70cm activity contest

Every month there is an activity contest on 70cms. As I was using the main rig on 6m FT8, I used the FT817ND at 2.5W to the 2m big-wheel omni antenna. I stayed on for about 35 minutes as my voice was poor. No speech processor was used. In all, just 2 QSOs were had, both on SSB. A few were "got aways" which would have been worked had I stayed on longer.

Springtime - NOT amateur radio

Each of us probably has a favourite season. Mine is spring with blossom and fresh green leaves. Blossom soon goes and the green on the trees soon starts to have a summer tired look. Right now, things are at their very best. Winter is behind us and days are getting longer. This collage was from our walk earlier.

6m FT8

Today, I chose to go on 6m FT8. As usual running 10W to the V2000 vertical omni antenna. Plenty of stations spotting my 10W so far today from the Canary Islands to Iceland. Es presumably.

UPDATE 1501z: Already my 10W has been spotted by 125 stations on 6m FT8 TX today. People keep answering my CQs and the rig automatically goes RX only until I tell it to go on TX again! I just hope it opens by Es to North America or the Caribbean.  I see that Italians are calling "CQ NA", which is a hopeful sign.

UPDATE 1534z: Already loads of QSOs and spotted by 135 stations so far on 6m FT8 with 10W to the omni V2000 vertical antenna.

UPDATE 2100z: Now 151 stations have spotted me. Nothing from "across the pond" copied and no transatlantic spots of me. I keep hoping!

Shakespeare - NOT amateur radio

To many, I must seem a total heathen. Every time I hear Shakespeare, I turn off and want to sleep!  Ever since I first read any Shakespeare as a child, it has had this effect on me. The traditional view is that Shakespeare is wonderful and very deep.  To me, it is sleep inducing. Don't ask me why I feel this way. Over the years I have tried, without success, to read Shakespeare. The effect is invariably the same. At my age I guess I shall never "get it".

Am I alone?

Heathkit Lunchboxes

Back in the 1960s I coveted the HW30 Twoer transceiver. These days, they look very dated with their simple super-regen RX and 5W AM TX.

Ranges of 15km would be considered good, whereas on 2m FT8 I regularly get copied well over 400km irrespective of conditions with less power!  These Heathkit Lunchboxes can still be found on eBay, but they are really collector's items these days.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/lunchbox

Sunspots - Tuesday May 12th 2020

Solar flux is 66 and the SSN 0.  A=5 and K=1.  This really is the pits! Personally, I think we are very close to, or actually at, the sunspot minimum between cycle 24 and 25

Wild flower verge - NOT amateur radio

On the approach to our local farm shop there are lots of wild flowers in the verges. On the photo they are quite hard to see.

E-field probes (EFP)

It is some years since I have tried these antennas. They are RX only and can be very effective at VLF, LF and MF. Some use them on RX up to 30MHz. They are very small.

Positioning can be important to minimise man-made noise pick-up. Normally they are placed as far as possible from houses and electrical noise sources.

In the past I would have made my own but as my fine motor skills are not what they once were I have bought one from PA0RDT.

Next winter, I may erect this high up in a nearby tree and have a serious go at 137kHz and 472kHz RX. It would probably be effective on 1800kHz too.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/mflf/winter
See also https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/antennas/efp

10m FT8

Yet again, I have chosen to go on 10m FT8 with my 2.5W to the indoor loop. I have rotated the loop about 45 degrees. It has been on for about 30 minutes (it is now 0930z).

Quite a few southern Europeans spotted (Es) but only local G4KPX (13km) spotting me so far.

UPDATE 1000z:  Some signals are being spotted at some very odd ranges. As an example G0RQL in north Devon at 353km. This is usually far too close of Es and a good distance for tropo.

Stations spotted today on 
10m FT8 to 2035z

UPDATE 2135z:  With 58 stations spotting my 2.5W to the indoor loop, this is without doubt my best day this Es season. On 10m FT8 RX stations spotted in the Caribbean,  South America, Europe, Africa and Asia spotted.  375 stations spotted on RX.

New 8m beacon in Eire

Southgate News reports that a new 8m (40MHz) beacon EI1KNH is active in Eire with 20W and a vertical.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/may/eight-metre-update.htm#.XrkLc2jYq00

At some point, I can see some further countries gaining limited access to this band.