My main website

A reminder that there is a lot of information on my main website at www.g3xbm.co.uk . This includes quite a few building projects as well as details of past and present experiments. These pages get updated periodically. Most projects are not complex as I don't do "difficult".

Sunspots - Thursday March 29th 2018

Solar flux is 68 today and the sunspot number 0. A=3 and K=0.

LF/MF chat mode?

One of the drawbacks of WSPR is that it is really a weak signal beaconing mode not really suited to chatting. Southgate News has details of a mode created in New Zealand that is aimed at LF/MF chats. It is said to be almost as good as WSPR in terms of its weak signal capability. As yet, I have not tried it.

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2018/march/lf-mf-mode-with-synchronous-decoder.htm#.Wru5JUxFzIU

OFCOM publishes its annual plan

OFCOM has publicised its annual plan.

See https://www.ofcom.org.uk/consultations-and-statements/category-1/proposed-annual-plan-2018-19

Sunspots - Wednesday March 28th 2018

Solar flux is 67 today and the sunspot number 0. A=9 and K=1.

2m FT8

After a very brief period on TX calling CQ (3 spots with best DX G4RRA (334km) in Devon) on 2m FT8, I have returned to RX only. As usual, I am using 2.5W to an omnidirectional horizontal big-wheel antenna. No spots yet on RX. I have only been on for a few minutes so far.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/antennas/bigwheel

UPDATE 0940z: So far just one spot on RX ON8NT (252km).

UPDATE 1145z: 12 uniques in 3 countries so far today on 2m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1604z: Now 33 uniques in 5 countries om 2m FT8 RX today.

UPDATE 2108z: In the end, 47 uniques spotted in 5 countries. Time to go QRT now.  I definitely get the impression that people now know what can be done under flat conditions on 2m FT8 and are moving away. I suspect 6m FT8 activity will increase during the Es season. I suspect FT8 will supersede JT65.

Free range breakfast - NOT amateur radio

In the last few days we had a short visit from our son and family in Kent.

Our grandson brought some of the free range eggs from the chickens they keep.

The photo shows me enjoying one for breakfast.

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