Sunspots - Wednesday March 10th 2021

 Solar flux is 84 and the SSN 23. A=3 and K=0.

2m FT8 QRP (Tuesday)

 At about 2040z, I decided to go on 2m FT8 QRP with 2.5W and the big-wheel omni antenna. So far, 10 stations have spotted my QRP and I have spotted 3 stations on RX so far.

UPDATE 2300z : Now QRT. 1 QSO this evening. 

70cm activity contest (UKAC)

With 10W and my 2m big-wheel omni antenna I entered the 70cm activity contest organised by the RSGB. I was only on for 30 minutes before I had to stop because of my poor voice. I made just 3 QSOs with the furthermost G4CLA (105km). I work him most times. With a beam and stopping on longer, I could work far more.

Private golf course - NOT amateur radio

 When my brother's in-laws died he was left a big piece of a field behind his house which is now an orchard and private golf course as shown in the photo.

Not many can say they have a golf course in their back garden! 

17m FT8 QRP (Tuesday)

About 10 minutes ago (it is now 1022z) my 2.5W to the indoor loop was turned on. So far, 2 stations have been spotted on RX but nobody has yet spotted my QRP on TX. Things seem very quiet today. On RX the furthermost is 4Z4DX (3561km).

UPDATE 1450z: 2 spots of my QRP TX on 17m FT8 today.  83 stations spotted on RX.

Tree work - NOT amateur radio

Recently, I showed our local meadow we call the cowfield. This is a different view showing some tree work. 

Pye Telecom PF1 NOT amateur radio

One of my first professional jobs was to convert the PF1 units to 12.5kHz channel spacing. This was for Mike Gotch who I heard much later was M0IMG. I think this was a test of my capabilities. 

Mike took early retirement to look after his sick partner. He sadly died later following a stroke.

PF1 units were low power and some were converted to 70cm. 

Sunspots - Tuesday March 9th 2021

 Solar flux is 80 and the SSN 14. A=6 and K=1.

More "brain fog" - NOT amateur radio

As reported earlier, I got my E-field probe working on LF.  In the past, this would have been totally trivial, but I am exhausted just putting dry cells in the EFP and old FT817. Just undoing a few screws tired me out! 

Miracle antennas

These were popular some years ago, but I have no idea if they are still available. 

Like all sorts of small antennas, these are a compromise. On the higher HF bands, when used with a good ground or counterpoise, they can be quite effective, being within a couple of S points of a full sized dipole. I used mine with a central heating ground and worked some remarkable DX on 10m SSB QRP. They fitted directly on the back of the rig and were very easy to tune.

I suspect mine is in the loft as I have not seen it for 7.5 years! I am too wobbly these days to go up there!

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