The Internet in the 19th Century

Yes, the internet was alive in the second half of the 1800s, albeit in a rather more limited form. It was possible to find out information from right across the world in a matter of minutes as long ago as the 1860s by using the very extensive telegraph network that ballooned across the globe within a few decades. There is a fascinating book all about this that I can highly recommend called The Victorian Internet by Tom Standage which is available via Amazon and other booksellers. If you thought it was the coming of wireless that connected the world then think again.

More DX again tonight on 500kHz: 1232kms

Lubos OK2BVG is receiving me well again tonight on 500kHz WSPR. In the last hour two reports received via the database.

500kHz DX with 200uW ERP

Guess what?  Lubos OK2BVG has just spotted G3ZJO's tiny signal on 500kHz. Eddie is running only 200uW ERP. This evening conditions on 500kHz have been truly superb.

Done it at last! 1232 km on 500kHz

This evening, my target of exceeding 1000kms on 500kHz has been exceeded by a great margin. Lubos OK2BVG in JN88ks managed to hear my 1mW ERP signal at a distance of 1232kms. This is by far my best DX and a new country on the band using WSPR. Lubos even moved to his quieter country QTH in order to hear my weak signal. I am SO pleased he has such good ears! This was his message half an hour ago:

Hello Roger, LF!
This moment is just now:
2136  -7  0.2   0.503874  0 G4JNT IO90 23
2142 -29 -0.5   0.503910  1 G3XBM JO02

Congratulation!
Lubos, OK2BVG, JN88KS

A little later the signal was even stronger:
2206 -24 -0.6   0.503903  0 G3XBM JO02 0

K4TWJ - silent key

Dave Ingram, K4TWJ died this morning having lost his battle to overcome a massive heart attack on New Year's Eve. He wrote a regular column in CQ Magazine and was well known in the QRP community. RIP Dave.

10m WSPR reports from Germany

This afternoon I've been WSPRing on 10m with either 2 or 5W output to my 5m vertical antenna tuned via the Elecraft T1 ATU. Most spots have been from G4IKZ who is quite local, but I then had 4 spots from Germany including DK6MK in JN68. Even the briefest of openings is noticed using WSPR.

500kHz monitoring by OK2BVG

This email came in today from Lubos OK2BVG who is going to extraordinary lengths to help me meet my 1000kms target on 500kHz WSPR. I do hope he hears me from a quieter country QTH. Last night my best DX was 960kms.

Hello Roger!

I didn´t see your QRPP signal, when we tried WSPR some days ago.  So... I packed my receiver + computer to a car and I moved them on my portable QTH outside of town today morning. I have got EWE aerial for 500kHz there. I started whole set on frequency 502.400kHz. It will be receiving continuously some days and nights. I have got Internet line from my cottage to my home hamshack, so I am able to see what is written in WSPR window there. It will be interesting test, I think.

73! Lubos, OK2BVG, JN88KS

Plessey reborn as UK's newest semiconductor firm

Many of us remember the Plessey name from the range of RF ICs it made back in the 1980s e.g. the SL640, SL641 and the SL6440. In their day they were ahead of the time. Many an SSB transceiver was built around these ICs. Well, Electronics Weekly reports Plessey is back.

"Plessey Semiconductors, one of the most renowned names in the UK’s semiconductor history, has been relaunched as a chip business operating from the original Plessey CMOS fab at Roborough in Plymouth.
Plessey Semiconductors has been created out of Plus Semi, a company set up to acquire the manufacturing facilities of two former Plessey fabs in Swindon and Roborough."

Electronics Weekly is available online and is well worth checking.

Solar Flare and Aurora

Yesterday, satellites picked up the strongest solar flare in almost 2 years. The M2 class eruption came from an old sunspot (number 1039) behind the sun's eastern limb. There is a chance of HF blackouts and auroral conditions today Jan 20th. See http://spaceweather.com/

Overnight 500kHz WSPR tonight

For one of the last times this winter, I'm going to leave the 500kHz WSPR beacon running through the night. Beating the 1000kms barrier seems to be limited not by my low 1mW ERP, but by the absence of stations in the 1000-1200kms range staying active through the night when conditions are quieter. So, a few more tries before I say enough is enough.

If you have a well equipped 500kHz WSPR station in Poland, Sweden, Austria, Czech Republic or at a similar distance from England please leave your RX running for the next few nights and keep a close watch for G3XBM around 503.900kHz +/-20Hz.