ย Solar flux is 205 and the SSN 147. A=7 and K=1.
Reading view
10m 500mW WSPR (Tuesday)
Since returning home again from Malta this afternoon, I have been on 10m QRP WSPR with my little beacon. Already spotted by 5 stations with the furthermost the German research station in Antarctica.
70cm activity contest
ย This is this evening starting at 1900z. I usually go on for a short time with 10W to the 2m big-wheel.
Sunspots- Tuesday September 10th
ย Solar flux is 215 and the SSN 213. A=9 and K=3
472kHz transverter
ย It will soon be time to go back to 472kHz. For some reason a myth has grown up that you need very big antennas and extensive ground systems. Also that high power helps! Nothing could be further from the truth.
I can only speak from personal experience. My transverter produces about 10W into 50 ohms and gave about 10mW ERP into my earth-electrode antenna in the ground. My earths are about 10m apart. It has been received on WSPR as far away as Finland and I got spotted in Norway most nights. It was in QST about 10 years ago. It is also described on my website.
VLF converter
ย Many people want to have a dabble at VLF reception and want to know what is down there but most receivers donโt go that low. Many years ago I designed and built this up converter so I could take a listen. Receiving commercial stations such as time signals and MSK signals is easy . Reception of AMATEUR VLF signals is highly unlikely to work as this usually needs very narrow bandwidth and precise frequency setting. Details of this upconverter and how to improve it are on my website.
Sunspots - Monday September 9th
Solar ย flux is 228 and the SSN 176. A=9 and K=2.
Over the horizon optical tests
ย Itโs many years since I last did these tests and I remember being amazed that on a cloudless night I could clearly receive my 481THz beacon way over the horizon without any signal visible. Had my stroke not got in the way, I am sure much much further would have been possible even with my simple QRP system. The receiver I used is attached. It was also in RadCom. It is also on my main webpages.
2m beam?
What looked like an 8 over 8 yagi for 2m was spotted this morning on a rooftop somewhere in Malta ๐ฒ๐น. It was on an extendable mast. I guess Italy ๐ฎ๐น and North Africa are in range. I am not sure what town it was.
Sunspots- Sunday September 8th
Solar flux is 222 and the SSN 179. A=7 and K=1.