Several recent events have severely dented my confidence in "the deep state". These include the contaminated blood scandal, Grenfell Tower and the Post Office scandal. Time and again, we hear of corruption in high places. It makes me sick.
It would be good if those in high places operated at all times with high integrity and honesty. It would appear many cannot be trusted sadly.
Overnight, I may give 160m FT8 a go with my earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. This assumes the match is acceptable.
For a first try I shall probably use 2.5W. It is unlikely I shall be on until it gets dark. I don't think I have tried 160m FT8.
UPDATE 1656z: The match is good and I am on 160m with 2.5W FT8. No spots on RX or TX.
UPDATE 1831z: One UK spot of me by 2E0INH (60km).
UPDATE 1900z: 3 UK spots of me so far this evening. Still very much light. Furthermost is G4BRK (133km). This is quite reasonable with 2.5W FT8.
Well, either the internet was not working here from the shack or there was an issue with WSPRnet. Although I was spotting DX on 630m WSPR and was sending all night, no spots at all. I shall probably try again tonight.
My QRPP 6m FT8 has been on since about 0815z. No spots.
At the moment I am on 630m WSPR with my usual 10mW ERP. I am seeing no spots on RX or TX. This could be that I cannot connect to the internet or there’s a problem with WSPRnet. I shall leave it on overnight.
The photo (yet again!) is of the windmill next door with storm clouds behind just now.
Quite surprised to see my 500uW QRPP 10m WSPR had been spotted this morning by GM4WJA (624km). I suspect this is Es as I have been spotted in N.Ireland when I was running just 10mW FT8 on 6m.
My 10mW 6m FT8 to the V2000 vertical omni antenna is on, but no spots at 0858z.
UPDATE 0950z: Spotted by GI0OTC (560km) in Northern Ireland. I suspect this is Es as I have also been spotted running just 500uW in Scotland on 10m WSPR.
UPDATE 1459z: No more spots of me on 10mW 6m FT8 surprisingly. No further Es reports of my QRPP. Perhaps later?
UPDATE 1735z: Some Es now. 4 spots of my 10mW 6m FT8 so far.
At the moment Es looks quite promising in Eastern Europe. Let's hope this spreads west.
See https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/radio-propagation-maps/europe-sporadic-e/ .
Yesterday evening I heard that QRP Labs had received my payment, although I do not know what the delivery date will be for my QMX+.
At the start of the Es season, I started with 10mW 6m WSPR. It worked, so I changed to 6m 10mW FT8, which in theory needs a better S/N to decode.
Every day, 10mW 6m FT8 has been very successful. Some reports suggest some margin too.
I think the fact that FT8 only needs a 15 second TX period compared with 120 seconds for WSPR helps to catch very brief Es openings.
When I return to 8m, I think I shall try 10mW ERP FT8 instead of WSPR.
Well over a year ago I bought a 2W 23cms transverter that I intended to use /P in the 23cm activity sessions. As it has been so wet, I have yet to do this. Perhaps later?
I was only going to go out very locally, but on higher ground.
My 500uW 10m QRPP WSPR beacon was turned on at about 0830z. European Es looks quite promising, so I am hopeful.
See https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/radio-propagation-maps/europe-sporadic-e/ .
UPDATE 1117z: No spots.
UPDATE 1738z: Just a single spot of my QRPP by DK6UG (633km).
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| Es map of Europe |
UPDATE 1026z: 5 spots of my 10mW 6m FT8.
UPDATE 1731z: 10 stations have spotted me.
See https://www.iswl.org.uk/ .
My 630m 10mW ERP WSPR from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground was turned on at about 2040z.
UPDATE 2115z: 2 stations have spotted me so far this evening.
My beacon is on and sync'd to internet time. No spots.
UPDATE 1839z: 2 spots in Germany of my 500uW WSPR. A reminder that my WSPR beacon is hard programmed to report 0.5W even though with the PA turned off it is actually 500uW only. I think these German spots were the first in several days.
At the moment European Es does not look too great although things can quickly change.
See https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/radio-propagation-maps/europe-sporadic-e/.
My QRPP 6m FT8 was turned on at about 0750z.
UPDATE 0830z: No spots.
For a change, I am again on 630m WSPR with my 10mW ERP from my earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground.
UPDATE 1908z: So far, just spots by G8OCV/SDR.
At the moment, I remain puzzled: at 10mW I was surprised that FT8 worked at all on 6m. Already today (presumably by Es) 10 stations have spotted me on 6m FT8 at 10mW.
At 13dB weaker my 10m WSPR at 500uW remains unspotted. I had assumed that signals 13dB weaker might have been harder, but then WSPR works with signals considerably weaker than FT8.
Probably Jan OZ9QV is correct, that the far shorter TX period for FT8 (about 15 seconds) catches very brief Es bursts with FT8 that the 120 seconds needed for WSPR does not decode: the Es cloud has to remain around for longer. Perhaps Es just bubbles up for very short periods more than we thought. Maybe FT4 would be better still, even though it is even less sensitive?
With FT8 I am pleasantly surprised how well just 10mW works with 6m FT8. Of course the WSPR signal at 500uW is more likely to be buried in noise too. Overall, I suspect the briefness of FT8 must help more than I was expecting.
The following rally has been notified to me. As always, I recommend contacting organisers to check details.
Sunday May 26th - Durham and District ARS Radio Rally. Bowburn, DH6 5AT. Contact dadars@gmx.com .
We deliver local Christmas cards by hand. We were going to do it yesterday, but the rain was horrendous so we did it today instead in the co...
