21 Dec 2024

Sunspots - Saturday December 21st

 Solar flux is 184 and the SSN 148.  A=13 and K=3.

20 Dec 2024

SPRAT article

My latest GQRP SPRAT has just arrived. I notice my article about 8m is inside. What I am advocating is a very narrow worldwide narrow digital only


Building the QMX+ transceiver from QRP Labs

This video, that I came across, may help making the QMX+ from QRP Labs.


10m 500mW WSPR TX (Friday)

My little 10m QRP WSPR beacon has been on since breakfast with 6 stations spotting me so far at 1013z.

UPDATE 1430z: 
24 stations have spotted me. See table.

6m QRP FT8 (Friday)

In the last 12 hours my QRP has been spotted by 25 stations with 2 Scandinavians in the middle of the night.

Um, ah, eh and like - NOT amateur radio

Have you noticed how many young people say "like"? 

At one time this bothered me, but it is the new "um","ah" or "eh". Language is always evolving. 

Recently I noticed how often we say "um", "ah" or "um".  I counted 4 in a very short period.

Sunspots - Friday December 20th

 Solar flux is 175 and the SSN 96. A=11 and K=3.

19 Dec 2024

UKAC certificate

Every month, if I am here, I enter the 2m and 70cm activity contests (UKAC), but because of my poor voice, low power (10W) and poor antenna (big-wheel omni) I do not stay on very long.

In the low power section I came 57th. 

Much to my surprise I have a certificate to say I took part!


10m 500mW WSPR (Thursday)

 My stand-alone WSPR beacon has been on most of the morning. At 1156z 10 stations have spotted me.

UPDATE 1847z: 
20 stations have spotted me. See table.

6m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

 My 6m QRP FT8  from the IC-705 has been on most of the morning. At 1153z 18 stations had spotted me


UPDATE 1825z:
38 stations have spotted my 6m FT8 QRP (see map).

UPDATE  2035z:  43 stations have spotted me. It looks like there is a late opening to Iberia. A station in Portugal pointed out that my timing was out. As I usually sync to internet time, this suggested that my internet connection was briefly lost and time sync was lost. Now re sync'ed.