UK General Election on Dec 12th - NOT amateur radio

So here in the UK we are set for a general election before Christmas.

Although this is largely about BREXIT, I fear the outcome could result in even more of a muddle!

The people in the country, and most parties in government, are largely divided over BREXIT. What my gut tells me is no single party will win an overall majority and the party forming a government will have to consider coalitions, or at very least consider working with the smaller parties. This is not a recipe for strong, decisive government. What might happen is a softer BREXIT.

One thing is certain:  nobody knows what will happen.

SAQ (17.2kHz) VLF - no transmission Oct 24th

If you were listening for the special UN Day CW transmission from the historic alternator VLF 17.2kHz TX SAQ you would have been disappointed as it did not happen. They hit a problem, so the transmission had to be abandoned. I think they are trying to find out what the problem is.

Somewhere I have a QSL card for a transmission about 10 years ago.

Sunspots - Wednesday October 30th 2019

Solar flux is 69 today and the sunspot number still 0. A=8 and K=2.

Oh to be young again! - NOT amateur radio

Whilst going through some old pictures I came across this one of me when about 18. Then I had hair and life was mostly before me. Good old days in autumn 1967.

This was the photo on my Liverpool University Student's Union card. Gosh, I do look a fresh faced country bumpkin!

End fed 10/20/40m antenna re-erected

After being down for all the summer, I have re-erected my 10/20/40m end fed antenna. It broke earlier in the year and I thought some ladder work was needed. I am wobbly on ladders these days. Luckily I could reach the parts that mattered without a ladder and it is now strung to a different tree in the back garden. Getting the wire over the tree was surprisingly hard for me. Years ago this would have been trivial, but not any more.

Although I get a good match on 10m there is a high VSWR on 20m and 40m even with the tuner. At least I am able to WSPR and FT8 again on 10m. Most of the far end (after the 10m choke) is in the tree. To get a decent match on 20m and 40m , I need to choose another end point. It is probably fine on RX on 20m and 40m.

472kHz WSPR TX

Just now I tested the 472kHz WSPR TX. It works, so I should be on TX (10mW ERP) this evening and overnight. It is a pity that I cannot listen between the TX transmissions currently, but at least I can TX and RX WSPR on 472kHz.

Amazingly, a couple of locals received my transmissions just now.

UPDATE 1421z: Now 2E0ILY (209km) copying me too.

UPDATE 2019z: Darn Windows 10 updates! As usual, I am on 472kHz WSPR TX and monitoring on a different PC in the lounge. I was wondering why no-one had spotted me in 3 hours. Closer inspection showed the shack PC had turned off all programs waiting to install a Windows 10 update it cannot do without an external hard drive attached (internal hard drive is too small). Darn Microsoft!! Once I close this message, resynced time and restarted WSJT-X, all is well and reports are flooding in again. I am seriously fed-up with Microsoft. If I try to open a spreadsheet it tries to get me to use Excel, which of course you pay for. Instead I prefer to use free Open Office. How do you close the Excel message? With great difficulty as there is no "X" to close it! Darn Microsoft again. As I said before, I am seriously considering a Chromebook for the next PC for the lounge. These now run Linux, if you want to, as well as giving access to the Google Play Store and loads of Android apps.

UPDATE 2037z: Already spotted by 9 stations this evening on 472kHz WSPR running 10mW ERP with best spot being by LA8AV (1035km) up in Norway. MX0NCA (100km) is a new spotter.

UPDATE 2130z: I shall stay on 472kHz WSPR TX overnight, assuming Microsoft allows me!

2m FT8

At the moment I am on 2m FT8 RX with the big-wheel omni antenna. 
So far today, 21 stations in 6 countries spotted (to 1108z).

Anglesey Abbey tree - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday we did a walk at nearby Anglesey Abbey.

Autumn is coming, although many trees are still green. This one looks autumnal (see photo).

CQWW SSB contest - doh!

Last weekend was the CQWW SSB contest. I forgot! Although I do not enter a log, the bands are usually busy, so this is usually a good chance to work a few stations. Of course it helps to remember the contest is on! It is surprising how bands like 10m spring into life proving it is often low activity rather than conditions that is the problem.

In past CQWW SSB contests it is often possible to fill pages in the log with 10m QRP SSB QSOs.

472kHz WSPR

At the moment "split" is not working on my FT817ND. I suspect this is software and will be a fixable issue.

What I had forgotten is I can still TX on 472kHz WSPR and still RX on 472kHz WSPR, but not at the same time. So, tonight, all being well, I shall be on 472kHz WSPR TX for about 25% of the time with the usual 10mW ERP. On another occasion I shall concentrate on 472kHz WSPR RX.