160m FT8

Overnight I am on 160m FT8. After a brief period calling CQ (2.5W, 2 UK spots plus LB7ZG (1058km as best DX)) I have been on 160m FT8 RX. As usual, I am using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. This is a good match on 160m.

As normal, loads of EU stations spotted on 160m FT8 RX.

Stations spotted on 160m FT8 

RX in the first few minutes!

6m FT8

At about 1430z 6m FT8 beckoned. Initially a CQ (2.5W) and was spotted by M0TXS (56km.) A few Gs have been spotted on 6m FT8 RX.

10m WSPR

At about 1430z I QSYed to 10m WSPR TX with my 500mW stand-alone beacon. This llows me to go on 6m FT8 at the same time using a different antenna.

UPDATE 2050z: Now QRT. No 10m WSPR spots today.

10m FT8

Although I have been on 10m FT8 since before breakfast, very little doing yet. The only station spotted so far is G4HZW (212km) in NW England. Judging by the strength, this is probably normal "flat band" tropo. An earlier CQ (2.5W) was spotted by no-one.

UPDATE 0947z:  No further 10m FT8 RX spots here today.

UPDATE 1202z:  Just 2 G spots today so far on 10m FT8 RX. Abysmal!

Overnight on 472kHz WSPR

Yet again, I was on 472kHz WSPR overnight. Not a bad night with my 10mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground spotted in 4 countries with the best being a spot by DL/PA0EHG (493km).

472kHz WSPR overnight here

New politics? - NOT amateur radio

Something on the BBC website this morning hit me and got me thinking. Are we on the verge of a sea change in politics?

Here in the UK and probably much of the west, young people are finding meaningful work hard to get. In the UK houses are generally far too expensive for young people to buy. In several countries right wing parties are picking up the disaffected votes.

Maybe we are seeing the ending of traditional politics and a new wave of politics is about to be ushered in? The old ways on the left and right probably have had their days, so maybe now is ripe for something different?

I have no idea what this will be, but just maybe we will see the beginnings of a fairer, more sustainable economy in the UK, the rest of the EU and the USA? We live in challenging times.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-48069016 .

Sunspots - Tuesday April 30th 2019

Solar flux is 67 (poor) and the SSN still zero. A=5 and K=2.

QSY to 472kHz WSPR (10mW ERP)

At about 1900z I QSYed from 28MHz FT8 to 472kHz WSPR using 10mW ERP (20% TX) from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. So far, the usual stations spotted and spotting me.

Build project?

Although my health is less than brilliant, my XYL insists that building something would be good for me. Now you know how it is! These commands have to be obeyed!

Somewhere in a drawer, I have an unbuilt 20m Rockmite kit, although I do not have a very good 20m antenna. A few years ago (after my 2013 stroke) I managed to build a 40m Pixie transceiver kit and it worked.

The Rockmite really does not enthuse me. If you have any ideas for simple projects I could build, let me know. At one time almost anything was possible. These days even simple things are hard.

Plymouth Argyle - NOT amateur radio

OK, I am a fireside football fan and it is very many years since I attended a real soccer match. However, I do keep and eye on some teams of interest and one of these is Plymouth Argyle, which was my local team many years ago.

At the moment they are likely to be relegated to League 2 in the UK. This is the lowest tier. They have just sacked their manager. If they survive it will be by the skin of their teeth. At the moment this seems unlikely.