MLS mail order

MLS is a big UK amateur radio dealer. Although their showroom has had to close, they are still doing mail orders. They are talking about big price increases as a result of exchange rates declining.

15m Pipit QRP transceiver

Pretty sure this has appeared before, but not sure when!

Back in the 1980s I designed an 800mW, VXO controlled, transceiver for 15m CW. For quite a while this was the only rig I used.  As I recall it worked plenty of stations with a low wire dipole. I never seemed to struggle. The receiver was direct conversion.

It worked very well, and far better than I ever expected. It was first designed and built in 1984 and appeared in GQRP SPRAT in 1987.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/15m_pipit

Low cost ventilators and radio amateurs

The ARRL website has news of a collaborative effort to make a low cost ventilator to help battle Covid-19. Some very well known amateurs are involved.

See http://www.arrl.org/news/radio-amateurs-team-up-to-help-university-design-low-cost-ventilator

Sunspots - Thursday March 26th 2020

Solar flux is 71 and the SSN 0.  A=4 and K=1.

Lovely walk - NOT amateur radio

In the warm March sunshine we did a lovely walk in the village today.

In all, we have walked about 3.75 miles today, with everyone keeping at least 2m apart!

Shops shut - NOT amateur radio

Quite a few of the businesses in our village are now closed. See the photo.

2m FT8

Today I am on 2m FT8 using 10W and the horizontal big-wheel omni antenna. So far, 12 stations have spotted me.

UPDATE 2011z: 47 stations in 7 countries have spotted my 10W 2m FT8 today. GI6ATZ (479km) called me and was worked. EI2OC (583km) spotted me.

UPDATE 2300z: Now QRT.

Sunspots - Wednesday March 25th 2020

Solar flux is 71 and the SSN 0. A=4 and K=2.

How we adapt - NOT amateur radio

It's strange how quickly we adapt to a new reality.  Many countries are on a war footing in the battle with Covid-19 including here in the UK. A year ago no-one could have remotely imagined this. All of us are changing our ways of living and life goes on: we adapt.

My great hope at the end of all this is that we are kinder to each other. Across the entire planet we have all been in it together. This has been a battle for all humanity.

Garden in spring - NOT amateur radio

Springtime again! Despite the virus, life goes on. Today the lawns were cut for the third time. We are lucky to have a garden.