Sunspots - Monday August 11th

 Solar flux is 153 and the SSN 155. A=22 and K=4.

/P 10m QRP

 This was me operating /P at 1W SSB on 10m in my mother’s garden in Devon. I recall hearing a 6m beacon in Northern Canada on a whip antenna.

Judging by the hair, it must’ve been years ago!!

The murky world

There was a lot of panic when the Chinese launched their AI model DeepSeek earlier this year. 

The West would like to eavesdrop on countries they think could be a threat. I am sure there is a lot that goes on that most have no knowledge of. Perhaps it's best we don't know. 

One thing we can be sure about: every major power is spying!

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gez754mn6o

Hope Cove

This is a sleepy seaside village in South Devon, UK.  

I can trace my family history continuously in this village back to the mid 1550s. 

The photo is of the village 120 years ago.

10m 500mW WSPR (Sunday)

My beacon was turned on before breakfast.

UPDATE 2024z: 21 stations have spotted me. The furthest is again V51RS (8481km). QRT now.

6m 5W FT8 (Sunday)

My gear was turned on just before breakfast.

UPDATE 2021z:  268 stations have spotted me. I assume this is Es still. Is the Es season longer this year? See map.  QRT.

Sunspots - Sunday August 10th

 Solar flux is 140 and the SSN 137. A=47 and K=3.

MLS and the Yaesu FTX-1

Unsurprisingly, MLS is singing the praises of the new Yaesu FTX-1. They clearly want to sell it, especially to the customers that put down a deposit. 

In my view it was seriously over priced in the UK and lacks many features as standard. I decided not to bother.

10m 500mW WSPR (Saturday)

My beacon has been on since about 1006z.

UPDATE 1435z: 20 stations spotting me by what seems like Es.

6m 5W FT8 (Saturday)

 My gear has been on since about 1005z.

UPDATE 1600z:  220 spots of me so far. 

The biggest question of all

One thing is certain: we all die, whether born poor or rich and whatever country we inhabit. 

Some with a strong faith will say they know, but most have no idea. Some believe we just die. Others believe we go to heaven or hell. Some believe we are reincarnated. The truth is we have no idea. 

As a younger person, our death seems far away. As we get older we are more aware that our time is limited.

Rye UK

 

One of my Facebook memories today was of a visit some years ago to Rye in Sussex, UK. This is lovely place. 

Saturday plans

 Today I shall probably go on 10m 500mW WSPR and 6m 5W FT8. 

Sunspots - Saturday August 9th

 Solar flux is 148 and the SSN 177. A=22 and K=5.

Near Lancaster

Our son and grandson are on their way back from Glasgow and passed Lancaster about an hour ago. My son has sent me this photo.

Swifts (birds) gone?

It is over a week since I have seen a swift. They breed here, but migrate to warmer climes until the spring. 

I guess it will be next May before I see any more here.

10m 1W FT8 (Friday)

 My gear was turned  on at about  0930z. 

UPDATE 1017z:  53 stations have spotted me.

1kHz earth-mode 2011

 

The photo shows my 2011 experiments with 5W at just over 1kHz. A range from home of 6km was made.

Sunspots - Friday August 8th

 Solar flux is 151 and the SSN 150. A=4 and K=1.

Es in August

 Although I cannot be sure, recent spots on 10m QRP WSPR and 6m QRP FT8 look like Es. 

In many ways, this has been as good as at any time this season. The usual pattern is Es diminishes about now with a small peak for some reason in December/January.

I just wonder if Es is somehow related to global warming? 

Certainly the very long 6m paths to the Far East from Europe linked to  mesospheric clouds are more common. 

10m 500mW WSPR (Thursday)

My beacon was turned on just before 0800z.

UPDATE 1330z: 34 spots of me. V51RS (8481km) is the furthest.

UPDATE 2047z: QRT.

6m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

In a short while I intend to go on 6m FT8 with my 5W FT8 to the vertical omni V2000 antenna.

UPDATE 1712z:  My 6m FT8 was turned on at about 0808z.  323 stations spotting me. Mainly Es? Nothing transatlantic. See map.

UPDATE 2047z: QRT.

2m FT8 yesterday evening

Stations spotted on
2m FT8 with
the big-wheel yesterday

Yesterday evening was the 2m FT8 activity contest. 

I worked a couple of stations with my 5W and big-wheel omni antenna. 

In all 123 stations were spotted. I was mostly on RX. 

I am sure some sort of scatter is involved. 

Sunspots - Thursday August 7th

 Solar flux is 158 and the SSN 154 . A=6 and K=0.

What a difference

We had a very dry spell in July and the grass turned brown. 

Since then we have had about 60mm of rain. The grass is long and green. 

The flowers have done well too.

Acceptance

Maybe this is something that happens in old age?  

In our youth and adult life we (hopefully) have had some happy memories. We seem to chase these forever, trying to recreate them.

As we get older we have to accept them for what they were: good memories, that cannot be recreated.  We must waste valuable energy trying to chase these, when in reality we have to accept that we had these and be thankful.

See https://poets.org/poem/shropshire-lad-xl

Someone wrote that we grow old too soon and wise too late!

10m 500mW WSPR (Wednesday)

My beacon was turned on at 0840z.

UPDATE 0951z:  2 stations in Austria spotting me.

UPDATE 1310z: V51RS (8481km) has spotted me several times in addition to a few Europeans.

2m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

 In the end I went on 2m QRP FT8.  

Stations spotting my 5W FT8
today to the big-wheel omni

UPDATE 1301z:  23 stations have spotted me. People wonder why 2m is quiet these days. They obviously don't check FT8 as this is where people seemed to have moved to! 12 stations spotted on RX.

UPDATE 1346z: On 2m FT8 RX only for a period. 18 stations have been spotted   here. 

Stations spotted
here at 1745z
on 2m FT8

UPDATE 1745z:  49 stations have been spotted here.

Wednesday plans

 This evening is the 2m FT8 activity contest which I shall take part in. During the day I shall probably go on 6m QRP FT8 and 10m QRP WSPR.

Sunspots - Wednesday August 6th

 Solar flux is 157 and the SSN 120. A=10 and K=2.

Badger sett?

 This afternoon we went for a walk. This hole in the ground was about 40cm across, far too big to be a rabbit hole.Badger sett?

Out of touch?

The latest thing from Google Adsense is about a webinar. Now I have absolutely no idea what they are talking about! Perhaps it means something to people still in work.

It proudly states: 

Why accessibility is your next big UI/UX opportunity

10m 500mW WSPR (Tuesday)

 My beacon has been on since about 0845z.

UPDATE  1210z:  7 stations have spotted me, most presumably Es.

6m 2W FT8 (Tuesday)

My IC-705 at 2W FT8 to the V2000 vertical was turned on at about 0845z.

UPDATE 1730z:  So far, 116 stations have spotted me. Plenty of Es still.

Valve TX

 

This was a modern build of an old design that I saw on the internet. It was NOT my build!!

Sunspots - Tuesday August 5th

Solar  flux is 142 and the SSN 86. A=8 and K=2.

10m 1W FT8 (Monday)

My IC-705 is turned on at just 1W FT8. My antenna is still a low end-fed.

UPDATE 1322z:  So far, 157 stations have spotted me and I have spotted 201 stations. The map shows the stations that had spotted me at 1322z.

UPDATE  1426z: Doh!! Guess who forgot to turn on the PSU?  So actually I was running 500mW and not 1W. Now at 1W FT8. 174 stations have spotted me.

UPDATE  2047z:  380 stations have spotted my 1W or less 10m FT8 today on 4 continents. QRT. The map shows the stations spotting me today.

Bee

This  bee 🐝 was on the edge of one of our windows yesterday.

Monday plans

 Today I think I shall concentrate on 10m FT8 at 1W.

Elecraft KX3

 One of my Facebook memories today was the introduction of the Elecraft KX3 in 2011. This is sadly too expensive in the UK so along with the later KX2 will not be on my Christmas list!

Sunspots - Monday August 4th

 Solar flux is 146 and the SSN 118. A=9 and K=1.

6m 2W FT8 (Sunday)

I am now back on 6m 2W FT8.

UPDATE 1928z:  So far this evening I have been spotted by 34 stations with the farthest D4L (4518km)

15m 1W FT8 (Sunday)

 For a change I have QSYed to 15m FT8 with 1W.

UPDATE 1816z: After a few minutes on 15m FT8, spotted by 141 stations. See map.

UPDATED  1846z:  180 stations have spotted me. Now QSYed to 6m 2W FT8.

10m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

After my abortive outing on 70cm FT8, I have returned to 10m FT8. Initially this was RX only, but I intend to go on TX (5W) shortly.

UPDATE 1300z: Back on 10m 500mW  FT8 TX.

UPDATE 1519z: Spotted by 99 stations. Es I think for most.

UPDATE 1655z:  Back to high power - 1 watt FT8! Spotted by 130 stations today.

UPDATE 1754z: 238 stations have spotted me mostly with 500mW, a few with 1W FT8.

70cm 5W FT8 (Sunday)

After lunch I may try 70cm FT8 with my 2m big-wheel omni antenna. In contests I usually spot plenty of stations in the Netherlands, but I don't recall trying 70cm FT8 at other times. I guess my problems will be (1) distance, (2)  lack of monitors, (3) power and antenna.

My theory is some quite remarkable distances are being spanned by some sort of scatter.

UPDATE 1115z:  Turned on.

UPDATE 1215z:   No spots. QRT. on 70cm. Moving to 10m FT8.

2m 5W FT8 (Sunday)

 My 5W 2m FT8  to the big-wheel omni antenna has been on since about 0945z.

UPDATE  1055z:  10 spots so far in 2 countries..

10m 500mW WSPR (Sunday)

 Plenty of Es still about with 11 stations spotting my 10m 500mW WSPR and I have not been on long.

UPDATE 1028z:  33 stations spotting me.

VHF troposcatter?

Yesterday evening I went on 2m  FT8 with my 5W to the big-wheel omni antenna. 

It seems that every time I go on I am spotted at amazing distances. As an example, I was spotted in Poland at over 1000km with my QRP. 

I think my QRP FT8 is copied by troposcatter. FT8  is better than CW or SSB by some way, so I suppose this offsets the antenna gain and power.

It this is true at 2m, I would expect this is also true at 70cm and possibly 23cm.

Sunflowers

These are fun plants. I planted some seeds in the ground and a tray and about 7 are coming up and should soon be in flower.

UPDATE 1721z:   All these are now supported.

New rig? No.

Last year I put £1000 in a savings account. I expected to trade in my IC-705 for the FTX-1F.  To say I was shocked by both the high price and lack of features of the new Yaesu would be an understatement.

My thoughts turned to other rigs. I considered the FT710 (again) and the IC-7300, but decided I would gain very little: 4m is very quiet outside of the Es season and my IC-705 more than does all I need up to 70cms.

So, for now I have decided I do not need anything at all besides what I have.

Should ICOM do a true portable I might reconsider.