17 Nov 2024

Very clever people

Thanks to Amateur Radio Weekly, I have been watching a video showing how someone uses a microcontroller as a TX and RX just by writing code. These chips are not intended to do this at all. To me this is magic! 

I would not know where to start, HI.

Sunspots - Sunday November 17th

 Solar flux is 140 and the SSN 71. A=8 and K=3.

16 Nov 2024

6m MSK144 RX (Saturday)

Overnight I am monitoring 50.280MHz MSK144, hoping to catch some MS pings in the Leonid meteor shower. I think this is the most used frequency for this mode in Europe.

UPDATE 2100z:  No spots.

Inclusivity - NOT amateur radio

In a modern society everyone deserves an equal chance irrespective of race, colour, ethnicity, sexuality or disability. Who they are simply does not matter.

However, have you noticed that nearly every advert on TV now tries really hard to be seen as "inclusive" by including anyone who might be considered "outside"? Perhaps the person is obese, black, disabled or whatever. How often have you noticed someone mentions, in passing, about their husband or wife (of the same sex) on TV?

Now, I am not saying this is wrong, far from it, yet in many ways society has become less tolerant.

I hope that we can all be "inclusive" without becoming total prudes.

10m 500mW WSPR (Saturday)

 

So far this morning 6 stations have spotted me.

UPDATE 1426z: 25 stations have spotted my 500mW 10m WSPR today. Some USA stations are now spotting me.

Ely Cathedral - NOT amateur radio

 

This is Ely Cathedral from the nearby meadow.

Near Ely Cathedral - NOT amateur radio

Ely is unusual in having a park with delightful views of the cathedral nearby. This is about 300m from the cathedral and is a delightful walk.

6m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

For some unknown reason my QMX+ initialised this morning, so I am on 6m QRP FT8 again. So far, I have been spotted by 5 English stations, although I see some better equipped stations are working India on 6m FT8.

UPDATE 1408z: Spotted by 30 stations today with the furthermost 4X1UF (3513km).


UPDATE 1745z: 
32 spots of my QRP 6m FT8 today.

Spectrumview audio spectrum analyser

When I got my iPhone SE about a year ago, I was quite surprised to see that an app was still available for Spectrumview from Oxford Scientific. 

This is available in iOS but I don't think it is available for Android. Many years ago it was useful for VLF and lightbeam work when I needed an audio spectrum analyser. It was also going to be used at 137kHz until I blew up my beacon earlier this year! By changing the sample rate you can adjust the time shown on the screen.

It is the best audio spectrum analyser I found. It is a free app.



Sunspots - Saturday November 16th

Solar flux is 149 and the SSN 71.   A=13 and K=2.