. They are not just neutral!!

I have tried my best, but can do little more. 

It needs more people to approach their administrations about a tiny 8m allocation.

Fungi - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday, we did a nice walk at Anglesey Abbey near Cambridge where we saw this log and fungi. Some years ago this was a tall tree with a hornet's nest. I think it was felled as it was rotten.

AI key - NOT amateur radio

According to The Knowledge today, Microsoft is introducing an AI key on its keyboards . This links to their AI tool in Windows (Copilot) which is linked to ChatGPT.

Interesting clouds - NOT amateur radio

This photo was recently posted by a friend in Shetland on 365project. I think these clouds are very high and the colours are ice crystals reflecting the low sun.

500uW 10m WSPR TX

My QRPP 10m WSPR beacon has been re-sync'd to internet time and is on. Any reports are welcomed. At the moment nobody has spotted me. It will probably be on all day.

UPDATE 1358z:  No spots.

UPDATE  1537z: Spotted twice by EA8BFK (2880km) in the Canaries.

8m QRP FT8 TX (Friday)

My 2.5W FT8 to the dipole should be on 40.680 MHz (DF about 1950 Hz) all day. It was turned on about 0945z.

UPDATE 1623z:   No spots.

Michael Rainey AA1TJ

Overnight I had a very good email from Michael AA1TJ. I was so pleased to hear that both Michael and his XYL were well and he is still busy with QRPP. 

Some of his results are truly inspiring, as they usually are!  In my view Michael is one of the most amazing QRPers on the planet and he definitely has produced some really great design ideas over the years.

630m QRP WSPR overnight

As WSPRnet was working again last night, I turned on my 10mW ERP 630m WSPR from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. In all, 11 stations spotted me, but no great DX.

Sunspots - Friday January 5th

 Solar flux is 126 and the SSN 64. A=6 and K=1.

630m QRP WSPR (Thursday)

WSPRnet seems to be fixed so I have QSYed to 630m WSPR with my 10mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. At 2140z 3 stations have spotted me.

17m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

Currently I am on 17m FT8 using 2.5W to the coax to the 2m big-wheel matched with my Z-match. So far, just European spots.

UPDATE 1550z:  Just one USA spot so far.

UPDATE 1636z:  More USA spots.

UPDATE 1926z: 31 stations have spotted me with many in the USA. WSPRnet still looks broken.

UPDATE  2030z: 32 stations have spotted me.

Christmas nearly over - NOT amateur radio

This weekend it is time to take down the cards and decorations. It seems they have been up for a very short time. 

We will blink and it will be next Christmas!

10m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

As WSPRnet seems to be in trouble, I am on 10m FT8 using 2.5W. It looks like all my spots so far are from the East via F2. On RX the band is well open to the east with plenty of stations in Australia and the Far East.

UPDATE 1155z:  11 stations have spotted me this morning on 10m QRP FT8. I wonder if the vertical coax to the 2m big-wheel (suitably matched) might be better? Might try this tomorrow. It could be this would be more omni-directional.

WSPRnet in trouble?

Overnight I went on 630m QRP WSPR, but I think WSPRnet had/has a problem so I do not know who was spotting my 10mW ERP.  

Until this is fixed, there is little point me being on WSPR TX.

UPDATE 1740z:  It looks like it is still in trouble. Unless things are fixed in the next couple of hours, I shall probably give 630m WSPR a miss tonight. If it is soon fixed, my 10mW ERP WSPR will be on. 

Oscar 100 activity levels

Every few weeks I take a look at the online SDR at Goonhilly Downs in Cornwall , UK monitoring the narrowband transponder on this geosynchronous satellite. 

It has certainly encouraged amateurs to experiment with microwaves but, in my honest personal opinion, it has not attracted the following I was expecting. There is still plenty of space. 

In my view, because it does not cover the USA and Japan, we have not see dedicated Japanese "black boxes" which could transform things. There is not enough profit to make it worthwhile. 

This is a pity as it offered DXing without QSB at any time covering large parts of the planet with small, fixed antennas. There is no need for towers, big beams and linears. Antennas could even be ground mounted.

2m FT8 UKAC last evening

Last night was the first 2m FT8 activity contest. I worked a couple of stations using 2.5W and my big-wheel omni antenna, but I was not seriously taking part. I was only on for about 15 minutes. 

The map shows the stations spotted on 2m FT8 RX. It seems to me these distant stations are coming through by tropospheric scatter.

Bargains from China?

Banggood is selling some very low cost transceivers and receivers. These are far below the prices we are used to. In many cases, these are with free shipping from China. In some cases I am unsure if there is VAT and duty to pay. I am also concerned about quality control.

In the end, Chinese products really will be competitive against the Japanese. They are not there yet, quite. I give it 5 years, possibly less.