Homeless in Cambridge - NOT amateur radio

In recent years we seem to have seen an increase in rough sleepers on the streets of Cambridge. For a fact, some are "on the make", tapping in to the many tourists we see here. Some are mentally ill people who seem to have fallen through the cracks and are rough sleeping.

With so many jobs locally, people should not need to rough sleep. "Can you spare a few pennies please?", is the call. Rather than give directly to people who may spend the money on drugs, I prefer to regularly donate to a homeless charity. This way you know the money is really helping. There is little doubt that, for whatever reason, there are some genuine people who need help.

2m FT8 RX - aircraft scatter?

At the moment I am on 2m FT8 RX using the vertical antenna (V2000 omni).  My theory is that if signals are coming in mainly by aircraft scatter polarisation won't matter, so I should see as many stations in the log as with the big-wheel horizontal omni.

At the moment (0947z) I have spotted 59 stations in 8 countries. Yes, I appreciate conditions could be different on a different day, but this would suggest many stations are being received by aircraft reflection. I know this is not definite proof.

UPDATE 1020z: A recent 2m FT8 CQ (10W to the vertical omni V2000) was spotted by 25 stations. 2 QSOs resulted with the best QSO being PD4KK (287km). It would appear results with the vertical omni match those of the horizontal big-wheel for "real DX".

Stations so far spotted today on
2m FT8 RX with the vertical omni

UPDATE 1640z: So far today with the vertical omni antenna 138 stations in 9 countries spotted on 2m FT8 RX. I think the K6 (supposedly in New York) was a pirate in the UK as all his calls were spotted in the UK.  I think these spots confirm that a good proportion of the spots I receive are via aircraft. With 15 second transmissions, Doppler was not visible on my waterfall, even with stations on for several minutes.

UPDATE 1926z: 160 stations in 9 countries so far spotted in the last 12 hours on 2m FT8 RX using the vertical omni.

Stations spotting my 10W FT8 CQ 

on 2m on the vertical omni this evening

UPDATE 2034z: I recently called CQ (10W to the vertical omni) and was rewarded with 34 spots of my signal and several QSOs. Sadly my old work colleague Bob G3WKW called me, but did not hear me calling him 4 times!

Sunspots - Tuesday January 21st 2020

Solar flux is 71 and the SSN 0. A=2 and K=0.

Aircraft scatter?

Martin G8OFA thinks that most random DX over 200km on VHF and UHF is due to aircraft scatter. I am unsure, but he points to the very high number of planes in the air. Certainly on the approach to the USAF airbases here and to Stansted, there will be lots of planes in the air nearly always.

I guess, without an SDR to help look at Doppler, my best bet would be to compare my vertical against my big-wheel. If many of the DX stations are coming though off aircraft, I assume the polarisation would be random. I seem to remember trying this some years ago and being surprised by the number of DX stations still being copied.

UPDATE 2046z: Maybe he is correct. I just connected the vertical omni V2000 and worked PD4HW (294km). Maybe I am consistently seeing aircraft reflections and there is always a very good chance of reflecting off aircraft. If I had a beam, I might expect better results then if I was beaming south towards the stack over Stansted Airport?

Monday evening 2m FT8

A few moments ago I called CQ on 2m FT8 (10W to the big wheel omni). 33 stations spotted me with one QSO. I shall have to go QRT for about 30 minutes as I join a 2m FM net (if people remember!).

Spots in response to a
recent 2m FT8 CQ (10W)

UPDATE 2015z: A very recent FT8 CQ was spotted by 34 stations (1 QSO with G0JEI at 142km) with the best DX spot being by F6DBI (501km) in Brittany.

1950s UK TV - NOT amateur radio

Quite a few readers were children in the UK in the 1950s and may like a dose of nostalgia!  You may well enjoy this link.

See http://www.whirligig-tv.co.uk/

Monday morning on 2m FT8 TX

A short while ago I transmitted a CQ (10W to the big-wheel) on 2m FT8. Although no QSOs resulted, I was spotted by 14 stations in 3 countries with the best DX being a spot by EI3KD (583km).

Stations spotting my 10W 2m FT8 CQ this morning

2m FT8 RX overnight

Overnight (mostly last evening) 85 stations in 9 countries spotted on 2m FT8 RX with the FT817ND and big-wheel omni antenna. This is pretty typical.

2m FT8 RX here - mostly last evening

Our village yesterday - NOT amateur radio

As it was so sunny yesterday, we did a short walk around our village, as the photo shows.

High Street shops - NOT amateur radio

This is probably the same in most countries.

Our High Street "physical" shops are losing customers as more and more of us shop "on-line". It is often cheaper and more convenient. My trips to banks are very infrequent apart from "holes in the wall" (cash machines) to draw out cash. We even use less cash these days!

In 20 years time the high streets will be very different. I guess they have always evolved, but few retailers will survive unless they radically alter their business models. We could see more big names disappearing. Independents are trying to plug gaps, but I cannot see many of the coffee shops remaining for more than 5-10 years.

It is hard to look into the future. All we can definitely say is that things will be very different in years to come. If you ask me, I would say we may go to some places to look, then ordering on-line for home delivery. What is certain is the retail trade is changing.

We are all guilty of making this happen. Whilst I like to support local, independent shops, it is hard to resist on-line when the local shops don't have stocks, don't intend to stock and are more expensive than online retailers who deliver to your door the next day for less than you pay in "physical" shops. Oh, to place the order from the comfort of your armchair takes 30 seconds!