After breakfast, I hope to be on 10m FT8. This will be mostly RX with the occasional 2.5W TX.
UPDATE 1011z: It has been on RX for just over an hour with 46 unique stations spotted with the furthermost FR4OM (9763km).
UPDATE 1122z: 116 stations spotted.
It seems hard to think this tiny rig was designed and built so long ago (1974?). It was rebuilt a few years ago and still works. It must count as one of my favourite all-time rigs.
I would not recommend trying to exactly copy it, but use it as a source for your own designs. Some years ago, I know one club did a PCB for a version with a loudspeaker amplifier and loudspeaker. I forget who this was.
In its day it had several 100km QSOs handheld and even one of 160km to France handheld even though just 10mW AM. These days, most local QSOs are on FM. In its day, it was a very small rig and much smaller than commercial handhelds.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/homebrew/fredbox .
When our grandson (14) stays with us he likes to go bell ringing hunting. We tried 2 places today, but both had no bells ringing. He did capture the 10am chimes at one.
After breakfast I hope to go on 10m FT8. This will be mostly RX. From time to time I shall try TX.
UPDATE 1106z: I turned on my 10m FT8 system at 1050z. So far 59 stations spotted with the furthermost ZS4JAN (9393km).
UPDATE 1208z: 167 stations spotted.
At the moment I am on 10m QRP WSPR TX with 500mW from the W5OLF beacon. No spots of me yet today.
Later, I hope to be on 6m FT8 QRP hoping for some winter Es.
UPDATE 1152z: On 6m FT8 QRP TX briefly with 2.5W with 2 spots of me with the furthermost M1ABK (70km) and the V2000 vertical omni. Now RX only with no spots.
UPDATE 1437z: 5 G stations spotted on RX today. No great DX. Disappointing.
A very happy new year to all my blog readers. Let us hope 2022 is a better year for us all. Bet you weren't out recording bells as the new year came in with your grandson! Also, our 10 years old granddaughter quizzed us on African capitals at 12.30am!! 😁😁
As the 10m antenna is available, I am on TX with the 500mW W5OLF beacon. So far, at 1020z, 2 unique stations are spotting me. EA8BFK (2880km) gave an amazing +15dB S/N report just now!!
UPDATE 1417z: 3 unique stations have spotted me with the furthermost FY5KE (7110km).
UPDATE 2020z: Still just 3 unique stations spotting me today. QRT soon.
Once again, I was briefly on 6m FT8 using 2.5W TX to the V2000 vertical omni antenna. After the brief TX period (no spots!), I am RX only (no spots!). OK, it is early. Maybe things will get better.
As 6m and 10m seem to be dead now, I have QSYed to 160m FT8 RX. I shall probably leave it running overnight. At 2011z, 70 stations spotted.
UPDATE 2108z: 86 stations spotted on RX today.
As far as I know the Sparkford Wireless Group rally near Yeovil is still on this Sunday January 2nd. Contact the organiser to confirm.
My own theory is this is some sort of chordal hop E layer propagation. It always seems to be in late spring/early summer and is linked to noctilucent clouds which form in the mesosphere around this time (late June, early July in the northern hemisphere).
I get the impression that these modes may well work at far higher frequencies, possibly even microwaves.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/super-dx .
See also John's blog at https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/ .
For most of the day since breakfast I have been on 10m WSPR TX with my 500mW W5OLF WSPR beacon. At the moment the vast majority of spots are by EA8BFK (2880km) with a couple by local G4KPX (14km). I think the spots in the Canaries are single hop F2 as some are very strong.
After a very brief period on TX (2.5W to the V2000 vertical omni antenna- no spots of me), I am now RX only. So far after about 15 minutes (it is now 1050z) just 1 G spotted on RX in the form of G3RIK (224km). No winter Es evident yet here.
UPDATE 1446z: Just 3 G spots on RX.
At the moment I am on 6m FT8 RX. At first I was on QRP TX (2.5W to the V200 vertical with 1 spot by G0PQO (50km) and 1 G spot on RX.
UPDATE 2126z: Mostly G stations spotted as well as OY and OZ stations that might have been Es.
As my 10m antenna was free, I am again on 10m WSPR with 500mW from the W5OLF beacon. I have been on since 0943z. So far, spotted by local G4KPX (14km) and EA8BFK (2880km).
Yesterday I was spotted on 10m in the USA for the first time this solar cycle on WSPR.
As my 10m antenna was available, I decided to go on 10m WSPR with 500mW from the W5OLF beacon. So far today the only spots of me are by local G4KPX (14km), but at least this proves I am getting out!
UPDATE 0935z: No further spots today.
After a brief TX period starting at 0840z, I am now on RX only. So far at 0901z, no spots.
UPDATE 0955z: 1 QSO with 2E0VDS (30km) and spotted by G0PQO (50km) on TX. On RX, just 2 G spots.
UPDATE 2035z: 9 stations spotted. All G.
Apparently, I have spotted 83 countries on FT8 in the last week. Although most of these will be on 10m, I have been on 160m, 80m, 40m, 30m ,17m, 15m, 6m and 2m as well. This mode certainly digs signals out of the noise.
I am on RX far more than TX these days.
I am on 10m WSPR TX (500mW to the W5OLF beacon) as the 10m antenna is available. So far, no spots of me.
UPDATE 1554z: Just one spot of me, so far, by EA8BFK (2880km).
UPDATE 1645z: 2 unique stations spotting me. In addition to EA8BFK, I am again being spotted by G4KPX (14km). Richard is giving me a poorer S/N report. Nothing should have changed here, so I wonder if he has a higher noise floor perhaps due to Christmas lights?
After a brief TX period, I am now RX only on 6m FT8 hoping to catch some winter Es. No spots given or received!
UPDATE 1558z: Just one spot of me from G0PQO (50km) , but nothing yet on 6m FT8 RX here.
Some time ago one of my wife's friends went into a care home. If you asked me, I would have said last summer. Apparently it was over a year ago! I was amazed.
It is as if my perception of time is different. Is this just me or is it common in old age?
In recent years we have noticed that the weather in this part of the UK (east) is much wetter. This may be cyclic, but it is more probably the impact of climate change. Some birds are now common in the UK since their ranges have gone further northwards. Swallows were noticeable by how few there were last summer. We get far less snow than we once did. Frosts were very common. Now they are quite rare.
Overall, wildlife is suffering with some species being pushed out and going extinct. There are a few winners.
See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-59757497 .
Since just before breakfast I have been on 10m FT8 RX. 211 stations have been spotted with the furthermost VK5DOC (16208km) at 0940z.
UPDATE 0955z: 237 stations spotted.
UPDATE 1530z: 607 stations spotted so far on 10m FT8 RX.
As 10m is closing, I have QSYed down to 80m FT8 RX using the Wellgood active loop on the shack window. It has been on for about 10 minutes and, so far, 28 stations have been spotted. The furthermost is supposed to be in Iran, but I suspect this is a wrong QTH locator.
As 10m WSPR was good, I have changed modes to 10m FT8 mid afternoon. After initially being on TX with 2.5W (no spots suggesting I was being clobbered by a bigger co-channel signal), I am now RX only with 49 unique stations spotting me at 1455z.
UPDATE 1615z: 134 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX today.
After a very brief time on TX early this morning (2.5W, no spots of me) I am RX only with the V2000 vertical omni antenna. So far, (at 1044z) 5 stations spotted on RX with the furthermost OZ1HFG (873km). Most spots are Gs so far.
I am hopeful of some mid-winter Es.
If it looks promising, I may try TX again later.
UPDATE 1447z: 5 unique stations spotted including OZ and HB9. These could be winter Es or aircraft reflection. Now QSYed to 10m FT8.
