The last time I tried 70cm FT8 the results were abysmal with no spots! I can now run a bit more power on TX, so may well try again tomorrow (Thursday August 1st 2019).
If you want to give it a go, I should be on most of the day on 432.174MHz FT8. Some of the time I shall try TX. I think I shall try horizontal polarisation.
31 Jul 2019
Bell flowers - NOT amateur radio
This bell flower (sorry I do not know the Latin name) is growing on our patio. At the moment, it is looking good.
Clematis - NOT amateur radio
In the long run this "heavy" pruning was probably a good thing. Hopefully, there will be some attractive flowers on it next year, if not this.
Pye PF1 transceivers
We used 995 signal generators at that time and, boy, did they drift! For the first hour or so they were unusable and you might as well drink coffee and wait.
The PF1 was a 2 unit UHF transceiver widely used by the UK police in the late 1960s. Some were converted to 70cms. I remember putting a 2m super-regen RX in a PF1 RX case.
This challenge was set by Mike Gotch who was later G0IMG (now SK). Apparently Mike was a pirate in his early days. In later years he was a keen 6m man.
See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/pf1
See also http://www.pyetelecomhistory.org/
6m FT8
As the storm risk locally is low, I am about to turn on 6m FT8, mostly RX. It is getting late in the Es season, so it will be interesting to see what comes through.
UPDATE 1019z: Initially I went on TX with 12 spots of me. My best spot was by OY1OF (1163km). On 6m FT8 RX just 3 spots so far with best being F6HGB (985km). Certainly not much early Es here today.
UPDATE 1122z: Now 7 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX today. Best DX spotted is OH8BXT (1916km).
UPDATE 1255z: Now 15 stations spotted today on 6m FT8 RX.
UPDATE 1019z: Initially I went on TX with 12 spots of me. My best spot was by OY1OF (1163km). On 6m FT8 RX just 3 spots so far with best being F6HGB (985km). Certainly not much early Es here today.
UPDATE 1122z: Now 7 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX today. Best DX spotted is OH8BXT (1916km).
UPDATE 1255z: Now 15 stations spotted today on 6m FT8 RX.
30 Jul 2019
Politics - NOT amateur radio
Although I am not basically a political animal, the shift to the right in many countries bothers me. I well know that socialism does not hold all the answers, but extremism can so easily morph into fascism and hate.
In my view, we need moderate governments in which the will of the people is well represented. In many countries there is a knee-jerk reaction to the parties on the right that promise a lot, and which mostly cannot be fulfilled.
In my view, we need moderate governments in which the will of the people is well represented. In many countries there is a knee-jerk reaction to the parties on the right that promise a lot, and which mostly cannot be fulfilled.
Simple regen RX
On my main website is the circuit of a very simple regen RX. I think mine was on 40m, but the same idea would work on most LF and MF bands. At higher frequencies the drift might be excessive. 
It is hard to make something simpler that will hear as much.
I seem to recall the late G3RJV (SK) referring to this in a PW magazine column some years ago.
There is a bigger schematic on the website. Click it and the image is bigger.
See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/regen
See also https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/feter-80m-qrpp-cw-transceiver
It is hard to make something simpler that will hear as much.I seem to recall the late G3RJV (SK) referring to this in a PW magazine column some years ago.
There is a bigger schematic on the website. Click it and the image is bigger.
See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/regen
See also https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/feter-80m-qrpp-cw-transceiver
6m FT8
As the storm risk was low here, I reconnected the rig, PSU and PC. At the moment the worst storms are further north.
12 reports of my CQ (no QSOs) and 15 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX. Best DX spot on TX was 9A5CW (1253km).
UPDATE 1555z: "One swallow does not make a summer", as they say, but it is getting late in the Es season and the only Es here today on 6m FT8 RX is from the north. I said before that my unscientific observations were that late openings seem to favour more northerly stations. Yes, we'll still see southern Europe, but it will be interesting to see if northern Europeans predominate.
UPDATE 2030z: Now QRT. In all, 18 stations spotted today on 6m FT8 RX.
12 reports of my CQ (no QSOs) and 15 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX. Best DX spot on TX was 9A5CW (1253km).
UPDATE 1555z: "One swallow does not make a summer", as they say, but it is getting late in the Es season and the only Es here today on 6m FT8 RX is from the north. I said before that my unscientific observations were that late openings seem to favour more northerly stations. Yes, we'll still see southern Europe, but it will be interesting to see if northern Europeans predominate.
UPDATE 2030z: Now QRT. In all, 18 stations spotted today on 6m FT8 RX.
Why? - NOT amateur radio
My home insurance reminder came through last week. It was far higher than last year. So, I did the same thing as last year and gave the same company a ring.
Next year's premium is now slightly less than this year. I guess they work on the assumption most people just pay. Personally, I think this is stupid and immoral. Surely it is in their interest to keep loyal customers who rarely, if ever, make a claim.
This is a silly, stupid, game.
Next year's premium is now slightly less than this year. I guess they work on the assumption most people just pay. Personally, I think this is stupid and immoral. Surely it is in their interest to keep loyal customers who rarely, if ever, make a claim.
This is a silly, stupid, game.
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