23cm transverter by SG Labs

It is years since I listened on 23cm but there is good lowish cost transverter (2W RF out) for the band that is tempting, even for me.

See http://www.sg-lab.com/TR1300/tr1300.html . The photo above (courtesy http://www.sg-lab.com/TR1300/tr1300.html) shows the SG Labs unit.

PA3FQA DXCC Status

PA3FQA has posted his DXCC status on Twitter and very impressive it is too.

Although my DXCC for 10m QRP SSB is well over 100, I have not counted for years!

To be honest I am not really a great DX hunter. I am happy for others who do this, but if I work DX it is not through acts of patience and perseverance on my part. I guess I just don't have the staying power these days!

Recurring Dreams - NOT amateur radio

It is probably a very common theme to dream about upcoming exams and not having done any or enough revision. At one time I repeatedly dreamt about catching trains to Devon. Both probably are easily explained.

In recent years, I dream of being at work and about to retire again. Usually I am wondering how I am going to manage (again) on my pension. I have been retired now for almost 8 years!  I have no idea why I dream this!

In my current state of health there is no way I could work again. Apart from my health issues, I am very happy to be retired and I have no wish to return to a job.

PSK Reporter Maps

Before I go on, I accept this could be my end and the internet connection playing up, but I am struggling to get a connection to PSK reporter maps at the moment. I use this regularly to see where I am spotting and who is spotting me on 10m JT65.

InnovAntennas

Via Southgate News, news of a new antenna from InnovAntennas.  I am sure they are very well made and perform well, but to me they are just too expensive!

See http://www.innovantennas.com/ .

All quiet on 10m JT65 so far

Having been on 10m JT65 all morning, nothing has been spotted so far. I shall go and check sync to internet time.

UPDATE 1308z:  Time sync is fine. Still no spots on 10m JT65.

UPDATE 1445z:  Still all quiet on 10m JT65. With people going back to work after the Christmas break, I expect there are even fewer people active now on 10m JT65.

UPDATE 1724z:  Just G4CJC (73km) in north London spotted a few minutes ago on 10m JT65. A disappointing day.

Tiny radio?

See http://electroiq.com/blog/2016/12/worlds-smallest-radio-receiver-has-building-blocks-the-size-of-2-atoms/ .

This looks like it was written by a sensationalist national newspaper writer, but it wasn't. Behind the sensationalist headlines there are probably some factual data. To me this looks like it was written by a teenager who did history for his/her degree, although am probably being grossly unfair. Bah humbug!

DP1POL in Antarctica

Since changing to a 20m dipole my old work colleague G4NUA has been spotted across the world with a few watts on 20m JT65. Yesterday he was copied in Antarctica by DP1POL. In 2017 I am pretty sure he will get every continent on QRP.

This is from QRZ.com:

"DP1POL is located at the German research station "Neumayer III" in Antarctica, about 1,300 miles North of the South Pole. My home call sign is DL5XL, and I was a member of the 29th Neumayer wintering team as an electronics engineer. The station was officially inaugurated on February 20, 2009. My first assignment at "Neumayer III" lasted from December 2008 to February 2010, and I was back on the air from the same location from December 2011 to February 2012, from December 2013 to February 2014, from December 2014 to February 2015, and from November 2015 to February 2016. Another activity is planned from November 2016 to February 2017 - and I hope it will not be the last one!"

UPDATE 29.12.16 1446z: Ted G4NUA called me, but I was beaconing at the time.

Sunspots and 10m - Thursday December 29th 2016

Solar flux is 73 again today and sunspot number 14. A=6 and K=1.

Salcombe - NOT amateur radio

Many times before I have mentioned that I was brought up in Salcombe, Devon. This picture of Salcombe in the sunset was posted on Facebook yesterday by an old colleague who now lives in Dartmouth.