Sunspots - Monday January 4th 2021

 Solar flux is 80 and the SSN 0.  A=2 and K=0.

Day confusion - NOT amateur radio

Yet again I am confused! 

Today is Sunday, not Monday. Adding to the confusion, our bin collection was yesterday, 2 days later because of the Bank Holidays. Maybe next week I shall get back in to sync again.  😆

Our windmill - NOT amateur radio

This photo shows our windmill next door from an unusual angle earlier today.  We have snow showers forecast this afternoon.

2m FT8 QRP (Sunday)

Stations spotting me
to 1215z today 

Just before 1030z, my 2.5W 2m FT8 to the big-wheel omni antenna was turned on. Already, after just 5 minutes 5 spots so far with the furthermost by F5APQ (180km). On RX DL6YBF (410km) already spotted.

UPDATE 1215z:  11 stations have spotted my 2m FT8 QRP today.

Stations spotting
me to 1556z today

UPDATE 1556z:  20 stations have now spotted my 2.5W 2m FT8 today with the furthermost DL1ULI (981km) near the Polish border. On RX, the furthermost is IZ1CBQ (994km) in Piedmont, Italy. 17 stations spotted so far today. No QSOs. Still on the FT817ND and big-wheel.

UPDATE 2220z:  QRT.  Earlier I was supposedly spotted by a station deep in Spain. Checking where he was spotted on PSKreporter (last spotted 27 hours ago) I was convinced this was a false decode. Pity, as this would have been a great spot of me. If it is too good to be true it probably is untrue!

Yaesu FT991A

FT991A in use

This rig was bought about a year and a half ago. Apart from SSB on 2m and 70cms in the monthly activity contests and FM 2m nets, it is hardly used. For FT8, I use the FT817ND.  At one time I was considering trading in the FT991A for an IC-705, but the price of the latter seems too high. I have doubts it will drop unless it faces real competition.

The FT991A works very well, although it has never been used at more than 20W ever.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/ft991a

Where I come from - NOT amateur radio

The photo shows where I come from in South Devon. Most years I get back there. 

10m WSPR RX

Although this has been posted before, you may get inspiration or ideas from it. I used low cost 14.060MHz crystals from the GQRP Club sales, pulled and doubled. The same idea would work on FT8 and PSK. 

Sunspots - Sunday January 3rd 2021

Solar flux is 82 and the SSN 22. A=2 and K=1. 

QSY to 2m FT8 QRP (Saturday)

At about 1735z I QSYed to 2m FT8 with 2.5W and the big-wheel omni antenna.  I am monitoring using the grabber at G0LRD. See http://82.71.9.63:8080/cap/ .  

So far, 3 stations in 2 countries have spotted me on TX the furthermost being GW8ASD (242km) in North Wales with just one station spotted here so far on RX. So far only G and GW stations spotted or spotting me.

UPDATE 1827z: Spotted by 6 stations so far on 2m FT8 QRP TX today.

UPDATE 2045z: 10 stations have spotted me so far with the furthermost EI3KD (583km).

GQRP Technical Pages

Many times I have said how great the GQRP Club magazine SPRAT is. 

Members can now buy the entire collection of back issues on a DVD or memory stick. It is probably worth joining for this alone, although SPRAT always has some excellent articles.  I think non-members can also buy these, but they are more expensive. My view is simple: join!  You are unlikely to regret it.

On the internet are several useful pages of technical resources which builders may find helpful.

See http://www.gqrp.com/tech.htm