Sunspots - Saturday December 19th 2020

Solar flux is 82 and the SSN 0 for the first time in some while. A=3 and K=1. 

Oscar 100 activity this evening

This evening, the activity on the narrowband transponder was higher than I have ever seen. I suspect this is as the vast majority of users are in Europe and they are at home for the weekend.

See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/

2m FT8 QRP (Friday)

At 1700z, I QSYed to 2m with 2.5W and the big-wheel omni antenna.  So far, after about 5 minutes, nothing copied on RX, but 2 stations in 2 countries have spotted me.

UPDATE 1920z: 9 stations in 3 countries have spotted my QRP on 2m FT8 TX with the best DX a spot by GI6ATZ (479km).  On RX, 7 stations in 4 countries spotted.

Stations that spotted my
QRP FT8 this evening

UPDATE 2215z: QRT soon.

Indoor loops

One of the great advantages of QRP is in the design of loop antennas for TX. With 100W, the voltage at the high impedance part of the loop can be very high, so that special capacitors are needed with low loss and a very high breakdown voltage. 

With QRP powers, ordinary capacitors may be used. Most times I use an old Wonder Wand Loop for 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m and 10m. My 10m loop, homemade with copper pipe, is sharper and more efficient, but harder to tune.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/antennas/magloop.

More muddy walk - NOT amateur radio

 

Yesterday I put a photo of my wife on our muddy walk. The photo shows me.

Posted on CDARC website

This might appeal to the geeks here!! It was first posted on the Cambridge Radio Club's FaceBook page.

My maths is so rusty, so I am unsure if this is correct. I think it is.

Very clever.  I guess the originator started with the answer, then worked back.

OFCOM

OFCOM has an announcement on its website about an upcoming spectrum auction for 700MHz and 3.6GHz spectrum.

See the OFCOM website for more information. 

Israel via Oscar 100

This morning there were 2 Israeli stations heard via the Oscar 100 geosynchronous satellite. One called CQ for ages with no responses (4X4N special event station). Only 4 stations active in the narrowband section.

See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/.

6m FT8 QRP (Friday)

At about 0920z, I switched on my 6m FT8 QRP (2.5W to the V2000 vertical). It is now 0930z.  Already 1 station has spotted me - G0PQO (50km) on TX and 1 station spotted on RX - G4FKA (207km).

UPDATE 1330z: No others yet.

UPDATE 1457z: Now 2 Gs spotted on RX. Turned up the audio drive from the SignaLink USB, but ALC still not active.

What is this? - NOT amateur radio

On our walk yesterday we saw this. It looks like sheep's wool but isn't.  It was on a muddy path.  Is it some sort of fungus? This was in the UK (East Anglia).