Earth-electrode "antenna"

This has been used for many years from VLF-60m with great success. After cutting back some bushes, I want to replace this and try it on 630m, 160m and 80m. Although theories vary, I think it acts as a loop in the ground at MF. It certainly works remarkably well.

Most of the path is in the ground with just the return wire from the far electrode along the fence. Tests with the return wire on the ground at 630m made little difference, so most of the radiation is from the loop in the ground. 

If my theory is correct, the effective loop diameter gets bigger as you move LF. At 2200m it should be even better!

African migrant birds - NOT amateur radio

Swift

About now, I start to watch and listen for the returning migrant birds from Africa. Already swallows have been seen in Devon and even in East Anglia, although I have seen none. Last year I saw very few indeed. 

Locally swift numbers did not seem down on normal. Swifts usually arrive here in numbers mid May. Often they are heard screaming in the sky before they are seen. "They are back", goes out the cry and all is still well with the world. Not yet...

See https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/swift/.

Fresh green - NOT amateur radio

One of the great things about spring is the fresh green leaves. The trees in our garden are just coming into leaf. There is a sense of the earth "coming alive" again after a long, dark, winter. All seasons have their beauty.

10m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

Since about 0700z, I have been on 10m QRP FT8 with the tiny QDX transceiver, which runs just under 5W. At 0825z, 12 spots of me with the furthermost A61R (5589km).

UPDATE 0920z:  15 stations have spotted my QRP 10m FT8 today and I have spotted 22.

UPDATE 1025z:  26 stations have spotted me and I have spotted 42 with the QRP QDX.

UPDATE 1248z: Spotted by 79 stations so far with the furthermost PY1SX (9306km). 5W or less on 10m FT8 seems quite enough!

UPDATE 1324z:  Spotted by 90 stations.

Stations spotting me at
1434z on 10m QRP FT8

UPDATE 1434z:  Spotted by 124 stations in 5 continents. QRP reins!!

UPDATE 1733z:   Spotted by 171 stations.

UPDATE 1910z: 173 stations have spotted my 10m FT8 QRP today. Unlikely to get any more spots today.

Sunspots - Thursday April 6th 2023

 Solar flux is 137 and the SSN is 37. A=11 and K=1. 

Coffee in the garden

Our son came to stay with his son and we were able to enjoy coffee in the garden. 

Donald Trump - NOT amateur radio

 It is impossible to know if the ex president of the USA is guilty of the crimes of which he is charged. What I do know is unless he is found guilty, his chances of re-election in late 2024 increase. 

At the moment, the USA seems very polarised. I really cannot understand why the USA cannot find younger candidates. If either Biden or Trump stand and get in they would be very old men!

Finland joins NATO - NOT amateur radio

Although not a political animal by nature, I can understand why Finland has joined NATO. It is the 31st member state sharing a very long border with Russia. It feels safer as a nation within NATO, knowing that if it was attacked all the NATO countries are duty bound to support it. It looks like the invasion of Ukraine has had the exact opposite effect with even more NATO countries on its borders.

Personally, I just wish all countries could live in peace and harmony as defence spending is, ultimately, a total waste of money.

QDX on 10m FT8

This runs at less than 5W, but has been widely spotted again this afternoon. It would seem the tiny QDX is all that is needed to get around the world. Since the photo was taken, many more stations have spotted me today on 10m FT8.

Stations spotting my
QRP 10m FT8 TX today

UPDATE 1955z:  64 stations spotted my QRP 10m FT8 today with the QDX transceiver.

XBM80-2 transceiver webpage

As Jason M0NYW has kindly done a PCB layout and provided the Gerber files, I was hoping to add a link to these on my website, but I cannot create a public link to my Google Drive zip file. Not sure if this is a temporary issue. 

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

UPDATE 1700z:  I think I have solved the problem and the link to Jason's Gerber file is now on the webpage.