10m 5W FT8 (Wednesday)

 Although I am mostly FT8 RX, I was briefly on 10m 5W FT8 TX at about 1105z.

UPDATE 1117z:  On 5W 10m FT8 TX, spotted by 3 stations and on 10m FT8 RX 12 stations spotted here.

WSPR versus FT8

It is now about 3 months since I got my 10m QDX-M FT8 transceiver and the Zachtek 200mW WSPR TX. Much to my surprise, I am getting more fun from the WSPR beacon than the FT8 transceiver.

There are more people (I think) using FT8, but overall I find 10m WSPR more fun. Most days on WSPR my 200mW gets spotted at amazing distances.

10m 5W FT8 (Monday)

Today conditions seem a little down. 

On 10m FT8 RX South Africa spotted, but the band feels less lively than normal. 

Although on TX very briefly, spotted by a couple of European stations.

UPDATE 1138z: 8 stations spotted. Again I had problems with ChromeOS not displaying PSKreporter maps correctly. On Firefox all was normal. See map.

UPDATE 1604z: 76 stations spotted here. See logbook extract.

UPDATE 2130z:  QRT.

10m 2.5W FT8 (Sunday)

 My QDX-M was turned on at about 0852z. Apart from a very brief TX period, I am RX only.

10m 2.5W FT8 (Tuesday)

After a very brief period on TX I am RX only.

UPDATE 1355z: 225 stations spotted. See map.

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.