Tempted? - NOT amateur radio

After Christmas, quite a few people go on diets to lose some weight after eating too much over the break. 

My wife saw this display in Cambridge yesterday. She was very tempted!

RF modules?

Sadly, the days when I can build things have long gone: instead I concentrate on experiments that I can (mainly) do at home without building.

It has long fascinated me that many RF modules for various bands are available at low cost. People have used these for low cost 5.6 GHz ATV links. In fact a whole /P culture has grown around /P ATV at 5.6 GHz.

What I have not seen is other such RF modules put to use on VHF and UHF frequencies for FM or AM transceivers. In principle, people could make whole rigs without any RF knowledge!

The modules shown may be bought as a set of 4 (RX and TX modules) i.e. 8 for just £10!!!

Sunspots - Saturday February 4th 2023

 Solar flux is 135 and the SSN 74. A=9 and K=3.

PSKreporter - sick or overloaded?

At times, PSKreporter seems not to work. Sometimes there is a great delay adding spots and at other times it seems unresponsive. I don't think this is an issue with my end. I think it is at the PSKreporter end. 

Sadly, this makes it a far less useful site as you sometimes have to wait hours before you know if you have been spotted.

I am currently looking for 8m FT8 spots.

Promise of spring? - NOT amateur radio

At this dark time of the year, my wife likes to buy some bunches of daffodils. They are usually a bargain (still) and herald better days ahead. Spring is only a few weeks away .... along with grass cutting!! 

The bird migrants from Africa usually arrive in April.

Solar data

The latest information on solar cycle 25 is out. It still shows the peak as November this year, which is early.

See https://www.solen.info/solar/ . 

OFCOM updates

 Every week, OFCOM updates the data it holds on licences etc..  See the OFCOM website for the latest.

Savoury biscuits for dips - NOT amateur radio

On Monday our son popped around for "University Challenge" on TV.  He brought some dips and biscuits for dipping. 

Inspired by these biscuits, I made my own this morning. They worked out really well (see photo). I shall have to make them again adding a few more dried rosemary herbs. Looking at the recipe, I suspect any herbs could be substituted.

See flatbread crackers recipe.

10m 500mW WSPR TX (Friday)

At 0852, my W5OLF 10m WSPR beacon was turned on. Already, plenty of spots from the Canary Isles.

UPDATE 1204z:  61 spots of me by EA8/DF4UE (2876km) today.

UPDATE 1255z:  USA starting to spot me now. See http://wspr.rocks/ .

XBM80-2 transceiver

One of my Facebook memories this week was of some QSOs over 100 miles by AA1TJ using my little XBM80-2 transceiver in 2010. I did not realise it was that old!

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/80m-xbm80-2 .