MLS blunder?

The latest RadCom has an MLS advert for a 5W HF SDR transceiver from MyDel. If you read the ad (scroll down) it looks like MLS may have made a booby! The price looked very good. I suspect this was a Chinese transceiver judging by the price. It looks like the Chinese copied the design, which was not copyrighted, allegedly. I hope this ends in a good outcome for all parties.

See https://www.hamradio.co.uk/sdr-mydel/mydel/mydel-rs-918-compact-sdr-transceiver-pd-8208.php

10m FT8 RX

Spots of stations in England, Italy and Solvenia so far on 10m FT8. This is still with the rc1 WSJT-x software.

UPDATE 1120z: So far this morning I have spotted 15 different stations, right across Europe plus Israel on 10m FT8. This is making me wonder. Are there lots of short 10m openings that we'd miss on SSB or CW? Certainly FT8 seems to find them. It is mid-October, yet there is plenty on 10m FT8. And the sunspot number has been zero for days! All this goes to prove that 10m is often much better than a casual look might lead you to believe. FT8 does seem to be magic, and just what we need!

UPDATE 1555z: 10m FT8 RX has been good today.

UPDATE 2115z: Well I have just got in and switched to 630m WSPR transceive. 10m FT8 was good today with 4 continents spotted and the sunspot number is still zero!

Sunspots - Thursday October 12th 2017

Solar flux is 70 today and the sunspot number is still zero. A=30 and K=4.

630m WSPR overnight (again)

ATU for 630m

I was again transmitting on 630m WSPR yesterday evening and overnight. As well as spots by  G3KEV (232km) I was also spotted by LA3EQ (769km) up in Norway 6 times.

Yesterday, I calculated my ERP based on certain assumptions about effective antenna height and the measured antenna current. I'll post this separately. It is certainly low milliwatts!

The second photo shows the transverter used on 630m. Although it puts out about 12W into a 50 ohm load, the actual ERP is very low. The PA is an IRF510 MOSFET. This was replaced.

OFCOM and 700MHz

OFCOM is clearing 700MHz spectrum for other users by 2020.

See http://ofcom.cmail20.com/t/ViewEmail/i/1C4063A92E869B742540EF23F30FEDED/59D1BD3EA2F08127C67FD2F38AC4859C

RSGB Convention

13-15 OCTOBER 2017 : RSGB CONVENTION
Kent's Hill Park Training and Conference Centre, Swallow House, Timbold Drive, Kent's Hill Park, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK7 6BZ. The Convention programme of lectures for all interests will be available on the website. Principal sponsor Martin Lynch & Sons. www.rsgbevents.org.

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

Sunspots - Wednesday October 11th 2017

Solar flux is 71 today and the sunspot number remains zero. A=4 and K=5.

630m WSPR TX

As mentioned yesterday, I managed to mend my 630m transverter and was on 630m WSPR TX last evening and overnight. This s the first time this autumn. My antenna is rubbish! It is the coax to my 2m big-wheel tuned with a ferrite rod ATU. Quite a bit of the run is les than 1m over the ground. For the earth side I am using the mains plug earth.

Much to my surprise (I thought I'd be lucky to get any spots!) I was spotted in Norway by LA3EQ (769km) amongst others. If I can get such reports then anyone can! It is a fun band and there are starting to be some FT8 contacts, which of course are 2-way.

10m FT8

Although I have been on 10m FT8 receive since breakfast, the only spot, so far, is of EA8NL (2986km) in the Canary Is. at lunch time.  I assume this was F2 propagation.

630m WSPR TX (20%) - reports please

Having fixed my little transverter, I am back on 630m TX (and RX). All reports would be much appreciated as my ERP will be very low.

UPDATE 1942z: LA8AV (1035km) has been spotted 6 times so far, but no spots yet of my own QRPP signal, but I keep trying! Earlier, there was a strong station on 630m FT8. I presume this was G3KEV.

UPDATE 2115z: G4MEM (230km) in IO94 square was my first report on 630m TX this season. And this was on a very poor antenna and ground. ERP was low millliwatts - not yet accurately calculated. My work on the transverter worked!