Later this weekend, I hope to have another video on my G3XBM YouTube channel. Someone suggested a walkthrough of the shack and antennas with me commentating. This I have done, although I need to put these clips together with MovieMaker, which I think is on an old PC.
My voice is bad these days, so I apologise in advance. Maybe you will have to watch a few times if you miss the odd word. If I can, I'll explain things in words on the screen if I can remember how to do this! As I said, should be ready later this weekend.
Like buses, you wait for ages, then several come along.
UPDATE 2225z: For reasons I don't understand, MovieMaker would not allow me to save the video. Over the weekend I may try a different package if I can find one.
2 Nov 2018
"He who casts the first stone..." - NOT amateur radio
Oh to be always right!
Mind you, he is a genius and women really love him. Well, these must be true as he said so, allegedly. Iran, I am sure is not perfect. Are the USA and the UK perfect?
See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-46071747
Mind you, he is a genius and women really love him. Well, these must be true as he said so, allegedly. Iran, I am sure is not perfect. Are the USA and the UK perfect?
See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-46071747
UK Pound v. Euro - NOT amateur radio
Volatility. This best sums up the situation. Recently, the Pound has been clawing back some of its recent losses against the Euro, although until BREXIT is sorted we can expect big swings up and down.
Solar conditions
Every month I look out for the solar numbers for the last month and the latest forecasts for solar cycle 25, especially to see the latest "expert" views on the timing of the minimum and the size of the next peak. The best place I find is http://www.solen.info/solar/.
Although the "experts" are saying we are already at, or very near, solar minimum, the graphs could be interpreted as the minimum continuing for another year or so. If you know of better predictions, please let us know.
According to http://www.solen.info/solar/cycle25_spots.html the minimum is expected to be between August 2018 and February 2019 i.e. now.
"As of September 2018 the strength of the polar fields hints at a cycle 25 with a magnitude slightly stronger than that of cycle 24." This is a quote from the above website.
Although the "experts" are saying we are already at, or very near, solar minimum, the graphs could be interpreted as the minimum continuing for another year or so. If you know of better predictions, please let us know.
According to http://www.solen.info/solar/cycle25_spots.html the minimum is expected to be between August 2018 and February 2019 i.e. now.
"As of September 2018 the strength of the polar fields hints at a cycle 25 with a magnitude slightly stronger than that of cycle 24." This is a quote from the above website.
472kHz WSPR
Overnight was only average.
On 472kHz WSPR RX 16 stations spotted with LA1TN (1269km) as the best DX. On TX just 6 stations (all in England) spotted my 10mW ERP.
On 472kHz WSPR RX 16 stations spotted with LA1TN (1269km) as the best DX. On TX just 6 stations (all in England) spotted my 10mW ERP.
Young swans - NOT amateur radio
10m FT8
An earlier CQ (2.5W) was spotted by no-one and just a single spot, so far, on FT8 RX of PA2RG (318km). I suspect this was aircraft reflection although it could be tropo.
UPDATE 1642z: Just 3 stations spotted in 3 countries on 10m FT8 today with best DX 9A7JCY (1424km) in Croatia. Dire! For me at least, this has been a bad 10m day.
UPDATE 1642z: Just 3 stations spotted in 3 countries on 10m FT8 today with best DX 9A7JCY (1424km) in Croatia. Dire! For me at least, this has been a bad 10m day.
Sunspots - Friday November 2nd 2018
The pits!
I cannot recall when solar conditions have been this bad since the last solar minimum around 2008. Solar flux is just 66 and the sunspot number zero. A=5 and K=2. Hopefully we will soon see the start of cycle 25 and somewhat better numbers.
I cannot recall when solar conditions have been this bad since the last solar minimum around 2008. Solar flux is just 66 and the sunspot number zero. A=5 and K=2. Hopefully we will soon see the start of cycle 25 and somewhat better numbers.
1 Nov 2018
472kHz WSPR
Last night was probably the best here this season with 20 stations spotted and my own 10mW ERP signal was spotted by 11 stations.
As 10m FT8 was dire today, I have already decided to QSY to 472kHz WSPR.
UPDATE 2200z: In the last 2 weeks, 30 different stations in 6 countries have been spotted with EA7HPM (1726km) as the best DX. My own 10mW ERP has been spotted by 20 different stations with the most distant being LA3EQ (769km). My only "antenna" is the earth-electrodes about 10m apart with just a low wire running back to the shack. At the old QTH running the wire on the ground made very little difference. In my view this acts as a loop in the ground at MF.
As 10m FT8 was dire today, I have already decided to QSY to 472kHz WSPR.
UPDATE 2200z: In the last 2 weeks, 30 different stations in 6 countries have been spotted with EA7HPM (1726km) as the best DX. My own 10mW ERP has been spotted by 20 different stations with the most distant being LA3EQ (769km). My only "antenna" is the earth-electrodes about 10m apart with just a low wire running back to the shack. At the old QTH running the wire on the ground made very little difference. In my view this acts as a loop in the ground at MF.
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