15 May 2021
10 years ago on 137kHz
Ten years ago I was copied in Holland on 137kHz despite running just 50uW ERP. At 328km, this was my best DX. I think this was with my large outside loop. The morse in QRSS says XBM XBM XBM.
Lonely tree - NOT amateur radio
14 May 2021
Cycle 25 predictions
We are now on the up-slopes towards the solar peak of cycle 25. I have not seen very recent forecasts but this forecast suggested it looks as if it will be very similar to the last peak i.e. quite low.
10m FT8 QRP (Friday)
10m is wide open this morning with Es. I am told 6m is good too, It would not surprise me if Band 2 FM broadcast opens too. 2m? Probably too high.
I am on 10m FT8 RX at the moment after a brief period on QRP TX with 2.5W, then 1W, and the indoor tiny loop. 115 stations spotted on RX and 16 stations spotted me in my very brief TX period.
UPDATE 1028z: 255 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX today and I have been spotted by 27 stations on TX, most with just 1W to the tiny indoor loop antenna. Probably going down to 500mW soon.
UPDATE 1055z: Now TXing with 500mW. 2 spots of my TX so far. 280 stations spotted so far on RX.
UPDATE 1222z: 338 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX. Even with just 500mW TX I have been spotted by 4 stations.
UPDATE 1342z: 397 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX with just the indoor tiny loop today. Fantastic Es conditions. Just a handful in Asia and Africa (probably Es).
UPDATE 1439z: 517 stations spotted today on 10m FT8 RX with the tiny indoor loop. This is definitely the best day yet this Es season. One was W1JR (5267km). This latter one was probably Es.
Spots of my 1W (sometimes 500mW) 10m FT8 TX with the tiny indoor loop |
More of where I come from in South Devon - NOT amateur radio
Sunspots - Friday May 14th 2021
Solar flux is 75 and the sunspot number (SSN) 24. A=7 and K=1.
13 May 2021
Webcams - NOT amateur radio
There are vast numbers of webcams around the world allowing locked-down people to travel the world virtually. One of these is the webcam of the peregrine falcons at Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire, UK.
See https://www.elycathedral.org/welcome/peregrines-nesting-in-the-cathedral .