10m FT8 good so far

My 10m (500mW) WSPR beacon seems to be doing a good job so far today. Yet again EA8BFK (2880km) is the best DX.

Sunspots - Friday June 29th 2018

Back to normal?

Solar flux is 69 and the sunspot number 0.  A=6 and K=2.

Japan-UK on 6m FT8

Although I have not spotted one yet, G stations were working Japan on 6m FT8 earlier. This very long path opens on 6m most seasons in June.

Personally, I think this is due to ionisation of the E layer due to noctilucent clouds and not multi-hop Es. If it was multi-hop it would happen at any time in the Es season. It only happens when noctilucent clouds are about.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/noctilucent .

UPDATE 1225z: WP4G (6803km) spotted on 6m FT8.

UPDATE  1331z: No 6m Es here currently - just Gs and near Europeans.

X80 vertical antenna

In the garage I have an SRC X80 multi-band HF vertical. I used this briefly (before my stroke) at the old QTH. It blows around in the wind, but worked quite well as I remember. With my LDG QRP ATU it might serve me well next winter on WSPR on several HF bands.

Verticals tend to be noisier than horizontal antennas. This is a Rybakov antenna fed via a transformer so they can be matched with an ATU more easily. If erected it would replace my horizontal antenna that only covers 3 HF bands.

This is now on my main website at www.g3xbm.co.uk . This was a "cut and paste" job ànd needs attention on the other PC in the morning as I see some words are not visible.

See reviews at https://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/8727?page=1

Rally

30 JUNE 2018 : Houghton Le Spring Amateur Radio Club Rally

Houghton Le Spring Amateur Radio Club are holding their Rally on Saturday June 30th 2018. Doors open to the public at 10.30am and vacation by 3pm The Rally is open to trade, Clubs and private sellers/exhibiters. Table space is limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis. The Rally will be held in The Dubmire Royal British Legion Club, Britannia Terrace, Fencehouses DH4 6LJ which is located between Durham and Sunderland. Chairman of the Club Ken M6ELL and members of HARC wish to invite you all to their completely fee free rally. There will be NO CHARGE for sellers and of course free entrance tea & coffee will be available and a licensed bar from 11:00 AM, Donations would be welcomed and donated in their entirety to The Dubmire Royal British Legion Club. Would anyone wishing to book selling/exhibiting space please contact myself Ian M0RZE by email ianlaidler1956@gmail.com or by telephone on 0797 731 0928 or our Chairman Ken M6ELL ONLY AFTER 6pm on 07547 690 844 or facebook inbox houghton amateur radio club events page We look forward to your support and seeing you all there.

A list of rallies can be found at http://rsgb.org/main/news/rallies/

SSTV from the ISS Friday June 29th - July 1st

Southgate News reports that there will be SSTV from the International Space Station starting tomorrow, June 29th.

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2018/june/receive-sstv-from-space.htm#.WzS9ovZFzIU

6m FT8 RX

Apparently Japan was being spotted and called on 6m FT8 earlier from southern Europe, although on my basic V2000 vertical omni system nothing was spotted here in the UK. Lots of Es received already. 45 countries spotted on 6m FT8 in the last day! 59 countries spotted in the last few days on 6m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1354z: A brief CQ call on 6m FT8 QRP (2.5W) a few moments ago brought 2 QSOs (SP6 and EA3) as well as spots from stations all over Europe. I have gone back to 6m FT8 RX only.

10m WSPR TX

10m WSPR is good today. Already I have received 283 spots of my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon with the best DX being EA8BFK (2880km) and it is only 1036z.

UPDATE 1130z: Spotted by 11 different stations so far today on 10m WSPR.

UPDATE 1816z: My little WSPR beacon has been spotted by 23 different stations today.

Sunspots - Thursday June 28th 2018

Solar flux is 70 today and the sunspot number12. A=7 and K=3.

60m WRC band in China

According to Southgate News, China is soon to get the 60m WRC allocation.

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2018/june/china-soon-on-60m.htm#.WzPrNPZFzIU