Until I saw an old advert recently I had forgotten that I once owned one. This must have been a long time ago. As I recall, it was a good receiver, but the casework was a bit basic. I cannot recall selling it. As I remember, it was used for CW DX on 160m and some very impressive DX was copied.
There were later versions such as the HF-225.
Yet again I am confused!
Today is Sunday, not Monday. Adding to the confusion, our bin collection was yesterday, 2 days later because of the Bank Holidays. Maybe next week I shall get back in to sync again. 😆
 |
| Stations spotting me to 1215z today |
 |
| Stations spotting me to 1556z today |
 |
| FT991A in use |
The FT991A works very well, although it has never been used at more than 20W ever.
At about 1735z I QSYed to 2m FT8 with 2.5W and the big-wheel omni antenna. I am monitoring using the grabber at G0LRD. See http://82.71.9.63:8080/cap/ .
So far, 3 stations in 2 countries have spotted me on TX the furthermost being GW8ASD (242km) in North Wales with just one station spotted here so far on RX. So far only G and GW stations spotted or spotting me.
UPDATE 1827z: Spotted by 6 stations so far on 2m FT8 QRP TX today.
Many times I have said how great the GQRP Club magazine SPRAT is.
Members can now buy the entire collection of back issues on a DVD or memory stick. It is probably worth joining for this alone, although SPRAT always has some excellent articles. I think non-members can also buy these, but they are more expensive. My view is simple: join! You are unlikely to regret it.
On the internet are several useful pages of technical resources which builders may find helpful.
Since about 1000z, I have been on 6m FT8 with 2.5W and the V2000 vertical omni antenna. Spots by G0PQO (50km) and G7SOZ (31km) on TX within 15 minutes and nothing yet on RX.
UPDATE 1034z: Just 2 spots so far on 6m FT8 RX G0MBL (129km) and G0ROG (142km).
UPDATE 1556z: 6 spots of my QRP FT8 TX with the furthermost being by G7RAU (461km). On 6m FT8 RX 19 stations in 3 countries spotted with the furthermost being GM4UYE (509km).
Don't know about you, but I keep thinking today is Sunday! All these public holidays are really confusing me.
I was expecting to send out my usual Sunday reminders for the East Cambs net, then I realised it was Friday.
Although my antenna was on 160m, the same idea (helical windings and a top hat) could be used on other bands like 80m, 60m, 40m, or even 630m.
See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/antennas/160m_loft_ant.
At about 1005z my QRP 6m FT8 was turned on: 2.5W and the V2000 vertical omni antenna. So far, at 1020z, just one spot of me by G0PQO (50km) and no spots on RX.
UPDATE 1110z: 4 stations spotted on RX with the furthermost being G4EFX (226km) and 2 stations have spotted my QRP 6m FT8 TX. So far today, all Gs.
UPDATE 1350z: 16 stations spotted here with the furthermost F6HGB (985km) on RX. 2 Gs have spotted my QRP on TX and 1 QSO.
UPDATE 1610z: 21 stations spotted on RX and 6 stations have spotted me on QRP 6m FT8 TX. 1 QSO.
UPDATE 2000z: QRT.
2020 was a pretty bad year for most. As I wish everyone a happy new year, may I wish you good health and happiness in the year ahead. Let us hope this really is the year we beat Covid-19.
At 0854z my 2.5W FT8 to the V2000 vertical was turned on. So far, just a spot by G0PQO (50km) of my QRP signal. 2 Gs spotted on RX.
UPDATE 1130z: 3 Gs have spotted me on TX and I have spotted 7 stations on RX with the furthermost being DL9MG (650km). The latter could be Es or aircraft. Most spots were Gs.
The end of a momentous year for the whole world. At least the sunspot count has started to rise.
Sunspot count is 83 and the SSN 26. A=9 and K=1.
In the UK, the definitive maps for over 200 years are produced by the Ordnance Survey.
We have a local nature reserve near here. I have the latest paper 2.5 inches to the mile OS map and it makes no mention of this: it is as if this is a top secret place! No wonder so many locals have not a clue it is there.
On the OS map app it is only there if you zoom in.
Yet again, yesterday was a good day on 6m. Although not as many as the day before, there was still evidence of winter Es with spots of my QRP from stations in Europe on QRP TX (2.5W to the V2000 vertical omni), and several Europeans spotted here on RX.
Already at the end of December the corvids are nest building! I think these are rooks.
At 0900z, I turned on the 6m FT8 QRP gear with 2.5W to the V2000 vertical omni antenna. Already, after just a few minutes, spotted by 4 G stations. Nobody yet spotted on RX.
UPDATE 1515z: Certainly up to now, just UK stations spotting me and being spotted with no winter Es.
UPDATE 2202z: My QRP was spotted later in Portugal and Sardinia, so there was winter Es later. Not as good today as yesterday. Now QRT.
According to Google there are 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 planets in the visible universe. This is a huge huge number.
Only some of these planets may have intelligent life, but even if this is just a tiny fraction of the number of planets, this is still a huge number.
I find it mind blowing that I am here at all. One of the greatest puzzles is human consciousness. On Earth we have about 8000,000,000 people. In such a vast universe, you would think kindness and love would have no meaning, yet nearly every human knows this is not the case.
Although we have being trying for about 50 years via project SETI, we have still not found any signs of interstellar intelligent life as far as I am aware.
In the last hour the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has been approved. This can be stored at normal fridge temperatures and is low cost.
2020 will go down as the year of Zoom. Until earlier this year many of us had not heard of this. Now most of us are familiar with it. Many of us have used it for virtual family meetings. Some have used it for work and some for school lessons.
Whatever, 2020 will go down as the year of virtual meetings, not all of which went to plan as this BBC video shows!
Overall, I have been impressed by Zoom meetings. When the pandemic is over I quite expect Zoom meetings to still be popular.
The BBC news is carrying photos of a backpacker beach party in Australia. People are understandably appalled by such stupid people flouting the rules. Many were from the UK.
Some may get deported. Quite right. So they should for such crass stupidity.
At the moment there have been new outbreaks in Sydney which the authorities are trying to contain.
After a really good day yesterday, I am again on 6m FT8 with 2.5W (FT817ND) and the V2000 vertical omni antenna. It is now 0940z and I have been on for about 3 minutes. Already spotted by G0PQO (50km), with just G0DYW (77km) spotted on RX.
UPDATE 1149z: 4 spots of my QRP TX in 2 countries and 17 spots in 4 countries on 6m FT8 RX today. Definitely winter Es about on 6m FT8.
UPDATE 1435z: 27 stations in 6 countries spotted so far on RX, and I have been spotted by 8 stations in 3 countries on 6m FT8 QRP TX.
Without mentioning any names (I am sure you can guess) there appears to be a really spoilt child throwing his toys out of the pram in the USA. Does this person not realise the harm to his future reputation? Please, stop being so childish!! Just grow up.
The photo shows a plant at Anglesey Abbey yesterday.
