12 Mar 2022

Walk yesterday - NOT amateur radio

 

Yesterday, we did a walk around the village. 

Spring is in the air.

5.17kHz loading coil

This was a photo from 5 years ago of the 5.17kHz loading coil at DF6NM. Some remarkable distances have been spanned by amateurs at these VLF frequencies. 

160m FT8 RX overnight


Overnight I was on 160m FT8 RX. In all 233 stations were spotted including many in the east of the USA.  The antenna was the 10m end fed untuned. 

Sunspots - Saturday March 12th 2022

Solar flux is 127 and the SSN 81.  A=20 and K=4.

11 Mar 2022

160m FT8 RX

At the moment I am on 160m FT8 RX using the untuned 10m antenna. So far, 67 stations spotted.

UPDATE 2232z: 89 stations spotted with the furthermost EX0QR (5642km) in Kyrgystan.

Logbook of the world

This is something I really should get into. 

It can take ADIF files and simple upload them so that you can check quite quickly if the station you worked was genuine. 

Not that it interests me, but some use it for awards like DXCC. I think it is organised by the ARRL. It saves QSL cards, wasted paper and postage. I am way behind with eQSLs too!

See https://lotw.arrl.org/lotwuser/default .

SHF rig from ICOM?

ICOM may be developing an SHF rig. 

They have been doing some experiments at 5.6GHz and have asked for inputs.  At one time microwave bands seemed far too high to be of interest from the major Japanese manufacturers. 

Back in the 1970s we were amazed when the Liner 2 transformed 2m SSB for the masses.

See https://www.icomjapan.com/lp/shf/ .

Spring is in the air - NOT amateur radio


Before it rained, we did a walk around the village earlier. There are signs of spring everywhere now. 

Cambridge bookshops - NOT amateur radio

There used to be lots of bookshops in Cambridge but there are fewer as many people prefer to buy online. 

10m FT8

At 0640z my 10m FT8 has been turned on. No spots yet.

UPDATE 0804z: Just 1 spot on RX so far. 

UPDATE 0919z: Just 2 EUs spotted on RX so far. 1 station has spotted my QRP on TX (G0FWX 160km).

UPDATE 1205z:  50 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX today. 

UPDATE 1218z:  Back on QRP 10m FT8 TX again. 3 spots earlier today. 2 just now.

UPDATE 1342z:   RX only again. 88 stations spotted.

UPDATE 1600z:   110 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX today. Seen better days!