15m FT8 QRP

A little while ago I turned on the gear to go on 15m FT8 QRP. As usual, 2.5W and the indoor loop on the shack windowsill. Better results expected on 15m compared with 10m. 

On 15m FT8 TX I have been spotted by 1 station in Greece and 18 stations spotted on RX. No great DX yet.

UPDATE 1204z:  2 spot of me on TX with 53 stations spootted so far on 15m FT8 RX.

Stations spotted on 15m
FT8 RX today to 1650z

UPDATE 1820z:  6 stations have spotted me today on TX and 170 stations spotted on RX in 5 continents.

Housework day - NOT amateur radio

We have a routine of doing housework on Monday's. This is a photo of our garden room with the sun streaming in. This is our second reception room and very relaxing.

I shall start housework shortly! 

Sunny, frosty day - NOT amateur radio

We have a nice, crisp and sunny day at the moment. Let's hope it is sunny all day.

Sunspots - Monday November 23rd 2020

Solar flux is 88 and the SSN 35. A=27 and K=2. 

Trump: just what is he on? - NOT amateur radio

OK, as a non-US person I admit that I am not a great fan of President Trump. 

He still seems totally against conceding he lost the presidential election and has tried, in vain, to contest the results in courts alleging "election fraud" despite no evidence. To the rest of the world he comes across as a spoilt child. He has been noticable by his absence of late.

It would be much better for world democracy if he just conceded and went back to running his business empire and playing golf. Hanging on to power does no good for democracy and reminds me of a certain leader in 1936 at the Olympics.

The people of the USA have spoken. Just listen.

Seen on our walk - NOT amateur radio

 

Some kind person put this colourful hanging basket on a footbridge where we walk. 

We often see Muntjac deer on this walk. This introduced deer is now becoming very common. At night they bark (a dull monotonous bark) that can go on for ages! They eat garden plants A few years ago there was a Muntjac with young in the garden next door.

These days a walk around the village of 3.5 miles feels more like 7. All the time I am giddy and tired.

2m FT8 QRP - Sunday

Overnight, I left 2m FT8 running on RX only. Just after breakfast I resynced the time and turned on TX (2.5W to the big-wheel omni antenna).

In the last 6 hours,  5 Gs have spotted me and I have spotted 19 stations with the furthermost being DL6YBF (471km).  No QSOs yet.

UPDATE 1324z:  41 stations in 7 countries so far spotted on 2m FT8 RX today. 1 QSO. 17 stations in 4 countries spotted me on TX.

UPDATE 2230z: QRT. 

Amaryllis - NOT amateur radio

This one was put out last winter and forgotten. My wife walked past and noticed it was growing, so we put it on the kitchen table. 

Universal Radio closure

Steve G1KQH has informed me that this USA amateur radio dealer is closing. They will operate online to clear orders. See their website for more information. 

I can see several dealers closing shop in the years ahead not only in the USA. This is because of their reducing margins as fewer new radios are bought and as the average age of radio amateurs increases. 

As I have said many times already in 20 years time many radio amateurs will be very old and our hobby could just fizzle out. Magazines will get fewer, fewer dealers, less revenue, those mags that survive will get smaller....

Already Waters and Stanton seems to have stopped advertising in RadCom and we now see one USA dealer closing.

Sunspots - Sunday November 22nd 2020

Solar flux is 85 and the SSN 23.  A=12 and K=4.