G3TDZ SK

I missed this but G3TDZ, John Hey is a silent key now. He wrote a very nice article in Wireless World on a 2m AM handheld some years back and was inventor of the Heyphone which was widely used by cavers. He did a version for the 73kHz band too. He wrote to me several times. I think he died earlier this year.

TEP at 10m, 6m and 2m

Although 6m Es has been rather quiet, there was some TEP between Japan and Australia. TEP often allows stations across the magnetic equator to work each other at MUFs far above those expected. I think chordal-hop is involved. TEP between the Med area and southern Africa has even occurred at 2m!

In most recent years there has been 6m propagation between Japan and Australia. This mode may well account for some of the N-S propagation on 10m. It favours stations a bit nearer the equator. In the UK we need Es as well to get us into the area where there is TEP. Just occasionally it happens this far north.

Bolt Tail - NOT amateur radio

Our holiday continues.

This is the view looking west from Bolt Tail in South Devon, UK. On the RHS is Burgh Island. We dodged showers! Real April weather in mid May.  Bolt Tail was once a promontory fort thousands of years ago. It would be wonderful to have seen the view back then - few settlements, the coast would have been further out, etc..

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promontory_fort .

The walk from Bolt Tail to Bolt Head along this coast is spectacular. We parked on Bolberry Down.

Sunspots and 10m - Wed May 18th 2016

Solar flux is a respectable 104 today. Sunspot number is 36 (K=3) and the forecast for 10m propagation is still "poor".

6m WSPR - Es at last

There was Es in evidence in Europe today on 6m WSPR. Now it has started, we can expect Es most days on this band. When there is Es about on 6m, it can be a really fun band. Even with 6m SSB, just low ERP is needed to work all over Europe and North Africa.

IARU

See http://www.iaru.org/ .

The IARU is the "umbrella" organisation guiding the amateur communities around the world.

In region 1 I very much hope that a 100kHz wide 5MHz band will be allocated to radio amateurs in Europe despite a 15kHz wide band being allocated worldwide at WRC15.

There is quite a bit going on to persuade amateurs to adopt a new band-plan for 6m which involves relocating beacons slightly further up the band. It will mean more space for CW lower down, as for most HF bands.

Quiet day - NOT amateur radio

Our Devon holiday continues. Often we hit bad weather, but so far we've been lucky with lots of sun. Today we are doing some washing, going into Kingsbridge for some shopping, and going around to my brothers for tea.

Ivor Dewdney pasties and local strawberries

Tomorrow we plan another walk along the cliffs and eating out at the Sloop Inn in nearby Bantham. We have eaten here before, but when we called for a coffee one winter's morning on a walk with my brother we were turned away. At the time I could not believe how stupid they could be to turn away easy business ...and on the door it said they were open!! Of course, this was a few years ago and the owners have probably changed hands since then. I was very annoyed at the time, but it was their choice and their loss. All they had to do was give us coffee! Madness. We had a coffee and brandy a few miles further on.

I have been pleasantly surprised just how much I can still do despite my handicaps.  As I said yesterday, I am learning to adjust to the "me" I am now. It is far from the end.

10m and 6m Es

There was Es in Europe on 10m WSPR, but little sign of it on 6m WSPR yesterday. As the Es season progresses Es is common (almost daily) on both bands and there have been regular 6m Es openings right up to mid-September. Es is the dominant mode on these bands in the summer months.

Multi-hop Es to some quite exotic places is not that uncommon even on 6m. In earlier seasons I have copied north and south America and the Caribbean on SSB and CW on 6m with very simple antennas. When the 6m band opens these signals can sometimes be strong.

Sunspots and 10m - Wed May 17th 2016

Solar flux is a respectable 102 today.  Sunspot number is 76 (K=3) and the forecast for 10m (F2) propagation remains "poor" again. Es is our only real hope although there was F2 DX from the USA to Australia on 10m yesterday.

Clifftop /P

Well, yet again I had intentions of walking out to the clifftops for some evening /P operating, probably on 15m. Instead the 2km walk was just that - a pleasant stroll in the late evening sunshine and a chance to take a few more photos. They have removed the 2 seats on the coastal path as well! The weather is becoming less settled, but I may try Wednesday evening as we are at my brother's for a meal tomorrow evening. I think with my voice being such hard work I am less keen than I was on /P operating.

In all we have walked much further this holiday than I was expecting, which is a good sign: I still have a poor voice, I still tire easily, I still feel giddy but I can do more than I expected. I guess I have to learn to adapt to the "me" I am now and not the "me" I used to be.

Before coming away I feared I would never be able to walk the south west coast path from Hope Cove to Salcombe ever again. Although I would be done in at the end, I think I could manage this - just. Maybe on a future visit....