Born in a stately home - NOT amateur radio

After WW2, this was a nursing home for some years. It was here that I was born a long time ago.  It has been converted to retirement flats.

So, I can truthfully say I was born in a stately home even though we lived in a modest council house at the time!!

30m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

Using 2.5W to my V2000 vertical via my z-match tuner, I am giving 30m FT8 a try.

UPDATE 1447z: Plenty of spots of me. It also loads up on 20m where my 2.5W is being widely spotted.

I think with this z-match, I can load up random wires and coax outers on most HF bands.

The map shows the 71 spots of me on 30m 2.5W FT8 by mid-afternoon. Oh yes, it works.

UPDATE 1552:  Spotted by 125 stations on 30m QRP FT8  - too easy!

10m 500uW WSPR experiment continued (Saturday)

My 500uW (0.5mW) 10m WSPR TX experiment is continuing. 

UPDATE 1219z:  No spots today.

UPDATE 1454z:  Spotted in the Canary Is - amazing for 500uW WSPR! 

Soldering - hard now

 A few minutes ago, I was intending to go on 8m QRP FT8, but I noticed the high SWR. 

The problem is the coax plug. I attempted to fix it, but the soldering is now so much harder, so I have stopped for now. I shall have another go after lunch. 

This is a combination of poorer fine motor skills and eyesight. To think 50 years ago this would be so trivial!! I shall do it, but it takes longer nowadays.

Birthday - NOT amateur radio

Today I am 21 and quite a bit!  A few years ago I would have qualified for a free TV licence!

My wife is cooking pheasant.

Conspicuous silence?

My speculation a few days ago about a possible successor to the FT-817/818 met with silence. I guess Yaesu is looking at ICOM, the KX2/3 and the Chinese and wondering if they should bother. If I was Yaesu, I'd be thinking twice. 

They need to come out (if they do) with a "killer" QRP product that everyone wants with some very unique features. 

On performance these last few years I have my doubts. They are capable of doing some excellent products, but seem to be floundering in recent years. At one time they were market leaders. Nowadays they are market followers trying to catch up.

630m WSPR overnight

 

In all, 10 stations spotted my 10mW ERP 630m WSPR from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground overnight.

Sunspots - Saturday December 23rd 2023

 Solar flux is 187 and the SSN 157. A=4 and K=1.

Low cost HF transceiver

Just now I noticed a uSDX 8 band QRP HF transceiver, with internal battery for just over £150 on Amazon. Less battery, it is about £20 less expensive. 

I am slightly nervous of Chinese products as these may not have CE approval and might have import duty to pay. I also think the Chinese have some way to go on quality control.

630m QRP WSPR (Friday)

My 10mW ERP 630m WSPR from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground was turned on about 1650z. Just G8LCO (58km) spotting me so far.

UPDATE 1709z :   G4FFC (45km) also spotting me.