More OFCOM crappery

You will be amazed to hear from OFCOM that the first stage of their microwave spectrum auction has been completed. I guess this keeps the children off the streets and reporting this beats doing real work (for which a knowledge of RF is needed).

Sadly, all that seems to matter these days is money: everything else seems not to matter.

See http://ofcom.cmail19.com/t/ViewEmail/i/D93ACA184E8C41FF2540EF23F30FEDED/59D1BD3EA2F08127C67FD2F38AC4859C

10m FT8

Despite the poor prospects for 10m, I am on 10m FT8 RX today, ever hopeful. As yet, nothing spotted.

UPDATE 1256z:  Just G4HZW (210km) and G4CJC (74km) spotted so far on 10m FT8 RX. I suspect these come in by tropo.  In flat conditions I could usually work quite distant Gs  with 10W SSB on 10m. With FT8, both these stations are within range.

UPDATE 1506z: Just 3 Gs spotted on 10m FT8 RX today. Not that surprising.

Sunspots - Thursday April 5th 2018

Solar flux remains at 67 with the sunspot number still zero. A=5 and K=2. Poor!

15m QRP

Way back in 1984 I designed and built the Pipit 15m 800mW CW transceiver. For months it was the only rig I used. Some good DX was worked. It was written up in GQRP SPRAT in the days before PCs! Years later the box was used for something else. Taking it apart is now regrettable.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/15m_pipit

Virgin Media - NOT amateur radio

A friend of mine recommended the new V6 TIVO box. So, I ordered one which arrived today with a new hub, all free.

Installing it was easy, but there is a fault: every few seconds the signal on the TV seems to cut out. I never had this problem on the old box. Yes, I reset the hub and the V6 TIVO, but the issue remains.

Internet broadband seems faster and seems faultless. VM is sending out an engineer on Friday morning. Let's hope they fix it as VM is unusable on TV currently.

Keen photographer - NOT amateur radio

Our son is a keen photographer. This is him in our garden on March 26th. The sun must have made a brief appearance! He came up for a few days with his family.

2m FT8 RX

This is the mode I have used since breakfast.

So far (at 0912z) 6 unique stations in 4 countries with best DX PD0HIM (452km).

UPDATE 0948z: Now  8 uniques in 5 countries with best DX GM4JJJ (489km).

UPDATE 1327z: Now 21 uniques in 6 countries spotted today on 2m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1920z: Now 37 uniques in 8 countries today on 2m FT8 RX. DK1VC (503km) is the best DX.

Heathkit Twoer and similar rigs

Back in the 1960s I always wanted a Heathkit Twoer 2m AM transceiver. I even bought the manual, although I never did get a rig.

The RX was a super-regen, which was just about OK in the early 1960s on 2m as activity was low. These days, there is very little AM on the band, sadly, and the poor selectivity would almost certainly be a real limitation.

There was just something about the "style" that appealed. Even now, I still like the "lunchbox" look. From a historical viewpoint, these are interesting. They also did versions for 11m,10m and 6m

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

Sunspots - Wednesday April 4th 2018

Solar flux is 67 (low) and the sunspot number zero (it can't get any lower!). A=4 and K=0.

472kHz

Later this evening, I'll probably try 472kHz WSPR RX again.

Before next season I really ought to improve my antenna and RX sensitivity. My antennas are basically poor at MF and I know I can do so much better.

My major problem is I need physical help these days as I am not as fit as I once was. But, as they say in Yorkshire, " mustn't grumble".  😊