Blog numbers - NOT amateur radio

For several weeks I consistently had blog visitor numbers about 10 times more than normal. Occasionally I know numbers are higher as a result of bot probes. This was different. Numbers are now back to normal. I can only assume numbers were being wrongly inflated.  

Moral?  Do not believe all you read!

Have we gone mad in the UK? - NOT amateur radio

Let me say right away, that I have absolutely nothing against gay or bisexual people. Some of my best friends are gay and some are happily married.  One (female) couple have a child and they are all happy and loved.

What I have a problem with is attacking (often by words in the media) of conventional couples. Yes, the overriding thing is everyone regardless of colour, gender or religion has the right to be happy. We have no business to interfere.

What I am asking for is toleration. We are all different. Let's respect this.

Simple 10m FT8 RX

It is amazing that something so simple works so well. I found a very low cost source of crystals and this does not tie up the "big rig". With 10m so good at the moment, this is a really low cost way of monitoring the activity.

I wish someone would do a simple PCB. It would make an ideal club project or Buildathon.

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

Cheap crystals? See https://kc9on.com/product/14mhz-hc49u-tall-crystals/   $1.75 each!

Yesterday's walk - NOT amateur radio

 

My wife made a collage of our walk at Quy near Cambridge yesterday. It was a pleasant walk down to the river and lake.

It is here for the record.

630m WSPR (Sunday)

Now that my 630m station is working well on "split", I can be on both TX and RX on 630m WSPR. For a change, I am sticking with 630m WSPR in the daytime to see what happens. I am surprised by the activity that is there. Perhaps it is because it is a weekend? 

UPDATE 1411z:  QRT on 630m. On again this evening. In the last day I have been spotted by 11 stations with the furthermost OH1LSQ (1733km). Pleasing with a very low ERP and the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground.  Some while back, I measured the ERP as 10mW.  The transverter produces 10-15W into a 50 ohm load. See my website for details.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/630m-472khz-transverter

UPDATE 1555z:  630m WSPR gear turned on again at 1554z.

UPDATE 1905z:  At the moment WSPRnet seems not to be working, so I am looking on WSPR Rocks. So far this evening these are the stations spotting me (see map).

UPDATE 2125z:  OH1LSQ (1733km) and a station in Norway have spotted my 10mW ERP 630m WSPR this evening. The station in Finland has spotted me for 2 days running.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Sunday)

My 500mW beacon is on again. Spots from the Canaries as well as some stations in Europe are again being received. I guess these latter ones could be F2 backscatter or Es. 

UPDATE 1326z:  So far today, my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon has been spotted by 34 stations (see table).

UPDATE 1511z:  46 spots of me today.

UPDATE 1806z:  Spotted by 53 stations today.

Yesterday on 630m WSPR

Now "split" is working I am fully active on 630m WSPR. DX spots with the earth-electrode antenna in the ground are as good as ever. Great to be back. 

Sunspots - Sunday October 8th 2023

Solar flux is 157 and the SSN 145.  A=4 and K=2.

LoRa devices at 863-870 MHz

 As far as I can gather, this band is licence exempt in the UK and may be of use to experimenters. I have not read the regulations wrt ERP etc.. 

It may be of use for short-range experiments over a few kilometers. I expect there are several RF modules available. 

Helsinki, Finland - NOT amateur radio

In all, I have been here 5 times, 2 for work and 3 times on holiday. On holiday it was summer time and mild. For work, it was once in winter and very cold and once in May. We travelled north to Oulo where there was still ice in May!  

Helesinki is a fine city with a nice feel.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helsinki .