Postcards- NOT amateur radio

These days people send fewer postcards preferring to send photos by email or WhatsApp. Looking at this shop near King’s College, Cambridge you would find that hard to believe!!

Hellebores - NOT amateur radio

 

Yesterday, we caught up with old university friends we have known since the 1960s (gosh I must be old!!) and went for a walk at nearby Anglesey Abbey. One of the flowers now out are Hellebores. I thought the flowers were meant to face the sun (hence the name), but most of the ones I have seen have heads down!!

HiFer 22m ISM band (Tuesday)

Once again, I am trying my luck with low milliwatts WSPR on 13.5539MHz in the HiFer band using ISM restrictions. For the last 2 days I have been spotted in Europe, but not in the USA. Always hopeful!! 

UPDATE 0944z:  Spots by OE9GHV/Q (871km).

UPDATE 1711z: 3 European spots again, but nothing from the USA.

630m QRP WSPR overnight

18 stations spotted my 10mW QRP WSPR from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground in the last 24 hours. No great DX, but another decent session.

Amateur VLF DX in 2011

 It’s some years since I did experiments at VLF. This was my first DX on 8.97kHz VLF.

SSTV

Apart from a half-hearted attempt at decoding a SSTV (slow scan TV) picture on my smart phone many years ago, I have not really tried this mode. It sounds fun to try. 

The best software looks like YONIQ which is a derivative of MMSSTV.  I shall install this software unless anyone suggests anything better.

The maximum power I can run is 10W pep. I am not sure if I need more.

UPDATE 0842z: I have seen the comment yesterday by Bas about digital SSTV. I must investigate!

UPDATE 0955z: Before running, try walking!  It looks like the first "baby steps" with SSTV should be trying to receive some images, both analogue and digitally. My first few days will be downloading suitable software and having a play.

Sunspots - Tuesday February 6th

 Solar flux is 173 and the SSN 152.  A= 7 and K=2 .

630m QRP WSPR (Monday)

My 10mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground was turned on at 2130z. 

UPDATE 2215z:   10 stations have spotted me this evening so far.

22m HiFer ISM band

 Again I am trying my luck on the HiFer band. No luck with being spotted in the USA although both OE and DC have spotted my QRPP.

New experiments to try?

As many know, I enjoy experimenting. In recent years, my health has not been too great, so I have been looking at things I can do from home rather than going out and about. In the past I have tried VLF and over the horizon ((NLOS) optical tests, both with great success.

My problem is I am running out of new things to try!  

I have tried 500uW WSPR on 10m (best DX USA) , got to the Caribbean, USA, Canada and South Africa with 2.5W and a dipole on 8m FT8, 630m QRP WSPR (got to Finland) and have tried the 22m and 8m ISM bands with QRPP WSPR.

If you have any ideas, I'd like to hear from you. These are the criteria:

• Must be able to do it from home.
• No complicated antenna erections.
• Not expensive.
• Does not involve fine motor skills as I am no longer good at these sadly.
• Interesting and fun.
• Contributes to knowledge.

I am sure there must be things to have a go with.  What I would really like is something "meaty" that needs doing. With plenty of time on my hands, things can spread over many months.

Some of the things I might try:

• More 137kHz CW and QRSS3 tests.
• 1296MHz  QRP
• FT8 with real QRPP on 10, 12, 15, 17 and 20m.
• 8m this Es season with ISM power and WSPR.