12 Sept 2022

10m QRP WSPR (Monday)

Again on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW QRP.  So far, only spots by local G4KPX (14km).

UPDATE 1215z:   Just G4KPX and HB9TMC (905km) spotted me.

8m FT8 QRP (Monday)

Very shortly, I shall be on 40.680 MHz FT8 TX again with my FT817ND and low wire dipole. 

There seem to be fewer monitors on 8m now that the main Es season has ended. Es still has some openings , but these are fewer now. Most openings now are random MS, F2 or aircraft reflections I suspect. 

Yesterday, EI9KP (649km) again spotted me on 8m. This is very unlikely to have been Es.

UPDATE 0950z:  On 8m FT8 now. Once the Cornish 8m beacon becomes active, I shall start monitoring it on PI4 mode.

UPDATE 1221z: No spots all day. Rig currently off cooling.

UPDATE 1415z: On TX again. EI9KP (649km) has again spotted me. I suspect EI9KP has spotted me nearly every day I have been on 8m!

Sunspots - Monday September 12th 2022

Solar flux is 152 and the SSN 113. A=9 and K=3.

11 Sept 2022

2m FT8 QRP (Sunday)

So far this evening I have been spotted by 16 stations (see map) and 1 QSO with a station in the west of Wales.

Milking - NOT amateur radio

The queen dying after so long as head of state is sad. We are certainly in a new age now. Whilst in Amsterdam last week every English language channel was about the queen and her long reign. 

When we got back home  yesterday, we had non-stop queen on the BBC. Now, I know people grieve in different ways and the BBC will have prepared for how it would respond. They probably have had recordings for this eventuality prepared for years and years.

Am I alone in believing there is grieving and their is milking? 

In my view, enough is enough. I would like to hear about other things as well in the world. Perhaps some of the news is dedicated to the queen and then other news is covered?

If I was an anchor person on the BBC, I would run out of things to say!

Ducks - NOT amateur radio


In Amsterdam last week we saw a shop selling nothing but rubber ducks for the bath. You could get quite a few famous people! 

10m WSPR RX (WISPY)


This was designed 10 years ago as a simple 10m WSPR RX. Later, with slight changes, this became the 10FT8R FT8 receiver that appeared in RadCom. 

The design is very simple and used low cost crystals either for WSPR or FT8 RX. It is a direct conversion RX so will also pick up signals on the other sideband. It is extremely unusual for this ever to be an issue. Lots of stations have been received.  

On a simple PCB, it would make a low cost, simple, and useful club project.

8m FT8 QRP (Sunday)

As I am home again, I am again on 8m FT8 QRP with the FT817ND and low wire dipole. No spots.

UPDATE 1207z: EI9KP (649km) has again spotted me. I wonder if this is aircraft reflection?

10m QRP WSPR TX (Sunday)

Now that I am back home, I am on 10m WSPR with my beacon and 500mW. 

UPDATE 1353z:  No spots of me all day.

UPDATE 1535z: Just a spot by FY5KE (7110km). This looks like F2.

UPDATE 2025z:  Seems like all the spots are now by F2 with the furthermost FR1GZ (9724km).


Sunspots - Sunday September 11th 2022

Solar flux is 136 and the SSN 122. A=12 and K=2.