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.

160m FT8 RX with the earth-electrode "antenna"

Someone suggested I try 160m FT8. Tonight I did (it is still on) and it is amazing. It is far better than I expected with lots and lots of stations spotted. Noise floor is very low and already 4 continents spotted. A very brief CQ (2.5W) was spotted by 7 stations with best DX OZ2TF (726km). It is a good match to the FT81ND without an ATU.

Buy online? - NOT amateur radio

A few weeks ago, my wife tried to buy some nail scissors locally to be told "no stock" and unlikely to be getting more in. Today, I went to a local shop specialising in photo frames and the like to buy a cardboard surround for a photo - nil stock "but we can order one". In both cases we ordered on-line instead. The scissors came in a few days and I expect the photo surround will come soon. Also, I expect both are far less expensive than buying locally!

We tried and failed to buy local. Is it any wonder high street shops are failing?

Solar cycle 25

It is a while since I saw the very latest news of the forecasts for the next peak and when the climb to it is likely to begin. We are very clearly at solar minimum.

Some forecasts were suggesting the end of the minimum as late as February 2019. It may already have passed or it could last all next year.

If you are aware of very recent forecasts, please share them with us.