Copyright - NOT amateur radio

If you believe I have infringed your copyright, please let me know right away so the offending material can be removed.

Whenever possible, I try to avoid posting material that infringes copyright. If I slip up, please accept my sincere apologies and let me know what I did wrong. I never intentionally infringe copyright, but I am human and can make mistakes.

Just tell me so I can remove whatever it is that is an issue - no arguments, it will go. Occasionally, I link to pictures on other sites, so the image is linked but not on this blog. I think this is OK, but if not tell me so I can quickly put things right.

Have a laugh - NOT amateur radio

Although I am theoretically on Twitter, I do not really use it, but get sent an email daily. This caption made me laugh and laugh. I understand the BBC corrected the error as soon as they noticed it.

Balloon Tracking

High altitude balloon tracking is an aspect of our hobby I have never tried, although I know some are really into this. As they say, you cannot do everything. ATV is another aspect I have never tried and satellite comms I have only "dabbled" with. Today, Southgate News has a link to an introduction to high altitude ballooning, which is well worth a read if ballooning "floats your boat".

See http://www.daveakerman.com/?p=1732 .

Judging by the comments, this is quite an old post, but worth a read.

Fen sky - NOT amateur radio

This morning we went for a walk at Wicken Fen (National Trust). It was cold and very frosty with a bright blue sky. In fact it was a perfect January morning. The picture shows the excellent skies we get in East Anglia. Wicken Fen is famous for the bittern and its dragonflies. The boardwalk was quite icy, so we avoided this where possible

10m JT65

In the last few minutes I QSYed from 630m to 10m JT65. No spots as yet.

UPDATE 1518z: I am having problems reaching PSKreporter maps, so have been unable to see if there are any 10m JT65 spots today so far today.

UPDATE 1712z: Zero 10m spots today. It is a full week now since I have been spotted on 10m JT65 and this is not conditions, rather lack of activity!

Sunspots and 10m - Sunday January 22nd 2017

Solar flux is 86 today and the sunspot number a respectable 67. A=11 and K=3.

We might get some decent 10m propagation, but will there be activity?

Not a bad session on 472kHz WSPR

Overnight, I was spotted in 5 countries by 11 unique stations on 472kHz WSPR. As usual, I get a measured 5mW ERP on TX from my earth-electrode "antenna". The power from the transverter is about 12W into 50 ohms.

Just about anyone could get on this band with WSPR with a similar set-up. Big antennas and great earth systems are nice, but are not a prerequisite to get started on the band.

472kHz homebrew transverter

Uniques on 472kHz WSPR overnight on TX (5mW ERP)

QSY to 630m WSPR

Around 2100z I QSYed to 630m (472kHz) WSPR from 10m JT65. At the moment I am on battery power, so the RX noise floor is low. Later, I shall be on the SMPSU so although the 5mW ERP may be spotted, only the strongest stations will be spotted here.

UPDATE 2118z:  Just locals (out to 80km) spotting me, but I have spotted DH5RAE (995km). The WSPRnet database shows 111 stations active on 630m WSPR, but just 19 of these on TX.

Early evening spots on 472kHz WSPR

UPDATE 2330z: For about 30 minutes now I have been using the shack PSU with the mains PSU charging the batteries. Although 80% RX I am "deaf" because of my S8 noise floor.

First sunspot of cycle 25 spotted

Now, please don't get excited as the peak (such as it will be) is years and years away but there are reports of the first sunspot of the new cycle spotted. This has a different polarity to those of cycle 24.

See http://qrznow.com/fast-solar-solar-wind-first-sunspot-of-a-new-cycle/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

EME

Moonbounce (EME) impresses me as I know some work really hard to optimise their stations to achieve this most difficult aspect of our hobby. In recent years it has become a little easier (although still hard) with the advent of digital modes optimised for EME paths.

Jan, LA3EQ posted a video on YouTube showing his SSB reception of HB9Q via the moon. Amazing!