160m QRP FT8 overnight with the earth-electrodes in the ground

It works!  

Connecting the FT817ND to the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground the match via the transformer used on 630m remained good, so I left things unchanged. It was pretty effective on the setting below maximum on the FT817ND. The map shows the spots I got.

160m QRP FT8 tonight?

Overnight, I may give 160m FT8 a go with my earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. This assumes the match is acceptable. 

For a first try I shall probably use 2.5W. It is unlikely I shall be on until it gets dark. I don't think I have tried 160m FT8.

UPDATE 1656z:  The match is good and I am on 160m with 2.5W FT8.  No spots on RX or TX.

UPDATE 1831z:   One UK spot of me by 2E0INH (60km).

UPDATE 1900z:  3 UK spots of me so far this evening. Still very much light. Furthermost is G4BRK (133km). This is quite reasonable with 2.5W FT8.

UPDATE 2039z:  6 spots of me (see map).

UPDATE 2154z : 11 spots of me with 2 spots from Norway.

What next?

 As I mentioned in an earlier post today, 630m WSPR seems to have "gone off the boil" and I may try something new over the spring and summer. 

I want to try 8m QRPP WSPR using 10mW and ISM rules (open to anyone in the UK without a licence, possibly in your area of the world too?).  This is mainly a daylight challenge.

Is there a new nighttime challenge? A band that remains good at night. Possibly 160m or 80m using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground? I could try FT8 on these bands perhaps.

160m QRP FT8 overnight

Stations spotting my 160m 2.5W FT8

Using my 2.5W 160m FT8 and the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground I was widely spotted across Europe by 113 stations. On 160m FT8 RX the furthermost was K1ZM (5238km).

160m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

 For a change, I am on 160m QRP FT8 (2.5W) using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground.

UPDATE 1750z:  8 spots of my 2.5W FT8 160m TX already including Germany and Switzerland.

UPDATE 2045z:  40 spots of my 2.5W FT8 this evening so far.  Surprisingly effective. 

UPDATE 2238z:   64 spots of me this evening so far with 160m 2.5W FT8 using the earth-electrode "antenna"  in the ground (see map). It certainly works!

160m QRP FT8 overnight

Stations spotting my 2.5W to the
earth-electrode "antenna" in the
ground on 160m FT8 overnight

My FT817ND and the earth-electrode "antenna" were left on overnight on FT8. I am amazed how well it works!  Amazing that this antenna is invisible. Even my XYL does not know it is there! My noise level in SSB bandwidths is about S8 here.

In all, I was spotted by 55 stations as the maps shows. 73 stations were spotted on RX. The furthermost on TX was OH6BG (1716km). 

My theory is this works as a loop in the ground, so that the efficiency should decrease as the skin depth goes down, so I would expect it to be poorer on 160m than 630m. Also, I was using FT8 which is some 10dB poorer than WSPR. Overall, very pleasing. 

This begs the question - what is it like on 80m FT8? If the match is OK, I shall probably try this tonight!

This is experimentation I can still do! At some point I must try my 2200m (136 kHz) beacon on QRSS. I think it can do QRSS. It is over 10 years since I last used QRSS.

160m FT8 this evening?

As a change from 630m WSPR, I might try the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground with QRP 160m FT8 as long as I can get a match that is low enough. 

I cannot recall trying this at this QTH. Mind you, it it is more than a month ago I probably cannot remember it!

UPDATE 1450z:   I turned on my 160m QRP FT8 to the earth-electrode using the same 3C90 matching transformer. With the same taps as used on 630m the SWR is pretty low.

UPDATE 1704z: 2 stations have spotted me on QRP TX (2.5W and the earth electrode "antenna" in the ground) with the furthermost ON7KEC (293km.). On 160m RX stations spotted all over Europe with the furthermost nearly 3000km away. It has just got dark here! The antenna works well even on 160m FT8. The map shows the stations spotted on 160m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1811z:  7 stations have spotted me with the furthermost LA3MHA (1074km).

UPDATE 1900z:   10 stations have spotted me.

UPDATE 2000z: 19 stations have spotted me, as the map shows. Not bad for the "antenna" which nobody can see!

160m QRP FT8 (Tuesday evening)

With SSB bandwidths my noise level on 160m is around S9. On FT8 (50 Hz bandwidth) I have no trouble getting across Europe with 2.5W and my earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. Last night my CQ calls were answered by stations in France and Germany.

If you have noise issues try FT8 (50 Hz) or WSPR (6 Hz).

160m QRP FT8

For a change, I am on 160m QRP FT8 running 2.5W to my earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. So far, 6 stations have spotted me with the furthermost ON4RST (371km).

UPDATE 2116z:  12 stations have spotted my 2.5W QRP 160m FT8. (see map).

160m FT8 QRP last evening

160m FT8 QRP TX 

160m FT8 RX 

Last evening I went on 160m FT8 with 2.5W and the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. As the evening before, results were good. 

160m QRP FT8 last evening

Spots of my QRP FT8 on 160m
with the earth-electrode "antenna"
in the ground last evening

Using just 2.5W FT8 on 160m last evening to the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground 14 spots of me (as the map shows) were obtained. It works remarkably well with the FT817ND with just the 3C90 transformer and no ATU. I guess the SWR is between 2:1 and 3:1.

160m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

It is not dark here for about 90 minutes, but my 2.5W to the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground has been spotted on 2 SDR's in the west country the furthermost WESSEXSDR (265km).

UPDATE 2108z: 11 stations have spotted my 2.5W to the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground on 160m FT8.

160m QRP FT8 with the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground

Last evening and overnight I was on 160m QRP FT8 using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. Even my XYL cannot see it!  

6 hours 160m FT8 TX at 3W using the
earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground

Results were remarkable with 53 spots of me right across Europe. As an experiment, I left it on overnight at just 3W.  23 stations spotted me as the map shows in the last 6 hours alone!  It certainly works. Furthermost was a spot by YO3APJ (2082km).

160m FT8 (Monday)

 As my earth-electrode "antenna" is now matched, I am currently using it on 160m FT8 with 10W from the FT-710. No spots, although I am not surprised in daylight. I must double check on the 160m FT8 frequency in Europe. I have never tried FT8 on topband. I have used WSPR in the past. Currently I am on 1840 kHz FT8, which seems right.

UPDATE 1120z: This looks a useful resource for digital modes in Europe. See https://www.pa8s.nl/knowledge-base/frequencies-for-digital-modes/ 

Spots of me at 1814z

UPDATE 1814z:  Back on 160m FT8 with the earth electrode "antenna" in the ground. Running about 10W from the FT-710. 7 spots of me with the furthermost SM3PXO (1485km). Still daylight here for another hour. Oh yes, it works!!

UPDATE 1856z: 15 stations in 7 countries have so far spotted my 10W FT8 on 160m this evening in the daylight. And the antenna is invisible to my XYL!

UPDATE 2005z: My first FT8 QSO on topband with GM8IEM (753km). Although I was in beacon mode and not answering calls earlier, I see I was called by several stations including one in Denmark. 21 stations have spotted me tonight Now QRT on 160m FT8.

160m FT8

Many people suffer with high local noise on 160m. Even here in a rural village it is close to S9 on SSB.  

FT8 can be quite an effective mode as it only needs 50 Hz of bandwidth and works with very weak signals. For this reason, it can be very good with high noise levels as the effective bandwidth is so much narrower than SSB. 

As the (free) software effectively creates the 50 Hz bandwidth, narrow filters are not needed in the rig. SSB filters are fine.

WSPR needs even less bandwidth (about 6 Hz) but is not a QSO mode really, and takes nearly 120 seconds to send a message whereas FT8 needs 15 seconds to send a message burst. It take a few minutes to complete a QSO. Contacts are very basic.  JT8 supports free form messages, but I have not used this. Most prefer FT8 to WSPR.

See https://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/wsjtx.html .

160m FT8 RX (Saturday)

Even though 10m is still wide open, I have QSYed to 160m FT8 RX with the untuned 10m antenna. So far this evening 30 stations have been spotted. 

UPDATE 2136z:   133 stations spotted. I think I shall remain on overnight.

160m FT8 RX overnight

Overnight I was on 160m FT8 RX with the untuned 10m antenna. Plenty of European stations spotted. I shall see if there were any from the USA if PSKreporter returns to normal later.

UPDATE 2040z:  Nothing from "across the pond" last night. 112 stations spotted.

160m FT8 RX overnight

In all, 141 stations spotted on RX in the last day on 160m FT8 RX with the 10m antenna. 

No transatlantic signals. Is this just a blip or is it the end of the season for me? 

160m FT8 RX

About 5 minutes ago, I QSYed to 160m FT8  RX using the untuned 10m antenna. So far, 6 stations already spotted.

UPDATE 1925z: 15 stations spotted on 160m FT8 RX so far.

UPDATE 2240z:   93 stations spotted.

Overnight on 160m FT8 RX

Yet again I was on 160m FT8 RX overnight. 283 stations were spotted. See map. As the night before, plenty of stations spotted in the USA.  Antenna was the 10m end fed untuned.