30 Sept 2023

8m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

 My 2.5W to the dipole was turned on about 0825z. I am hoping to spot some Belgian stations. Once again I am on 40.680 MHz DF about 1950 Hz TXing in the first period.

UPDATE 0852z:  8m spots by local G4WSZ (12km). Running QRP, I am grateful for all spots.

UPDATE 1545z: 3 stations have spotted my QRP 8m FT8 today including Rik ON7YD (336km).

10m QRP WSPR TX (Saturday)

My 500mW 10m WSPR beacon was turned on at 0824z.  Already F2 spots from the Canary  Is.. Earlier spots were with the PA off, so would only be low microwatts. If genuine, these are remarkable.  I might try again with the PA off!

UPDATE 0845z: I have turned OFF my beacon PA, to see if there are any spots! An interesting experiment.

UPDATE 0941z:  Already one spot from the Canary Is. with the PA off!!  My beacon still says 0.5W (preprogrammed) but my actual power must be just microwatts. At some point I must find out what it really is. EA8BFK's report (-24dB S/N) suggests microwatts. Amazing.

UPDATE 1552z: Quite a few spots from 2 stations in the Canary Is. despite my beacon PA being OFF!!   As I said before, although my beacon is preprogrammed to say 0.5W, the actual power transmitted must be microwatts.

2 sides to every story - NOT amateur radio

Since going on holiday to Montenegro, I am even more conscious that there are two sides to an argument, Clearly the Russian people are fed a line that the invasion of Ukraine is a "special military operation" and the evil West continues to supply weapons and wants the downfall of Russia. We in the West are told the brave Ukrainian people are the heroes, fighting the invaders.

In Kosovo, NATO is trying to stop the Serbs taking it back by force. I did not realise that Kosovo was once populated mainly by Serbs and in more recent times there is an Albanian majority.

What I am saying is we, and all people,  need to see the whole context in an unbiased way. Of course ethnic cleansing of any kind is totally wrong, and most wars achieve little. Too often people in many nations are fed a line by the media.

Get your information from multiple sources and take what you read and hear with a degree of questioning.

630m disappointment

Last night I was again on 630m WSPR RX. However just 3 unique stations were spotted. 

Sunspots - Saturday September 30th 2023

Solar flux is 155 and the SSN 102. A=12 and K=1. 

29 Sept 2023

Being old (some advantages) - NOT amateur radio

There are some advantages of being old! We do not have to work and we have a free bus pass. 

Today, for free, we went on the guided bus to St Ives in Cambridgeshire in bright sunshine. The guided bus is fast, traffic free, and uses the same route as the old St Ives branch railway from Cambridge.

After an excellent lunch in the URC church cafe, we sat by the river and went to the local museum.

630m WSPR RX last evening

 In the end, 6 stations were spotted. There was nothing new spotted after midnight.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Friday)

My 500mW beacon is on. Just a single spot by DK6UG (633km) early this mornig.

 
UPDATE 1820z:
  9 stations have spotted me today. I seem to be spotted in Antarctica regularly these days! In 5 years' time this would seem remarkable.

8m QRP FT8 (Friday)

 Although I am not expecting much, I am again on 40.680 MHz QRP FT8. Any reports would be welcomed.....from anyone!!

UPDATE 1549z: Today I was spotted for the first time in Luxembourg and I spotted one of the Belgian stations now able to TX legally with an amateur call on 8m. Altogether, 2 spots of my 8m QRP FT8 today.

UPDATE 1830z:   3 stations have spotted me (see map) today.

USA prefixes

 At one time you knew a W6 was on the west coast, probably California. If you spotted a W1, chances were it was in New England and W4 was probably Florida.  Not any more!! 

Yesterday I was spotted on 10m QRP WSPR by a W7. He was on the east coast! Whereas at one time the USA prefix gave you a clue to where the person was, you now have no way of knowing. 

Yet another step backwards.