Walks nearby - NOT amateur radio

Whilst keeping a safe distance from others, we are enjoying outdoor walks.

Today we went to Dalham, near Newmarket. Trees are coming into leaf and nature carries on.

On a positive note, I expect this latest set of bans has had a good effect on the planet. In some ways we have been alerted by over-dependence on cheap labour on the other side of the globe for our supply chains.

We seem to be kinder to each other too.

Webcams - NOT amateur radio

At the moment, quite a few of us are feeling more isolated. Quite a lot of us are using Duo, Skype, Facetime and similar to keep in touch.

Another thing is webcams which allow us to look at a distance. Last weekend I was able to see my brother and one of his grandchildren at the South Devon Railway at Buckfastleigh (see photo).

See https://www.earthcam.com/

See https://www.southdevonrailwayassociation.org/RailCam.shtml

On 20m FT8 with the tiny indoor loop

At 0730z, I turned on 20m FT8 with the tiny indoor loop antenna (45cm across and thin wire!) and 10W. Already several stations spotted. No spots of me yet.

UPDATE 0936z :  70 stations in 2 continents spotted so far. Just 1 spot of me from Norway so far.

UPDATE 1445z: 30 spots of my 10W today (see map). On RX 332 stations spotted so far.

UPDATE 1620z: Now 51 spots today of my 10W FT8 using the 45cm across indoor loop.

Pixie kit

Pixie 

Some years ago I built a Pixie kit from China.  The Pixie is a simple CW transceiver usually for 40m or 80m. Mine (shown in the photo) cost under £5 with free shipping by air and worked first time. Like many simple rigs, it is a compromise. Great fun.

2m FT8

Last evening I again QSYed to 2m FT8. 20 stations spotted me in 5 countries again convincing me that this is some sort of scatter propagation. EVERY time I go on I seem to be spotted at great range. I am only using 10W to my big wheel omni antenna. The map shows where I was spotted last evening.

Sunspots - Saturday March 21st 2020

Solar flux is 72 and the SSN 0. A=7 and K=2.

Returning migrant birds - NOT amateur radio

Sand Martin

Already we are hearing and seeing chiffchaffs and sand martins are regularly being seen in Devon. Up here in East Anglia, we usually see returning swallows by mid-April with swifts later, usually early May. These returning migrants bring joy to the heart.

My dad, who died in 1987, regularly saw returning sand martins on the golf course at Thurlestone in mid-March.

See https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/sand-martin/

Life goes on - NOT amateur radio

Mute Swan

Strange how we all adjust to a new reality. Just a few months ago we would not have believed it. In the strange times at the moment some people have been very kind.

Today we did a walk and saw very few people. Life and nature carry on. Nice to think this mute swan knows nothing of Covid-19!

20m FT8

Once again, I am on 20m FT8 (10W with the indoor loop). So far today 11 stations have spotted me with the best DX being KI8JP (3916 miles). On 20m FT8 RX 125 stations spotted with best DX being K7SCX (7505km).

Stations spotting me to 1730z

UPDATE 1617z: 55 stations have now spotted my 10W FT8 and I have spotted 224 stations so far.

Stations spotted today here to 1730z

UPDATE 1730z:  287 stations spotted so far today. 58 stations spotted here.

UPDATE 1915z:  75 spots of me today. A few QSOs.

UPDATE 1946z: 77 stations spotting me today so far. Activity now dropping off. On 20m FT8 RX 455 stations spotted her.

UPDATE 2011z: The last map shows the stations spotting me on 20m FT8 TX.

VHF/UHF beacons on FT8?

It seems to me to be a "good idea" if all beacons had an FT8 transmission slot. A single FT8 TX slot is only 15 seconds, but this would allow monitoring of beacons at great range.

For those not equipped for FT8 there could still be a CW slot. All the beacons in a region could co-exist in a few kilohertz of band which beacon hunters could monitor all the time.

WSPR is too long at 2 minute transmission cycles, but FT8 would be far better. Shorter TX slots would make monitoring by modes like aircraft and other types of scatter more probable.

On reflection, maybe all beacons including HF ones need an FT8 slot?