Sunday plans

My intention is to continue my tests with 500uW (0.5mW) 10m WSPR, but I may go on 6m FT8 rather than 8m FT8.  6m has the advantage of more people monitoring, both in the UK and Europe. If things look very promising, I might try 8m FT8 in the afternoon.

Changing world order - NOT amateur radio

Most of us have grown up in a world dominated by western democracies. We have been told countless times that this fair and just: it is the right way for people to follow.

However, things are changing. Increasingly, developing countries are looking towards China and Russia. Many of their ways appear bizarre to those of us in the west.

We have to admit that western democracies are not perfect. Under capitalism the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The gap gets ever bigger.

The world was once in the thrall of the USA. This is no longer the case.

In the end, things will (I hope) sort themselves out.  Capitalism is not perfect and neither is communism or extreme right wing politics.

630m QRP WSPR (Saturday)

 My 10mW ERP was turned on at 1700z. 4 spots on the first transmission.

UPDATE  1807z:  9 stations have spotted me.

CEPT 8m amateur allocation?

Before I start, there are no plans for this. 

However, the band is now available to radio amateurs in at least 2 CEPT countries and in many CEPT nations some are experimenting on 8m with special permits. 

From figures provided to me by an amateur in Belgium, radio amateurs would produce less interference than ISM users between 40.66-40.70MHz.  It would be great if CEPT allowed radio amateurs access to the band.

These are my proposals for an 8m amateur band:

• 40.675-40.685 MHz (just 10 kHz wide in total, in the ISM band. A minimum would be 40.680-40.683 MHz)
• Secondary
• Only available by application (NoV or equivalent)
• 5W maximum
• Narrow digital only (modes like FT8, WSPR and CW), no phone
• Strictly no interference
• Only available to full licencees

My assumption is CEPT is more likely to be receptive if we ask for the minimum.

Almost all the activity on 8m is propagation research. Such a small CEPT amateur allocation could really advance radio propagation science.

Please approach your national society and licencing authority for an 8m amateur band.

See https://www.itu.int/dms_pubrec/itu-r/rec/sm/R-REC-SM.1056-1-200704-I!!PDF-E.pdf .

8m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

As my 8m dipole is showing a high VSWR, my 2.5W 8m FT8 is connected instead to my loop on the shack windowsill on which the match is good. 

UPDATE 1847z: No spots all day. 

Connect the antenna! (Saturday)

For the first few hours today, my 500uW 10m WSPR beacon had no antenna connected. When running QRPP it helps to have an antenna!! Doh!

My 0.5mW beacon has been on (with an antenna! 😄) since about 1230z.

UPDATE 1900z: No spots all day.

Windmill next door - NOT amateur radio

As many may remember, we live next door to a fully restored and working 200 year old windmill which is part of Burwell Museum. 

Just occasionally, they turn the sails on but they never disturb us. It is just over the garden wall. The attached photo was taken from the lounge window. The sky was blue, but it was very cold!

See https://burwellmuseum.org.uk/ .

630m QRP WSPR overnight

 

25 stations have spotted my 10mW ERP in the last 12 hours as the table shows.

Sunspots - Saturday January 20th

 Solar flux is 157 and the SSN 137. A=8 and K=2.

630m QRP WSPR (Friday)

Rather earlier than usual, my 630m 10mW ERP WSPR was turned on at about 1515z. So far, spotted by 3 stations. As usual, I am using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground.

UPDATE 1915z: In the last hour 14 stations have spotted me with the furthermost LA3EQ (769km) in Norway. 19 stations have spotted me in the last 12 hours.

UPDATE 2120z: 22 stations have spotted me in the last 12 hours including OH1LSQ (1733km).