Rallies

Saturday 6 APRIL : GMDX CONVENTION

Afternoon lectures on DX and technical subjects, in the evening the DX Dinner. www.gmdx.org.uk.


Sunday 7 APRIL : CAMBRIDGE REPEATER GROUP RALLY

Foxton Village Hall, Hardman Road, Foxton, Cambridge CB22 6RN. Car parking is free. Doors open 9.30am for public entry and 7.30am for traders. Entry is £2. There will be a talk in station. You will see traders a Bring & Buy and an RSGB bookstall. Catering is available on site - the burger van has been booked. Contact Lawrence M0LCM on 07941 972 724, email rally2019@cambridgerepeaters.net www.cambridgerepeaters.net.


Sunday 7 APRIL : YEOVIL ARC 35th QRP CONVENTION

Digby Hall, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3AA. Doors open 9.30am to 3pm, admission is £3. The event is supported by the RSGB, RAFARSand BYLARA. There will be club stands as well as new and 2nd hand stalls. Two talks are scheduled during the day; A Remarkable Very Young Lady Radio Amateur and An Introduction of Mag Loops. Regrettably only Guide Dogs can be admitted. Refreshments will be available on site. Bob Harris, G8UED wjh069@gmail.com or secretary@yeovil-arc.com [http:// Yeovil-arc.com].


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

160m FT8 RX overnight

When I went to bed the internet was off. I have no idea how long it was off in the night, so what follows will not include stations spotted that were not uploaded to PSKreporter maps.

In all, 180 stations spotted here (and reported to PSKreporter) which included 5 North Americans with best DX KC5FFV (7612km) in Texas. No doubt there would have been others too. The Texan was spotted in the middle of the night.

Stations spotted here on 160m FT8 overnight with 

the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground.

10m FT8

Shortly, I shall QSY to 10m FT8.

In the end yesterday on 10m FT8 I spotted 4 stations in 3 countries. Interestingly, the CT and EA were working "real" DX (VP8 and ZS) that I could not copy here. This is obviously some F2 propagation further south. OK, my 10m antenna could be better, so I could probably spot more with a better antenna.

UPDATE 0906z: Have been on 10m FT8 for about 15 minutes. Guess what? No spots!

UPDATE 0937z: Real DX (not)! G1NHG (5km) spotted. Well, I am grateful to spot anyone.

UPDATE 1115z: IU0MBJ (1471km) spotted. Es?

UPDATE 1306z: F5OHM (631km) spotted.

UPDATE 1450z: DL5XL (563km) spotted.

Sunspots - Thursday April 4th 2019

Solar flux is 69 and the sunspot number 17. A=12 and K=2.

160m FT8 RX

For about the last 25 minutes I have been on 160m FT8 RX. Yet again, there are loads of Europeans. It will be interesting to see what comes in from "over the pond" tonight on the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. The last time I tried a few nights ago, a surprising number were spotted.

UPDATE 2131z: So far, 136 stations spotted this evening with best DX on 160m FT8 RX being R8CA (3788km) in Asiatic Russia.

Brunei - NOT amateur radio

When it comes to relationships all I think that matters is that the partners are happy in the relationship, so I was shocked that Brunei has introduced seemingly medieval laws that take us back many centuries. Perhaps in the 1300s, but in the 21st century? Barbaric comes to mind. Brunei - bad press? Their fault.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-47769964

Malicious Adverts - NOT amateur radio

OK, grumpy old man time again!

Have you noticed how many ads say things like, "seniors in XYZ are astounded by SUCH AND SUCH hearing aids" or "never pay for TV ever again" or "do you know that SUCH AND SUCH bank has put aside £40B for PPI claims".

This sort of pernicious advert makes me wild. I don't know about you, but I think they all should be banned. They are meant to convince you that you are in a stupid minority. In actual fact it is just another marketing angle. Ignore them all!

Rant over. I feel better now! 😏

East Cambs Net

East Cambs Net - 144.575MHz vertical FM (in the all mode section). This will in future meet at 7.30pm UK clock time on Wednesdays. Discussions on various subjects (nothing too technical!) rarely go beyond 30 minutes. Newcomers are ALWAYS welcome. Feel free to call in if you are in the area.

Margaret are you grieving.... NOT amateur radio

As one gets older thoughts turn to human mortality. All of us dies - this is more certain than BREXIT day.

One poem, spoken to a young child, that hits me is by Gerard Manley Hopkins, a metaphysical poet. You may know it. We are on this earth for a very short time really. Deep down, our mortality hits us in the pit of our stomachs.  Are we really just dust?

See https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44400/spring-and-fall

10m FT8

Although I am not sure why I bother, I have just (1033z) QSYed to 10m FT8. Yesterday was dire with just one UK station spotted. Today would be hard-pressed to be worse! At first I called CQ (2.5W), although I am now RX only. Guess what? No spots!

UPDATE 1447z: Well 10m FT8 RX is on a par with yesterday! So far, just 1 G spotted and no-one else. This was G0OYQ (177km).

UPDATE 1635z: Es? EB5GC (1593km) just spotted.