Wallflowers - NOT amateur radio

Wallflowers at Cley, North Norfolk

Last week we were in North Norfolk visiting various churches and the rhododendrons at Sheringham Park. We ate at a pub called "The Three Swallows" in Cley-next-the-Sea. These wallflowers were just outside a house between the pub and the church. At the right temperature these smell wonderful.

Yaesu FT7 HF transceiver

Yaesu FT7 - a true classic

Way back in about 1979 I owned a Yaesu FT7. This was a 10W HF rig using a modular construction.  It was a beautiful radio with a lovely, quiet receiver.  It is probably the best radio I have ever owned and used. It predates WARC bands and only covered one 500kHz part of the 10m band and the non-WARC bands from 80m-10m. Today, it looks large. It was an analogue radio - no memories, no synthesisers - just a very good HF radio transceiver.  I worked all over the world with mine using QRP SSB and simple, low, wire antennas and no beams, mainly on 10m. In those days, most (all?) USA SSB was above 28.5MHz. Canadians were mainly below 28.5MHz.

My little FT817 has more bands and modes and is about 1/10th of the size.

I can thoroughly recommend the FT7, but they are very hard to find.  A later version was 50W pep and had full 10m coverage in 4 x 500kHz sections. The FT7 was a "real" radio - no gimmicks, just a truly amazing rig. Many who owned them and sold them (like me) later regretted selling them. As they say, these rigs are "keepers".  If you find one you are unlikely to be disappointed.  Also, the handbook was complete so you could service it and not an SMA component in sight!

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/ft7 .

Jackdaws - NOT amateur radio

Jackdaw

At the QTH we moved to a couple of years back, just before I was taken seriously ill, we see far fewer smaller birds. They are around but don't seem to be attracted to the bird table or nut feeders. We get a reasonable number of small birds in the garden and nearby such as dunnocks (hedge sparrows), great tits and blue tits, robins etc. Maybe they visit other bird tables or find food naturally very locally?

Our nut feeders seem to attract larger birds in the main like pigeons and collared doves. We have lots of trees and other cover. Every morning at much the same time we get jackdaws on the bird table. We have red legged partridges in the road most days and we have even had mallard ducks in the garden.

See http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdguide/name/j/jackdaw/ .

Sunspots and 10m - May 18th 2015

Sunspot number has fallen again to 75 (K=2) and 10m propagation is expected to be "poor". I think a 10m USA opening is less probable today.

UPDATE 0748z:   Early Es on 10m this morning with a spots from OE (Austria) and I (Italy) before breakfast.  EA8BVP has already spotted me many times today. I think this is single hop F2.

6m WSPR and aircraft

Just checked my early spots of G8EPQ (77km) and notice 3 Doppler shifted traces suggesting the involvement of aircraft reflection in the path between us. The path is so regular that pure tropo may support propagation but signals may well be enhanced by well positioned planes on the path with sufficiently low Doppler to allow WSPR decodes.

UPDATE 1058z:  G0OQK (98km) was spotted at 1028z, presumably helped by aircraft.

10m this evening - USA again

K9AN (6505km) was the first USA station to spot me on 10m WSPR this evening at 1928z. This is much earlier than last night.  

W1VR (6965km) was the next USA station to spot my 500mW 10m WSPR at 2012z. This would be F2 propagation I guess, although there is 10m Es from across Europe this evening. It is just possible both these were multi-hop Es, although I think this unlikely.

WG2Z (5600km) was just spotting me 4 times already. This looks a better USA opening than last night!

UPDATE 2035z:  No signs here of any 6m Es on WSPR.

Microvert antennas and similar

See http://t54979899.blogspot.co.uk/?view=classic .

It looks like the Microvert antenna may have originated in Japan? The Microvert is a very compact antenna. Some believe the coax is a major part of the radiating system. Having never tried this sort of antenna I am unable to comment.  This was posted to the Microvert Yahoo group earlier:

Whether you believe it's the coax radiating or not, this is still interesting:

The Super Rad Antenna (Induced Secondary Radiation Antenna)

	The Super Rad Antenna (Induced Secondary Radiation Antenna) The Super Rad Antenna (The Induced Secondary Radiation Antenna) was thought up in 2006. It has high performance although small size.
	View on t54979899.blogspot.co.uk	Preview by Yahoo

There are other websites about SRA (secondary radiation antenna), but unfortunately all in Japanese. Its definetly a Japanese thing!

I have all the parts required here to make one of these. Whether you believe its the coax radiating or not the results will be interesting.

Rob
M0RZF

PS. My old 10m/12m modified microvert gives a good SWR.

Pedestrian portable DXing

In the past, when fitter, I had a lot of casual fun working real HF DX with simple rig mounted antennas and batteries. In fact I have worked some impressive DX with QRP SSB using just the whip on the rig, mainly on 15m and 10m SSB.  Best DX includes South America from my late mother's back garden on 15m SSB with the FT817 at 2.5W setting

One advantage is you can move the rig and antenna of optimum signal on receive. A small counterpoise wire is pretty essential to get best results. When fit again I'd like to do more of this, but currently my poor health is getting in the way.

Others, far more dedicated than me, have worked far better DX. Some get up early to work Australia from beaches with QRP on 20m. I have also worked a long way into Europe on 2m FM with QRP. 6m SSB Es is certainly workable with small rig mounted antennas.

I think you have to believe than this is possible (HF DX) and it will happen. Think how strong some signals are. On the higher HF bands a base loaded, or better still a centre loaded, whip is not that far down on a full sized vertical.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/pedestrian .

6m update

As of now (1100z) only Gs being spotted, or spotting me, on 6m WSPR. Still hopeful of catching some 6m Es later.  Best DX currently is G8EPQ (77km) who has been spotted and has spotted me several times. G4KPX (14km) has been spotting me well.

UPDATE 1135z:   G4AYT (114km) in Kent is currently the best 6m DX spot of me today. He spotted me at 1118z and again a little later.In the past be has spotted my QRSS3 on 136kHz too from the old QTH I seem to recall. Not sure of his QTH but it is either in or near Whitstable, which is not too far from my son who lives and works in Sturry, near Canterbury.   No 6m Es seen here yet. 

UPDATE 1750z:  Still no 6m Es today, but G4IOG (106km) is a new G reporter I believe.

Sunspots and 10m - May 17th 2015

Sunspot number is 103 (K=2) and 10m propagation is expected to be "fair" today.  I was surprised that 10m briefly opened to the USA last evening, but this is where WSPR proves its worth catching very brief openings.
 
UPDATE 1055z:  10m Es in evidence with spots this morning from CT, SM and EA.  No DX outside of Europe seen on 10m so far today.

UPDATE 1815z:   Plenty of Es around and lots of spots by EA8BVP (2986km) presumably by F2. He has spotted  me 21 times today far. The K index has dropped to 1 and I am hopeful of a brief USA 10m opening later this evening.  We will have to wait and see. In the meantime, I am also on 6m WSPR hoping for some Es outside Europe.