Sunspots - Friday February 20th

Solar flux is 116 and the SSN 39. A=10 and K=2.

Radioless All Star node

If you want to connect into All Star, you can connect without a radio transceiver using this device which is about £150. There is a Tech Minds video about this. I think All Star allows you to connect to repeaters across the world, although I have never used this.

10m 2.5W FT8 (Friday)

Later, I hope to go on 10m 2.5W FT8. Although I shall mostly be on RX, I shall go on TX from time to time.

UPDATE 1615z:  On 1100 stations spotted on RX (see map), and 58 stations have spotted me. The map shows the stations received here.  Now on WSPR TX on 10m at 200mW.

FT2 digital mode

I believe this is a new experimental digital mode that is a good deal faster than FT8.  Being faster means QSOs can be completed far more quickly than FT8, although it is about 8dB S/N worse than FT8 so not as good with really weak signals.

This news came to me via Steve G1KQH. 

Over a month early!

My tiny radio came yesterday from China over a month before I was expecting it. 

It is hard to convey just how tiny it is, so I have put it next to an A5 sized SPRAT for comparison. 

It really is incredibly small and at less than £20 delivered is remarkable value. 

It is better than a communications receiver of 50 years ago with more features, modes and bands.

10m 200mW WSPR (Thursday)

 At about 1300z my little WSPR beacon was turned on.

UPDATE 1312z:  Several spots of me already from the USA.

UPDATE 1929z:   36 stations have spotted my 200mW WSPR including the German base in Antarctica DP0GVN (13685km) 8 times.

DX Explorer video about the UV-7B from Beofeng

 This video was on the DX Explorer YouTube page.

10m 200mW WSPR (Wednesday)

My beacon was turned on at 1000z.

UPDATE 1010z:  Yesterday was good with a couple of spots of me in Antarctica as well as lots of other spots of my 200mW.

Sunspots - Thursday February 19th

 Solar flux is 119 and the SSN 43.  A=10 and K=1.

10m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

 My gear was turned on at breakfast. With a 12V supply it produces 3.4W so with my diodes in the supply line I think (at most ) my output is 2.5W FT8 on 10m. Today I am mostly on RX.

UPDATE 0950z:   Spotted by 36 stations on TX  and I have spotted 390 stations here on RX with the best ZL1HD (18360km). There seems to be far more activity on FT8 than WSPR on 10m.