2 Jun 2022

10m FT8

 At about 0735z, I turned on my 10m FT8 using the IC-705 at 5W. So far, 2 stations have spotted me after about 5 minutes by what looks like Es.

If the Es is promising, I shall try 8m FT8 on 40.680 later.

Plane app - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday I mentioned my free plane tracking app. Here is a photo of it. 

I am very impressed. There are several versions with similar names. Mine is called Flightradar24. 

Sunspots - Thursday June 2nd 2022

 Solar flux is 104 and the SSN 59.  A=6 and K=1.

1 Jun 2022

Mugs?

The latest MLS video is all about a flight tracking radar that starts at £599. I have a free app that tracks planes that cost me nothing at all. It would appear some people (obviously from the planet Zog) have money to burn. 

Now, how you spend money is your business and not mine, but I smell "profits" and "mugs".



10m QRP FT8 with the IC-705

As 8m FT8 was useless (no spots all morning), I have QSYed to 10m FT8. Immediately I spotted a station in Spain and I was spotted by a station in the Balearic Is. - EA6FA (1513km).

Family history - NOT amateur radio

Our granddaughter is doing some homework on family history. I can trace ours continuously back to the mid 1500s with 1 record in the 1400s. I shall have to dig these out!

Solar data updated

 My favourite site for solar data has been updated. It is worth checking it out.

See https://www.solen.info/solar/ .

8m experiment (Wednesday)

It is now 0840z. For about 20 minutes, I have been on 8m FT8 QRP TX (first) on 40.680 MHz USB dial. No spots on RX or TX so far.

UPDATE 1103z: "p***ing in the wind" was the phrase my dad would have used in his colourful language! I have been on 8m TX for over two hours and I have not been spotted once. On RX, not a soul has been spotted. I am on FT8. I have never been closer to stopping my experiment.

Higher than expected solar peak?

At the moment, we are on target for a solar peak higher than we expected. 

This could cause higher disruption to telecoms infrastructure, but openings stronger on the higher HF bands and 6m. For radio amateurs, this could be good news.



Sunspots - Wednesday June 1st 2022

 Solar flux is 98 and the SSN 39.  A=9 and K=2.