Sunrise - NOT amateur radio

This stunning photo was taken (not by me!) last week. It is about 5km from my home.

ISM band operation - licence exempt

A reminder that re-reading the OFCOM pages I am convinced that operation in the ISM bands without a licence is legal in the UK (and probably elsewhere) as long as the interface requirements are met.  This relates to power levels, and in some cases, duty cycles.

Not being a legal expert you have to read the rules in your administration.

I am pretty sure this means 8m WSPR at 10mW ERP without a licence is legal in the UK for anyone. In Australia 5mW has covered 5000km on 8m WSPR, so all of Europe would be in range especially in the Es season. The callsign can be made up, but best to use one that WSPRnet can use. In the past I used 8M3ISM. You could choose 8M3 plus your initials for example.

Using WSPRnet you can see who is spotting you.  This is NOT amateur radio.

See you in the spring?

VLF earth-mode experiments 2010

Way back in 2010 (when I was fitter!) I used to enjoy going out to see how far away I could detect my VLF earth-mode beacon running 5W. The furthermost I got was 6km, but much further would have been possible with more power and a larger baseline. Indeed, if the power is increased and the baseline larger I know of one station that has been received 100s of kilometers away. The RX station was able to detect the radiated component that was probably just microwatts. Earth-electrode "antennas" have been used successfully on  radiated tests at even lower frequencies with remarkable ranges being covered.

Sunspots - Monday December 11th 2023

 Solar flux is 127 and the SSN 120. A=4 and K=1.

F2 going "off the boil"?

This last week, I have not been spotted in the Caribbean on 8m with my 2.5W and dipole on FT8. I wonder if the autumn F2 has peaked with more to come in February/March? I am no propagation expert, but a few weeks ago I was spotted almost daily in the Caribbean on 8m FT8.

And so it goes on - NOT amateur radio

The BBC reports that more people in Gaza have been told to avoid the difficult fighting at the centre of Khan Younis. I am ashamed of the USA and UK governments. 

Yes Hamas has done evil things, but innocents continue to be badly impacted. All that results is a generation to come that hates Israel.  This is sheer madness. Hamas may be defeated. What then?

Jaw, jaw not war, war. Do we never learn?

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-middle-east-67672759 .

VHF activity contests - waning interest?

For several years now, I have been on the Tuesday night 2m and 70cms activity contests (UKAC) organised by the RSGB ever month. If I am able, I usually go on for some of the first hour with my 10W SSB and big-wheel omni horizontal antenna.

Maybe it is just me, but are there seem to be fewer stations on SSB?  The FT8 activity sessions seem busy.

Outside our post office - NOT amateur radio

Our village (Burwell, Cambs, UK) is a mix of old and new buildings. This photo was taken about now several years ago. One of the trees was rotten and taken down, but has been replaced by a cherry tree.

8m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

My 2.5W and dipole were turned on at 1116z. 

UPDATE 1429z:  No spots.

Continuing my 10m QRPP WSPR tests (Sunday)

My 500uW (0.5mW) WSPR TX is on. 

UPDATE 1429z:  No spots today.