Maturity - NOT amateur radio

The berries and fruit in the garden are reaching maturity. 

The photo shows this with the windmill in the background.

Lesser Chirpy

When I was fitter, I enjoyed designing and building. Sadly this is much harder now. Like all of my circuits, I am sure they can be improved. I make no claims for originality and take inspiration from many sources. My wish is that you use my circuits as the starting point for your own ideas. 

Looking back many years, I designed the Lesser Chirpy for 10m CW. Originally I started with the Chirpy, but it chirped too much! The Lesser Chirpy more or less stopped the chirp. This was a "for fun" rig. It does work, but I was concerned about calling CQ over weaker stations as the RX sensitivity was not as good as modern rigs. My recommendation is ensure that calls are not made over other stations. Fine to call others, but be very mindful of other stations.

The original name was the XBM10-2, but Lesser Chirpy was more meaningful!

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/10m-lesser-chirpy .

Garden flowers - NOT amateur radio

Most of the flowers in our garden have passed their best. Some still look good whereas others are starting to look a bit tired. We will put winter flowering plants at the front and new bedding plants in late in the spring. Some, as the photo shows, look good still.

It is funny how the nights get so much darker earlier at this time of the year. The rate of change speeds up and the change is noticeable.

Cambridge UK - NOT amateur radio

 

Like most places, this year has been strange, with few visitors from overseas in Cambridge, so the locals and UK visitors have been able to enjoy it differently. We went into Cambridge yesterday. It was quieter than normal, but not much.

The photo shows the park behind the bus station.

10m FT8 QRP (Thursday)

After a brief TX period with 2.5W with just 1 spot by G4KPX (13km), I am again 10m FT8 RX only. At 1127z, just one station spotted - HB9SNR (784km).

UPDATE 1803z:  Just 2 stations spotted so far today. Es is "sporadic" and today, so far at least, looks poor on 10m FT8 RX. As far as I can remember this is the poorest day on 10m for some months.

UPDATE 1815z:  Did I speak too soon? F1RAD (867km) in SW France spotted on 10m FT8 RX.  Also my 2.5W was spotted by local G4BAO (8km).

Rally news

As far as I know, the Torbay rally on Sunday August 29th and the Huntingdon club (HARS) rally on Monday August 30th are ON, but the Milton Keynes rally on Bank Holiday Monday has been postponed until next year (2022). 

As always check before setting out.

Sunspots - Thursday August 26th 2021

 Solar flux is 84 and the SSN 29.  A=9 and K=2.

Second 8m experimental station in the USA

John, EI7GL reports than a second experimental station has been licenced in the USA. I am convinced that the amateur service will get a small allocation there eventually, but maybe not in my lifetime!! I hope that more stations apply for, and are granted, access to this frequency. Surely they can find a small slot?

See https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/2021/08/fcc-issue-another-experimental-permit.html  .

Cambridge earlier - NOT amateur radio

It seems that E-scooters are everywhere! The photo shows some in Cambridge earlier with a college crest in the background. 

10m WSPR (Wednesday)

 Shortly, I intend to go on 10m WSPR for the day with 500mW. Yesterday was a surpr meise with spots by 3 unique stations. It is impossible to predict what will happen later. It is 0815z.

UPDATE 1201z:  Several spots of me by OH6BG (1718km).

UPDATE 1811z: Just 2 unique stations have spotted me today so far with the furthermost EA8BRK (2880km).