22 Sept 2021

10m FT8 RX (Wednesday)

By mistake, I left my 10m FT8 RX running overnight. Late last night, 1 G was spotted calling CQ, but nothing was spotted overnight. 

My antenna is a low Par end-fed dipole at about 3m above ground.

So far today just a spot of PA0KGB (278km) on RX.

UPDATE 1715z:  34 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX today with the furthermost PT2VHF (8874km) in Brazil. Seems to be quite quiet at the moment.

UPDATE 2016z:  A brief period on TX was spotted by M0NKR (27km). No further spots on RX.

Religions - NOT amateur radio

As a youth, I was quite a good Christian. As I got older, I have become less sure what I believe.  I think agnostic best describes me: I am unsure.

It seems to me that all world religions hint at something beyond ourselves. It puzzles me that, depending on where we are in the world, we are Christians, Jews, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, Taos, Dos etc. All cannot be totally wrong. It seems amazing to me that in different cultures different religions take hold. 

There has always been an element of trying to "sell" a particular religion to a different culture with the chosen religion always being "right". 

Most wars and conflicts have religions at their heart, sadly.

No, I think all religions are hints and try to explain our finite lives. Not one religion succeeds in my view.


Shetland - NOT amateur radio

 

 

The photo shows Compass Head in the Shetland Islands. It was on 365project yesterday.  Shetland is the most northerly part of Scotland and at one time belonged to Norway, a country with which these islands have close links even today.

GQRP club sales

Just seen this message from Steve G1KQH:

"Graham G3MFJ is currently in hospital so club sales is closed until further notice. Please send no orders and make no enquiries about components until you hear from us.

If you have already placed an order then we will appreciate your patience as it can't obviously  be dealt with.

Kind Regards 

Tony G4WIF" 

I have no information further to this. I bought a SPRAT on a stick only quite recently. Quite a few people use GQRP club sales. Let us hope this is nothing too serious.

Sunspots - Wednesday September 22nd 2021

 Solar flux is 85 and the SSN 50. A=8 and K=2.

21 Sept 2021

472kHz WSPR QRP TX

 I really should try to find the fault in my 472kHz transverter. 

At first, I thought it was my earth-electrode antenna, so I completely replaced the wire. The output FET was replaced. 

If my brain was less foggy I am sure I could get to the bottom of it and find what is wrong. With 10mW ERP (measured) it was regularly making it to Norway. 

There are a lot of people monitoring, but few on TX.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/630m-472khz-transverter .

G3XBM website

A reminder that a lot of my past projects are on my website

On my video channel you can find videos about my projects.

I hope you can be inspired by these sources. Nothing would please me more than if these were a springboard for your own projects. Probably all my projects can be improved, so don't be afraid to experiment.

Lunch with a view in Ely - NOT amateur radio

The Almonry, where we ate lunch, was first serving meals in the 1100s. This is Ely Cathedral in the background.

I think our sandwiches were not medieval! They were freshly made today and were very good.


What a mess - NOT amateur radio

We have fought wars in Afghanistan of about 200 years. We left ignominiously recently having spent billions along with the USA. The latest cock-up is revealing the identities and photos of interpreters whose lives are now in mortal danger. 

I am conflicted, but feel after the last 20 years we have spent a lot of money and achieved very little. Maybe we should learn the lessons of history. There is little doubt over the original aims after 9/11. Nation building was never, publicly, an aim.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-58629592 .

10m FT8 QRP (Tuesday)

Following my usual pattern, I went on 10m FT8 TX with 2.5W for a few minutes and then RX only. No spots given or received and no QSOs.

UPDATE 0902z:  2 spots on RX with furthermost F5RD (681km).

UPDATE 1400z: 8 stations spotted on RX with the furthermost LZ1AG (2145km). Probably a brief bit of Es?

UPDATE 1603z: 36 stations spotted on RX with the furthermost A65BR (5455km) in the UAE.

UPDATE 1803z: 78 stations spotted with the furthermost ZS1F (9745km).

UPDATE 2112z:
112 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX today.  QRT soon.