Showing posts with label ft8. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ft8. Show all posts

17 Mar 2024

Return to 8m QRP FT8

At the moment, I am on 8m QRP FT8. The antenna appears to be a bit too long and probably needs cutting a bit. I have put on a new PL259 plug.

UPDATE 1730z:   No spots.

6m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

My 2.5W FT8 to the V2000 vertical omni is on again. At 0925z, 6 English stations had spotted me.

Stations spotting my 6m
QRP FT8 this morning
UPDATE 1217z:
8 stations have spotted me. It is pleasing to see activity even when there is no DX around. If I can work around the UK with just 2.5W and an omni, imagine what is possible with full power and a beam!

UPDATE 1435z:  No further spots of me, but I have spotted 14 UK stations.

16 Mar 2024

6m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

Once again, I am on 6m FT8 with my 2.5W and V2000 vertical omni antenna. At 1005z, 7 English stations have spotted me. On RX 3 English stations have been spotted.

The impression I am getting is that activity on 6m has picked up. Perhaps people are expecting some Es or TEP?

UPDATE 1014z: Still 7 English spots of me.

UPDATE 1456z:  16 stations have spotted me, including one in Sweden.

UPDATE 1857z:   19 stations have spotted me today. QSYing to 630m QRP WSPR shortly.

15 Mar 2024

6m QRP FT8 (Friday)

So far, at 1453z, my 2.5W 6m FT8 to the V2000 omni antenna has been spotted by 8 English stations. Here, on RX 10 stations have been spotted with the best Germany.

6m FT8 RX today
UPDATE 1714z: 10 stations (all in England) have spotted my QRP 6m FT8 and I have spotted 16 with the best northern Spain. Even well outside the Es season, I manage to spot stations in mainland Europe.  Not sure of the propagation mode. The map shows the stations received here on 6m FT8 today.

14 Mar 2024

6m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

 My 2.5W FT8 to the V2000 vertical omni antenna is on. At 1022z, 5 English stations spotted me.

13 Mar 2024

70cm FT8 activity contest

70cm FT8 RX
 At the moment I am 70cm FT8 RX only, although I shall probably try to work some locals later with 2.5W and the 2m big-wheel omni antenna.

UPDATE  2020z:   Plenty of stations active. I think these are normal conditions on 70cm FT8. Imagine if I had a beam!

70cm QRP FT8 TX
UPDATE 2106z:
I am surprised where my 2.5W to the omni reaches on 70cm FT8.

6m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

My 2.5W 6m FT8 to the V2000 vertical omni is now on. So far, just one English station near Oxford has spotted me.

UPDATE 1645z:  12 stations in England and Wales have spotted me. 8 stations have been spotted here.

12 Mar 2024

6m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

My 2.5W to the V2000 vertical omni antenna is on. One English station spotting me at 0742z.

UPDATE 1036z:  I was wondering why I was getting no new spots on 6m FT8.  When I looked, the rig was flashing "hi SWR". The PL259 was not making proper contact. Since connecting it tighter, I am getting spots (see map)!

UPDATE 1402z: 12 stations have spotted my QRP FT8 with the most distant EA7P (1770km).
Stations received
on 6m FT8 today

UPDATE 1525z: 
 On RX, some stations in Europe.

UPDATE 1916z: 15 stations have spotted my QRP FT8 on 6m today.

11 Mar 2024

6m QRP FT8 (Monday)


My 2.5W FT8 to the V2000 vertical omni antenna has been on this morning. 10 English stations have spotted me. 

UPDATE 1530z: 
17 stations have spotted me. All English (see map).

10 Mar 2024

6m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

My 2.5W to the V2000 vertical omni antenna was turned on just before 1000z. So far, just a couple of English stations are spotting me.

UPDATE 1153z:  7 English stations spotting me. On RX here, many stations, widely, across Europe spotted. F2 backscatter or Es?

Stations spotting me
Stations spotted here

UPDATE 1442z: 
11 stations (all in England and Wales) have spotted me. Both the stations spotting me and those spotted here by me are shown on the maps.

UPDATE 1712z:  13 stations spotting me with the furthermost HB9SHD (780km).

9 Mar 2024

6m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

My 2.5W FT8 to the vertical omni V2000 antenna was turned on at about 0945z. So far, 3 English stations  have spotted me.


UPDATE 1652z:  18 stations have spotted my QRP 6m FT8 including OZ9QV (861km). 


UPDATE 2150z:
Several 6m FT8 spots of my QRP including several in Scandinavia.

8 Mar 2024

6m QRP FT8 (Friday)

At the moment I am on 6m FT8 with my 2.5W and V2000 omni vertical antenna.  Just 4 English stations spotting me so far.

UPDATE 1248z:  11 spots of me from the UK and Eire


UPDATE 1633z: 
17 spots of my 6m QRP FT8 including some in Scandinavia.

UPDATE 1916z: 21 stations have spotted me today.

7 Mar 2024

6m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

Shortly, I intend to try 6m FT8 again with 2.5W and the vertical V2000 omni antenna. At present I am on 630m QRP WSPR. 

UPDATE 1336z:   In tidying up the shack I destroyed the coax connection to my V2000 antenna used on 6m.  I shall have to mend this later, although soldering is now quite hard for me. Moral: do not tidy up shacks! Mind you, I found things I had forgotten I had! 6 English stations had spotted me before disaster struck.

UPDATE 1402z:  Coax mended. Back on 6m FT8. Now 8 English stations have spotted me.

UPDATE  1627z: 12 English stations have spotted me today.


UPDATE 1826z:
14 English stations have spotted me.

6 Mar 2024

6m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

 In a few moments I shall go on 6m FT8 with my 2.5W and vertical V2000 omni antenna.


UPDATE 1648z:
12 stations have spotted me with the furthermost SM5EPO (1344km).

5 Mar 2024

6m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

My 6m 2.5W FT8 and V2000 vertical omni antenna have been on most of the day. 11 stations spotted me and 5 stations spotted by me. All these (TX and RX) were English with no DX.

3 Mar 2024

6m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

My 2.5W FT8 to the V2000 vertical omni antenna was turned on at about 1240z. 

UPDATE 1437z:  8 English stations have spotted me.

HF QRP FT8

It is some months since I have given HF FT8 a try. I have a QDX which can give 5W FT8 from 20m to 10m. My end-fed Par antenna has a lowish SWR from 17m to 10m. 

Assuming I can get it working, one thing to try as the sunspots decline (not yet we hope!) will be to send FT8 in sequence on all bands from 17m to 10m.  I have no idea of the antenna pattern on various bands, but it might give me some indications of band openings. 

One of the things I have noticed in the past is people leave the higher HF bands. Maybe with FT8 now, some may stay around. Often it is a lack of activity and not poor conditions. On SSB an isolated call may be missed. Not so with FT8 with lots of people monitoring. 

Incidentally, I can highly recommend the QDX. It is tiny (about the size of a pack of cards) and can run all the modes on WSJT-X.

A very nice addition would be a QDX covering 10m, 8m, 6m, 4m and 2m. Even 10m-4m would be very useful.

See https://qrp-labs.com/qdx.html .

2 Mar 2024

Saturday plans

One more day on 10m WSPR at 500uW (0.5mW). Probably go QRO tomorrow with 500mW! I might also give 6m FT8 another try.


UPDATE 1918z:
   Spotted twice by LZ1UBO (2039km) with my 500uW (0.5mW) on 10m WSPR.  Maybe I shall stick with QRPP tomorrow! Note, the beacon is pre-programmed to report 0.5W, even though with the PA off it is actually 0.5mW.



UPDATE 1717z:  8 stations in England have spotted me on 6m FT8 today. No DX today.

29 Feb 2024

6m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

My 2.5W 6m FT8 to the vertical omni V2000 antenna has been on since about 1030z.  So far, 8 English stations have spotted me.

UPDATE 1425z: 10 stations have spotted me so far and 3 stations have been spotted here.

UPDATE 1601z: 12 stations have spotted me today.

28 Feb 2024

6m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

My 2.5W FT8 to the vertical V2000 omni antenna is on. At 1040z, spotted by 7 English stations. No spots on RX yet.

UPDATE 1622z: 13 stations have spotted me with the furthermost EA6VQ (1419km). 7 stations (all England) spotted on RX. No international DX on RX. The map shows the stations spotting me.