More on my stroke - NOT amateur radio

It is almost 2 years ago that I was admitted to hospital.

Stroke - I am still finding things out. The latest revelation seems to be an inability to realise when spellings are wrong. In the past I could easily tell when things were wrong but sometimes it is days before I spot a spelling mistake or that a word is missing in something I've written.

I also struggle with finding some words - I just cannot bring to mind the right word. I know this did not happen before. I have been struggling since Saturday for one word. FRACTAL! Now I have looked it up I shall probably remember it. It is almost as if dragging things up from some parts of my brain is harder than it was.

We had a romanesque vegetable which has fractal patterns but I could not remember the word for the pattern. This is daft, but true.  I do so hate being as I am.

All quiet on 10m WSPR again so far

Just spots from local G4IKZ (18km) this morning on 10m WSPR. Things may liven up later with a bit of Es and F2, but it seems very quiet so far. Es is now out of the main season. F2 openings seem to have started again on 10m.

K1 Sold

Elecraft K1

Today I will get my K1 off to its new owner in Holland. It worked well, but I have not used it since before my stroke. I prefer that someone has it who will use it.

There is one minor fault (which has just occurred) in that the menu button no longer seems to work as it did. I think this is a minor fault and I have declared this to the new owner, who still wants it. 

In the past the rig has been used to work lots of DX including the USA on 40, 30, 20 and 15m. The rig is a 4-band version with internal auto-ATU. The K1 is a decent little radio.

Sunspots and 10m - Tuesday Sept 15th 2015

Sunspot number has fallen to 52 (K=4) and 10m is expected to remain "poor". EA8BVP (2986km) seems to be a regular again by F2 but I think the USA station copying me on 10m WSPR last night was actually located in Brazil. So I think I have still to be spotted on 10m WSPR in the USA this autumn. When the real W spots return we'll really know autumn is here.

First 10m WSPR spots from the USA this season?

So, they are back (or are they?)! KD0VWO (7412km) in GI95rg square is the very first USA station to spot my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon this autumn. He copied me this evening at 2024z, which is quite late.   Decent F2 DX is back on 10m!

As the days go onwards into autumn, winter and spring it is strangely reassuring to be copied in the USA (or maybe not?) on 10m WSPR again. It is a bit like the returning summer bird migrants: all is well with the world! As I have said before, I think the USA on 10m will be OK this season but a lot more doubtful next autumn. We may still be lucky as the slide to the minimum is slower than the climb to the next peak, however small this may be. This season could be the last time in my lifetime that I see decent conditions on 10m. Now that is a sobering thought.

Also copying me was EA8BVP (2986km). I have the feeling this will be an almost daily thing now.

UPDATE 2146z:   Maybe I am being premature as the QTH locator is in Brazil. Perhaps this is a USA station on holiday and not in the USA at all?  The proof will be if I start to get spots from more USA 10m WSPR stations in the days ahead.

2m big-wheel - 3dBd gain without rotating

Since its erection yesterday in its proper home by David G0LRD all seems to be working well.

A quick check this morning and I am able to copy the Kent, Dutch and Belgium beacons on 2m and GB3LEU (NW of Leicester) beacon on 70cm with the FT817 and 2m big-wheel. This is a single 2m big-wheel (not a stack) from Wimo in Germany.

It has 3dBd horizontal gain and is omni-directional.  It is an ideal SSB/CW/data antenna for casual operators like me. "Real" operators would use it and a beam:  the big-wheel to watch all 360 degrees and a big gainy beam to pounce in the choice direction. Being one who does not take the hobby too seriously just the big-wheel suits me and my style of operating! I did not look for other beacons. It is nice not having to worry about a beam and rotator.

I have still to try this antenna (and feeder) as an HF vertical via my ATU. It should work on at least some HF bands.

No Es or F2 on 10m WSPR today, so far

Things have been very quiet on 10m WSPR today so far with just local G4IKZ (18km) spotting me. I am hopeful of some F2 later, but I have seen no Es today on the band here.

UPDATE 1522z:  No signs, here at least, of any Es or F2 propagation on 10m WSPR so far today.

UPDATE 1650z:  Still no signs of Es or F2 propagation here so far today on 10m WSPR.  Meanwhile, 6m remains a total dead loss with no 6m WSPR spots given or received all day.

Sunspots and 10m - Mon Sept 14th 2015

Sunspot count today is 75 (K =3) although 10m propagation is expected to remain "poor".

Churches blog updated - NOT amateur radio

Last week we visited Blythburgh and Ufford Churches. Both are near Aldeburgh on the east coast where this famous shell statue is located.  I have updated the East Anglian Churches blog to include these churches. I may add further photos and text later.

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

David G0LRD - thank you

Thanks to the kindness of G0LRD, David, who selflessly drove out to my home on a Sunday afternoon, I now have my 2m big-wheel installed in its proper permanent home. David was a complete stranger until today (although we'd briefly contacted on 2m) and I cannot thank him enough for his selfless kindness. The antenna works well on 2m (and even 70cm) and the whole installation looks great.

Years ago erecting this antenna would have been easy but at the moment I am just too wobbly. There are some very kind people in our hobby.

David - thank you.