Amateur radio kits

It is very hard to make money selling amateur radio kits. Some try and then fail quietly to disappear for ever. 

Some (especially from China) appear very low cost. Some of these are fine, but some are poor with unclear instructions and errors. If buying these, caveat emptor (let the buyer beware). My advice is look at what others have said first. If you are not sure do not spend money!

One of the very best has been QRP-Labs, by Hans Summers. His kits have been around for many years and are of high quality. They sell fast.  Hans is a bright man. Unlike many, he really understands.

If you are considering getting a kit, think about what you are buying. Will they be here next year? Will the quality be what you expect? What if there are issues? Do they understand English? Can you communicate with them?

Plans for today (Tuesday)

This morning I intend to go on 10m FT8 RX. At lunch time I will QSY to 8m QRP FT8 TX on 40.680 if things are promising. 

Some will get this - NOT amateur radio

 This was sent to me in 2011.

Sunspots - Tuesday November 8th 2022

Solar flux is 135 and the SSN 80. A=19 and K=3.

Not on the radio today (Monday)

As I was out most of the day at my Cosmology lecture at the University of the Third Age in Cambridge (given by an ex Cambridge mathematician), I decided not to go on the radio at all today. My overriding thought is, "this cannot be the whole story". We really understand so little.

Following Murphy's Law, there were several transatlantic 8m FT8 QSOs today!  Hopefully, I shall be on tomorrow and conditions might support 8m FT8 QSOs. Compared with better equipped stations, I am probably at least 10dB down. To achieve a transatlantic FT8 QSO, I probably need conditions to be very good. At least I know my signal can reach the USA judging by results last week.

The Earth as a living organism? - NOT amateur radio

At first this seems a crazy idea. In some ways it is less so. Certainly it is worthy of some thought.

For a long time I have been puzzled by scale. The world of sub-atomic particles and the sheer vastness of the universe seem so remote from each other. I have often wondered if our concepts of space and time are wrong. Perhaps the universe (or some universes) are actually in what we perceive as the micro world?  What if every cell and atom in our body is a whole universe? We are used to thinking of things on the scale that we know.

See https://fancy4work.com/astrobiologists-say-planet-earth-itself-might-actually-be-an-intelligent-being-marie-2/

A quote from the article:

"Earth seems to be stuck at a stage called an “immature technosphere.” This is a scenario where technological activity has fully developed and taken root — yet it’s not yet harmoniously integrated with other systems, such as the physical environment. It is important to integrate these two spheres, for only when the biological and technological processes are in sync can we ensure productivity and human’s future on this planet."

What's so interesting? - NOT amateur radio

This photo shows my wife, son and 2 of our grandchildren at Anglesey Abbey nearby. 

Something is fascinating them!

137kHz (2200m)

It is a very long time since I was on this LF band. 

On TX, I have used my earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground and a loop in the garden made with 0.2mm diameter multi-strand wire.  Thicker wire would have been better.

On TX I used a QRSS beacon or a transverter, both home designed. I have been copied overseas. My transverter is shown on my video channel and on my main website.

For RX only, the antenna can be very small e.g. an e-field probe, also described on my main website.

Sunspots - Monday November 7th 2022

 Solar flux is 131 and the SSN 82.  A=10 and K=1.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Sunday)

When on 8m FT8, I keep forgetting that I can go on 10m WSPR as this uses a different antenna and does not need the PC.  

At about 1555z, I went on 10m QRP WSPR with my W5OLF 500mW WSPR beacon. I could have gone on hours earlier.

UPDATE 1609z:  4 WSPR spots from the USA and Canada.

UPDATE 1847z:  6 unique stations spotted me today on 10m QRP WSPR TX. Now QRT.