Sunspots - Friday February 25th 2022

 Solar flux is 92 and the SSN 23.  A=7 and K=2.

10m antennas

One of the beauties of 10m is antennas are small. A half wave dipole is only about 5m long. A halo is even smaller. 27MHz CB verticals can work very well too. 

Some years ago I wanted a simple antenna for the band and the Homebase-10 was born.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/antennas/homebase10-10m-halo.

Cartoon - NOT amateur radio

This cartoon appeared on Facebook earlier. 

I have no idea where it originated. 

40m FT8 RX

It is now 1648z.  About an hour ago I QSYed to 40m FT8 RX using the untuned 10m antenna. I guess the untuned 10m antenna is just like sticking an attenuator in, which is no bad thing on 40m. So far, 206 stations already spotted on 40m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 2202z:  684 stations spotted on 40m FT8 RX with the furthermost WP3R (6851km).

Train - NOT amateur radio

As some of you will be aware, we went by train to Ipswich yesterday. The photo shows our train back. On time, smooth and 1 hour.

10m sideband

Before my 2013 stroke, I had every intention for designing and making a very simple rig for 10m sideband. Several ideas were already on the table, but I never had time to do this. Since my stroke I have found it almost impossible to design and make things.

Times have moved on and a synthesised VFO is probably the way to go nowadays. Also, for a single band like 10m, a phasing SSB rig would probably be fine, even if the LSB suppression was not perfect.

In my view, 10m will be a great DX band for many years. I hope somebody else (not me) will take my ideas and design a simple, low cost 10m sideband rig. I can imagine a nice, simple and easily reproduced sideband rig for £20-40 being possible. Imagine, working the world on a simple sideband rig you made.

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

10m FT8 QRP (Thursday)

Today I decided to go on 10m FT8 QRP with 2.5W. The gear was turned on at 1002z. So far (ar 1014z) my signal has been spotted in Kenya by 5Z4VJ (6858km). No QSOs . On RX 2 spots so far. 

UPDATE 1447z: A brief QRP transmission just before 1400z resulted in no spots of me. On 10m FT8 RX today 60 stations spotted so far. I get the impression that 10m conditions are not as good as they have been?

UPDATE 1532z:  A brief 10m FT8 QRP transmission just now resulted in nobody spotting me!  On RX 63 stations have been spotted.

Rust - NOT amateur radio

The town of Ipswich is the county town of Suffolk UK.  

It has some fine old buildings and on the waterfront old warehouses are being replaced with luxury flats.  

This means it is a place where old meets new.

Guided bus - NOT amateur radio

The old railway line between Cambridge and St Ives has been converted into a guided bus route. The route is very rural going past lakes and villages. St Ives is a very nice place. 

Sunspots - Thursday February 24th 2022

 Solar flux is 96 and the SSN 38. A=6 and K=3.