YouTube Channel

Just a reminder that many of my projects are on my video channel. Together with my main website http://www.g3xbm.co.uk you should find all the data you need on any of my projects.

As I remind people, experiment! Many (most?) of my projects are capable of improvement.

See https://www.youtube.com/@G3XBM

FT290/FT790

Many people around the planet own an FT817 or its successor. 

Before the FT817 became ubiquitous there were the 2m FT290 and 70cm FT790. Even today there are FT290s driving transverters.

I never understood why stupid Yaesu never offered a replacement, but it is now far too late as they have "missed the boat". These days there are plenty of rigs. In 2010 the world was their oyster.

Early morning walk - NOT amateur radio

 

As today is again expected to be hot, we went for a walk before breakfast as it was still cool. In all, we walked about 4km.

Best modes for VHF MS?

Just wondering what the best mode is for MS on VHF?  MS signals may be strong, with Doppler, but fleeting.  

I assume WSPR would be useless as it takes too long. I have no idea about FT8/4 in such conditions. Maybe there is a mode that copes well in these conditions? 

Overnight I was on 50.280 MHz MSK144 RX and this certainly is popular in Europe. This was the Perseid meteor shower. 30 stations from Spain and Italy 🇮🇹 to Sweden were spotted on 6m RX. See map.

Sunspots - Tuesday August 13th

 Solar flux is 272 and the SSN 245  A=122 and K=1.

MSK144 on 50.280 MHz RX

G8SEI (131km) is the only station so far spotted on 6m this evening on MSK144. Although I am no expert in these matters, I thought I would try monitoring 50.280 MHz (Europe) during the night to see if I manage any copy during the Perseid meteor shower. I suspect G8SEI is being copied by normal tropo and not via MS!

Simple regen RX

This site is really, really good. He is so modest and talks through his journey into amateur radio. In this video he is trying to make a simple regen RX better.

Mid-summer in the garden - NOT amateur radio

For several years our grass went brown, before recovering in autumn As we had a wet spring last year and this, the grass is still green ..... for now. 

Today is expected to be very hot, so I don't want to speak too soon! The photo shows part of our garden this morning.

2m activity contest last Tuesday

My mother-in-law would have called me a gunner. Why? Because I am "gunner do this and gunner do that". 

Several days ago I was going to submit my (pathetic) entry into the RSGB organised 2m activity contest (UKAC). I nearly forgot and submitted my entry just now. 

I get the feeling this contest is waning in popularity. Yes, there are still plenty of entries, but I seem to have fewer QSOs than I once did. This could be because urban stations find my 10W PEP harder now with increased local noise?

The map shows the QSOs with 10W PEP and the big-wheel omni antenna. I only stopped on very briefly.

Swifts gone - NOT amateur radio

It looks as if the swifts have largely left the UK on their long journey to central Africa with a return next spring.  You rarely see them go, but look up and notice they are no longer around. The odd straggler might be seen, but most have gone.

On a more positive note, we get migrant birds from the far north, who think we are warmer in winter.  It takes all sorts! 😊