Sunspots - Saturday October 24th 2020

 Solar flux is 72 and the SSN 11. A=12 and K=4.

Old friends - NOT amateur radio

This afternoon we met up with some old university friends at nearby Anglesey Abbey. We have known them for over 50 years. 

Mending that 472kHz transverter

At the moment, I think the IRF510 PA in my transverter has been damaged. Before I change this, which is no easy task for me these days, I shall connect everything up and check it  is not something else! It would be daft to change the PA only to find the problem is still there! 

Assuming it is the PA, that is a job for later today. I have taken a photo so that I know what was there and don't forget to connect something. Years ago this would have been trivial for me.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/mflf/472khz_tvtr

UPDATE 1021z:   PA changed and still no antenna current! Oscillator running OK, so something else must be wrong. Further investigation needed when I am less exhausted. I guess the first thing to try is running the transverter into a dummy load to check there is output on 472kHz. Another thing I can try is using the FT817ND with the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground on 160m. This measured some antenna current on the antenna current meter. If this is zero, it gives me some clues. It was so much easier when my brain was not foggy and I had a clear head. The best way I can describe it is like trying to fault-find after drinking 8 pints of beer.

UPDATE 1130z:  No antenna current on 160m suggesting something else is amiss.

Wisdom? - NOT amateur radio

This may be an artifact of getting older, or a strange after-effect of my 2013 stroke, but I seem wiser.  Often I seem to be able to "read" situations better. Now, this could just be how I see things! Quite often I say to myself phrases like, "you shouldn't have said that" or "you should not have done that". Quite often my hunches turn out to be right.

10m FT8

At about 0805z, I turned on the 10m FT8 QRP gear. At the moment (0845z) I am RX only. I understand that VK6 was worked from the UK on 10m FT8 yesterday. I am still just using 2.5W to the poorer indoor loop.

UPDATE 0901z: Nothing spotted so far today.

UPDATE 1133z:  Swapped to the better 10m indoor loop. 27 stations so far spotted today on 10m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1811z:  287 stations spotted on 10m FT8 with the tiny indoor loop antenna today. Sunspot minimum year!

UPDATE 2147z: 318 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX today on the tiny indoor loop antenna. Now QRT. 

Sunspots - October 23rd 2020

 Solar flux is 75 and the SSN 11. A=6 and K=1.

With some of the grandchildren - NOT amateur radio

One of our sons came for a night with his children. This autumn scene was this morning in our back garden.  Another week or so and all these leaves will be gone.

Online BATV Convention (amateur TV)

The BATC convention this Saturday October 24th will be online and on Zoom. What follows is as I received it and may be hard to read on some screens.

Saturday 24 OCTOBER : NOW ONE DAY AND ONLINE ONLY

BATC CONVENTION FOR AMATEUR TV 2020 (CAT 20). BATC CAT 20 will go ahead as an online and on-air event. The interactive parts of the meeting will use Zoom, and all lectures will be streamed on the BATC Streamer with the opportunity for questions. More details at https://forum.batc.org.uk/viewforum.php?f=128.

A list of rallies can be found at http://rsgb.org/main/news/rallies/

10m FT8 QRP again

Once again I am on 10m FT8 with the FT817ND and the poorer indoor loop. It is currently 0910z and I am RX only. No spots yet.

UPDATE 1012z:   Just spots of 9A6R (1542km) and G0PQO (50km).

UPDATE 1050z:   Now on TX at 2.5W. No spots of me yet. 4 stations spotted on RX.

UPDATE 1425z: 1 person spotted me on 10m QRP FT8 TX and I have spotted 11 so far, all in Europe. Now gone back to RX only.

UPDATE 2050z:  10 S.American stations spotted. QRT. 

Cactus Day - NOT amateur radio

For the last few years we have celebrated Cactus Day invented by one of our grandchildren. The photo shows one of our grandchildren working on the Cactus Day cake.