Sunspots - Tuesday May 21st

 Solar flux is 200 and the SSN 124. A=7 and K=1.

Our green - NOT amateur radio

In our quiet part of the village is this delightful green. One of the trees has half its leaves of a different colour.

6m 10mW FT8 (Monday)

Once again I am on 6m FT8 with 10mW and the V2000 vertical omni antenna.  At 1545z, 20 stations (see map) have spotted me with the furthermost EA8/DF4UE (2875km).

It never fails to amaze me how little power is needed with 6m FT8.

10m 500uW WSPR (Monday)

 Although my 500uW (0.5mW) 10m WSPR beacon has been on all day, I am surprised to not get any spots. On 6m FT8 I have had lots of spots with 10mW. I shall try a re-sync.

UPDATE 1808z:  No spots all day.

UPDATE 1851z:  OE3GBB (1233km) has spotted my QRPP.

8m experiments

Experiments at 6m (as opposed to 8m) have FAR exceeded what I expected and convinced me that 8m WSPR at 10mW ERP would definitely be spotted by Es. The fact that 10mW FT8 on 6m reached Brazil yesterday was amazing with an omni antenna.

I may try 8m FT8 at 10mW ERP as soon as my 8m antenna is mended. At this rate, it would not surprise me if this spanned Europe as well. Judging by results at 6m, it certainly should. The only difference is the dipole, which is a bit lower in height than the V2000 used on 6m. I would expect this to (maybe) make a few dBs difference.

630m QRP WSPR

For the first time in months I was not on 630m QRP WSPR, when I was at home, last night. Gradually, the number of spots I had received had been dropping off. I shall be back on in the autumn and may try occasionally in the coming months, but not every night.

A new night-time challenge calls! I am still undecided what form this should take.

Swifts - NOT amateur radio

Although I both saw and heard swifts in Ghent, Belgium last week, yesterday was the first time this year I had heard swifts screaming in a feeding party overhead in England. It is too soon to comment on numbers although I spotted 5 overhead. 

Swifts are part of the UK sky in late spring and early summer.

Sunspots- Monday May 20th

 Solar flux is 201 and the SSN 156. A=9 and K=1.

QMX+ transceiver

My thanks to Steve G1KQH for bringing this to my notice. 

QRP Labs have the QMX+ multi-mode 160-6m transceiver on sale. Hans makes some really good kit and I have no doubt that this rig will also be great.

See https://www.qrp-labs.com/qmxp.html .

6m QRPP FT8 (Sunday)

Yesterday I was surprised how well 6m FT8 worked at 10mW, so I am again trying 6m QRPP (10mW) FT8 today. 

How do I work out 10mW?  The rig is set to the lowest power setting (measured 500mW). There is a 15dB pad right at the antenna connection of the radio. My 6m antenna is fed with RG58 coax with a loss of 2dB at 6m. Assume 0dB gain on 6m from the V2000 omni antenna, although it probably has a loss in many directions on 6m!  

So just 10mW to the antenna.

UPDATE 0855z: Already spotted with 10mW pretty well in Sardinia by IS0AWZ (1599km). Really, with good Es not much power at all is needed! Even at 10mW 6m FT8, I probably had 8dB in hand.

UPDATE 1141z:  8 spots of my 10mW 6m FT8. Who needs power?

UPDATE 1726z:  24 stations have spotted my 10mW 6m FT8 to the V2000 omni antenna. The best DX is western Ukraine. I am amazed how little ERP is needed at times on 6m FT8. Judging by the results on 6m FT8 with 10mW, perhaps I should try 10m FT8 with 10mW?

Spots of my 10mW
6m FT8 today

UPDATE 2020z:  I can scarcely believe this!!  My 10mW 6m FT8  has reached Brazil!  In all, I have been spotted by 32 stations today with the furthermost PY1EME (9453km). This is with an omni vertical antenna too!  I guess this was TEP and Es. Truly amazing for a VHF band. The antenna and take-off at PY1EME must help as must the electrically quiet environment. Many of PY1EME's spots were in South America, so I am pretty sure this is genuine.

PY1EME's 6m antenna

6m FT8 RX spots
- despite the 15dB pad!