First swallow seen - NOT amateur radio

Last evening I saw my first swallow of the year. Considering it had flown all the way to southern Africa and back is quite incredible.

See the RSPB website for details: https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/swallow/

Sunspots - Saturday April 8th 2023

Solar flux is 136 and the SSN 38. A=8 and K=2. 

Ready, aim, fire - NOT amateur radio

 

At the pub with our grandchildren this afternoon.

Simple 10m FT8 RX as the Es season approaches

Now seems a good time to remind people of my very simple 10m FT8 receiver, the 10FT8R. Even buying all parts new, I doubt it would cost more than 4 cups of coffee out. It allows the "big rig" to be used for something else whilst keeping a watchful eye on 10m FT8. The design uses low cost crystals and a Polyakov mixer that requires injection at half frequency in a direct conversion RX. The design appeared in RadCom last year. It works remarkably well. My thanks to Jay, W5OLF for doing the schematic drawing.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/10ft8r-rx .

10m FT8 QRP with the QDX (Friday)

Again, I  am on 10m FT8 QRP with the QDX which runs less than 5W. It is now 0925z and I have been on for about 10 minutes. So far, spotted by 1 station 4X1UF (3513km) and 4 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1550z:   So far today, my QRP 10m FT8 spotted by 57 stations on 5 continents.

Oscar 100 narrowband transponder

Every few weeks I like to give an update on activity levels on this geosynchronous satellite by looking at the web SDR at Goonhilly Downs in Cornwall. The last time I looked was late afternoon in the UK on a Thursday. Activity levels remain low.

See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/ .

Sunspots - Friday April 7th 2023

Solar flux is 137 and the SSN 33. A=9 and K=2.

OFCOM updates

A reminder that OFCOM updates the data it holds on us every week. Check the OFCOM website for details.

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/.