11 Jul 2022

8m experiment (Monday)

 As I am unlikely to fix things today, I suspect there will be no action on 8m FT8 TX here today.

UPDATE 1927z: reset router and flushed DNS cache, but still no success....yet.

Fixing that FT8 PC

It looks my issue with time sync is more general with DNS addresses. All websites fail to connect with this PC although other PCs work fine. I have found a very good site to systematically work out what's wrong. After lunch, I intend to work through these and fix the problem.

UPDATE 1930z : Flushed DNS cache and reset router, but no success.... yet. 

Sunspots - Monday July 11th 2022

 Solar flux is 153 and the SSN 113. A=7 and K=1.

10 Jul 2022

Coffee - NOT amateur radio

This was on Facebook earlier. I like it!! 

10m FT8 RX


For a change, I am on 10m FT8 RX. Plenty spotted. 

8m experiment (Sunday)

Well, FT8 is working on 8m FT8 RX on a different PC, but not yet on TX. The audio shows TX on the SignaLink USB, but no power on TX.All sliders are at maximum. It must be something stupid I am doing. This PC must be about x20 slower than the machine usually used! 

UPDATE 1236z: No spots on 8m FT8 RX today.

10m QRP WSPR TX

 As I can sync my 10m WSPR TX beacon without the PC, I am able to TX WSPR at 500mW. It is now 1000z and so far today 6 stations have spotted me.

I need to fix the PC as this is needed for FT8.

UPDATE 1225z:  10 unique stations spotting me today on 10m WSPR TX. 



Looking towards Cornwall - NOT amateur radio


This was the view some years ago looking towards Cornwall from Thurlestone in South Devon. 

Sunspots - Sunday July 10th 2022

 Solar flux is 137 and the SSN 89. A=6 and K=1

9 Jul 2022

FT8 and PC time sync

Until I can sort out my PC time sync issue (to Internet time on the PC) I am unable to use FT8 on any band. 

Years ago I would have been able to do this logically. Since my 2013 stroke, it is like part of my brain is scrambled and I find logical thinking and problem solving so much harder. 

The best way I can describe it is as follows. Imagine wading through glue. It is a bit like this. It is all but impossible to think clearly these days without becoming exhausted.