8m experiment (Sunday)

 It is now 1032z I have been on 8m FT8 TX on 40.680 MHz USB dial for about 30 minutes. 

UPDATE 1712z: 4 stations have spotted my QRP today with the furthermost EA8BFK (2881km) in the Canary Is. Also, G4APB (88km) spotted on RX, I think for the first time on 8m FT8; at -22dB S/N he was marginal here. I have lost count of all the stations now spotted on 8m FT8, but they are in 5 countries. We could do with a few more countries active on TX.

Sunspots - Sunday June 12th 2022

 Solar flux is 112 and the SSN 41. A=8 and K=2.

2m halfwave antennas

Most people opt for 5/8th wave antennas when they want better ranges on their 2m handhelds. Some years ago now I made a half-wave antenna for 2m. It was widely used on my many 2m rigs. It was first used in the 1970s, so must be about 50 years old! 

The idea was simple: the end is a high impedance so I just added a tuned circuit tapped at the 50  ohm point to match to the rig. It got me across the English Channel with a 10mW AM handheld (160km), so it must work! The antenna was actually on the Fredbox.

Clearly this would work on 70cm if scaled.

One photo shows the matching arrangement and the other the full whip.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Saturday)

At the moment (1040z) I am on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW from the W5OLF beacon. 14 stations have spotted me by Es already! Another good Es day.

Out of the kitchen window - NOT amateur radio

We get a good view at breakfast. This is what we see.  

The view from the lounge is similar.

See https://burwellmuseum.org.uk/ .

8m experiment (Saturday)

Later today I expect to be on 8m TX on 40.680 MHz USB dial FT8 again. 

Yesterday, 5 stations spotted me as the map shows. 

UPDATE 1036z:  8m FT8 TX turned on about 1030z. 2 stations in southern Europe have already spotted me by Es.

UPDATE 1316z:  7 stations have spotted my 8m FT8 today.

UPDATE 2010z: Best day yet with 12 stations spotting me today. 

Sunspots - Saturday June 11th 2022

Solar flux is 111 and the SSN 33. A=5 and K=2.

8m experiment (Friday)

On and off this afternoon, I have been on 40.680 MHz USB dial FT8 QRP TX. It is now 1605z, and I have been spotted by 2 stations  and I have had 1 "QSO" with a station  in Croatia although I cannot tell you this! Actually it was an FT8 exchange of location and signal reports. 

Maybe to keep OFCOM happy I should have told him about runner beans and sweet peas - oh silly me, I don't have a commercial rig and antenna for 80m. 

Isn't OFCOM's position and that of the RSGB on 8m absolutely crazy?!!

UPDATE 1807z:   5 stations have spotted me on 8m FT8 TX today. 2 stations have been spotted here.

IC202 - remember these?

Back in the late 1970s (I think) these became very common on 2m SSB. They were the successor to the Liner-2 and far cleaner. I had one for several years and it served me well. Even today, they are still in use driving microwave transverters.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/vhfuhf-commercial-rigs/icom-ic-202

I hope the links on the link still work as they were created some time ago.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Friday)

Later today, I expect to be on 10m WSPR TX with my 500mW W5OLF beacon. 

Yesterday was very good with lots of Es propagation.