ARRL

The ARRL is the national organisation in the USA for radio amateurs. It is a bit like the RSGB in the UK.

For a while I joined and received their monthly magazine QST. QST is quite a big magazine, but I decided not to renew as the RSGB's RadCom seemed to be enough for me with PW and SPRAT.

See http://www.arrl.org/

Sunspots - Thursday September 5th 2019

Solar flux is 69 and the SSN 0. A=12 and K=4.

OFCOM updates

As usual, OFCOM has updated its Communications Monthly statistics on its website.

10m Simple Sideband

Before my 2013 stroke I started a project to design a very simple sideband transceiver for 10m. At that time we were several years from the solar peak. Sadly, since my stroke this has not been progressed.

10m is an ideal QRP band as antennas are small and only low power is often needed. In my mind, I see a small, easily copied, design that can be built by almost anyone for not much outlay. I'd be really happy if someone else took on this challenge and finished it off.

We are soon to be on the climb to the next sunspot peak. 10m will be good again for F2 DX, although with Es it is great most summers. There are some ideas on my website linked below. If you can do better, no worries.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/10msimple_sb

Sunspots - Wednesday September 4th 2019

Solar flux is 69 and the SSN 0. A=10 and K=3.

Secondary School - NOT amateur radio

It seems just a blink of an eye since our elder grandson was born, yet today he starts secondary school. Amazing.

I guess we'll bink and he'll be driving and blink again and he'll be married!

The moral seems to be that they are only little for a short while, so enjoy them as much as you can. We certainly have.

I guess they turn into stroppy teenagers next and won't want to see us. Ho hum.

2m FT8

Even though it is very early already one French and one German station spotted on 2m FT8 RX in the last few hours. By 0755z there were 6 stations logged, most at good range.

East Cambs net - 144.575MHz FM 8pm Mondays

Mark G7LEU's FM signal 

last night 59+60dB

After some deliberation, we decided to go back to our old time and day. It seems to have worked, as there was quite a good turnout last night. Feel free to call in, as we rarely talk for more than 30 minutes and our technical discussion rarely gets, well, technical. A small friendly group.

• Monday nights
• 144.575MHz FM (yes, one four four) vertical
• 8pm UK clock time

Sunspots - Tuesday September 3rd 2019

Solar flux is 69 and the SSN 12. A=21 and K=3.

Another IC-705 video

As you can tell, I have been looking for good, informative, videos.