Just set up on G/SP-015 for tonight’s 2m FT8 event. Nice and early so will put out some FM calls before 8pm local. Though it would, of course, be lovely to work some chasers on 144MHz FT8 1900-2100z too!
Update: Just 4 stations responded on 2m FM but it looks like both activity and conditions are FB for the 2m FT8 in a few minutes. Loads of stations bring received in the Band Activity window, with good signals, and many from continental Europe.
Just watch it all die a death at 8pm now I’ve said that… ![]()
Aurora alerts kicking off all evening, so maybe a chance of some au prop. for you?
5W barefoot?
Yes, not a bad evening. And yes, 5w from the 817 - no amp.
47 QSOs - 4 on 2m FM, 43 on 2m FT8
DXCCs: G, GW, GI, GM, EI, F, EA, ON, DL
QRAs: IN83, 86, IO51, 62, 74, 75, 78, 82, 83, 85, 91, 92, 93, 94, JN19, JO00, 01, 02, 03, 21, 31.
At least 4 active SOTA chasers worked, possibly more.
Nice effort Tom. ![]()
73
Ron
VK3AFW
From what I’ve read, FT8 doesn’t work off aurora because the Doppler shift is too high.
One of the Q65 modes is supposed to work, but I’ve never had any success.
Didn’t know that, or forgot I knew that. I was meaning voice anyway.
Andy,
Q65 works fine for auroral propagation. I’ve used it on 2 m and 6 m. SSB loses its tonal qualities when aural reflection is used. Sounds like a modulated spark gap. Except that some sporadic E can be triggered by aurora. I’ve had one contact by that means.
73
Ron
VK3AFW
Aurora story time. In the late 80s my late friend Denis G3UVR(sk) was working reams of DX on a 2m CW aurora. Lots of DL, DM, SP & LY. He was calling CQ DX and G0HOH kept calling him and Denis kept send CQ DX CQ DX DX ONLY and G0HOH kept replying. He told me he broke the habit of a lifetime and worked the non-DX just to get rid of him.
G0HOH 59A 59A and then he realised the real call of the caller when he heard G3UVR HG0HO HG0HO 59A 59A ![]()
He had been trying to avoid someone who he thought was local but was actually 1000s of km away and was a new country on 2m Aurora.
Mrs FMF used to hate them because she didn’t like the “creepy ghost voices” that came out of the shack.
So far, on the Claimed Scores, I am leading the AL (QRP) section - though I expect to be beaten by a PA (Netherlands) station that hasn’t entered a claimed score.
It’s interesting that I have both the best DX and the lowest power out of all the stations submitting claimed scores!

