Sunday Rally

10 SEPTEMBER 2017 : TORBAY ANNUAL COMMUNICATIONS FAIR
Newton Abbot Racecourse, Devon TQ12 3AF Plenty of free parking on site. Doors open 10am with disabled visitors gaining access at 9.30am. Entry is £2. There will be a Bring & Buy and an RSGB bookstand. Catering is available on site. There will be a raffle held on the day. To book tables call Pete, G4VTO on 01803 864 528 or Mike, G1TUU on 01803 557 941, email rally@tars.org.uk
A list of rallies can be found at http://rsgb.org/main/news/rallies/

Es (late)

It is now autumn and Es peaks May, June, July. Maybe there are now more people on WSPR, FT8 and the like, but we seem to be getting 10m and 6m Es still. I know Es can occur at any time, but this year the season does appear to be longer.

Maybe these digital modes are allowing us to catch openings that we would have missed previously? The fact that so many are now looking in the same narrow slots of spectrums must increase chances of catching very brief openings.  Of course, some paths on 10m could be F layer. Some 10m/6m brief openings could be MS.

Leaving the EU - NOT amateur radio

It was never going to be easy, but I detect a note of "sour grapes" on the part of the EU. Fewer big countries remain to finance the experiment and they are peeved we are leaving. I detect a note of bitterness.

Many (including me) voted to remain, but a majority wanted to leave. In the situation, we have to forge a new way forward in the world that is fair for all.

Tough negotiations are ahead, but I hope both sides come to an adult and just deal. Both sides are not served by a poor outcome.

Time - NOT amateur radio

Years ago, someone once told me that time appears to go faster as you get older. Well, they were right! I am not sure where this year has gone, but it seems to have whizzed by. It is already September 7th and it seems no time at all since last Christmas. Summer? When was that? I missed it! If anything it says milk each moment. Enjoy the now.

Rally and BATC convention at the weekend

9 SEPTEMBER 2017 : CAISTER LIFEBOAT RADIO RALLY
Doors open 9.30am to 3pm, traders get access at 8am. Indoor tables £10 per table, outside pitches £5 per table. There will be a raffle. A cafe and gift shop is onsite. Contact Zane, 0771 1214 790 or email m1bfidx@ntlworld.com www.m1bfidx.wixsite.com/cl-radio-rally

9 & 10 SEPTEMBER 2017 : BATC CONVENTION (CAT 17)
Finningley Amateur Radio Society, The Hurst Communications Centre, Belton Road, Sandtoft, Doncaster DN8 5SX

A list of rallies can be found at http://rsgb.org/main/news/rallies/

Canterbury - NOT amateur radio

Earlier this week, we took our "Kent" grandchildren into Canterbury on the bus. Whilst there, we bought them a drink and a bun in a café near Canterbury cathedral.

6m FT8 RX

Since before breakfast I have been on 6m FT8 RX. So far, just G and ON spotted. These are probably tropo or aircraft reflections.

UPDATE 1158z: LA7DFA (1312km) just spotted on 6m FT8. Es?

UPDATE 1350z: Already 5 countries spotted today on 6m FT8 RX as far apart as southern France and Norway.

UPDATE 1650z:  So far, on 6m FT8 RX 8 countries today.

10m WSPR TX (500mW)

Since before breakfast, I have been on 10m WSPR TX. No spots as yet, although there were late spots last night from Germany and Italy.

UPDATE 0936z: Just one spot so far on 10m WSPR by OF3NE (1737km) in Finland.

UPDATE 0956z: EA8BFK (2880km) is now my best report DXwise on 10m WSPR today. South America later?

UPDATE 1652z: So far today my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon has been received by 7 unique stations. Considering the Es season has (supposedly) ended this is not at all bad.

Sunspots - Thursday September 7th 2017

Solar flux is 127 (high) today and the sunspot number 79. A=11 and K=4.

Pye PF8

Many years ago I was part of the design team working on the PF8 transceiver. In its day (before mobile phones) it was a radical design and probably "ahead of the game" as they say. It used a radical internal antenna (a skeleton slot) which I designed along with the TX audio. In those days we had no real competition and it took a long time to overcome the noise issues with the DC-DC converter. It was the first Pye Telecom unit to use a multi-layer PCB. It became famous as the transceivers used in the TV series "The Professionals". PF8 units are very hard to find these days, but some have been converted to 70cm amateur use.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/pf8 .