Return to 6m FT8 RX

Yesterday was very good for Es, so I am again on 6m FT8 RX.  I am amazed how this mode has taken off. It is  not officially released yet. There were loads of stations on this mode yesterday.

UPDATE 0835z: Only G0GGG (210km) spotted on 6m FT8 so far. No Es today as yet.

UPDATE 0858z: OZ1DJJ (763km) spotted, I assume by Es. Also G8TTI (185km).

UPDATE 1016z: Now 5 countries spotted with best DX today so far being SM0NKZ (1404km).

UPDATE 1253z: 12 stations in 8 countries spotted so far on 6m FT8 today.

UPDATE 1806z: Plenty of Es today on 6m FT8. The photo shows the stations spotted in the last day.

Maudlin? - NOT amateur radio

As we get older (this year I enter my 70th year) I guess we become grateful for small things. Even waking up in the morning is a blessing! Seeing migrant birds return always fills me with wonder at nature.

Years ago, I had quite a strong faith. These days I am unsure.  There are so many faiths and I am sure all are an attempt to come to terms with our humanity. Yet it seems hard to think we just become nothing when we die. I am sure all world religions hint at the truth, but all are wrong. You only have to think of all the evil in the last few thousand years done in the name of religion.

Indeed, it is possible that what each of us experiences is unique to us, but this is straying into philosophy. The simple answer is that not one of us knows with any certainty.

In the meantime, we must live each day as if our last: be kind to others and kind to ourselves. Milk every day for the best.

Sunspots - Monday August 7th 2017

Solar flux is 74 today and the sunspot number 13. A=13 and K=1.

More VLF success?

This was posted Saturday by Stefan DK7FC:

VLF,

After nearly 8 days the carrier is still on the air without an interruption, despite occasional thunderstorms :-)
It looks like the SNR is suffering by summer QRN, as expected.

The stable carrier was good for doing local tests with my Raspi+Octo-soundcard. The system is now completely configured including system time setting via the GPS module. I recorded a few days from the carrier, converted the data files into wav, reprocessed them in SpecLab: The carrier is stable and on the expected frequency, so the sample rate correction via vlfrx tools seems to work.

Forthermore i corrected some bugs in the circuit of my portable RX loop preamp for VLF (must have been late in the night when i built it up a few months ago). Now the noise is much lower. It looks promising! So it is time for a portable VLF experiment in the far field, just to check the system more seriously.

The crew of DL0AO has built up and optimised their VLF system to receive the weak 3675.005 Hz carrier in abt 220 km distance. Looks like there is something on their cardioidal spectrogram pointing to West,
http://df6nm.bplaced.net/dl0ao/VLFgrabber/vlfgrabber_dl0ao_test.htm
Something like 10 dB SNR in 31 uHz. That's not so bad!

I will run it for some more time until the trace is a bit longer. Then in some days i like to start transmitting an EbNaut message on that frequency which can be stacked until a decode appears. Markus has developed a tool for windows to do the stacking, maybe it works in that experiment... It will also be a test to see if i can decode the message from my own recording using vlfrx tools, an important step to pass...

So far so good. What are YOUR projects you are currently working on, LF/MF/VLF related?

73, Stefan

Back on again

At breakfast time I resumed 10m WSPR TX and 6m FT8 RX. Although dull, I think there are no storms likely locally today.

QRT until tomorrow

As the Es seems to have stopped, I have gone QRT on 10m and 6m. I should be on at breakfast time in the morning.

Patio - NOT amateur radio

Our patio was enlarged in the spring. Luckily the weather has been good, so we have managed to use it! Our alstroemeria plants (one on RHS and one out of shot) have done well this year. We have managed a few meals outside, which has been good.

QRP and QRP Club

As usual, Oleg gives his weekly report:

Dear Club 72 members and friends,

Weekly Rendezvous and Parade (WRP) Report (August, 6, 2017)
Of  course,  any  MW (milliwatt) or SR (simplest radio) operators are
welcome  on  the  Rendezvous  and  MRP  (Micro  Radio Parade) events.
Strongly recommend to use "CQ MRP" if you use MW or SR equipment.

Visitors  of  the week: OM6TC, IT9QAU/m, G3XJS, PA3JD, HB9DAX, I2AOX,
YU1RK/p,  US5ERQ, G3JFS, DL3XZ, SV9/DL5DBY/p, RW3DF, DK4AN, UA1CEG/p,
UY1IF,  UA6BFE,  PD0HRS,  RV3GM,  DK1HW,  R1CAF, R4NX, US3EN, UR5EFD,
UR7VT,  RA7RA,  UA1CEX,  UA9MLY, Z35M/p, RU3NJC, RW3AA, F3MB, UA3APU,
F8BBL, OF5LP, ON4ADR, DL4CF/p, R1CAN, ON6KZ, UR5FA, F6DIZ, IK2WQH
MRP operators - UA1CEG, UA1CEX, RV3GM, UA3APU, RW3AA, Z35M, RA7RA, UR5FA

Congrats!
F3MB became Frequenter (regular visitor)
New Visitors - PA3JD, YU1RK, DL5DBY, UA3APU, F8BBL, IK2WQH - you are welcome!
See full Visitors and Frequenters lists on the Club 72 page

Comments...
see full version of the WRP Report including comments and pictures on
the blog page - https://qrp-club72.blogspot.ru/
That's all Folks for now!
Thanks all for activity, comments and pictures
See you on next week RV and MRP

72! Oleg RV3GM / KH6OB "Mr. 72"


This is a periodic Newsletter of the Club 72. Don't reply to Newsletter address! Send any requests or news to mr72@club72.su please.

6m FT8 RX

After  a successful outing in this mode yesterday, I am again on 6m FT8 RX. It does seem to have really taken off.

UPDATE 0822z: Quite a few early Es spots this morning. Widespread too.

UPDATE 1251z: Lots of 6m JT8 spots today  (more than 26). Best DX on 6m FT8 Rx is currently OH5ELO (1942km). Es.

6m FT8 RX up to 1739z today

UPDATE 1739z: Lots of 6m Es today.

10m WSPR TX (500mW) again

As the 10m WSPR TX beacon (500mW) is "stand alone" and does not need the PC and uses a different antenna from that used on 6m, I am on 10m WSPR this morning.

UPDATE 0823z: No 10m WSPR spots yet today.

UPDATE 1230z: Several spots on 10m WSPR this lunchtime. Germany, Poland and Denmark spotted my 500mW. Es I assume.

UPDATE 1733z: Best spot today of my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon was by EW2ABC (1812km).

UPDATE 1902z: 10 unique 10m WSPR spots today. Not bad.