Lower cost homes? - NOT amateur radio

In our part of the UK, homes are expensive. We noticed these static mobile homes being built on our walk yesterday. Some will be for holidays and some permanent homes I expect. 

8m experiment (Saturday)

In a few moments I hope to go on 40.680 MHz USB dial FT8 TX (first). The photo shows my 8m dipole.

UPDATE 0902z:  TX turned on at 0823z. No spots.

UPDATE 1709z: Just been spotted by EA3ERE (1153km). So far, I have been spotted in 6 European countries on 8m mostly via Es. All the continental Europeans have been via Es. With my setup I think it very unlikely I shall be spotted outside Europe.

UPDATE 2045z: QRT.

Sunspots - Saturday May 14th 2022

Solar flux is 150 and the SSN 120.  A=7 and K=1.

Is OFCOM a QUANGO and a waste of money?

Regularly, I get emails from OFCOM. I look at these and get the distinct impression they are trying to  justify their very existence. The impression I am given is of a group that largely does not understand RF and is only interested in money.

This is my personal view and you may feel differently. Experiences 10 years ago and in the last few months have re-enforced my view that it is in radical need of an overhaul. I ask myself, if it wasn't there would it be missed? Probably not!

24 GHz

 This is one band I have never tried. Like 10 GHz , there are Doppler radar modules that could be "repurposed" for WBFM (wideband FM) on this frequency. I have not searched for 24 GHz WBFM, but I am sure circuits must exist.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/homebrew/24ghz .

Results published for 144MHz UKAC (03/05/22)

The results of the latest 2m activity contest run by the RSGB have been published. In the low power section I have climbed from 81st to 70th place. At this rate I might win the section by 2060!!

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

Wind? - NOT amateur radio

This tree was planted in the millennium along with many others. I think it was rotten and the wind got it. 

10m WSPR QRP TX

Yesterday was very successful with my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon being widely spotted across Europe. It is on again now (0821z). No spots yet.

UPDATE 1310z:  Well it helps to remember to turn the PA on!! For the first 30 minutes I forgot. Doh. Mind you, still no spots.  

UPDATE 1954z:  Apart from the 2 stations spotting me multiple times, presumably by F2, no others spotting me. No Es apparent here today.

Es season

 In the coming months we will be in the Es season in the northern hemisphere. This brings lots of short skip DX on bands like 10m, 6m and 4m. Occasionally it even reaches 2m although this is rare. Sometimes we get very long distances via the E layer, but I suspect many of these openings are some kind of chordal E propagation. Enjoy it whilst it lasts! 

8m experiment (Friday)

With my QRP, I am running out of stations with whom I can realistically exchange reports. 

My problem is I do not know who else, without a TX permit, might be looking for me. There is an outside chance that I could be spotted in the USA, but I think it is unlikely that I will be spotted in South Africa. 

I remain totally baffled by OFCOM and the RSGB who seem dead against even a very tiny allocation of an amateur band at 8m, by NoV, digital only, when this could really help propagation research and self training!! I find their OBSTRUCTIVE attitude unbelievable. Contact OFCOM and the RSGB to persuade them they are so WRONG!! Even 5 kHz would be useful, say at 40.680 USB dial. Having to buy a T&I licence seems so wrong and totally the opposite of "self training".

UPDATE 0810z:   8m TX turned on 40.680 MHz USB dial at 0805z. FT8 first period TX.

UPDATE 1420z:  There are lots of stations monitoring on 8m. Sadly, nobody has spotted me today and I have spotted nobody on RX.