Home again - NOT amateur radio

After nine days away from home (7 in Devon and 2 stopping on the way) we are now back home again. The grass needs cutting and those annoying brown patches in the grass, although smaller, are still there! Obviously we did not have enough rain.

OFCOM annual report and accounts

The annual report and accounts for 2016/17 is now available from OFCOM.

See http://ofcom.cmail19.com/t/ViewEmail/i/F38DFBC79600293C2540EF23F30FEDED/59D1BD3EA2F08127C67FD2F38AC4859C

A dead simple regen receiver

There are plenty of designs out there (try Googling "regen"). but I offer you this simple design with very few parts. It works. You may be surprised that something so simple can hear so much.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/regen .

Sunspots - Friday July 14th 2017

Solar flux is 91 today and the sunspot number is 55. A=4 and K=1.

The 2m Fredbox

This was designed in 1974, when I was still "green behind the ears". It got rebuilt much later and still worked well.

The Sixbox came much later.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/fredbox .

Rethink over climate deal? - NOT amateur radio

Is Donald having second thoughts over climate change? I certainly hope so. On this the USA is at odds with the entire world and that can't be good for one's ego. He sounds and behaves stupidly in the eyes of the rest of the world. Come on Donald! You'll look better (more presidential) if you come into line.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40597244 .

Sixbox 6m AM QRP transceiver

As we slowly progress to "quiet sun" years, it is worth remembering that our VHF bands are useful for local QSOs. Some years ago I designed and built the Sixbox which was a very simple AM transceiver for 6m local communications. It should be easy to build and develop further - maybe with more power and a loudspeaker amp added. I am pretty sure this has been shown before.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/sixbox

Groundsman's hut - NOT amateur radio

Bolt Tail in the distance. This groundsman's hut at Thurlestone Golf Club is being rebuilt. It was a corrugated shed. I expect the next time I see it, it will be completed!  The second view is a typical Devon scene with Burgh Island in the distance.

OFCOM and 5.8GHz Wi-Fi

OFCOM has made a decision regarding 5.8GHz Wi-Fi in the UK. This now legally increases the number of 80MHz Wi-Fi channels from 4 to 6 in the UK. Their hope is the extra spectrum will help broadband.

See http://ofcom.cmail20.com/t/ViewEmail/i/380368699EAB7D432540EF23F30FEDED/59D1BD3EA2F08127C67FD2F38AC4859C

Virtual Amateur Radio? - NOT yet

On the Southgate News page is a link to a French blog extolling the virtues of virtual ham radio such as HamSphere. These use the internet rather than the ionosphere, so it is not real radio, just a simulation. You can still communicate world-wide, exchange QSL cards etc..

At the moment this not for me: I prefer the challenge of real radio and have moved over to JT65, WSPR etc. to still catch 10m and 6m DX. It is definitely getting harder and I might turn to virtual ham radio for some QSOs in the quiet years ahead.

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2017/july/10-reasons-to-go-to-virtual-amateur-radio.htm#.WWcvIbpFzIU

See also: https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/virtual/hamsphere