Project "on hold" - AM Tenbox

Like many of my projects, this transceiver is "on hold" due to my stroke. I am still too unwell to do much in the way of designing and building. One day, not too far away, I hope to complete this project. If anyone else wants to do this, please use my schematic as a starting point. With a small PCB it would make a nice club project.

It will make an ideal simple rig for nattering across town, especially as 10m loses its fizz and starts to act more like a vhf band again. Such conditions may be with us for years. I fancy putting this in a box like the old Heathkit Lunchboxes with a proper LS amp and LS.

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

Windows 8.1 - NOT amateur radio

More from the font of all knowledge Steve G1KQH. Like many, I had no idea about this key and hidden menu:

Did you know about this command on Windows 8.1 ?

Subject: Windows Key + X | Windows 8 Forums

Did you know about this on Windows 8.1?

http://www.win8forums.com/threads/windows-key-x.758/

6m WSPR

So far, 6m WSPR has been quite productive today with quite a few EU stations (and CN8LI) spotting me or being spotted by Es. As long as conditions remain like this I shall stick on 6m WSPR.

10m/6m Es - early morning Italians

They call it sporadic E or Es yet it is surprising how often my 500mW WSPR beacon on 10m is copied in Italy very early in the mornings, often before breakfast. Whatever triggers the Es must be just right for this path early in the morning. Often Scandinavians and more northern stations are more common later in the Es season and in the evenings.

UPDATE 0708z:  Now DK7UG is spotting my 10m WSPR beacon strongly. No signs here of Es on 6m WSPR.

UPDATE 0906z:  One Italian spot by Es on 6m WSPR so far - IU1DZZ (973km) at 0748z.

UPDATE 1132z:  EA1KV (1304km) spotting me on 10m WSPR but only Nick G0OQK (98km) being copied on 6m WSPR.

UPDATE 1205z:  EA1KV and I are exchanging spots on 6m WSPR and CN8LI (2113km) just spotted on 6m WSPR.

Sunspots and 10m - Mon August 3rd 2015

Sunspot number today is 51 (K=3) and 10m propagation is expected to remain "poor" today.  Es will be the main mode for EU and nearer DX.

WSPR-AXE-CW oddity

A local, David G0LRD reported that my time sync was well adrift despite me doing a reset against internet time very recently. A hard reset (all power removed for over a minute) seems to have fixed the issue, which is possibly a bug in the software.  David suggested it could have been a very short power outage?   In future I'll do a hard reset more frequently. This little beacon has served me well for over 6 months and is often on 24/7.

East Anglian Churches blog updated - NOT amateur radio

This Friday we went by train to Norwich with our "London" grandchildren. We visited the Castle Museum and Norwich Cathedral, which is definitely one of the finest in England.

See http://eachurches.blogspot.co.uk/ .

G4IKZ beaming south on 10m?

My local 10m WSPR reporter G4IKZ (18km) must have his Moxon beam aimed south as he has not spotted me for some hours, even though he is reporting Spanish stations by Es. My 500mW WSPR beacon has not been spotted for some hours now by anyone.  10m is definitely harder going on WSPR than it was. I hope things improve as autumn comes.

At the moment there are 31 stations worldwide shown as active on 10m WSPR. A little while back this would have been 100 or more. There may be more who have not spotted/been spotted in the last 10 minutes, but numbers are down.

UPDATE 1620z:  I QSYed from 6m down to 630m at 1600z. Still on 10m WSPR at same time. No MF WSPR spots given or received on MF as yet.

Back to 472kHz WSPR tonight

As 6m has proved predictable with little in the way of DX around, I shall be going back to 472kHz WSPR this evening. As my ERP is still very low (5mW) I do not expect many to copy me at this time of the year. I shall remain on 10m WSPR at the same time, but may decide to go QRT overnight on the 10m band.

UPDATE 1623z:  I QSYed from 6m down to 630m at 1600z. Still on 10m WSPR at same time. No MF WSPR spots given or received on MF as yet.

UPDATE 1950z:  It is still light here. So far, no spots given or received on 472kHz WSPR. Maybe things will improve after dark?  This s my worst start on 472kHz WSPR this summer.

UPDATE 2056z:  At 2038z G8HUH (250km) was spotted. He is one of the better stations on the band, so not too surprised to copy him. He has copied me on 472kHz WSPR this summer. He is my best DX on 136kHz from the old QTH. I have not tried 136kHz from this QTH with the shorter baseline earth-electrode "antenna", well not yet.

UPDATE 2100z:  I have just been spotted on 472kHz WSPR by G6AVK (78km).

Prices of Japanese radios?

I wonder when the next round of price drops will come on Japanese gear? The big Japanese players such as Yaesu, Icom and Kenwood have had an easy ride of late and been able to dictate prices. Now the competition is waking up, I expect they will be facing tougher times.

The latest exchange rates (UK pound to Japanese Yen) is £1 is worth about 193 Yen. Not many years ago it was less than 130 Yen to the pound. In real terms, Japanese goods should be much less expensive. At the moment both the UK dealers and Japanese are doing very well thank you from a customer base prepared to pay high prices. Expect big falls between now and the year end. This will be partly due exchange rates becoming much better (for those in the UK) and partly due to the increasing threat from the non-Japanese suppliers. Don't you find it amazing how low cost some Chinese hand portables are compared with similar products from Japan? Rip-off come to mind - charge high prices for Japanese goods as long as the suckers pay.

No, the age of UK amateur radio consumers being taken for a ride is ending. The next time you discuss prices with UK dealers remind them of competition and exchange rates! At the moment their margins must be very high. Japanese goods are priced too high in the UK - fact. A few years ago I was more sympathetic, but not any more. UK consumers should pay a fair price with the dealers getting a fair margin, but please don't take us all for mugs. I shall buy when the prices are fair and not before.

If I have this wrong, I shall be interested to hear the dealers viewpoint. Exchange rates have got vastly better and I do not see this reflected in end user prices here in the UK.  Someone is making very handsome profits.

Consumers - vote with your wallets and do not buy overpriced radios.  I have said before, the FT817 is classic example: all development costs were recovered years ago, so the price should be considerably lower than it is. Dealers have dropped the price somewhat, but it is nowhere near what it should be for a very mature design.