15m QRP

 A good DX band is 15m. This is mainly a daytime DX band, but evening openings are increasing as the sunspot count and solar flux go up. These days I am on RX far more than TX. 

This was not the case when the Pipit transceiver was designed and built. This would have been over 30 years ago! For several months it was the only rig I used despite only being 800mW. These days there is more FT8 activity, but you cannot beat the thrill of getting heard thouasnds of miles away and having solid QSOs.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/15m-qrp-cw-pipit .

Cambridge Street - NOT amateur radio

Cambridge is an historic city famous for its colleges and backs. It also has lots of bikes and posters on railings!

How to save energy - NOT amateur radio

This was a Facebook memory from 11 years ago. 

4m operation

This is a band I have had little to do with. 

Back in the 1960s at university I worked ZB2VHF on 4m AM with 4W and a ground plane. At this time there were very few countries on the band. In 1971, I went /P in a 4m contest. 

Several years ago I made a QRP transverter for 4m that appeared in SPRAT (shown in photo).  I have no antennas for the band, but a local has made a personal beacon, that I shall try to copy. It produces 10mW. He has a vertical colinear for the band.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/homebrew/4m-transverter .

Sunspots - Tuesday February 1st 2022

 Solar flux is 130 and the SSN 100.  A=10 and K=2.

2m FT8 RX

At 1945z my 2m FT8 system was turned on.  So far, 8 stations have been spotted.

UPDATE 2148z:   14 stations spotted.

UPDATE 2235z:   QRT.

8m NoV application - STILL no news!

It is now 3 weeks and a day since I asked OFCOM for an update on my NoV application submitted in October.  Still no news! 

I am only really after 50Hz of spectrum during the 2022 Es season at low power.

In the last few years  OFCOM has released 2000000Hz of precious VHF spectrum for DATV experiments.

Come on!!!!

Oscar 100 activity update

Every few weeks I take a peek at the activity levels on the narrowband transponder of this geosynchronous satellite by looking at the Goonhilly webSDR. This was at 1400z on a Monday. There were 6 SSB QSOs going on, which is better than the last time I looked. There is still plenty of space.

See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/ .

Solar data update soon

Usually on the first or second day of the month the solar data on my favourite solar data site is updated. Expect an update Tuesday or Wednesday.

See https://www.solen.info/solar/ .

Village cottage - NOT amateur radio

 

In our village is a mix of old and new houses. This one is quite new!! 1800s I think.