When I get back from my U3A course in Cambridge after lunch, I shall try 500uW (0.5mW) 10m WSPR and try to better match my earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground using the NanoVNA as a guide. Let's hope WSPRnet is working!
7 Dec 2023
Sunspots - Thursday December 7th 2023
Solar flux is 130 and the SSN 125. A=10 and K=0.
6 Dec 2023
WSPRnet sick?
This afternoon, I have failed to access WSPRnet. It looks like there is a fault.
Without this, I cannot continue my 10m 500uW experiments. Tomorrow, I may try 10m FT8. I can try this with 50mW if need be.
Is there an alternative to WSPRnet?
It looks like WSPRrocks is working.
2200m QRP
Apart from an abortive try last year with my CW beacon, I have not tried this band for many years.
With my NanoVNA I can (in theory!) match my earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground perfectly on that band, so I may repeat my beacon test at 2200m to see if I get more success. Last time I was trying reception with a mag-mounted EFP antenna. I guess this also needs checking.
Looking back through Google Photos I came across my old 2200m transverter, that I used for LF WSPR tests. I guess this would have been 2012? This is shown in the photo. It is not pretty, but it worked!Christmas shopping - NOT amateur radio
We usually do our food shopping there, varying the shops.
8m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)
At about 1430z my 2.5W 8m FT8 and a dipole was turned on. For some reason, my dipole has gone high SWR and it is actually lower on my triband V2000, so I am using this at present. Not quite sure what has changed.
UPDATE 1445z: Just local G4WSZ (12km) has spotted me.
Winter garden - NOT amateur radio
Using the Met Office definition, we are already in winter. During the winter, many trees lose their leaves, grass stops growing or grows very slowly, and everywhere looks dead. Under the ground things are sleeping, waiting to come to life on warm, spring days.
Calendars - NOT amateur radio
My wife enjoys making calendars and posters. Every year she does a calendar for the hall and one for the kitchen, plus a poster to remember the last year. I do one for the radio shack. The one in the photo is an extract of the hall calendar.
10m 500uW WSPR tests continue Wednesday
Judging by the results yesterday, it is possible some stations may have spotted my 500uW (0.5mW) WSPR TX yesterday, so these tests, at 500uW, will continue today.
UPDATE 1440z: No spots at 500uW.
UPDATE 1630z: Checking on WSPRrocks, I can see that EA8/DF4UE (2786km) spotted my 10m 0.5mW test today. Even though the beacon is hard wired to report 0.5W, the output with the PA of is 500uW.