Sunspots - Wednesday February 16th 2022

Solar flux is 114 and the SSN 73. A=5 and K=2.

10m operation

10m is my favourite HF band. It is wide enough to support all modes and at various times of the sunspot cycle it experiences virtually all propagation modes. For much of the solar cycle it is an amazing daytime DX band. On my main website there is a page about this.

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

Anglesey Abbey - NOT amateur radio

This place is now owned by the National Trust. It has huge grounds in which to walk. We usually go there several times a month. It is about 4 miles away from home. 

8m NoV

In the last few weeks I wrote to my MP saying how disappointed I was that after months of waiting and several recent chase emails, I had heard nothing of progress from OFCOM.  She is contacting OFCOM to ask why I have not heard. We'll see if this does any good.  

I would much have preferred it if they has simply given me a response last year. I am not asking for much! Until they respond I was not planning to erect an 8m dipole. This was for serious propagation research too.

UPDATE 1515z : Wonders will never cease!! After months and months, they have refused my application for an NoV.  Instead they want me to apply for an Innovation and Trials Licence which has a fee starting at £50!! I think the real reason is they are afraid radio amateurs will get a foot in the door. So, unless I am prepared to pay at least £50 a year, I am not even allowed just 50Hz of spectrum at 5W for 6 months. I am speechless and quietly fuming. So much for propagation research. You can imagine, that even if I applied, the Es season would be over before I heard!

10m FT8 QRP (Tuesday)

At the moment I am RX only, but I might try 2.5W TX later. So far today (at 1430z) 9 stations spotted.

UPDATE 1741z:  178 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX.

Sunspots - Tuesday February 15th 2022

Solar flux is 107 and the SSN 72. A=8 and K=2.

Hair! - NOT amateur radio

This photo was taken in 1968 when I had hair and was young. These days I am bald and an old age pensioner and fatter.  By the way, this was not my boat!

Other G3XBM sites

Periodically, I like to remind people of my other sites that may be of interest. 

This blog is usually updated daily, whereas the other sites less frequently. Often these other sites can be useful and have more project information.

Video channel:   https://www.youtube.com/user/G3XBM 

Main site:           http://www.g3xbm.co.uk  
This blog:           http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/

Sub 9kHz:           https://sites.google.com/site/sub9khz/

The sub 9kHz site is badly in need of an update!

2m activity contest results

The results for this activity contest have just been released. This year, I am donating my points towards the Cambridge Radio Club (CDARC). 

As I usually run 10W to an omni antenna for much less than an hour, because of my poor voice, I doubt my points help much! 

Most activity is on SSB and activity levels are usually very high.

See https://www.rsgbcc.org/cgi-bin/vhfresults.pl?Contest=144MHz%20UKAC&year=2022 .

Lightning

At this time of year in the UK, lightning is not usually a great risk. In the summer months, although unlikely, lightning can be more of a risk. A direct strike is very rare, but can be devastating.  

More common are surges on power lines when lightning is near. For this reason, I usually disconnect PSUs and antennas if there is lightning in the area. 

Years ago, a colleague at work had his house struck and there was a lot of damage. I keep an eye on lightning maps to see how close storms are.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/other-amateur-radio/lightning-maps .