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  • [G3XBM] 70cm FT8 activity contest

    From G3XBM via rec.radio.amateur.moderat@21:1/5 to All on Wed Mar 9 14:14:36 2022
    XPost: rec.radio.amateur.moderated, uk.radio.amateur, free.uk.amateur-radio

    Roger G3XBM's (Mainly) Amateur Radio Blog

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    70cm FT8 activity contest

    Posted: 09 Mar 2022 11:00 AM PST http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2022/03/70cm-ft8-activity-contest.html


    Starting at 1900z is the RSGB organised UKAC 70cm activity contest.
    A brief 2.5W TX period to the 2m big-wheel omni antenna resulted in nobody copying me. 8 stations have already been spotted prior to the contest
    (booking their spots?) with the furthermost PE1ITR (360km).

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    15m FT8 RX with the indoor loop

    Posted: 09 Mar 2022 10:34 AM PST http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2022/03/15m-ft8-rx-with-indoor-loop.html


    At just after 0900z, I turned on 15m FT8 RX using just the tiny indoor loop antenna used yesterday on 17m. So far, 20 stations spotted in just a few minutes.
    UPDATE 0933z: 51 stations spotted with several in Japan.
    UPDATE 1637z: 446 stations spotted on 15m FT8 RX today.
    UPDATE 1706z: 491 stations spotted on the tiny loop antenna on 15m FT8 RX today.
    UPDATE 1835z: 526 stations spotted. QRT soon.

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    160m FT8 RX overnight

    Posted: 08 Mar 2022 10:19 PM PST http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2022/03/160m-ft8-rx-overnight_9.html



    Overnight I stayed on 160m FT8 RX with the untuned 10m antenna. In all, 285 stations were spotted with several from across the Atlantic.


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    Sunspots - Wednesday March 9th 2022

    Posted: 08 Mar 2022 10:17 PM PST http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2022/03/sunspots-wednesday-march-9th-2022.html


    Solar flux is 115 and the SSN 93. A=6 and K=1.

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    160m FT8 RX

    Posted: 08 Mar 2022 02:12 PM PST http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2022/03/160m-ft8-rx_8.html


    This evening I am on 160m FT8 RX with the untuned 10m antenna. So far, 161 stations spotted on RX.

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    Lightbeam communication

    Posted: 08 Mar 2022 06:49 AM PST http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2022/03/lightbeam-communication.html



    This was much easier than I thought.

    Although my "thing" is NLOS (non line of sight) over the horizon digital
    comms, I have tried line of sight speech communications. People have
    managed much further than I have.

    One of the beauties is the gear is all homemade. Even the test gear was homemade and simple.

    See
    https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/optical-nanowaves/line-of-sight .


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    17m FT8 RX with the loop (Tuesday)

    Posted: 08 Mar 2022 01:56 PM PST http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2022/03/17m-ft8-rx-with-loop-tuesday.html



    At 0615z, 17m FT8 RX with the indoor loop antenna was turned on. This
    antenna sits on the shack windowsill. See photo. Just one station spotted
    at 0640z.
    UPDATE 0843z: 63 stations spotted on 17m FT8 RX with the furthermost
    JA3APV (9407km).
    UPDATE 0926z: A brief QRP TX period resulted in nobody spotting me. 90
    stations spotted on 17m FT8 RX today so far. My antenna is a modified Whizz loop with central heating pipe instead of wire for the loop. This makes
    tuning harder (sharper), but the loop is more efficient. I am sure a big
    beam would be better, but the tiny loop actually performs pretty well!
    UPDATE 1610z: 524 stations spotted so far on 17m FT8 RX with this system. I
    am amazed how well this loop does considering it is tiny, fixed and
    indoors. Must try it on 15m FT8 tomorrow What has surprised me is not a
    single station from South America has been spotted.
    UPDATE 1830z: 650 stations spotted on 17m FT8 RX today. 17m seems a good
    all round band, until the evening at least.
    UPDATE 2154z: 695 stations spotted with the tiny loop on 17m FT8 RX in
    the last day.

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    Sunspots - Tuesday March 8th 2022

    Posted: 07 Mar 2022 10:21 PM PST http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2022/03/sunspots-tuesday-march-8th-2022.html


    Solar flux is 118 and the SSN 84. A=9 and K=2.

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    17m FT8 RX (Monday)

    Posted: 07 Mar 2022 02:09 PM PST http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2022/03/17m-ft8-rx-monday.html


    At 2008z, I turned on 17m FT8 RX using the tiny loop antenna on the shack windowsill. So far, 4 USA stations spotted. I suspect the band is just
    closing.
    UPDATE 2117z: 9 stations spotted.
    UPDATE 2140z: It seems the band has now closed. QRT soon. I may try
    again tomorrow morning.
    UPDATE 2207z: Not quite closed! There are still Ws coming through, so I
    have left things running a bit longer.

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