10m FT8 RX

Since breakfast, I have been on 10m FT8 RX. So far, just M0SSK (75km) spotted.

UPDATE 1158z: Best DX is now IZ2MHO (996km) in northern Italy.

UPDATE 1910z: Nothing outside Europe spotted here today on 10m FT8. The last was DM1FL (495km) in the Cologne area.

630m WSPR last night

In all, 11 unique spots of my 10mW ERP with best DX again Norway. I spotted 12 uniques. Not bad.

Sunspots - Sunday November 12th 2017

Solar flux is 68 today and the sunspot number remains zero. A=8 and K=2.

New WSPR beacon

SOTAbeams has a new product that can be used from 630m to 6m with a suitable low pass filter. This is a bit more than the original WSPRlite, but likely to be popular. A great deal of fun can be had with WSPR. The external LPF is a must.

See https://www.sotabeams.co.uk/wsprlite-flexi .

Solar cycle 25 - what will it be like?

"As of April 2017 the strength and trend of the southern polar field hints at a cycle 25 with a magnitude close to that of cycle 24. " 

This was a quote from http://www.solen.info/solar/.  It is expected to be a weak affair. If anyone knows of a better forecast please let me know. As it will probably be my last, I hope it is better than cycle 24, although I think this is unlikely.

An early QSY to 630m WSPR?

As 10m FT8 seems poor again, I am tempted to QSY early to 630m WSPR.

UPDATE 1525z: Well it is done! I've QSYed to 630m WSPR (10mW ERP, 20%). It will be interesting to see what happens in daylight.

UPDATE 1550z: Several spots already given and received on 630m WSPR. My best spot (of my 10mW ERP) is by G4CPD (232km).

UPDATE 2246z: So far, an average evening on 630m WSPR.

Rallies

It must be the time of the year when few, if any, rallies take place in the UK. I guess it is too wet and too cold to attract the punters. Certainly, I have not received notification of any. Time to draw the curtains, stoke the fire and watch TV?

Autumn colours - NOT amateur radio

Anglesey Abbey is about 4 miles away by car. In every season it looks good. At the moment it is the autumn colours that delight. In a few months it will be the first snowdrops and daffodils.

See https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/anglesey-abbey-gardens-and-lode-mill .

Giddiness - NOT amateur radio

It is over 4 years since my stroke. Whenever I am on my feet I feel giddy and drunk. By now, I was hoping this would have got better, but it seems this is how I am going to be for ever.  I can manage, but I feel way below how I once was.

At the same time others say, "you do look well". That is the problem: appearances deceive. I do look fine and normal, but others do not realise what a struggle ordinary things are.

Overnight on 630m WSPR

An average session on 630m WSPR. In all, my 10mW ERP was spotted by 9 unique stations and I spotted 13 uniques. I have known better nights.

10m FT8 RX

Better than yesterday (when I spotted absolutely nothing!) but still pretty dire. Just a couple of spots so far with 1 G and 1 OZ. Best DX, so far today, is OZ1LXJ (806km). These could be aircraft reflection?

UPDATE  1520z: No further 10m FT8 spots, so I guess the ones above were probably off aircraft or even MS.

Sunspots - Saturday November 11th 2017

Solar flux is 70 and the sunspot count is still zero. A=21 and K=2.

630m WSPR

In the end I gave up on 10m FT8 and QSYed to 630m WSPR. So far, my 10mW ERP has been spotted by 4 unique stations and I have spotted 6 uniques.

10m FT8 - another bad day?

Although I have been monitoring 10m FT8 RX all day, I have spotted absolutely no-one so far! Unless things change, this will go down as another bad day.

UPDATE 1730z: Still no 10m FT8 spots all day! Another hour and I shall QSY to 630m WSPR.

Real or Fake?

Supposedly this guy worked 2m transatlantic in 1982 on FM. I find it hard to believe this was genuine. It seems amazing that this was not well publicised at the time. Make up your minds.

Sunspots - Friday November 10th 2017

Solar flux is 65 (low) and the sunspot remains zero. A=20 and K=4. Not at all promising for the higher HF bands.

Bank closing - NOT amateur radio

Like many branches, the only bank in our village closes tomorrow. Our nearest bank is 4 miles away. Like many, we bank online and get money from a cash machine. It is closing because of lack of use. We are to blame.

Wireless Charging

There has been a fair bit of concern in recent weeks about the spectrum pollution that may result in future from the wireless charging of devices and vehicles. Spectrum for this may be allocated at the next WRC in 2019. Now, wireless charging is probably a "good thing" and may help with fossil fuel use reduction, but this needs to be done in ways that minimises RF spectrum pollution. Once the genie is out, there is no going back.

10m FT8 RX

Since breakfast I have been on 10m FT8 RX.  As yet (0937z), no spots on 10m.

UPDATE 1335z: Still no spots at all on 10m FT8. Very quiet.

UPDATE 1628z: Just G4YBI (83km) to the east of London. Tropo or aircraft? Quite the worst day on 10m for quite a while.

Overnight on 630m WSPR

Not the greatest of nights with 6 unique stations spotting my 10mW ERP and in turn I spotted 12 unique stations on MF. It has been much better!

Sunspots - Thursday November 9th 2017

Solar flux is 67 today and the sunspot number still zero. A=47 and K=4. On the face of it, not too promising.

Now on 630m WSPR

As there have been no South Americans spotted here for several hours now, I have moved to 630m WSPR (10mW ERP, 20%) for the evening and overnight period.

10m to South America

FT8 seems to work well, even on 10m. Today there were stations all across Europe spotted and as far as Kuwait, plus Reunion and South Africa, so I was surprised when only 3 South Americans were spotted on 10m FT8 today. I was expecting far more.

In a short while I'll move to 630m WSPR.

Would Trump win now? - NOT amateur radio

The BBC asked a number of "experts".  I was surprised by what they said.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41839706  .

Profits - NOT amateur radio

John Lewis in Cambridge yesterday and that god "profit" is clearly visible. Frankly, it makes me sick. Why does Christmas get earlier and earlier? Profits!

Personally I'd ban all Christmas things until December.

Depth - NOT amateur radio

Most of the time we live on the surface. Then something happens to make us think. This week I have had two things that "brought me up short". 

Firstly, I attended the funeral of my old work manager (Rao) who died in his 80s, then I heard that my son's brother-in-law, in his 20s, had died in hospital after being struck many weeks ago by a woman driver who went through red lights whilst being distracted fiddling with her phone. We don't realise how fragile life is: one second and his future would have been so different.

Whatever your religion, or none, life is a precious gift too easily taken for granted. In the midst of life is death, pain and suffering. It has always been so, and always will.

Life goes on, as it should, but from time to time we all need to be reminded that we came from dust and return to dust.  Life is transitory.

Overnight on 630m WSPR

Conditions have been better. My 10mW ERP reached DL-SWL (701km) and 5 others. In all, 13 unique spots of others.

10m FT8 RX

As usual, I am keeping an eye on 10m FT8. 3 spots so far with best DX 9K2NO (4641km) in Kuwait.

UPDATE 1428z:  Best 10m FT8 DX is now FR4OO (9668km) on Reunion Is in the south Indian Ocean.

UPDATE 1510z: Now 10m FT8 propagation is moving west. ZS1TMJ (9563km) now being spotted. Later I feel sure there will be some South Americans.

UPDATE 1525z: First South American was PU2WSQ (9588km).

Sunspots - Wednesday November 8th 2017

Solar flux is 68 today and the sunspot number still zero. A=36 and K=6.

Cambridge Bus Station - NOT amateur radio

This was Cambridge Drummer Street bus station yesterday evening. The service bus did not arrive and the next bus was nearly 1.5 hours later! Notice how many people are on their "devices".

630m WSPR

As usual, I have been on 630m WSPR a lot of this evening. So far, conditions seem typical.

My son's brother-in-law has died - NOT amateur radio

Tragically, my son's brother-in-law, who was knocked over by a careless driver busy fiddling with her mobile phone, has died. He was in hospital for over a month in Australia.  1 second and his future would have been so different. His entire family is devastated.  The woman driver will have this guilt for the rest of her life. In many ways I feel sorry for her too.

Where is the good God who allows this to happen? Right now I find it hard to fathom any good in this situation.

2m UKAC Activity Contest

This evening was the 2m leg of the RSGB's activity contest. As my bus was late getting back from Cambridge, I was not on very long this time, so worked few stations. Normally, I add a map, but this time it is not worth it.

OFCOM monthly update

OFCOM has just produced its update for October.

See http://ofcom.cmail19.com/t/ViewEmail/i/AF858CA5839176DE2540EF23F30FEDED/59D1BD3EA2F08127C67FD2F38AC4859C

Hindu funeral - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday, I attended a funeral for my old manager at Pye Telecom. He was Indian and a really good man. He always told the truth and I had a great deal of time for him. The service was at the crematorium in Cambridge and was a Hindu service. It was very moving. According to Wikipedia there are 960 million followers in India alone.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism .

The last 24 hours on 630m WSPR

The last evening and night were quite productive. My 10mW ERP WSPR was spotted by 13 unique stations and I spotted 16 uniques.

10m FT8 RX

Just before breakfast I moved to 10m FT8 RX again. Despite poor solar conditions and zero sunspots, several stations are coming in via F2.

Best DX currently on 10m FT8 VU2TS (8062km) in Southern India.

UPDATE 1048z: Best 10m FT8 RX DX is VK6RK (14469km) in Western Australia. Did someone say 10m was dead? Solar flux is low and the sunspot number is zero! FT8!

UPDATE 1150z: It just get better! VK5SFA (16221km) is now the best DX spotted on 10m FT8 this morning.  FT8 is magic.

UPDATE 2052z: Well. I think today was the best yet this autumn on 10m FT8 RX. Did someone say 10m was "dead"? Well even with low solar activity and zero sunspots the photo shows the spots on 10m FT8 today! Amazing!

Sunspots - Tuesday November 7th 2017

Solar flux is just 69 today and the sunspot number still zero. A=2 and K=1.

630m FT8

This evening I copied DL6TY (629km) calling CQ in FT8 on 630m. Although I called him, he did not copy me. This is the first time I have decoded anyone on FT8 on 630m. This will become the communications mode on most bands. I have now gone back to 630m WSPR.

QSY to 630m WSPR

At 1935z I QSYed to 630m WSPR (10mW ERP, 20%). I should be on overnight.

UPDATE 2055z: GW3UCJ (286km) was copying me 4dB stronger than usual.