ARRL website - high sensitivity crystal set

The ARRL website has much to commend it, including this article that was in QST some years ago on a high sensitivity crystal set using a zero bias MOSFET.

There is more about crystal sets on my main website. They are capable of some quite remarkable results.

See http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Technology/tis/info/pdf/culter.pdf

Sunspots - Monday May 3rd 2020

Solar flux is 69 and the sunspot number 0.  A=5 and K=2.

QRPver

Looking on this site (in the Ukraine) they have some interesting stuff. Never having bought any, I don't know about quality, warranties etc..

See https://qrpver.com/

75 years ago - NOT amateur radio

Already I have mentioned that my dad was an RAF Pathfinder. These were elite flyers, many of whom died.  75 years ago, at the end of the war, he was getting prisoners of war back home and dropping food on the starving people of Holland.

When he went on the Lubeck trip he requisitioned all the newspapers in the mess destined for officers and gave them out to the PoWs. Of course, some had not seen UK newspapers for years!

See https://raf-pathfinders.com/pows-brought-back-from-lubeck-may-1945/

10m FT8 again

On 10m FT8 (2.5W to the indoor loop) and being spotted in Spain and Scotland, presumably by Es.

UPDATE 1327z: 141 10m FT8 stations spotted, 10 stations have spotted me and 1 QSO with France so far today.

UPDATE 1338z:  My 10m band indoor loop is surprising me. Without a full-sized outside antenna it is hard to know what I am missing, but my impression is not much. Already this morning it is copying Es from all over Europe and a few days ago was spotting South Americans. For FT8, the sharp tuning is not a problem and might even be a bonus keeping strong signals and noise off frequency down in level. My impression is it is very little down on a full sized outside antenna. There should be some directionality, although I seem to copy, and be copied, in all directions. Perhaps if it was external this might be more obvious.

UPDATE 1458z:  184 stations spotted so far today and I have been spotted by 16 Europeans.

Stations spotting
me today on 10m FT8

UPDATE 1730z: Now 237 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX as well as 26 stations spotting my 2.5W to the indoor loop.

Minion SDR QRP transceiver

G1KQH, Steve, sent me some information about this rig. It looks interesting and very small.

See https://qrpver.com/transceivers/all-band-10-band-hf-sdr-transceiver-minion-sdr.html

Time for reflection? - NOT amateur radio

Many of us are in lockdown, unable to do the things we once did. These times will pass.  Hopefully at the end of it we can all reflect on what things are really important in our lives.

We will realise that what we once thought was important is not and some things are far more important than we thought.

This YouTube video reflects on this.

Solar forecast page updated

My favourite page for solar forecasts has been updated.

It still shows that we have passed the solar minimum. Recent sunspot numbers suggest this is correct. If so, we can look forward to better conditions in the years ahead.

It is definitely worth keeping an eye on the FT8 frequencies.

Even around the solar minimum paths from the UK to South America open regularly.  People have worked South Korea on 10m around the solar mimimum from the UK.

See https://www.solen.info/solar/

Our view - NOT amateur radio

We are lucky having the view of a 200 year old restored windmill from several rooms in our house.

The photo shows the view from the lounge.

Sunspots - Sunday May 3rd

Solar flux is 69 and the SSN 0. A=5 and K=2.