3 Mar 2019
2 Mar 2019
Ickworth a few days ago - NOT amateur radio
Since about Thursday it has turned far cooler, although still mild here in the UK. Tomorrow could be windy and wet.
Commercial gear for Oscar 100
It had to happen.
As soon as people realised Oscar 100, the geosynchronous satellite, worked then commercial gear started to become available. Kuhne is selling a 20W upconverter from 2m to 13cm (they will soon be selling a 3cm LNB) and another German company is selling a dual frequency dish feed. It would not surprise me if ICOM introduced the IC9700A with Oscar 100 capability built-in. It only needs a 13cm upconverter and a 10GHz downconverter. So, for under £3k the well healed commercial buying amateur can be guaranteed 24/7 DX with a small fixed dish. No towers, day and night, easy.
It has to happen. I can see ICOM and Yaesu beavering away to see who will be first. Watch this space at Dayton. I expect there will be heavily guarded prototypes got ready just in time with people busy in their labs in fear of their futures should they fail.
As soon as people realised Oscar 100, the geosynchronous satellite, worked then commercial gear started to become available. Kuhne is selling a 20W upconverter from 2m to 13cm (they will soon be selling a 3cm LNB) and another German company is selling a dual frequency dish feed. It would not surprise me if ICOM introduced the IC9700A with Oscar 100 capability built-in. It only needs a 13cm upconverter and a 10GHz downconverter. So, for under £3k the well healed commercial buying amateur can be guaranteed 24/7 DX with a small fixed dish. No towers, day and night, easy.
It has to happen. I can see ICOM and Yaesu beavering away to see who will be first. Watch this space at Dayton. I expect there will be heavily guarded prototypes got ready just in time with people busy in their labs in fear of their futures should they fail.
MLS weekend bargains
This weekend deals from MLS are for antennas. Mind you, to me these "bargains" seem expensive when a roll of cheap wire is nearly as good! Hobby?
See https://www.hamradio.co.uk/ .
See https://www.hamradio.co.uk/ .
2m FT8
For about 5 minutes now I have been on 2m FT8. The only station spotted here so far (on the big wheel omni) is ON4KHG (312km). Yet again my own 2.5W CQ was widely spotted including by stations in Devon and Cornwall (yet again). Most days I average around 7 countries spotted on 2m FT8 RX.
UPDATE 1310z: So far today, 24 stations in 4 countries spotted here on 2m FT8 RX with the big-wheel omni antenna.
UPDATE 1810z: Now 51 stations in 6 countries spotted today on 2m FT8 RX. Best DX spotted here is DF6PW (673km).
UPDATE 1933z: Now 57 stations spotted here on 2m FT8 RX.
UPDATE 2156z: Now 59 stations spotted today on 2m FT8 RX. Off to bed shortly, but will leave things connected.
UPDATE 1310z: So far today, 24 stations in 4 countries spotted here on 2m FT8 RX with the big-wheel omni antenna.
UPDATE 1810z: Now 51 stations in 6 countries spotted today on 2m FT8 RX. Best DX spotted here is DF6PW (673km).
UPDATE 1933z: Now 57 stations spotted here on 2m FT8 RX.
UPDATE 2156z: Now 59 stations spotted today on 2m FT8 RX. Off to bed shortly, but will leave things connected.
More Italian food - NOT amateur radio
160m FT8 RX
Yet again, I was on 160m FT8 overnight, but only spotted 2 North Americans that got reported (by me) to PSKreporter maps. Best DX spotted here was AB4GE (6903km). The internet was flaky here overnight, so some stations spotted may not have been reported. I shall have to see if more 160m North Americans were received and not reported.
Either the season is coming to an end, last night was a bad one or the internet was off.
This morning just DL9BBE (476km) spotted on 160m FT8 RX.
Either the season is coming to an end, last night was a bad one or the internet was off.
This morning just DL9BBE (476km) spotted on 160m FT8 RX.
Sunspots - Saturday March 2nd 2019
Solar flux is 70 today and the sunspot number still zero. A=24 and K=3.
Still forecasting we've passed the solar minimum
According to the latest data I have, the forecast is still that we have passed the solar minimum and have started climb to the next maximum. The start is slow at first but gathers pace. Of course you cannot be certain until after the event!
Certainly looking just at sunspot numbers, you could be forgiven for thinking we are right at sunspot minimum at the moment. The sun is still spotless.
See http://www.solen.info/solar/ .
Certainly looking just at sunspot numbers, you could be forgiven for thinking we are right at sunspot minimum at the moment. The sun is still spotless.
See http://www.solen.info/solar/ .
1 Mar 2019
160m FT8 RX
Within 30 seconds I spotted more stations on 160m FT8 than all day on 10m FT8. At the moment, 45 stations spotted this evening on 160m FT8 with best DX 4K6FO (3964km).
UPDATE 1956z: Now 106 stations spotted on 160m FT8 RX this evening.
UPDATE 2204z: I think I have just spotted a pirate on 160m FT8. Strange that a station purporting to be Japanese is widely copied in Europe, but gets not a single spot from Japan!! Also, the idiot decides to operate on 1.84kHz which the Japanese are not allowed to TX on. So far this evening 233 stations spotted on 160m FT8 RX using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground.
UPDATE 1956z: Now 106 stations spotted on 160m FT8 RX this evening.
UPDATE 2204z: I think I have just spotted a pirate on 160m FT8. Strange that a station purporting to be Japanese is widely copied in Europe, but gets not a single spot from Japan!! Also, the idiot decides to operate on 1.84kHz which the Japanese are not allowed to TX on. So far this evening 233 stations spotted on 160m FT8 RX using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground.
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