FT8 article for RadCom

A few weeks ago I submitted another article for possible inclusion in RadCom the RSGB's monthly magazine. It looks like this will appear in the near future. It was only short, but probably apposite. Watch this space.

Writing articles is quite enjoyable. Usually I write about things done by myself, as I find these "flow" naturally. Sadly, my poor health has meant few articles about field work of late. Let us hope this changes.

Grandkids - NOT amateur radio

At the weekend we went to Kent to see one of our sons and his family.

Our grandson was a bit under the weather, but he is much better now. My wife is on the left.

UK Rallies this Sunday

Sunday 7 OCTOBER : 45th WELSH RADIO RALLY

Rougemont School, Malpas Road, Newport,, South Wales NP20 6QB. Doors open 10am and admittance is £2.50. There will be a Bring & Buy sale, catering, lectures/seminars, talk-in, RSGB bookstall, trade stands, special interest groups, and a prize draw/raffle. Lectures: Eric Edwards, GW8LJJ - Free Digital Voice on HF; Andrew Rushton, GW0UZK - Aerial Basics. Contact Michael Rackham, GW4JKV on 01495 226 149 or rackhamone@aol.com.


Sunday 7 OCTOBER : HACK GREEN BUNKER RALLY

Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker, French Lane, Hack Green, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 8AL. This will be a sale of electronic equipment, amateur gear, components, military radio items and vehicle spares. Doors open 10am, there will be refreshments available onsite. Contact 01270 623 353, coldwar@hackgreen.co.uk www.hackgreen.co.uk.

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

20m FT8 RX

For a total change I am on 20m (14MHz) FT8 RX.  My antenna is very poor and I cannot get a good match. Even so, I am spotting JA stations.

Within an hour on 20m FT8 RX with a useless, low, antenna!

UPDATE 1252z: Too easy! Spots on 20m FT8 RX today so far. Remember my antenna is low and not even resonant!

UPDATE 1515z: At the moment, Indonesia is the best DX spotted at 11977km. Also, west coast USA is being spotted but nothing from Africa, Australia or South America. I am unfamiliar with 20m, so I do not know the best times for these.

Overnight on 472kHz WSPR

Overnight 10 different stations were spotted and 3 stations spotted my 10mW ERP. At the moment I am not active on the air.

Going backwards? - NOT amateur radio

Green Thumb are supposed look after our lawns. This year, it has been a dry summer, but every lawn we have seen in our village seems to have recovered except ours!

I wrote to Green Thumb 9 days ago. They endeavour to reply, so their computer generated reply says, within 72 hours. So far, I have had no response, so I have written again with yet more pictures. Of course, their computer replied almost instantly again to say how important we are!! Rubbish.

It is not just Green Thumb. We used to be able to ring our local bank. Now you get a call centre in India. Same with the Post Office on-line, insurances etc. It feels like no-one cares any more.

At one time letters were delivered twice a day. Sometimes, you got a letter in cities the same day you posted it.

In many ways we seem to be moving backwards.

UPDATE 2002z: Still no response from Green Thumb.

Sunspots - Thursday October 4th 2018

Solar flux is 67 today and the SSN 12. A=6 and K=0.

PR gone mad? - NOT amateur radio

Apparently one university (Manchester) has banned clapping as it can cause distress to some people. Whilst I understand this at one level, I think we are all getting a little stupid.

What next? Ban all cars because some people don't like them? Ban planes as some get frightened in them? In my view, this is PR gone mad.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-45729031

MF WSPR again

Rather earlier than previous evenings, I have QSYed to 630m WSPR (10mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground). G1GKN (54km) was spotted. I am pretty sure this is a new station, certainly this season. G4KPX (14km) has been quite active and widely received, yet I have still not spotted him! Even if my antenna was very directional, I am surprised not to have spotted him at all.

Sputnik Days

This came in from Oleg RX3G:

Reminder, tomorrow Oct 4 "Sputnik" QRPp Activity Days still begin.
Keep your ears open for Sputnik's "beep-beep-beep" and Vanguard's "V V
V..."  before  Oct  17.  See  detailed  rules  on  the Club 72 page -
club72.su  -  "Sputnik  Days"  in  menu.  Also you can see last years
results with a lot of pictures. See you on "orbit"!

72! Oleg "Mr. 72" RX3G
Duty operator of the Deep Space Communication Center :-)

Some years ago, G6ALB built a QRP 15m CW TX using old Sputnik valves. Our first CQ call resulted in a stateside QSO.  Great fun.