 |
| Kingsbridge Estuary, S. Devon |
Years ago my very first amateur radio activity was in the South Hams area of Devon. I was active on 160m AM and CW. My first ever 2m reception was of G3VEH in Cornwall. Did the sun really always shine back then?
3 Mar 2015
G3XKR (IO70) spots me on 472kHz
Years ago my very first amateur radio activity was in the South Hams area of Devon. I was active on 160m AM and CW. My first ever 2m reception was of G3VEH in Cornwall. Did the sun really always shine back then?
UK Activity Contests
Every Tuesday evening the RSGB organises a VHF/UHF activity contest. I have just in time submitted my entry for the low power section of last Tuesday evenings 50MHz contest. With just 3 QSOs logged there is no way on this earth that I'll be anywhere but near the bottom! Having a V2000 omni vertical antenna, 5W, and a stroke damaged voice is no way to enter a 50MHz, UK based, contest! The V2000 and even 2.5W is great in the Es season (I work most that is around), but it is far from ideal working inter-G on 6m SSB.
Tonight is the 144MHz (2m) March leg of the UKAC. My small 3el beam should turn again now (manually) so I'll see how long my voice holds out. 45 minutes to 60 minutes is usually my limit. Last week I was on very little time. My best DX seems to be around 200km with 5W on 2m in "normal" conditions.
At this time of the year there are fewer portable stations active but activity (SSB and CW) is usually very high so this is a good opportunity to work some new squares. People have been very friendly. If in the UK or nearby join the fun 2000-2230z on 2m. I usually go QRT by 2100z because of the strain on my voice.
Just checked where I sit in the Jan 2015 AL section of the 50MHz UKAC. You guessed? Bottom! Well someone has to be!
Tonight is the 144MHz (2m) March leg of the UKAC. My small 3el beam should turn again now (manually) so I'll see how long my voice holds out. 45 minutes to 60 minutes is usually my limit. Last week I was on very little time. My best DX seems to be around 200km with 5W on 2m in "normal" conditions.
At this time of the year there are fewer portable stations active but activity (SSB and CW) is usually very high so this is a good opportunity to work some new squares. People have been very friendly. If in the UK or nearby join the fun 2000-2230z on 2m. I usually go QRT by 2100z because of the strain on my voice.
Just checked where I sit in the Jan 2015 AL section of the 50MHz UKAC. You guessed? Bottom! Well someone has to be!
USA on 10m - March 3rd 2015
Well, 10m has opened to the USA today. KB4SC (6560km) was the first to spot my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon at 1418z today. I see there are a few other USA stations in the log who are spotting me since then.
Apart from the USA stations, only 4X1RF has spotted me and locals, certainly no "super-DX".
UPDATE 1840z: Still plenty of USA stations spotting my 10m 500mW WSPR.
UPDATE 1922z: It looks like K9AN (6505km) was the last to spot me on 10m WSPR tonight at 1846z. At least 10m did open to the USA for my little 500mW WSPR beacon today, unlike yesterday.
Apart from the USA stations, only 4X1RF has spotted me and locals, certainly no "super-DX".
UPDATE 1840z: Still plenty of USA stations spotting my 10m 500mW WSPR.
UPDATE 1922z: It looks like K9AN (6505km) was the last to spot me on 10m WSPR tonight at 1846z. At least 10m did open to the USA for my little 500mW WSPR beacon today, unlike yesterday.
2 Mar 2015
472kHz WSPR - very quiet this evening?
I have been on 472kHz for the last 30 minutes or so but activity seems very low. So far I have spotted no-one and no-one has spotted me.Usually I can be assured of activity on 472kHz WSPR. There are between 36 and 44 active stations according to WSPRnet but no-one is actually being copied!
Even my 40m Pixie failed to get any RBN reports this evening. What with no USA stations copying me on 10m, this has been a very disappointing day radio-wise. Tomorrow may be totally different, such is the nature of our delightful hobby.
The most cheerful thing was the return of our two red legged partridges! They may not be the same ones, but to see two was great.
UPDATE 2200z: I spoke too soon! 472kHz WSPR reports received from G4SMD (250km) and G3THQ (88m) and I am spotting PA0A (417km).
In the last 2 weeks my 5mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" has been copied by 23 unique stations with best DX spot F1AFJ (607km).
Even my 40m Pixie failed to get any RBN reports this evening. What with no USA stations copying me on 10m, this has been a very disappointing day radio-wise. Tomorrow may be totally different, such is the nature of our delightful hobby.
The most cheerful thing was the return of our two red legged partridges! They may not be the same ones, but to see two was great.
UPDATE 2200z: I spoke too soon! 472kHz WSPR reports received from G4SMD (250km) and G3THQ (88m) and I am spotting PA0A (417km).
In the last 2 weeks my 5mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" has been copied by 23 unique stations with best DX spot F1AFJ (607km).
 |
| Unique 472kHz spots on earth-electrode "antenna" in last 2 weeks. |
No 10m USA spots again?
Despite 10m conditions forecast to be "fair", it looks like this will be the second day in a row when not a single USA or Canadian station will have spotted my 500mW WSPR beacon. It really does look as if conditions are on the change. This afternoon just 4X1RF and G4IKZ spotting me this afternoon.
Birds at this QTH
When we first moved to our bungalow (19 months ago) we saw
2 red legged partridges regularly in the road and in the garden. Then we
saw 3 for one day. After that (for the last 6 months) there has been just 1. Now, today, we have just seen 2 again. I hope it is a male and a
female and they stop around and have young! The red
legged partridge is an introduced species, but it is the commonest
partridge with 82000 territories. It is a very good looking bird. The
ones locally seem quite content. See red legged partridge RSPB page .
Yesterday, there were a couple of mallard ducks in the close. Overall though we see fewer bird species than at the old QTH despite putting out plenty to attract them. I would have thought with an orchard next door, the windmill, allotments and fields close by, we'd see lots. Starlings do roost on the windmill sails and there are fewer starlings around nowadays.
From the shack window I get an excellent view of the birds in our garden.
 |
| View from shack window |
From the shack window I get an excellent view of the birds in our garden.
40m Pixie: a tip I was given
Andy Cutland in the Channel Islands has reminded me that it is well worth checking the Reverse Beacon Network to see if the signal from the Pixie is getting out, even if no replies are received. I must admit I've not yet been doing this. From now on I'll check the RBN although I usually reply to CQs rather than call CQ when using QRP (search and pounce).
Sunspots and 10m - Monday March 2nd 2015
Yesterday was dire(ish) on 10m. Let us hope today is better. My 500mW 10m WSPR beacon has been on for 20 minutes, but only being spotted l.ocally so far.
Sunspot number today is 66 (not bad) and 10m propagation is expected to be "fair".
UPDATE 1000z: I see 4X1RF (3519km) has spotted me.
.
UPDATE 1130z: 4X1RF has spotted my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon 4 times so far this morning. He is, so far, the only DX station to copy me. It seems pretty quiet.
UPDATE 1212z: 4X1RF has now spotted me 5 times today so far. No other DX spots received today.
UPDATE 1410z: 4X1RF has now spotted me 8 times today so far. Still no transatlantic spots received though. I am beginning to think the long afternoon openings on 10m to the USA are ending.
Sunspot number today is 66 (not bad) and 10m propagation is expected to be "fair".
UPDATE 1000z: I see 4X1RF (3519km) has spotted me.
.
UPDATE 1130z: 4X1RF has spotted my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon 4 times so far this morning. He is, so far, the only DX station to copy me. It seems pretty quiet.
UPDATE 1212z: 4X1RF has now spotted me 5 times today so far. No other DX spots received today.
UPDATE 1410z: 4X1RF has now spotted me 8 times today so far. Still no transatlantic spots received though. I am beginning to think the long afternoon openings on 10m to the USA are ending.
1 Mar 2015
10GHz WBFM transceivers
The modern way of getting (simply) into 10GHz WBFM appears to be using very low cost 10GHz Doppler radar modules with a 100MHz FM receiver. Whilst with G6ALB for my Pixie tests Andrew demonstrated a working 10GHz link based on these low cost modules. These are useful links Andrew sent me.
Hi Roger,These are the units I found when I was looking for [definitions of] the 10.525 GHz ISM band.It looks like 3cm Doppler radar is alive and well,I’d assumed it had disappeared in favour of PIR.Some data here:These are very good pages (for wideband FM on 10 GHz).
Andrew G6ALB
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
