A promising start with several spots of my QRP 500mW beacon from Iberia within the first 25 minutes. Judging by the initial drift, they were spotting me right from the start as the crystal was settling. I usually get drift (4 Hz) when the PA is first turned on.
UPDATE 1042z: 4 stations have spotted me this morning on 10m QRP WSPR.
UPDATE 1345z: 25 unique stations have spotted my 10m QRP WSPR today.
Today was a promising start with a spot of my 8m QRP FT8 by SR4DON (1352km) in Poland. Obviously some Es today. It is only 0930z.
Yesterday I was on 10m FT8. Today I expect to be on 8m QRP FT8 TX and 10m QRP WSPR.
It is now 0850z. I have been on 10m FT8 QRP for about 10 minutes. So far, 1 spot of me from Scotland , 1 from England and 1 from Austria and no spots on RX. It feels like the Es season is drawing to a close. Yes, there will still be good days, but more days without Es. Of course Es can occur at any time of the year. This is where FT8 can be very useful, with even short openings noticed. This would be much harder on CW or SSB.
Recently, UK oil wholesale prices seem to be around $105 a barrel. At the pumps prices have fallen a little bit, but not very much. I think the days of low cost petrol and diesel are over. Gas prices seem to be still going up in recent days.
They have a display of all sorts of costumes from films and TV. If this excites you, I am sure this would be of interest. Free with cathedral entry. As locals, we get free cathedral entry.
As the 10m antenna is available, I am on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW. No spots after about 10 minutes. It would appear that even though many have moved over to FT8, WSPR is still quite well used.
UPDATE 1642z: No spots. Poor day.
In a few moments, I shall be going on 40.680 MHz USB dial QRP FT8. Judging by 10m FT8, I am not too hopeful.
UPDATE 1331z: Switched on 8m FT8 QRP at 1329z. No spots. Currently off so everything can coll.
UPDATE 1643z: On again since 1408z. No spots. Poor Es day here.
At 0813z, my QRP 10m FT8 was turned on. The impression is that Es is patchy. It is now 0820z and, so far, 2 spots on TX and none on RX.
The following rally is due to take place on Sunday. Check with organisers before going any distance.
Sunday July 31st - Wiltshire radio and Car Boot Sale, Kington Langley, SN15 5NJ. Contact rally@chippenhamradio.club .
Now, I am on 10m FT8. In addition to the hundreds of stations spotted on RX, my QRP TX has been spotted by 26 stations. Most of these look like Es propagation. Some QSOs have taken place.
UPDATE 1600z: Most stations on RX are European with nothing (yet) from South America. All my QSOs have been European.
A brief session with my 500mW WSPR beacon resulted in Es spots of me from across Europe. It is now 1352z and I have QSYed to 10m FT8.
Before lunch, I was on 40.680 MHz USB dial QRP FT8. No spots given or received.
My plan for today is to go on 10m FT8 QRP shortly and 10m WSPR TX later and 8m QRP FT8 TX later.
What is the difference? When you are tired a good sleep usually makes things better. With exhaustion you still feel totally drained even after a good sleep.
Back in the 1970s, I think I subscribed to this A5 sized quarterly magazine. It was the English language version of the German magazine UKT Berichte.
It was very good, containing lots of circuit ideas for those keen on VHF, UHF and microwaves. It inspired several of my designs at the time including a 2m-70cm transverter using a varicap diode as a tripler and mixer. It was very simple, but got me active on 70cm. In those days people were mainly crystal controlled and "tuning low to high" for replies. In those days G8s in the UK (no morse test licencees) were not allowed on 2m, so activity was quite good on 70cm.
Although I think it is now longer published, back issues may be obtained.
Every Wednesday at 8pm local time (1900z) there is a net on 145.55 MHz FM. Although mainly for members of the Cambridge Radio Club (CDARC), it is open to all in the area. Although pencilled in for an hour, people often leave by 8.30pm (1930z).
Most participants are in the south and east Cambridgeshire areas. Everyone is welcomed. There is a club SDR to help reception.
See https://illw.net .
Just after lunch, I QSYed to 10m FT8 as 10m WSPR was bad.
UPDATE 1229z: 10 European stations have spotted my QRP 10m FT8.
This morning, just a single spot by EA1FAQ (1249km) on 10m WSPR with the W5OLF beacon. Not very good today.
Actually it was an old piece of wood!
We went some years ago from San Francisco to New Zealand and went economy plus for extra room. Until about a minute before we left, the seat next to us was empty. Then a huge NZ rugby player sat in it!!
We are going out shortly, but my plan is to go on 8m QRP FT8 TX on 40.680 MHz USB dial later and 10m QRP WSPR TX.
UPDATE 1101z: Just a single spot of my 8m QRP by HC02 (1808km) in Portugal. I was surprised even to get this as 10m was so poor. So far, I have been spotted in 14 countries on 8m FT8 QRP TX. Nobody spotted on RX.
UPDATE 1244z: Now QSYed to 10m FT8.
The Radio Operators of Cornwall (ROC) are having a rally and camping weekend July 28th - Aug 1st. Check first before travelling at info@roc.org.uk. It is being held overlooking Mount's Bay.
At the moment I am on 10m QRP FT8 transceive, but will probably QSY to 8m later this morning if the Es sticks around.
UPDATE 1247z: Now on 8m FT8 TX.
UPDATE 1458z: EI9KP (649km) has spotted my 8m QRP FT8 TX.
This morning at 0752z I went straight to 10m FT8 transceive. So far, 7 stations spotted on RX and 3 stations have already spotted my QRP FT8 TX. There is definitely Es around today. It feels quite different from early yesterday.
In years gone by, I used to speak with Ted on 2m every Monday. Last week, I sent him an email, but he has not replied. Has anyone any news please?
This saddens me. The BBC reports that some opposition people in Myanmar (was Burma) have been executed. Now, I do not know the facts admittedly, but this seems brutal in the 21st century.
As results on 10m WSPR and 8m FT8 were so dire, I have changed to 10m FT8 to see if that is any better. Looking at the WSJT-X screen, I can see no stations, which does not bode well!
UPDATE 1730z: All the RX spots seem to be local or F2, with a general absence of Es. On TX, I think most (all?) my spots are within the UK.
Unless things suddenly change for the better, today looks like being a very bad day for Es on both 10m and 8m.
On 10m I have received just 2 spots of me (from the same station!) and on 8m FT8 I have been spotted by no-one and spotted no-one.
Es can be like this: here one minute and gone the next. It is quite possible it will be very good tomorrow, or remain poor for days. Also a very small movement can make a lot of difference. Move just 20km and it could be completely different. Hence the name "sporadic-E".
Things might change, although I am not holding my breath!
This is just to encourage you to experiment.
Ideally, you can build something, but experimentation does not have to mean building. As I have found out (the hard way!) there is still a lot we can do in our great hobby just by observing.
Propagation is a great way to observe, whether it is on any band. Another is to try a new mode, maybe ATV or FT8. Perhaps try QRP or satellites.
What is so great about our hobby is that it can be enjoyed in so many ways. Some enjoy chasing DX whereas others just enjoy a good ragchew. I can only speak for myself by saying that my greatest fun was when I found out something new and challenging.
One thing I have learnt time and time again is there are no experts! Those who claim to be experts are often proved wrong, peddling myths they heard 40 years ago. Observe!! Over the years I have found out several things myself. One of the joys is finding out yourself and not accepting conventional wisdom.
Two things stand out for me. One is I am convinced there is some sort of chordal hop E layer propagation. I have not (yet) seen this accepted. The other is how effective earth-electrode "antennas" in the ground can be. Over the last few years, these are being increasingly used by amateurs at MF, LF, VLF and ULF.
What myth are you going to disprove?
Assuming that I go on 8m FT8 TX later, my 10m antenna will be free, so I shall go on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW from the W5OLF beacon.
UPDATE 1000z: Beacon turned on at 0833z. No spots yet. Looks like no Es here, well yet, or it is to where nobody is monitoring!
UPDATE 1221z: Still just 2 spots of me by EA1FAQ (1249km). Not a good day so far.
With just one station spotting me yesterday and nobody on RX, it is getting harder now the main Es season is coming to an end. Later I hope to be on 8m TX on 40.680 MHz USB dial FT8 again.
UPDATE 1220z: Turned on QRP TX at 0833z. Nobody spotting me.
As human beings we all experience consciousness. To us, this means experiences and memories. We have no comprehension of how other sentient creatures think. What does a pigeon or an ant think? Do they think? What is consciousness?
We experience time as linear, running from the past into the future.
We assume our brains store our memories. All this could be an illusion, with our experience just of now being fresh every time. We could have no knowledge of anything other than our experience right now.
So, it is possible that we could unknowingly wake up as a Polynesian in 2000BC!! To us, this could be normal and totally real. We could also be a resident of the planet Zog in a distant galaxy millions of years in the future.
All I am saying is we could experience things very differently and must keep an open mind.
My free PDF book entitled "G3XBM Project Scrapbook" has been added in the Links sidebar of the blog. Feel free to download and enjoy.
As the 10m antenna is available I hope to be on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW after breakfast.
UPDATE 0900z: QRP WSPR TX turned on. One spot of me from Switzerland.
UPDATE 1224z: 4 unique stations have spotted me today.
After breakfast I hope to be on 8m TX on 40.680 MHz USB dial FT8 QRP. We are still in the Es season, so I hope someone spots me.
UPDATE 0900z: FT8 turned on.
UPDATE 1037z: EA3ERE (1153km) has spotted me again.
UPDATE 1217z: QRT whilst rig cools and we are out. Hope to be on 8m FT8 TX on 40.680 MHz USB dial this evening.
As I am on 8m, I am on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW from the W5OLF beacon. It is now 1509z and spotted by 13 unique stations so far today.
After being in Cambridge most of the morning, I am again on 8m QRP FT8 on 40.680 MHz USB dial. No spots yet.
UPDATE 2147z: Just a spot by EA3ERE (1153km).
The first edition is now ready. Click the link to gain access and download.
If I make any corrections or additions, I hope to use the same link so you are always pointed to the latest version.
Since 0726z, I have been on 10m WSPR TX with my tiny 500mW W5OLF beacon. It is now 0840z and, so far, 6 unique stations have spotted me. This looks like Es in the main.
Much to my surprise I was spotted by 3 unique stations yesterday on 8m FT8. Shortly, I hope to be on 40.680 MHz USB dial QRP FT8 again.
Full FT8 reports and locations (I cannot call this a QSO because of OFCOM - what utterly crass stupidity!!) were exchanged with one station in central Europe.
UPDATE 0937z: Spotted by HC02 (1808km) in southern Portugal.
July usually marks the end of the main Es season in the northern hemisphere, although Es can occur at any time. Usually the peak months are May, June and July. Some remarkable distances have been spanned on 6m, although I still believe many of these long paths are some sort of chordal E propagation, not involving multiple hops. These very long openings are too frequent for multiple hop Es to be probable. Yes, this may occur on occasions, but I am convinced there is some other mechanism.
One thing I have learnt is experts are frequently wrong! Often they parrot myths that are just not true that they heard years ago.
The ISM bands were agreed internationally so that things like microwave ovens could use spectrum without the need for a licence.
In different administrations the rules vary, but they may allow access at very low power for serious experimenters and without the need for a licence. It is possible that WSPR or FT8 could legally be sent in the ISM bands without a licence. Callsigns are arbitrary.
Please check what the rules are in your country. It may be a way of many gaining legal access to bands like 8m for serious experimenters.
The following rally should be on this Sunday. Always check before travelling far.
Sunday July 24th - Finningley ARS Rally near Doncaster. www.g0ghk.com .
There seems to be plenty of 10m Es this morning with my 500mW beacon being widely copied in Europe.
UPDATE 1004z: 24 unique stations have already spotted my QRP 10m WSPR.
As the storm risk seems to have passed for now, I am again on 40.680 MHz USB dial QRP FT8 TX. So far, spotted by HC02 (1808km) in Portugal. Es seems to be good today.
On the 8m IO group, there has been some discussion about legally transmitting in the ISM band without a special permit. This may be legal at low power in some places. If this is the case, many more people could legally use FT8 and WSPR on the 8m band. You may have to create a special callsign for things like PSKreporter or WSPRnet. It is definitely worth checking if you can operate a "telemetry" beacon legally on 8m.
Today I added a few photos, the page numbers and page footers. It is 94 pages long. When I have indexed all the pages and proof read it for silly mistakes, it should be ready. This should be in the next few days.
It is as much about my legacy as anything else, so I cannot, and do not, want to charge anything. When I was fitter, experimenting and building gave me a lot of fun. All I want is you to have as much fun. My legacy would be if this collection gave you some inspiration.
As I find mistakes or add things I expect to keep the same link address, but it will always go to the latest version.
Because of the thunderstorm risk, I have decided against any transmissions or reception on 8m FT8 today. Everything is still disconnected.
The storms are still over northern France at the moment, but I am taking no chances, especially as I am likely to be out after lunch.
My usual pattern during the Es season has been to go on 8m FT8 and 10m WSPR TX.
OFCOM is proposing to change the frequencies for broadcasts intended to be short range or temporary use such as radios at shows or in hospital. The hope is more frequencies can be made available.
See the OFCOM website for details.
Every few weeks I give an update about activity on the geosynchronous satellite Oscar 100. OK, my last peek was in a weekday mid-morning in Europe. There was nobody on! Nobody!! OK I may have been unlucky, but this follows a pattern.
Last night we had a brief thunderstorm. More could happen later today. All my appliances and antennas remain disconnected.
The BBC reports that Russia has fined Google for spreading "fake news" about the "special operation" in Ukraine. Outside Russia it is called war, although by tight control of the media, most Russians are unaware.
I am puzzled why Russia is carrying out such aggression against people who (were) so close. It is clear that most in Ukraine hate Russia now and Mr Putin has even more countries now wanting to join NATO. Such aggression has no place in the 21st century.
Why?
For the last few minutes. I have been on 10m FT8 QRP with the FT817. It is like a different band. Already, I have been spotted by 19 stations. On RX several South Americans spotted.
UPDATE 1945z: Spotted by 24 stations so far on 10m FT8 QRP. All these were in Europe apart from 1 in Israel. No spots from South America. Although there is a "hard core" of 10m WSPR monitors, one gets the feeling most are now using FT8.
So far, just one station in Denmark spotting my 500mW QRP WSPR beacon. There are good days and bad days of Es. Up to now, today has been a bad day.
UPDATE 1243z: 5 unique stations have spotted me today with the furthermost EA8BFK (2880km).
I get the feeling that the 8m experiment is losing interest. There are still some monitors, but the Es season is coming to an end. There are still openings, but these seem less frequent. I have been on 40.680 MHz USB dial QRP FT8, but sadly no spots on TX or RX.
UPDATE 1514z: Still no spots today. I am beginning to think I can learn little more until a lot more stations are active.
It is still quite early, but I get the impression that Es will be infrequent today on 10m and 8m. Of course, things can rapidly change!
After nearly 40 years as a professional RF engineer you would think that I should know!!
Should there be a space after the number before the kHz, MHz or GHz or not? Can either be used? I should try to use the correct format.
One thing is clear. Most engineers don't care!
The 500mW W5OLF WSPR beacon was turned on at 0601z.
UPDATE 1500z: There seems less Es today. Is that why I am seeing FR1GZ (9724km)?
The FT8 QRP gear was turned on at 0601z on 40.680 MHz USB dial.
UPDATE 1501z: No spots all day on 8m FT8 here. On again at 1530z.
UPDATE 1710z: No 8m spots here all day. QRT soon.
One of the areas missing from my experiments is computers. When it come to Raspberry Pi devices I know nothing.
Apparently a Raspberry Pi Pico is soon to be available for $6 that includes 802.11 wireless support.
It won't be long before some enterprising amateur does a complete 2.4 GHz transceiver on a Pi board!
As the PC, rig and antenna are free, I am on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW from the W5OLF beacon. So far today, just spotted in northern Spain. It is now 1000z.
Yet again I am on QRP 8m FT8 TX on 40.680 MHz USB dial. So far, spotted by EA3ERE (1153km). Nothing on RX.
The following rally is due tomorrow Sunday July 17th. Check with organisers before any significant travel.
McMichael Amateur Radio Rally
Since the start of the Ukraine war ("special operation"? Who is he kidding?) wholesale oil prices have dropped back about 20% to close to $100 a barrel. Whilst exchange rates have got worse, the price at the pumps has hardly changed. It is still hovering close to £2.00 a litre for diesel.
It would be good if UK fuel prices dropped a bit too, as fast as they go up. I know oil company profits vary widely, but big profits right now seem immoral.
Today I returned to 8m FT8 QRP TX on 40.680 MHz USB dial. This resulted in my first report from Denmark.
UPDATE 1543z: Now QSYed to 10m FT8.
Before my stroke got in the way, I had every intention of making a simple transceiver for 10m sideband.
Originally, I was thinking of a DSB rig, but these days a better bet might be a phasing SSB. A synthesiser chip and low cost micro-controller might allow full band coverage and other bands with minor changes.
In my mind, this was to have been a small, single PCB design, much like a small Heathkit Lunchbox. It would make a neat and low cost club project.
Sadly, although I had some ideas, much of the design remains to be done. In the next few years 10m will be very good. Antennas for 10m are small and fit in most gardens. Even CB verticals and wire dipoles work well.
If you are in a position to finish this, I would be very pleased.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/10m-simple-sideband .
UPDATE 1015z: 30 stations have spotted my 10m QRP FT8 today and I have spotted all over on FT8 RX (see photo).
UPDATE 1425z: 447 stations spotted on RX and I have been spotted by 61 unique stations.
