In the last 2 years, I have got a lot from watching the YouTube videos of Dr John Campbell. He is not always perfect (who is?), but usually he gives links to the evidence on which his talks are based.
In the last few years his talks have mostly been about Covid-19. This is his latest talk. He has written a couple of books in his nurse training.
In all, 792 stations were spotted including 3 in the USA, all with the indoor active loop antenna on the shack window. All day (Friday) I have remained on 40m FT8 RX.
As 10m was so poor, I have QSYed to 40m FT8 RX using the indoor active loop. I switched about 1630z. So far today, 35 stations spotted at 1637z.
UPDATE 1813z: 83 stations spotted.
UPDATE 2026z: 126 stations spotted with the furthermost 9K2HN (4567km).
UPDATE 2204z: 250 stations with the furthermost W6IBU (8605km).
Maybe your experience is different, but I am seeing very little mid-winter Es here. I have monitored mostly 10m FT8 and occasionally 6m FT8. As yet, very little spotted.
Surely I am not alone in feeling anxiety?
We are all getting older and for most readers, death is an increasing concern. In my case, I am now at an age when the death of people known is more commonplace. At one time life seemed to stretch on, for what seemed like, for ever. Many of us have lost close family members. I am not depressed, but am certainly suffering from increased anxiety. Most of us are keen to see the back of Covid-19 too.
I am not sure what the answer is. It is no use worrying about things that you can do nothing about - doing so just makes your own health worse. Live for the day seems to be the best answer and live each day thankful for all the good things.
One person I know lists 3 good things that happened today. Perhaps I should do this too. 👴
At the moment, I am on 10m FT8 RX. So far (at 1032z) 11 stations spotted with the furthermost 4X1SK (3566km).
UPDATE 1343z: 14 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX with the furthermost K1CP (4997km). So far, pretty poor.
UPDATE 1625z: With still just 14 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX today, this must be one of the worst days for some time. Shortly I shall QSY, probably to 40m FT8 TX with the active loop.
It was so busy that I am now RX only. So far, my QRP (2.5W to the big-wheel omni antenna) has been spotted by 6 stations. On RX, I have spotted 66 stations in 6 countries.
UPDATE 1955z: 87 stations in 7 countries spotted on 2m FT8 RX.
It is now about 3 months since I applied for a low power, 8m permit to TX during the Es season. So far, I have heard absolutely nothing! Am I surprised? No. You would have thought by now, they would have said "no" or "yes" or asked a few questions.
OFCOM obviously has a hard job allocating me a low power, time limited, permit to carry out valuable research, when they can allocate 2MHz of "precious" VHF spectrum, seemingly indefinitely, for DATV experiments! My opinion of OFCOM remains low. Unless it is going to make them billions, they are not really interested.
Come on boys and girls - playtime over.
At 0945z, I turned on my 10m FT8 RX gear. At 1005z,10 stations spotted.
UPDATE 1047z: 16 stations spotted with the furthermost 5B4AIF (3197km).
UPDATE 1212z: Just 22 spots so far. Pretty poor.
UPDATE 1825z: 33 spots on 10m FT8 RX with the furthermost LU9VIC (12074km).
There is a 2m FT8 activity contest this evening starting at 1900z for 2 hours. As my voice is not involved, I may try this with 2.5W.
Every few weeks I take a very unscientific look at activity levels on this geosynchronous satellite. The last peek was at 1250z on Tuesday. Most activity seems to be from Europe and this was probably not the best time to look as it was in the middle of the working day.
However, activity seemed to be at an all time low with just 1 QSO taking place! My impression is people either find accessing this too hard or they are just not interested. I wonder what activity is like in the evenings in Europe?
Spring and hope are around the corner.
As 10m was dead, I am again on 70cm FT8 QRP with the V2000 vertical omni antenna mainly RX. After about an hour, no spots.
A reminder that there is a 2m digital contest tomorrow evening. I need to check times and rules.
UPDATE 2149z: No spots on RX and TX.
At the moment I am on 10m FT8 RX. A brief TX period (2.5W QRP) with just G3UEG (55km) spotting me, I am now RX only. Just one spot of EA4DUA (1423km) so far.
UPDATE 0958z: 10 stations spotted on RX with the furthermost ZS6AF (9156km).
UPDATE 1245z: 32 stations spotted today so far.
UPDATE 1630z: Just 35 stations spotted today. QRT soon.
Later I need to check, but usually the first Tuesday of the month is the 2m UKAC. If it is, I shall go on although because of my poor voice I rarely manage to stay on long. Most times I run low power and my big-wheel omni antenna.
UPDATE 0906z: The activity contest is on tonight.
For some, the answer may be network radios. These use the internet as the main propagation mechanism rather than the ionosphere. All that is needed is a wifi or mobile connection such as 3G or 4G.
With these, and systems like Echolink, distant repeaters can be contacted and, via these, handhelds on the far side of the planet. They are often mobile phones with a PTT and antenna, looking much like a VHF handheld.
I find these somehow dissatisfying. Maybe in 10 years time I shall think differently. At the moment I get more fun from experimenting with "conventional" radio. I know amateur radio is changing and we should embrace all forms of communications such as DMR and network radio.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/other-amateur-radio/network-radio .
Outside of a contest, I have not tried 70cm FT8 that I can recall. As 10m seems dead now, I have QSYed to 70cm FT8 with the V2000 vertical omni antenna.
Although I am not really expecting to spot anything, it is worth a try. On 70cm the FT8 dial frequency is 432.174MHz USB. I shall try until bedtime.
UPDATE 2130z: Nobody spotted. I am not surprised.
The latest solar data has been updated. By any analysis, the last few weeks have been good with decent solar flux and sunspot numbers for this part of the cycle.
Of course, we have to be careful not to look at the detail, but at the averages. It still looks like the next peak will be similar to the last i.e. not huge. At the moment cycle 25 looks very similar to cycle 24. If this is correct, we should expect similar conditions. 10m should be good, but F2 openings on 6m will be rare. This is where an 8m band could prove useful: how often does the MUF just exceed 40MHz?
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.
These 2 trees were planted in our churchyard in the 1800s to celebrate the battle of Waterloo in 1815. They are just coming in to leaf. For...
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