Best night yet on 160m FT8

Overnight I was again on 160m FT8 RX. In all, 8 stations in North America spotted with the best DX being W7AL (7331km) in Idaho. This station was widely spotted in the USA and Europe, so I am pretty sure he is genuine. As before, loads of Europeans spotted.

10m FT8

Although I have been on 10m FT8 since before breakfast, no spots yet.

UPDATE 1216z: Just G0OYQ (177km) and PD1DL (328km) spotted so far on 10m FT8 RX today.

UPDATE 1735z: A poor day on 10m FT8. Just 5 UK stations and 1 in The Netherlands. Time to try 160m WSPR.

Sunspots - Friday November 16th 2018

Solar flux is 71 and the sunspot number 11. A=2 and K=0.

Now on 160m FT8

A recent 2.5W 160m FT8 CQ using the earth-electrode "antenna" was spotted by R3BB (2446km) quite strongly. I am amazed. At the moment, I am RX only on 160m FT8.

UPDATE 2158z: Lots of Europeans spotted as well as WU1ITU (4831km) in Maine, USA. I am also supposed to have spotted a station in Argentina at +7dB S/N. Most of his spots are from Europe, so I think this is a pirate.

Rallies this weekend

Saturday 17 NOVEMBER : RADARS TRADITIONAL RADIO RALLY

St Vincent de Paul's, Caldershaw Road, off Edenfield Road (A680), Norden, Rochdale, OL12 7QR. Doors open to the public at 10.30am with disabled visitors gaining access 15 minutes earlier. Admission is £2.50 with those under 12 years free. £5 per pitch (for traders with own tables) or £10 for a pitch with table provided. Bring & Buy as well as commercial traders and amateur radio sellers. Refreshments available including bacon and sausage butties. Robert, M0NVQ, m0nvq@outlook.com, 0777 811 3333.


Sunday 18 NOVEMBER : NEVADA RADIO & WATERS & STANTON OPEN DAY

Nevada Radio, 1 Fitzherbert Spur, Portsmouth PO6 1TT. First ever joint open day running from 10am to 4.30pm. Major manufacturers will be in attendance to demonstrate their latest radios. There's a free burger and coffee for every attendee (available 11am to 2pm). The main warehouse will be opened to customers to wander around and pick up many one-off deals of the day, or pick through a large selection of vintage and used radio equipment. www.nevadaradio.co.uk.


Sunday 18 NOVEMBER : 41st CATS RADIO & ELECTRONICS BAZAAR

Oasis Academy, Homefield Rd, Coulsdon CR5 1ES. Free car parking, doors open 10am, admission £1.50. Trade stands, special interest groups, refreshments. Andy Briers, G0KZT, 0772 986 6600. [https://www.facebook.com/events/437043790050777/].


Sunday 18 NOVEMBER : PLYMOUTH RADIO RALLY

Harewood House, Church Rd, Plympton PL7 1NH. Doors open at 10.30am, £2 entrance fee. David Beck, d.beck123@outlook.com www.plymouthamateurradioclub.btck.co.uk.


A list of rallies can be found at http://rsgb.org/main/news/rallies/

Brother - NOT amateur radio

For the last few days my brother has been staying with us. He came up from Devon on the train and has just gone back. He always makes himself at home, which we like.

160m FT8 overnight

As well as countless Europeans, 2 transatlantic stations were spotted overnight on 160m FT8 with the best DX being NS9I (6106km) in Wisconsin.

I still use the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. It seems to work pretty well on 160m - much better than I expected. You cannot see it!

10m FT8

Quite late in the day, I have QSYed to 10m FT8. So far, no spots on TX or RX. Later, I shall go back on 160m FT8.

UPDATE 1532z: Just PD1DL (328km) spotted so far. I suspect this is aircraft reflection.

Darwin's beetles - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday, we visited the newly refurbished Zoology Museum in Cambridge. It is excellent. In the exhibits were this collection of beetles by Charles Darwin.

Sunspots - Thursday November 15th 2018

Solar flux is 69 today and the SSN 11. A=2 and K=0.

Hacking attempt? - NOT amateur radio

For quite a time now, the hackers seem to have left me alone. When I checked visitor numbers earlier, they had leapt to unheard of numbers. Now I can't believe that my modest comments suddenly captured the imagination of the amateur radio world. Either this is a mistake by Google or a deliberate hacking attempt. I shall have to check my other blogs.

UPDATE 1637z: All blogs are the same! I suspect a Google error.

Overnight on 160m FT8 RX

Last night 4 transatlantic stations were spotted on 160m FT8 RX including a Canadian quite early on. As on previous nights, absolutely loads of Europeans spotted.

70cm UKAC activity contest last night

Once a month the RSGB holds a 70cm activity contest. I made no contacts! Not even one!  I had my brother staying, so was on for even less time than normal, but it was very quiet here with very few stations heard. In the end I gave up and went back to 160m FT8 RX.

Sunspots - Wednesday November 14th 2018

The pits!

Solar flux is 66 and the sunspot number 11. A=4 and K=1.

Own goal? - NOT amateur radio

Sorry, but President Trump seems to like own goals.

His latest swipe is against the French president Macron, allegedly. Sometimes he would increase his ratings by just shutting up. I want to swear, but I had better not! To many outside of the USA he does himself no favours.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-46198297

Local pub - NOT amateur radio

Although I am not a great drinker, my brother, who is up for a few days from Devon by train, enjoys his pint at the local.

Again on 160m FT8

For the last few hours I have again been on 160m FT8. Yet again, I am amazed by the sheer number of stations spotted. It must be approaching, if not exceeding, 200 unique stations with the best DX on 160m FT8 RX being UN1L (4102km). Once again, I am using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. A very brief CQ (2.5W) was spotted by G3RLE (225km),

10m FT8 RX

Although I have been monitoring 10m FT8 RX most of the day, just 33 EU stations spotted and no "real DX". Actually. considering this is sunspot minimum and well outside of the Es season, perhaps I should be grateful. I am sure better equipped stations with better 10m antennas will have done better.

Sunspots return! - Tuesday November 13th 2018

Solar flux is 67 and the sunspot number 15. Yes, real sunspots! A=9 and K=1.

Overnight on 160m FT8

In total, 4 transatlantic stations spotted on 160m FT8 with the best DX being AJ4A (6446km) in Kentucky.

QSY to 160m FT8

As there seemed no more "real DX" coming through on 10m, I have QSYed to 160m FT8. Best DX on 160m FT8 RX with the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground is RK4F (2969km). As yet, no spots of my earlier 160m FT8 2.5W CQ.

UPDATE 2110z: The first transatlantic station on 160m FT8 RX was spotted at 2054z tonight.

Damn Black Friday - NOT amateur radio

In the UK we DO NOT WANT it!!! This is a USA thing with the motive of making us spend more sooner. In my view, this is just about money making.

Keep it!

Autumn - NOT amateur radio

The trees in our village are now looking distinctly autumnal. The trees in our garden are golden or bare and the ones in the churchyard are rapidly losing their leaves. Blink and it will be spring again!

10m FT8 - ever hopeful

Although I have been looking for about an hour, no spots yet on 10m FT8. At the moment, I am RX only. The band springs to life less often at sunspot minimum, but FT8 is proving it comes to life far more often than was previously thought.

UPDATE 1012z: 6 spots in 4 countries so far on 10m FT8 RX this morning. Best DX is RM6J (3412km). I suspect this is F2 propagation.

UPDATE 1146z: Still more DX on this "dead" band! ZS6WB (9094km) now spotted on 10m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1530z: No further "real DX".

Overnight in 160m FT8

Just one transatlantic station spotted, but A45XR (5794km) in Oman spotted on 160m FT8 at 2252z last evening.  Loads and loads of Europeans.

Sunspots - Monday November 12th 2018

Solar flux is 69 today and the SSN still 0. A=7 and K=3.

QSY to topband FT8

As the "real DX" seems to have stopped on 10m FT8, I have QSYed to 160m FT8. A brief 2.5W CQ using the earth-electrode "antenna" was spotted by a couple of stations including ON4GPE (355km). At the moment, I am RX only on 160m. Best DX on 160m FT8 RX is RC9F (3504km) in Perm.

UPDATE 1813z:  Absolutely amazing number of stations being spotted on 160m FT8 this evening.

160m FT8 RX so far this evening

UPDATE 2120z: A recent 2.5W CQ on 160m FT8 using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground was spotted by SA6BSS/RX (1057km) in Sweden. The first transatlantic station spotted was WU1ITU (4831km) at 2108z.

Stations spotted on 160m FT8 RX by 2130z

Our weekend - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday we did a walk at the nearby village of Reach and were amused to see there are still a couple of emus in a garden! You can imagine these poking their heads in the kitchen and saying, "hey what about some tea?". These have been here for several years now, along with the chickens. Emus are very much not native birds.

Today, my brother-in-law and his wife popped in on their way home from seeing their son and family in Suffolk.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emu

Stupid man! - NOT amateur radio

In my view, war is a wicked waste of human lives. 100 years since the end of WW1, people still fight wars and innocents are lost.

This is a view of the sky over our local church at 11am.

10m FT8

During today, I am again on 10m FT8, mainly RX, although I'll probably try a few CQs. A few eastern and southern Europeans spotted so far.

UPDATE 1218z: Amazing number of Europeans and Russians spotted on 10m FT8 RX today. This proves 10m is open far more often than people once thought.

UPDATE 1405z: PU1VBR (9314km) in Brazil spotted on 10m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1556z: Two South Americans spotted earlier on 10m FT8 RX. I suspect that is it for the day now with "real DX".

Overnight on 160m FT8 RX

Just a couple of North Americans spotted last night on topband FT8 RX. Lots of EU and Asiatic Russians spotted. Again, using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. I am surprised how effective this is on 160m.

Sunspots - Sunday November 11th 2018

Solar flux is 68 today and the sunspot number still zero. A=13 and K=2.

WW1 - NOT amateur radio

All the people who fought in WW1 are now dead and gone. Looking back, this must have been the stupidest waste of human life ever in history.

Surely by now you would have thought that fighting wars would be seem a futile waste. Yet still innocent lives and families are wasted over and over again. To name just 2 think of Syria and Yemen.

In my view, war is an outdated concept. It is high time jaw, jaw replaced war, war.

Cracks - NOT amateur radio

About 300m from our bungalow is a cottage with a clunch (a kind of chalk) out-house that may have been a dovecote. In the summer heat, the walls have cracked and they are trying to repair it.

160m FT8 again

As topband was so incredible in the last day, I am QSYing from 10m now.

Within a few minutes the best DX on 160m FT8 is RN9N (4605km). Again, the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground is being used. I am amazed by how busy 160m FT8 is with lots of Europeans and Asiatic Russians.

UPDATE 1812z:  A very similar log to last evening. Frankly quite amazing.

UPDATE 2110z: WU1ITU (4831km) copied on 160m FT8 RX - this is the first transatlantic this evening.

Sunspot cycle 25 start?

Some forecasts are suggesting that cycle 25 will start this year.

This image is at http://www.solen.info/solar/images/cycles23_24.png.

See https://arxiv.org/abs/1808.04868

10m FT8

10m FT8 has plenty of stations on RX today. This includes VO1NE (3925km) in Newfoundland. Sunspot minimum?

UPDATE 1534z: South Africa, South America, North America, Europe all spotted on 10m FT8 RX today. The power of FT8. It certainly proves 10m is open far more often than you think. If this sunspot minimum with a poor 10m antenna what will sunspot maximum with a decent antenna bring?

Apples - NOT amateur radio

Our next-door neighbour has a big garden with apples and pears. Generously, he puts a box outside his house so neighbours can help themselves.

Total 160m surprise

Someone yesterday suggested I tried 160m FT8 with the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. It is hard to even see this antenna! The map shows stations spotted in the last day on 160m FT8 RX. As I mentioned yesterday, with this antenna I have an S0 noise floor.

Sunspots - Saturday November 10th 2018

Solar flux is 67 today and the SSN zero. A=10 and K=2.