Electric cars - NOT amateur radio

Electric cars have been on sale for years but today I saw my first electric car in use. This was a Nissan Leaf. To me the electric car is not the best solution. The range, even with new batteries, is quite low. Battery technology is still poor and huge batteries are needed to get quite modest ranges.

Although politically a "good idea", I feel we will see better solutions. Maybe this will be hydrogen fuel cells or power buried in the roads and paid for by the actual amount used? The latter would reduce the weight of batteries. Even with large subsidies, electric cars are expensive. We definitely need a clean, efficient alternative to petrol and diesel cars but I am not convinced by today's electric cars.

I watch the next few years with interest and wonder what motorists will be driving in 20-30 years' time.

Sunspots and 10m - Sat Oct 17th 2015

Sunspot number is a little better today at 68 (K=3) but 10m propagation is again expected to be "poor". What 10m WSPR will be like today is a guess! I shall be active on 10m and 6m WSPR all day. Yesterday was disappointing with just a few spots by G6AVK on 6m and only DX inter-G on 10m WSPR. G4CUI (172km) was the best report on 10m.

Shortwave interval signals

See http://dl.dropbox.com/u/15047843/SWintervalsigs.mp3

This was flagged by Facebook today as a memory I first posted there in 2011. I have no idea where I first found this. If, like me, you grew up with these then I very much hope you enjoy a little trip down memory lane. Memories of simple shortwave receivers and broadcast DXing. Simple pleasures long before the internet.

Even more Sputniks

More on Sputnik tests...

"Dear Oleg,

I have the same experience...
I used both my Vanguard 40 mW tx and the 1P24 Sputnik tx when I was at the fort but no QSO, no response.

Tomorrow and Sunday Ger, PA3GKX and I will be showing what CW can do on the Fort-Island Pampus using two Pixies to send and receive but only over a short distance for demostration to children that (I hope in large numbers) will visit us. Yesterday we arranged the tables, light etc in one of the rooms and put up a dipole. When time permits we will be QRV with an old army-radio AN/GRC9 on 40 or 30 metres as PA6FAP but I know that most of the time will be used to show how to "send" morse code to old DOS-computers that can decode what is sent with a straight key... A challenge that beats any tablet or iPhone, I can assure you.

On 20 October I will be giving a presentation about the "Sputnik days" in one of the local club meetings, showing all details I collected and of course the transmitters I have used so it seems more true than I expected: Get retired and find out that you have even less spare-time...

72/73 and keep beeping and VVV-ing.

Peter - PA0PJE"


"Dear Space Friends,
New Cosmonaut Alexander US5EVD informed: October 15 he repaired valve
TX  and called CQ on 3560 kHz. EW6FA called Alex but QSO not finished
because battery discharged, sorry. Alex going to try PSU today.
Only two days before Sputnik Days finish, I looking for any comments.

72! beep-beep-beep...
Deep Space Communications Center
operator on duty -
Oleg ("Mr. 72") RV3GM / KH6OB"

OFCOM - quango?

I'm not sure why I feel this, but I get the impression that OFCOM (and the FCC?) is filled with bureaucrats who really do not have a real grasp of radio. Certainly in the UK OFCOM has little real interest in amateur radio as it gains no revenue from the service. These days all that seems to matter is money sadly. OK we have gained a few new temporary allocations, but these are in parts of the spectrum where there are no real revenue generating opportunities yet. As soon as OFCOM sees ways of generating a revenue stream, these will go.

For the latest OFCOM pearls see: http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/satellite-filings-15/statement/?utm_source=updates&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=satellite-filings-15-statement . Quango psycho-babble.

No sorry, I think OFCOM serves little real value here in the UK.

Sunspots and 10m - Fri Oct 16th 2015

Sunspot number is much the same at 49 (K=3) and 10m propagation is expected to remain "poor". Yesterday, despite the poor forecast, we saw some useful F2 DX on 10m WSPR, so I remain cautiously optimistic for today. I am active on both 10m and 6m WSPR during the day.  By now, I was expecting almost daily USA openings on 10m WSPR.

More UK Rallies (Scotland and Devon)

Sunday 18 OCTOBER : GALASHIELS AND DISTRICT ARS RADIO RALLY
The Volunteer Hall, St Johns Street, Galashiels, Scottish Borders TD1 3JX. OT 11.15, £2.50. B&B, TS, C. Jim, GM7LUN, 01896 850 245, gm7lun@qsl.net.

Sunday 18 OCTOBER : HOLSWORTHY AMATEUR RADIO RALLY
Holsworthy Community College, Victoria Hill, Holsworthy EX22 6JD. TS, B&B, C, DIS. Register at http://harc.postalboard.com/login to make any enquiries. www.radioclubs.net/harc/.

A list of rallies can be found at http://rsgb.org/main/news/rallies/

Be careful of USB sticks

Steve G1KQH sent me a link yesterday about a Russian USB stick that kills virtually all devices into which it is plugged in. Apparently it sticks 220v into your device. So the message is only connect known safe USB devices into your PC or phone. This is rare and scaremongering but be safe. Don't forget USB sticks can also be a route in for virus's.

"I don’t fancy one of them up my USB port:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/internet-security/11932793/Killer-USB-stick-destroys-your-computer-in-seconds.html

73 Steve
http://g1kqh.blogspot.co.uk/"

FR1GZ spots me on 10m WSPR

Many times I have found that when 10m is expected to be "poor" I have found just the opposite. As an example FR1GZ (9724km) spotted my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon a couple of times this afternoon. So far, 10m has been "good" for me today. 4X1RF, OZ7IT and FR1GZ - not at all bad, and the day is not done yet!

More Sputniks

From Oleg...

"Dear Space Friends,
bad  condx last days, it is not good for QRPp activity. Even RBNs did
not copied my 50 mW CQs.
Yesterday op. Jozef OM6TC logged QSO with OM3PV with Sputnik clone TX
160 mW on 21060 kc to 30 m LW. Congrats Jozef!
Only  three  days  before  finish  of Sputnik Days. I looking for any
reports, please.
72! beep-beep-beep...
Deep Space Communications Center
operator on duty -
Oleg ("Mr. 72") RV3GM / KH6OB"