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Roger G3XBM's (Mainly) Amateur Radio Blog

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Sunspots - Monday May 17th 2021

Posted: 16 May 2021 10:25 PM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2021/05/sunspots-monday-may-17th-2021.html


Solar flux is 73 and the SSN 11. A=5 and K=1.

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10m FT8 RX

Posted: 16 May 2021 12:13 PM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2021/05/10m-ft8-rx_16.html


For about 30 minutes I have been on 10m FT8 RX with the tiny indoor loop
(see photo). So far today I have spotted 84 stations including a number in South America and the Caribbean.

You can see what I am spotting on PSKreporter.
As I mentioned earlier, I reckon this loop (the old Whizz Loop) is probably 10dB down on an external dipole. I hope to get a 10m dipole up this week, possibly with a 6m dipole too.
UPDATE 1914z: 185 stations spotted today on 10m FT8 RX.



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77.5 GHz EME

Posted: 16 May 2021 07:51 AM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2021/05/775ghz-eme.html


This video was made in May 2013, but I have only just seen it. This is definitely pushing the boundaries. Makes my efforts seem distinctly
average, HI.



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Loops

Posted: 16 May 2021 04:00 AM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2021/05/loops.html


My loop antenna works better than I expected. I stayed off 10m last year
mostly as I did not have a suitable external antenna.
At the moment I am using an old Whizz Loop on 20m-10m. It is easy to tune
and just sits on the shack windowsill. I have a better loop that I have
used in the past on 10m (see photo).

My guess is the loop currently used is about 10dB down on a dipole. This is
an estimate based on the stations I am not spotting. Nonetheless it works
quite well for something so small with just a wire inductor about 50cms
across. The "proper" 10m loop has a much thicker made of central heating
pipe. It is far sharper, but harder to tune, but probably several dBs
better.
What has surprised me is it the Whizz-Loop has even spanned the Atlantic several times with QRP FT8 on 17m.
I hope to get a 10m dipole up outside next week. I could make it cover 6m
as well.
See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/antennas/magloop .

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HF conditions improving?

Posted: 16 May 2021 12:02 AM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2021/05/hf-conditions-improving.html


Stations spotted with the
loop on 10m FT8 yesterdayQuite late yesterday, I went on 10m FT8 RX using
the tiny indoor loop antenna.
Despite this, 185 stations were spotted including many in South America.
OK, this is NS and propagation is usually better than EW, but I get the
feeling things on HF are improving.
Better equipped stations were spotting the southern USA on 10m FT8.

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Sunspots - Sunday May 16th 2021

Posted: 15 May 2021 10:13 PM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2021/05/sunspots-sunday-may-16th-2021.html


Solar flux is 73 and the SSN 24. A=8 and K=1.

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