Covid-19 saliva test - NOT amateur radio

Since trials were carried out some months ago, it has gone very quiet on this. Putting swabs up noses and down throats can be distressing for some. Just spitting down a tube would be far easier, and quicker.

I am also puzzled that vitamin D and zinc supplements are not ever mentioned. Vitamin D supplements are very low cost and have strong evidence of effectiveness. I have never, ever, heard vitamin D supplements mentioned ever. Why not? If this is a "quick win" why are we not encouraged to take these?  I know of several friends who are taking these.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55840547 .

UHF/VHF scatter

Recent QRP FT8 operations on 2m and 70cm have got me thinking. On the face of it, aircraft and tropo scatter might actually be better on 70cm than 2m. 

Certainly for aircraft scatter, the smaller wavelength at 70cm might mean better scattering. I am no expert and may well be wrong. By my argument 23cm might be better still!

Certainly, path losses would be higher on 70cm, but antenna gain at each end can be easier as you go up in frequency.

What are your views? 

2m FT8 QRP (V) Thursday

As an experiment, I am on 2.5W FT8 on 2m, but using the V2000 vertical antenna instead of the big-wheel horizontal. This will mean weaker reports locally as most stations will be horizontally polarised, but I would expect less difference on more distant stations spotting me.  Indeed, I am weaker on the grabber at G0LRD. 

So far, at 1032z, I have been spotted by 6 stations on TX with the furthermost G4TRA (185km). 2 stations spotted on RX.

UPDATE 1115z:  5 stations spotted on 2m FT8 RX with the furthermost being G4BNM (222km).

UPDATE 1312z:  I am puzzled. Although I have been spotted by 6 stations on QRP TX, I have spotted 16 stations on 2m FT8 RX with the furthermost PE1KWE (307km), which is far more stations than normal. It is almost as if vertical is better!

UPDATE 1358z:  20 stations spotted on 2m FT8 RX with the furthermost GI6ATZ (479km).

UPDATE 1458z:  27 stations spotted on RX and 8 stations have spotted my QRP on TX. 2 QSOs.

UPDATE 1916z:   35 stations spotted on RX.  14 stations have spotted my QRP mostly at "tropo" ranges rather than aircraft scatter or troposcatter. 

UPDATE 2222z.  QRT now. 38 stations spotted on RX.

Another quiet spot - NOT amateur radio

This is a photo of another pleasant spot in our village. 

Sunspots - Thursday March 11th 2021

 Solar flux is 79 and the SSN 11. A=2 and K=1.

WISPY TX

My original 10m WISPY WSPR TX beacon shows the PA arrangement using paralled 2N3904 transistors. More can be added to get higher RF output. The same arrangement is to be used in my 10FT8 transceiver. 

Oscar 100 narrowband activity

Every few weeks I look at the web SDR at Goonhilly in Cornwall to assess the activity level on the narrowband transponder of this geosynchronous satellite. My latest look was just after lunchtime in Europe. My "peek" suggests activity levels are still low even after 2 years.  

I guess getting a signal though this geosynchronous satellite is too hard for most "black box" operators. Even if someone sold a special Oscar 100 transceiver they would still have to point the dish, which would be too hard! 

I believe BATC is also streaming TV activity through Oscar 100, but I have not yet looked.

See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/

Village - NOT amateur radio

There are still some delightful spots in our village as shown in the photo. 

The village has grown a lot since we came in 1975, but it still feels like a village.

Very old family photo - NOT amateur radio

My wife is doing a photobook on the history of one side of her family. 

One ancestor is believed to have fought at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. More recently her ancestors have been shopkeepers and run a banana warehouse in Sheffield.  Doing a book is a good idea both for her and generations to come so these memories are captured.

The restored photo probably dates from the late 1800s or early 1900s.

70cm FT8 QRP (V) Wednesday

Just did a quick test and the VSWR with the FT817ND and big-wheel was high, so I have connected the V2000 vertical up instead.  Now on 70cm FT8 with 2.5W and the V2000 vertical. 

I intend to use this from 1700z this evening with a short break for the CDARC net on 145.55MHz FM at 2000z. I may try the latter on 2m FM with the FT817ND to see how it performs (I did).

UPDATE 1647z: No spots. I guess my chance of any spots on 70cm FT8 is low until 1700z as there will be few on at the best of times. My own view is that DX via troposcatter or aircraft reflection might be better on 70cm  than on 2m. For this we need activity.

UPDATE 1938z: 11 stations spotted so far with the furthermost PD1JFB (306km). 2 QSOs so far on 70cm QRP FT8.

UPDATE 2056z: 13 stations spotted with 4 Dutch stations despite my vertical antenna.

UPDATE 2230z: Now QRT. In all, a very decent, respectable, evening with 2.5W and a vertical omni antenna. The furthermost on TX was a spot by G7WIR (98km). The map shows the stations spotted here on 70cm FT8 RX this evening.