More QRP Club

From Oleg...

"Dear Club 72 members and friends,

the Weekly QRP Rendez-Vous Net report of the last week here -
http://qrp-club72.blogspot.ru/
G3UD became new honor frequenters of the "rendezvous" round tables.
See  full  "visitors"  and  "frequenters" lists on the Club 72 page -
www.club72.su
Note! All new visitors I subscribe to this "72 Newsletter".
Welcome  all  QRP  operators  to  QRP  Rendez-Vous  round tables, see
schedule  on  the  Club  72  page,  please.  Comments  and  pictures
appreciated.

72! Oleg RV3GM / KH6OB "Mr. 72""
 

"Dear Club 72 members and friends,

just  uploaded  totals  page  of the Winter "Snowman" QRP Field Game.
There are the totals table, soapbox and photo gallery - enjoy that!
Links for results from "Snowman" or "Archives" in menu - www.club72.su

The Winners by nominations:
UA0SBQ - the lowest temperature in the field position
UA1CEG - the unusual original field position
RU3NJC - the original home brew radio in the field
RV3GM - the lowest power in the field
Z35M - the greatest number of QSOs in the field
UT8NR - the greatest number of QSOs with field operators in home
R4NX, UA1AQC, UA1ASB - the most absurd comic position design

Thanks all for game, for comments and for pictures!

72! Oleg RV3GM / KH6OB "Mr. 72"
=== In QRP We Trust! ==="

10m DX again

As well as spotting the USA again this afternoon, spots were exchanged (both ways) with 9Y4DG (7207km) on 10m WSPR. His QTH is Trindad and Tobago.

KX3 and FT817

Further to my earlier comments in a blog post yesterday, I have received several comments about both rigs. The general view remains that the performance of the KX3 exceeds that of the FT817ND although it is in many ways less suited to field use than the FT817.

I have never owned a KX3 as these are very expensive in the UK. I own both a very old FT817 and a recent FT817ND. For the modes I use mostly, the FT817s do a great job. I just wish Elecraft radios were not so expensive and looked, and were, more robust. I for one would think twice about using an expensive KX3 as a field radio. I am sure they work really well, but they look flimsy. A fully loaded KX3 is currently more than twice the cost of the FT817, which is a fine radio. My FT817 gets used from MF (with my homebrew transverter) all the way to 70cms. The FT817 has worked all over the world, including indoor handheld SSB QSOs with the USA.

For the avoidance of any doubt I love the FT817 radios and would like a KX3 for home use, if the latter was less expensive.  My views, others may not agree.

If you have views, please leave your name and callsign. In future, unattributable, anonymous, unkind, comments will be deleted.  I want to foster debate, but please keep it civil.

QSYed to 10m WSPR

At 0930z I went QRT on 40m and moved up to 10m WSPR. It will take a few minutes to stabilise before any WSPR spots appear. Any spots (received or given) will be a bonus on 10m today. As before, 20% TX at 2W and 80% RX.

UPDATE 1006z:  Well, yet again some surprises on 10m WSPR. Already VK2KRR (16789km) has spotted me on 10m WSPR,before 1000z and I have spotted a Russian.

Sunspots and 10m - Mon Feb 8th 2016

Solar flux is good again at 117. Sunspot number is 84 (not bad at all) although K=4 so quite disturbed. 10m propagation is expected to be "poor" today. I am not expecting great things of 10m today.

Stroke or old age? - NOT amateur radio

When driving the car I seem to drive less fast than I did. To me, 50mph seems more like 60mph or faster. It is as if the world seems faster to me, at least on the roads. Also, I seem much slower doing things these days. I put these down to my stroke 2.5 years ago, but I guess I am getting older and slower.  At 67 I don't think of myself as very old though.

When our children were little we had a family joke about drivers with hats. There seemed a high correlation between drivers with hats and slow, doddery drivers. We put this down to age (most hat wearers were old) and maybe they started driving before the driving test became compulsory?

Anyway, I guess I am looked at as "a hat" these days,  even though I don't wear a hat to drive! Ho hum!

USA again on 40m WSPR this morning

After the Canadian spot last evening, I was spotted in the USA a couple of times around breakfast time this morning on 40m WSPR with the low antenna. I'll stay on 40m WSPR a little longer, then move up to 10m WSPR for the rest of the day.

QSYed to 40m WSPR

After a very successful day on 10mWSPR, I have now moved to 40mWSPR overnight until tomorrow morning. As yet, there are no spots either given or received.

UPDATE 2150z:  Luckily I noticed that the "Enable transmit" was not on. It is now enabled. As yet, it has not gone on to TX.

UPDATE 2235z:   My first 40m WSPR spot was by VE2DPF (5260km) at 2222z.

Aldi - NOT amateur radio

For a long time, fellow blogger Steve G1KQH and my relatives have been urging me to shop at Aldi's. Sadly, our nearest Aldi's is in Ely, which is a fair bit further by car than our nearest Waitrose or Tesco. I have noticed that prices for a weekly shop seem to have gone up by around 20% at Waitrose when groceries and food generally have had negative inflation. As we were going to Ely anyway this afternoon, we called in at Aldi's to do a basic shop. For branded items you do indeed pay far less than at Waitrose. Either Aldi has very low margins or Waitrose is creaming off the profits. Either way, we'll go to Aldi's again when in Ely.  I like Waitrose as a shop, but do not like being ripped off.

10m is in good shape today - use it!

EA8/DL9XJ (2981km) has been spotted several times this morning on 10m WSPR along with Australia, Belgium and the  UK. I have been spotted in Australia, Israel and the UK on 10m WSPR a few times today too.  It looks like 10m is in quite a good mood!

A year from now it is likely to be a lot harder as the solar activity drops off. As I have said many times, even in the quietest years, N-S propagation supports QRP SSB contacts at times and Es is good at the right times of year irrespective of the sunspot cycle.

I am a great believer in WSPR (have you guessed?) and regular WSPR use of 10m will reveal the openings which otherwise would be missed.

UPDATE 1620z:  Several different USA stations spotted this afternoon on 10m WSPR here and KD6RF (7571km) has spotted me. The band is in good shape still.