South Devon - NOT amateur radio

Where I originate from in South Devon is a beautiful, unspoilt part. There are some great cliff walks. We have an unbroken family tree hereabouts back to the mid 1500s and one record of land ownership here in 1428. In all probability my ancestors were here thousands of years ago.

UK Weather - NOT amateur radio

At my recent U3AC course in Cambridge on "Weather and Climate" we always started the sessions with the Met Office surface pressure charts. These can be animated so you can see the pressure map and fronts coming our way over the following few days.

See https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/surface-pressure/#?tab=surfacePressureColour&fcTime=1522108800

Actually there is a lot more data on the Met Office site, which is worth exploring.

472kHz - getting started

I have had a great deal of fun on 472kHz even with a very low ERP (10mW ERP). Most nights I run my shack PC on batteries as the SMPSU charging the laptop battery produces an S7 noise floor. Most nights I am spotted in Norway on WSPR. On RX, the PC is good for most of the night on batteries. I use my simple 472kHz transverter (10-15W into 50 ohms) that has been in QST and the RSGB book "LF Today". It is a very interesting band even if your antennas are, like mine, really useless for MF. Compromise antennas really do work!

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/mflf/472khz_tvtr

2m FT8 RX yet again

Yet again, I am on 2m FT8 RX. Although only 0804z I have spotted 6 unique stations in 3 countries already.

UPDATE 1108z: I suspect something is wrong with PSKreporter or my shack PC has not been connecting to the internet as it is now showing fewer stations than before!

UPDATE 1200z: Well I turned off the shack PCB and reset the clock and all seems to be well, now at least. Now 7 uniques spotted in 4 countries in the last 6 hours.

UPDATE 1532z: Every time I put out a CQ call on 2m FT8 I get spotted by G4RRA (334km) in Devon.  Every time, despite 2.5W and my big-wheel omni antenna. 2m FT8 really gets me unimaginable distances.

UPDATE 1820z: Now 35 uniques in 6 countries.

UPDATE 2025z: 45 uniques in 6 countries with best DX spotted DK0IZ (642km) north of Hamburg. I am beginning to wonder if 2m FT8 has peaked. There were fewer stations spotted today, so perhaps people now know what is possible and are looking elsewhere?

Sunspots - Tuesday March 27th 2018

Solar flux is 67 today and the sunspot number zero still. A=12 and K=3.

Stroke update - NOT amateur radio

Not much seems to have changed recently, so this update still applies.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/stroke

Painted rocks - NOT amateur radio

I may have mentioned this before, but there is a craze for finding painted pebbles in our village. They may be found anywhere. The idea is to find one, post a photo on a Facebook, then re-hide it.

My grandson found one yesterday as the photo shows. It has been re-hidden in a different place. It is especially popular with children.

Virtual Amateur Radio

This has never really "floated my boat", but it may appeal to some especially when HF conditions are poor.  Also, if you just want to chat this may appeal. Unlike "real" radio, this does not need real transceivers or HF propagation. Instead the "bearer" is the internet.

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

Sunspots - Monday March 26th 2018

Solar flux is 68 and the sunspot number zero still. A=16 and K=3.

On 2m FT8 again

This mode/band never fails. Although only 0934z I have already spotted 16 unique stations in 4 countries. A recent TX period (2.5W) resulted in a couple of spots with the best being in Devon.

UPDATE 1910z: 62 uniques in 7 countries so far today on 2m FT8.

UPDATE 2112z: 71 uniques in 7 countries currently on 2m FT8 today.