Sunspots - Tuesday November 30th 2021

 Solar flux is 90 and the SSN 47. A=9 and K=0.

Cosy - NOT amateur radio

We like our bungalow to be cosy and inviting. It is not "posh", but we like it as it is. 

The photo shows the lounge. We draw the curtains at night.

QCX-mini 5W QRP

Sadly, this is probably beyond my fine motor skills to build these days, but this looks an excellent QRP transceiver. It is not (yet?) available above 17m, but with solar conditions improving, it would not surprise me to see kits for 15,12 and 10m shortly. It is also available built and tested.

I see it also supports beacon modes like WSPR. It is tiny.

They are also working on a tiny digital transceiver. I hope they make a 10m version. These days I mainly use FT8 and WSPR.

See https://www.qrp-labs.com/qcxmini.html .

UPDATE 1647z: Just received a reply to my query.  Hans is planning a version for the higher HF bands, but wants to catch up on the current version first! Parts supply is very difficult recently.

10m FT8 RX (Monday)

My gear has been on for about 40 minutes. At 1008z 67 stations had been spotted on RX with the furthermost ZS5TC (9604km). 

UPDATE 1301z:  166 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1626z:  Now QRT. 253 stations spotted today on 10m FT8 RX.

Litter pickers - NOT amateur radio

Every Saturday a group of volunteers goes around the village picking up litter. This week it was leaves and not litter. They concentrated on clearing the fallen leaves on a popular walkway called the Causeway. Centuries ago this was the route used by monks going to Ely.

160m FT8 RX overnight

Using the tiny Wellgood active loop stuck to the shack window, 216 stations spotted on RX with the furthermost WA1NGH (5427km) in Connecticut, USA.

Sunspots - Monday November 29th 2021

 Solar flux is 92 and the SSN 53. A=9 and K=4.

160m FT8 RX (Sunday)

Since about 1840z, I QSYed from 15m to 160m FT8 using the Wellgood active loop on the shack window. It is now 1852z and so far 25 stations have been spotted with the furthermost ES5MG (1786km).

UPDATE 1915z:  So far this evening 46 stations spotted with the furthermost EA7HY (1829km).

UPDATE 2008z:  68 stations spotted so far with the best DX UT1FT (2204km).

UPDATE 2217z:  130 stations spotted.

Rowan berries - NOT amateur radio

We have several rowan trees in our garden. On some the berries get gobbled up by the birds. Others get left and are still on the trees. I guess different berries taste different and some are not liked and get left. Most leaves have gone, but many still have berries.

Optical communication webpage

In the past, I got lots of information from Clint KA7EOI's Optical Pages, that have many links.  One of the most sensitive receivers by K3KCP was linked to from Clint's optical pages.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/optical-nanowaves/over-the-horizon .