Dalham - NOT amateur radio

This village, not far from us, is filled with thatched cottages. One was on the blog recently. It is a good place for a walk. The church is some way from the village...next door to the manor house!

UPDATE 1537z: We went for a walk at Dalham earlier. Delightful.

Sunspots - Sunday February 26th 2023

 Solar flux is 152 and the SSN 129.  A=10 and K=2.

QDX on 10m

It has arrived and is tiny!! 

Stations that spotted my QDX
this afternoon on FT8

It has been tried out on 10m WSPR and FT8 and seems to work fine. I have already been spotted in the USA on FT8 and heaps of stations in the USA on WSPR.  Impressive!!

UPDATE 1850z:  18 stations have spotted me on 10m FT8 TX and 250 stations spotted me on 10m FT8 RX with the QDX.

Stations spotted on 20m FT8 RX
  this evening on the QDX

UPDATE 2208z: 101 stations spotted on 20m FT8 RX with the QDX on FT8.  QRT now.

Primroses - NOT amateur radio

Over winter, we plant primroses, which usually are out all winter adding a splash of colour. This winter, they were slow to appear, but have now all flowered.  

Luckily, Muntjac don't like these!

10FT8R 10m FT8 RX

We are a few weeks away from the main Es season in the northern hemisphere. F2 propagation on 10m is very good again.

Often there is a need to monitor 10m FT8 without using the "big rig". You might like to consider my 10FT8R 10m FT8 RX. This is simple, works very well and is low cost. Mine never got beyond the breadboard stage (as you can see)!

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/10ft8r-rx .

Plans for Saturday

 Later, I hope to go on 10m FT8.

Muntjac - NOT amateur radio

Several times recently I have been in the back garden and disturbed a Mutjac deer. These are dog sized deer that were imported in the 1800s. They eat lots of flowers! This one was testing some fat for the birds!

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muntjac .

Sunspots - Saturday February 25th 2023

 Solar flux is 164 and the SSN 130. A=6 and K=2.

8m QRP FT8 (Friday)

 It is now 0920z and I have been on for about an hour. So far, no spots.

UPDATE 0955z:  No spots. I shall turn things on 8m off TX shortly, but on later in case there is any transatlantic F2.

UPDATE 1251z: Spotted by MCP44 (47km).

10m WSPR QRP (Friday)

My 500mW WSPR TX beacon was turned on at 0805z. So far today, no spots. 

UPDATE 0921z:  17 spots of my QRP so far from the Canary Is.

UPDATE 1300z:  8 unique stations have spotted me today, mostly from the USA.