Growing - NOT amateur radio

Our amaryllis from last winter continues to thrive.

This picture was taken a few minutes ago. Barring any disasters (like the grandchildren tipping it over) it should flower in the next few weeks.

And to think we nearly gave up on it!

Maplin

There are rumours going around that Maplin is in trouble. Over the years I have bought the odd things from their Cambridge store including coax.

These days you can buy many things directly from China at lower cost, often with free postage. In the last week I bought 3 lens caps for a camera from Hong Kong for a total price of £2.97 with free airmail postage. They fit perfectly and I cannot fault the service. A while back, I bought a 40m CW Pixie transceiver from China for less than the price of just the crystal here in the UK.

If Maplin goes it will be a sad day. However, the retail market is changing. If we don't use these shops they will close, like bookshops, Woolworths, BHS, banks and other stores. Those that adapt have some chance. Those that do not, or cannot, will fail.

472kHz

For the last few nights I have given this band a miss. I seem to spot the same stations again and again. Someone pointed me towards 2m FT8 and that is where I have been looking lately. There is no doubt I shall return to 136kHz and 472kHz, but I think I need to sort out a better antenna on these bands!

2m FT8 RX

Overnight, I stayed on 2m FT8 RX. Even in the last hour I have copied 13 unique stations in 6 countries with best DX DK2DTF (644km).

The map shows the stations copied on 2m FT8 RX in the last day.

UPDATE 1212z: 26 unique stations in the last 6 hours!

UPDATE 1325z: Now 30 uniques in last 6 hours..

UPDATE 2100z: Just checked clock is sync'd to internet time, so I can remain monitoring overnight on 2m FT8. Still spotting lots of stations.

Sunspots - Saturday February 24th 2018

Solar flux is 70 today and the sunspot number remains zero. I expect it will be zero, or close to zero, for years now until we start cycle 25.  A=16 and K=3.

FT818 MLS Price

The first indications of price are out. MLS says deliveries are expected April and their price £599.95.  From the specs provided by MLS it uses a NiMH battery pack, 6W RF (big deal), superhet RX and no mention of DSP or speech compression. Either MLS don't know much or these features are absent.

Are Yaesu getting desperate? Reading what is published, this a seriously unimpressive radio. I very much hope there is more - a lot more or this will bomb and Yaesu too.

There is so much riding on this and all Yaesu can do is provide a minor upgrade to a transceiver that is 18 years old? Yaesu, please get real! Look at your competitors!

Honestly, I am seriously under-whelmed.

See https://www.hamradio.co.uk/ .
See also: http://qrznow.com/yaesu-ft-818-6w-hfvhfuhf-all-mode-portable-transceiver/

Treat time - NOT amateur radio

Last week we treated our grandchildren to meals at our local farm shop. This is 2 of them enjoying a rather special drink.

Declining solar activity

We are heading downwards to the next solar minimum with plenty of spotless days ahead. What the next peak will bring is not clearly known, but don't hold your breath!

According to Southgate News we were grazed by a solar outburst which caused some unusual activity in the Earth's magnetic field.

See http://spaceweather.com/ .
See http://southgatearc.org/news/2018/february/unusual-oscillations-in-earths-magnetic-field.htm#.WpBGv0x2vIU .

10m WSPR TX

More in hope than expectation, I turned on my 10m WSPR beacon (500mW) at just before 1530z. I wonder if anyone will spot me today?

UPDATE 1658z: No spots today on 10m WSPR TX.

UPDATE 222oz: No spots at all today. Soon be time to turn the beacon off.

2m FT8 RX

As previous days, I am again on 144.174MHz FT8 RX. So far today 17 unique stations in 6 countries. Best DX is DK1VC (503km).

UPDATE 1405z: Now 21 uniques.

UPDATE 1515z: Now 23 uniques in the last 12 hours. I am totally impressed that my ultra-simple set up can spot stations so easily and so well on 2m VHF. I am also surprised how many 2m stations are using FT8.

UPDATE 1532z: I tried calling a few 2m FT8 stations, but without success, so I have gone back to RX only. Now 24 uniques today in last 12 hours.

UPDATE 1602z: Best DX now DK0IZ (643km) in JO43 square north of Hamburg at -16dB S/N. Now 29 uniques in last 12 hours.

UPDATE 1833z:  Best DX now DK2DTF (644km) near, or in, Frankfurt. Now 35 uniques in last 12 hours.

UPDATE 2230z: Best DX is now DJ6AG (689km) in Lower Saxony, Germany.