10m 2.5W FT8 (Sunday)

I changed to 10m FT8 at about 1515z.

UPDATE 1526z: Spotted by a couple of stations, but now RX only. 32 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1843z:   70 stations spotted here. Suggests conditions were probably not good.

10m 2.5W FT8 (Friday)

 Today I am on 10m 2.5W FT8. Apart from a very brief period on TX (1 local spot) I am RX only.

UPDATE  1106z:  Just 4 spots so far with the best A71MM (5184km) in Qatar. Disappointing so far. I must check that nothing is wrong.

UPDATE 1143z:  Plugging the antenna into the IC-705  revealed lots of stations, I plugged the antenna back into the QDX-M and immediately spotted 67 stations!  I wonder if the coax plug is intermittent?

UPDATE 1337z:  Re-soldered the plug and again lots of stations copied on the IC-705 but remarkably few on the QDX-M, which is very odd. Looks like there is something amiss with the QDX-M. It also seems to be running somewhat warm, which I would not have expected RX only on the QDX-M. Has anyone seen anything similar?

70cm FT8 (Thursday)

It never fails to amaze me how good 70cm FT8 is. Last evening was the 70cm activity contest. After having a couple of contacts (10W to a 144MHz big-wheel omni antenna) I was RX only .  

It never fails to amaze me how far away some stations were. Even my low ERP was spotted at 327km!! The map shows the stations spotted here.

10m 2.5W FT8 (Thursday)

I am on 10m 2.5W FT8 although I shall probably be mainly on RX.

UPDATE  1623z:  645 stations spotted as far as Japan and South Africa.

10m 5W FT8 (Sunday)

In the end I gave up on 8m FT8  RX and QSYed to 10m FT8 using the IC705 at 5W.

UPDATE 2020z: My 5W 10m FT8 was spotted by 19 stations mostly in the USA. On RX, I have spotted 484 stations with the best LT5X (13475km) in Tierra del Fuego in Argentina.

UPDATE 2022z:  QRT.

8m FT8 RX (Sunday)

Today, I am trying 8m FT8 RX again.

UPDATE 1450z:  No spots. I think my antenna must be poor on 8m.  I might try the coax to my 2m antenna via an ATU if it works at 40.680.

10m 2.5W FT8 (Saturday)

My gear was turned on at about 0915z. After a very brief TX period (4 stations spotted me) I have mainly been RX only. 

UPDATE 1242z:  Spotted 487 stations here. See map.

UPDATE 2004z:  1286 stations spotted here. I must admit 10m is in great shape.

8m FT8 RX (Friday)

At 1106z, I QSYed to 8m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1830z:   No spots all day. QRT now. I suspect this will be my last test on 8m until the Es season.

10m 2.5W FT8 (Friday)

My gear was turned on just after breakfast. I was on TX very briefly (7 spots) but I am mostly RX only. 

It is amazing that something this small works so well.

See https://shop.qrp-labs.com/qdxm

UPDATE 1056z:  395 stations spotted here on RX with the best H44MS in the Solomon Islands (14814km) in the Pacific Ocean.

10m 2.5W FT8 (Thursday)

My gear was turned on just before breakfast. After a very brief TX period I returned to RX only.

UPDATE 2015z:  1696 stations have been spotted with the best FK8HA (16470km) in New Caledonia in the Pacific. 10m is as good now as I can ever remember it.  It is soon going to go downhill. Now QRT.

10m FT8 (Wednesday)

As I was in Cambridge much of the day I was on 10m FT8 RX only . 

UPDATE 1854z: So far, 1015 stations spotted. QRT soon.

10m 2.5W FT8 (Tuesday)

Another great start on 10m FT8. After a very brief period on TX (4 spots)  I went on RX only

UPDATE 1126z:   730 stations spotted with the best 3D2AG (16213km) in Fiji and Victoria, Australia which, to my surprise, is even further. I went on 2.5W FT8 TX again briefly with the best DX a spot of me on Reunion Is.

UPDATE 2136z: 2016 stations spotted here today. The best day yet? QRT now.

8m FT8 RX

 Most of the day I shall be monitoring 40.680 FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1730z:  I think I had my settings wrong on 8m FT8 RX!

6m 5W FT8 (Sunday)

For the first time in several weeks, I am on 6m FT8  with my vertical omni V2000 antenna and the IC-705.

UPDATE 1640z:   Just 3 English spots of me so far. No DX.

Stations spotting my 6m QRP FT8 today

UPDATE 1938z:   11 English stations have spotted my 6m QRP FT8. See map. QRT soon.

10m 2.5W FT8 (Sunday)

 In a few minutes my gear will be on 10m 2.5W FT8.

Stations spotting my 2.5W 10m FT8 just now

UPDATE 1237z:  Plenty of spots of my 2.5W FT8 from North and South America.  Currently RX only.

10m still in great shape

Stations received yesterday on
10m FT8  using the QDX-M

Yesterday I decided to stay on 10m FT8 RX all day using my tiny QDX-M which is smaller than a pack of cards. In all, 1851 stations were spotted from all around the world. We maybe on the downward side of solar maximum, but conditions remain superb.

QDX-M 10m

The map shows the stations received here yesterday on my QDX-M on 10m FT8  with just the low endfed wire.

10m 2.5W FT8 (Saturday)

My gear was turned on at 0803z RX only.

UPDATE 0900z: 187 stations have been spotted.

UPDATE 1019z:  434 stations spotted here on 10m FT8 RX. 

UPDATE 1443z:  1167 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX.  See map by Phil VK7JJ.  

UPDATE 1950z:  So far, 1851 stations have been spotted here.Conditions seem very good today.

10m 2.5W FT8 (Friday)

I have been on 10m 2.5W FT8 since about 0930z.

UPDATE 1203z:   After a brief session on FT8 TX, I am 10m FT8 RX only. 102 stations spotted so far. See map.

UPDATE 1337z:  167 spots on FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1348z:  33 spots of my 2.5W 10m FT8.

UPDATE 1944z:  988 stations spotted with the best Hawaii.

10m 2.5W FT8 (Thursday)

 My gear has been on since lunch. The impression I get is there is far more FT8 activity than WSPR on 10m.

UPDATE 2026z: 563 stations spotted on RX from all corners of the planet. During the brief TX periods my signal has been spotted by 15 stations. The map shows the stations spotted on RX here.

10m 2.5W FT8 (Sunday)

Although I was briefly on TX I am mainly on RX. The gear was turned on before breakfast.

UPDATE 2025z:  373 stations spotted on RX. 10 spots on TX. Now QRT. 

See map of stations received today on 10m FT8. Even though there are stations from all over the world, I think conditions were better yesterday.