This photo was taken 7 years ago. It is almost certainly somewhere in East Anglia, although I cannot recall where. If you recognise it, please put me out of my misery!
7 May 2023
Where is this? - NOT amateur radio
This photo was taken 7 years ago. It is almost certainly somewhere in East Anglia, although I cannot recall where. If you recognise it, please put me out of my misery!
Bellringing bonkers - NOT amateur radio
One of our grandsons is totally mad on bellringing. At the last count he had run in 109 places!. This video shows him ringing nearby. I think he is doing a full peel somewhere this weekend. This takes several hours.
Changes
When I was first involved with amateur radio it was 1962.
My first venture into radio was when my dad bought me a Heathkit Electronics Workshop for Christmas 1961. This allowed you to make a variety of circuits without soldering. That first Christmas I was DXing on Medium Wave. I joined the RSGB shortly afterwards. My first G8 call was in 1966 and I became a G3 in 1967, taking my Morse test in the famous Liver building in Liverpool.
My first serious TX activity was when I moved to Cambridge in the early 1970s. My first outings were on 2m AM, then 70cm AM with a simple homemade QRP transverter. In those days most people were crystal controlled, so it was "tuning high to low" to get a contact.
These days, people rarely come on just for a chat. Times are changing.
My 2m-70cm transverter was based on this circuit in the old "VHF Communication" magazine. It produced about 100mW on 70cm. From a local hill you could almost guarantee a QSO with this in the 1970s.
OFCOM updates
A reminder that OFCOM updates the information it hold on licences etc. every week. See the OFCOM website for the latest data.
Incidentally, I enquired about changes to my T&I 8m licence. A month later, I am still awaiting a response. They say they are incredibly busy. At this rate, the Es season will be over before they respond! I know from work days how this can feel, but a response email would take just a few minutes!
8m QRP FT8 (Sunday)
After breakfast, my plan is to go on 40.680 MHz QRP FT8 again in the hope of catching some Es.
UPDATE 0854z: Gear turned on at 0820z. No spots.
UPDATE 0948z: G3WCS spotted (IO83). Is this genuine?
UPDATE 1046z: It turns out G3WCS is genuine, Also WESSEXSDR (265km) has spotted me on RX. In the last few days I have been spotted on 8m FT8 every day, and not one of these was Es, despite using just 2.5W FT8 and a low dipole.
UPDATE 1918z: 2 stations have spotted me today on 8m FT8 and I have spotted 2. No Es. QRT soon.
6 May 2023
2m activity contest last Tuesday
As usual, I go on the 2m activity contest on the first Tuesday evening in the month. As I run 2.5W and an omni big-wheel antenna and my voice is poor, I am usually on for less than an hour. Conditions seemed a bit "up" and it was quite busy. In 37 minutes 7 contacts were had (see map). Next Tuesday is the 70cm activity contest.
4m personal beacon
Jason M0NYW has a personal 4m beacon. I predict he will see lots of spots this Es season.
It is on 70.093 MHz (70.092 USB-D) sending FT8 + CW ID + dashes. It has an output of 1W to a halo. I hope I can spot it. It runs pretty much 24/7.
See www.qrz.com/db/M0NYW/b for more details.
Just popping down for golf - NOT amateur radio
Sir John Beckwith's helicopter at Thurlestone. How the other half live!!
Next door - NOT amateur radio
We are lucky to live just next door to a fully restored windmill. This is the view from the lounge window.
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