10m FT8 RX

Although I have been monitoring 10m FT8 RX most of the day, just 33 EU stations spotted and no "real DX". Actually. considering this is sunspot minimum and well outside of the Es season, perhaps I should be grateful. I am sure better equipped stations with better 10m antennas will have done better.

Sunspots return! - Tuesday November 13th 2018

Solar flux is 67 and the sunspot number 15. Yes, real sunspots! A=9 and K=1.

Overnight on 160m FT8

In total, 4 transatlantic stations spotted on 160m FT8 with the best DX being AJ4A (6446km) in Kentucky.

QSY to 160m FT8

As there seemed no more "real DX" coming through on 10m, I have QSYed to 160m FT8. Best DX on 160m FT8 RX with the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground is RK4F (2969km). As yet, no spots of my earlier 160m FT8 2.5W CQ.

UPDATE 2110z: The first transatlantic station on 160m FT8 RX was spotted at 2054z tonight.

Damn Black Friday - NOT amateur radio

In the UK we DO NOT WANT it!!! This is a USA thing with the motive of making us spend more sooner. In my view, this is just about money making.

Keep it!

Autumn - NOT amateur radio

The trees in our village are now looking distinctly autumnal. The trees in our garden are golden or bare and the ones in the churchyard are rapidly losing their leaves. Blink and it will be spring again!

10m FT8 - ever hopeful

Although I have been looking for about an hour, no spots yet on 10m FT8. At the moment, I am RX only. The band springs to life less often at sunspot minimum, but FT8 is proving it comes to life far more often than was previously thought.

UPDATE 1012z: 6 spots in 4 countries so far on 10m FT8 RX this morning. Best DX is RM6J (3412km). I suspect this is F2 propagation.

UPDATE 1146z: Still more DX on this "dead" band! ZS6WB (9094km) now spotted on 10m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1530z: No further "real DX".

Overnight in 160m FT8

Just one transatlantic station spotted, but A45XR (5794km) in Oman spotted on 160m FT8 at 2252z last evening.  Loads and loads of Europeans.

Sunspots - Monday November 12th 2018

Solar flux is 69 today and the SSN still 0. A=7 and K=3.

QSY to topband FT8

As the "real DX" seems to have stopped on 10m FT8, I have QSYed to 160m FT8. A brief 2.5W CQ using the earth-electrode "antenna" was spotted by a couple of stations including ON4GPE (355km). At the moment, I am RX only on 160m. Best DX on 160m FT8 RX is RC9F (3504km) in Perm.

UPDATE 1813z:  Absolutely amazing number of stations being spotted on 160m FT8 this evening.

160m FT8 RX so far this evening

UPDATE 2120z: A recent 2.5W CQ on 160m FT8 using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground was spotted by SA6BSS/RX (1057km) in Sweden. The first transatlantic station spotted was WU1ITU (4831km) at 2108z.

Stations spotted on 160m FT8 RX by 2130z