Stroke update - NOT amateur radio

Although, on  average, I am a little less tired overall, I still have very bad days, like today, when I feel very exhausted.  I still have problems with thin liquid drinks and still feel wobbly on my feet. Progress is painfully slow.

Never, ever take your health for granted, as you never know when things might change. Before Sept 2013 I was fit and healthy. These days, still, I feel just a shadow of my old self.  How I wish I was back to as I was!

I am told that I should make a full recovery eventually, but I was expecting this last year and still I struggle.  Field experiments left me totally drained recently.

UPDATE 1920z:   Although I eat most foods OK now and eat big meals, I still feel hungry often.   Although I had a big pasta and bacon meal just a few hours ago, I am already hungry! A recent blood test did not show any problems and neither did a test for bowel cancer.

10m and 6m Es

With the Es season definitely upon us, I am starting to get 10m WSPR spots from nearer Europeans now. For example OE1RWU (1222km) has spotted my 10m 500mW several times this morning.

As yet, I have no Es spots on 6m despite a higher ERP although these will come with time.  Es starts a little later (in the season) on 6m than on 10m and openings tend to be less often. Having said that when 6m is open by Es, signals are often there day after day at good strength.  Last Es season there were fewer stations on 6m than I was expecting, which was a pity. I am hopeful there will be more stations on 6m WSPR this summer. WSPR is a great mode for winkling out short openings, so is an ideal mode to leave running when not active on SSB or CW.

UPDATE 1435z:  Several spots from central Europe on 10m WSPR by Es.

UPDATE 1521z:   Although I see the forecasts are showing 50MHz Es in Europe, there is no evidence of this on WSPR. Only 18 stations in the whole world are shown as active on 6m WSPR, although 10 are in Europe.  Es is sporadic so unless there are stations active in the right places, openings will be missed.

UPDATE 1528z:  On 10m WSPR I see that EA8BVP (2986km) has only just started to spot me. I presume this is F2 and not Es.

UPDATE 2140z:  Still no sign of any USA WSPR spots this evening. I have the feeling there will be none today, but will blog results in the morning.

Sunspots and 10m propagation - May 1st 2015

Little change with a sunspot number of 27 (26 yesterday) and 10m still forecast to be "poor". K=2 so a little more disturbed than yesterday. I guess some 10m Es is our best hope?

UPDATE 0746z:   Signs of Es with an early spot received from DK0FHW (544km) in Germany on 10m WSPR at 0638z.

UPDATE 0830z:   So far, 6m WSPR is very quiet with nobody spotting me since yesterday. No signs of 6m Es seen here yet.

2200m and 630m in the USA a step closer?

Southgate News reports that the FCC is, at last, supporting USA amateurs being given access to the 2200m and 630m bands. I sometimes complain that OFCOM here in the UK needs a kick up the backside, but the FCC seem an order of magnitude worse. I do hope that the USA gets these bands. I've had an article of mine on 472kHz approved by the ARRL now for nearly 2 years, awaiting the release of the 472kHz band over there! I am amazed just how slow the FCC seems to be. In many ways the USA takes a far more "grown up" attitude to the use of the radio spectrum, but the unbelievable slowness over the release of these 2 bands just beggars belief.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2015/april/fcc_proposes_to_permit_amateur_access_to_2200_and_630_meters.htm#.VUKSWpNQqPc

UK General election - NOT amateur radio

The UK General Election next week still looks far too close to call. Some opinion polls show the Conservatives ahead and others show Labour.  UKIP seem to be gradually losing support.

At the moment my intention is to vote Lib Dem as they do have a chance of winning here in East Cambs. Labour really have no chance at all having won just 6.5% of the vote last time. UKIP could well split the Conservative vote, so the Lib Dems have a decent chance.

Personally, I think the moderating influence of the Lib Dems on either the Conservatives or Labour would be a good thing. I supported the Greens in the European elections but in a "first past the post" General Election they (sadly) have no chance here. Elsewhere, who knows?

I believe in living within our means both personally and nationally, but austerity measures should be toughest on those who caused the problems in the first place and NOT those who really have very little. Bank bonuses should be stopped or very heavily taxed until we live within our means. In almost 40 years of work I never got a bonus for working hard and neither do most workers. Why should a few "wide boys" get millions in bonuses for gambling with OUR money?

So, I was amused "11 element stealth antennas"

Maybe I have the definition wrong, but I thought "stealth antennas" meant antennas that were somehow hidden or disguised so you could not easily tell they were there?

So imagine my amazement to see an 11 element HF beam listed as a "stealth antenna". Maybe every house but mine has one to hang their washing on? No surely not!

In my book an 11 element (compact?) HF beam is in no way a stealth antenna. By all means sell these - no doubt they sell well to some at over £1090, but not as a "stealth antenna".

As I have said before, a simple wire antenna and 500mW is enough for my signal to reach the far corners of the planet and I see no need whatsoever for such a big and, in my personal view, ugly antenna in my garden. My HF antenna is practically invisible: I am sure most are unaware it is even there! This is a hobby to be enjoyed in many different ways. All are valid.

Big, expensive beams are not for me.  Of course if you have this antenna you need a big, strong rotator and a big mast. Then you probably need a big rig.  Sorry, not amateur radio in my definition.

See http://www.force12inc.com/categories/applications/stealth-ham-radio.html?sort=pricedesc

No 10m USA WSPR spots, well not yet (1512z)

So far, apart from quite a bit of Es on 10m WSPR, EA8BVP (2986km) has been there spotting me a lot this afternoon presumably by single-hop F2.  As yet, no signs of 10m WSPR spots by any USA stations, but if the band opens at all in that direction, it is likely to be later. Sunspot number is lower than the last few days but we are seeing relatively undisturbed conditions, so a very brief opening is not out of the question.

UPDATE 2055z:  No USA 10m WSPR spots today, and it seems unlikely now.  However, last night one station did not copy me until after 2200z, so who can tell?

UPDATE 2155z:  We I'll be  .........(expletives go here).  KA4M (6916km) spotted me at 2132z. So far, this is the only spot today from the USA of my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon but I was amazed to be copied at all.

Kanga Products

See http://www.kanga-products.co.uk/.  Although I have to admit that I have not used this supplier or its sister site in the USA, they seem to have a useful range of kits and products in stock.  If you are after QRP or QRSS frequency crystals, then these are at a decent price.  I have no idea how well priced their other items like solder are compared with other suppliers.

As I have said before, these suppliers could soon disappear if they do not get enough trade. The competition from China is fierce indeed and many very good bargains may be had on eBay.  I wish Kanga well.

Sunspots and 10m - Thursday April 30th 2015

With the sunspot number even lower at 26 (K=1) and 10m expected to be "poor" today, one should expect 10m to be marginal, but this band is full of surprises and anything is possible. With 10m having allowed my 500mW WSPR to be spotted in the USA for the last few days, I am not ruling out a brief USA opening later.

Certainly Es is livening up things on 10m at last, although I have not yet been spotted by Es on 6m, and neither have I spotted others on 6m by Es.

UPDATE 1334z:  The Es season is definitely here now with 10m WPSR spots received from across Europe.  EA8BVP was probably single hop F2, but the rest (apart from local G4IKZ) so far today look like spots of me by Es.

Unique 10m WSPR spots received today so far.

Yesterday on 10m WSPR - 3 USA stations spotting me

With a very late spot by KA4M (6916km) at 2202z, the total of USA stations spotting my 500mW 10m WSPR rose to 3 different stations. KA4M, at this late hour was a total surprise. I had just about given up for the day. As always, 10m is filled with surprises!

This morning the 10m band has lots of Es in evidence with OE, HA and I stations spotting me. We are now definitely in the Es season.