Paul G4RRA messaged to say that he'd worked UT1FG/MM this morning but wasn't sure about the square. So far I've only seen one decode from Yuri, presumably by aircraft, so I'm not hopeful of a QSO at this point. On the other hand, it's a misty morning here, which can do wonders for tropo - so we'll see.
As it turned out, I did see a few decodes from Yuri, but nothing consistent that I could try with him.
The most interesting QSO of the day was JW/KK6IK on 20m CW. He was well up the band and had quite a US pileup, but oddly very little from Europe. I've worked a few stations from JW in the past, but it's always pretty rare.
Didn't get to the shack until later on as a busy morning with visitors and work here. Both Paul G4RRA and Andy GW0KZG had kindly messaged to say that Yuri UT1FG/MM was in IO22 on 2m FT8. Yuri is apparently running 20W as his amplifier is not working. I saw a few isolated decodes from him during the morning but gave him a random call when I got to the shack and somewhat unbelievably, he came back! Even better, it turned out that he was just crossing into IO23, so a few minutes later, I was able to work him from there as well.
On Facebook, Yuri says that he will be travelling through IO33 and IO34 later, although that might be tough from here. We'll see!
Pleased to work Bob EX0T on 17m CW just after lunch and when we got back from popping over to the clock mender at Strumble Head, Yuri was on from IO33 - new square number 3 for the day on 2m.
A couple of US/250 stations worked on 15m CW and then SU9VB - not new, but Egypt is always pretty rare.
Around 1900z a very marginal QSO with UT1FG/MM from IO34, but to my surprise it was completed ok. Tomorrow he will be heading up the western coast of Scotland before heading over to Norway. I think it'll be a bit of an ask to make any QSOs tomorrow, but it just takes a bit of tropo in the right direction.
Well it's my birthday! I was saying to Brian WB4IT last night that I've been licensed for 43 years now (I just checked and my first day on the air was 16th Feb 1983). I think I find it even more fascinating than I did then....
It's interesting being able to monitor 2m and 6m FT8 at the same time, one of the best things I did last year! For example this morning, I noticed a quick meteor burst on 2m at 0925z of F8PKC (JN38) while over on 6m, at 0924:45z the same burst produced F1PBZ (JN26) and G7TQB (JO00). Tying the two bands together make it clear that the propagation for all the decodes was meteor scatter, but individually, I don't think I would have known, particularly for G7TQB - I'd have assumed aircraft scatter (which of course, it could still be, but it seems unlikely).
Noticed that the 40m dipole was down on receive this afternoon, so dropped it down and cleaned the coax/centre connection. Also noticed that it may have been shorting against the mast, so I've insulated the mast, so if there's a strong westerly and the dipole centre hits the mast, hopefully the problem won't recur.
Higher bands poor again this evening. Heard Jim KF7E from Arizona on 17m around 2030z. We just about scraped a QSO. He was stronger on the dipole that the vertical, but didn't seem to copy me any better on that aerial. Jim said he had power line noise, which won't have helped.
Storm Dave went through last night, so I'd dropped the 80/40/15m mast down. Winds were normal this morning, so I've put it back up again. Still on the smaller vertical for HF. VHF conditions have moved away to the east now.
There's an SP contest on HF which I don't feel enthused about, so just been turning around on 17m this morning - a couple of Russian special event calls as well as EA8A.
Interestingly, I put the 6m rig on the vertical today, thinking that there might be some early Es around and having the vertical on means you can listen in all directions. Didn't hear any Es, but around 1910z I copied PY5CC and PP5ZP, probably the only stations I've heard outside the UK on 6m all day.
17m pretty quiet this evening, so popped onto 20m CW and worked Brian WB4IT in Alabama followed by Sandro I7ALE.
Checked 2m around 0625z as it had been good yesterday and sure enough CT9ACF was there, working G4KWQ. He seemed to go off pretty promptly after that QSO, so I didn't get a chance to call. Fortunately, by the time I'd showered and fed the chickens (and Duke the neighbour's horse), signals on 2m had improved and I was pleased to work Stevo. I wondered whether I might hear anything on 70cm and to my surprise, he was coming through there as well - so called him and was very pleased to work him - on the vertical of course.
Not my best DX on 70cm (EA8 is about 500km further) but a welcome new country and one I was hoping to work.
Got back from the tip at around 1030z and saw EA8CSB calling CQ on 2m FT8. Not too strong, but I have a recollection that like me he uses a vertical. Gave him a call and he responded, but unfortunately signals faded and we couldn't complete the QSO.
Got back from tip run number 2 around 1200z and could see I'd received one or two loud decodes from EA8CSB on 2m while I'd been out. Tried a CQ down that way which he heard well, but probably wasn't in the shack. Popped over to 70cm for a CQ or two (no replies) but when I went back to 2m, EA8CSB was calling me at a steady -10, so this time we were able to complete the QSO without any problems.
According to the Hepburn forecast, the propagation will move away from me this afternoon - but it was a good morning.
By the afternoon, the VHF/UHF propagation was moving off to the East. Had a little play with the automatic FT8 app on 17m, but fairly unsuccessful (conditions not software!). Bands seemed poor in the evening - did work W1AW/4 from NC on 17m, but little else doing.
Some 2m propagation down to CT3 this morning - around 1000z - CT9ACF made it to around -15 here. On the vertical of course, so he would have been a great signal on a 'proper aerial'. I wasn't in the shack at the time otherwise could have probably worked him.
You can see that here, we're on the edge of the propagation, at the moment at least. Around 1400z, GM0HBK was visible for a couple of periods on 2m.
Other than that, a fair bit of testing with the automatic FT8 QSOs on 18MHz, running 100W (under close supervision!). The software did well only requiring a little manual intervention. Will I be doing lots of this? I don't think so, but it's fun to get going as well as possible.
When you look at the solar data for the day and think....oh! I guess the transpolar paths may not be great today then.
Played a bit of HF FT8 as I was testing an interface that Pete MM9SQL is building between WSJT-X and Cloudlog. Looking useful so far. Nice to catch Rene DL2JRM operating as UT/DL2JRM which must be a new WAFOCC country.
A bit more semi-automatic FT8 operation on 17m in the evening - not sure I want to do a lot of this, but it's quite interesting to get going!
Started off looking for T31TTT on 12m FT8. No sign - but did find TT1GD which was a nice one - I thought it was a new country but after logging it, I noticed I'd worked TT8XX on 10/12m before.
Another QSO today with RI0SP up in the Arctic, this time on 17m CW. He had a very fluttery signal, perhaps not surprising where he is, up in the polar zone.
Bit of a play in the 13z CWT. Hard going to North America on 20 earlier on, but improved later and 15m too - although only really hearing the East Coast. Jim K6AR audible on 20m, but couldn't attract his attention this week.
Nice chat with Roger GW5NF on 80m SSB this afternoon. Missed the 19z CWT as went out for a bite to eat with a friend, but tried a CQ call on 17m when I got back and was really surprised to be called by Dave AL7LO in Anchorage, Alaska - a very easy and enjoyable QSO. I *think* I've only worked Alaska on satellite from here before - and then a nice chat with John W8FJ to close out the day.
Spotted S21WD on 10m FT8 as I got into the shack with 4 streams. Getting nowhere as I write this and will probably head outside and work on the strawberry bed in a moment. As it turned out, they stopped transmitting - so I dropped down on to 20m CW and had a quick chat with Willy LY2PX. Lots of fading - whereas Willy is normally a great signal on 20m in the morning.
So far, I haven't written very much about VHF/UHF activity here. I suppose that's because it's been very quiet on those bands here lately. I got into the shack after we replanted the strawberry bed this morning to find a screen full of CQs on 2m FT8 from GM0HBK up in IO77. This is not entirely unusual and happens a few times a year. It's a good path up the Irish Sea and towards the Western Isles. When conditions are good, I can work 'HBK using 50W to the vertical and we've made it on 70cm as well.
I tried a CQ when I got back to the shack and although it was well heard, it wasn't heard up in IO77! Nice to see some better propagation on 2m though.
A nice QSO on 10m around lunchtime was RI0SP who seems to be up in the Arctic somewhere! There's a picture of a polar bear on his QRZ page! I gather both CY0S and XX9W are QRT now. Pleased to catch Red DL1BUG operating as TY5FR on 12m CW this afternoon.
Ten metres brightened up what seemed to be a fairly poor day for DX in spite of a half decent solar flux; XQ6CF, PY1AX, CX5FK and HH2K in the late afternoon.
Popped out for the evening and when I got back, I was pretty amazed to see this on my 6m screen! Only one decode and I'm sure it wouldn't have been possible to make a QSO. Even so, it looks like I was the only person in the UK to receive VP8LP this evening. He had plenty of spots in Southern Europe as well as North America.
Pleased to find the noise on HF reduced this morning - it's still there, but not as bad as last night. The wind's dropped and it's not as damp, which probably helps. Bands seem pretty quiet this morning though - activity wise.
Got back from a few errands in Fishguard to find Pete MM9SQL had implemented a widget for Cloudlog to show if you are on the air and what frequency you're on. That's on my QRZ page now. Also a message from Ed at RadCom asking if I'd be interested in reviewing the new Moonraker Luna transceiver - the answer of course is yes! The rig's sold out, so it maybe a little while before I get one to have a look at. It looks similar to the TYT copy of the Yaesu FT-8800 although not identical - so I'm guessing it's from a similar but not identical stable..
Had a few calls to try and work Andy 5X2VJ on 10m CW and also S21WD on 20m FT8. Similarly no luck. Time for lunch!
I did catch Andy after lunch once the pileup had run down a bit. It was tough knowing where to call as the pileup was inaudible here. Spent a little time over lunch looking at the pictures from Nigel G3TXF and Ian G3WVG from their operation as 3B8XF and 3B8VV respectively. Looks nice!
Finished some work in the house and came up to the shack with a cuppa and was pleased to find new FOC member, Randy, K5ZD operating from V4 - I managed to sneak a QSO in just before he went QRT. I enjoy working SOTA and POTA portables and working portables from North America is a real thrill. Mike WB2FUV is a regular operator and I've worked him a good few times now. Had a QSO with Mike on 18MHz this afternoon - signals were really marginal today - but we managed to swap reports ok.
CY0S and S21WD expeditions busy on 20m CW after 2030z. Managed to work S21WD which I thought was a new country but apparently isn't! Also nice to catch VK2GR, not as loud as sometimes, but an easy QSO. CY0S had an operator change and Sean G3ESE had posted his QSX frequency on the cluster - tried there and they came back first call. Nice to get CY0 on 20m CW as well as FT8.
