23cm beacons

My nearest 23cm beacon is (I think) GB3DUN (66km) on Dunstable Downs. 

From home in the shack I can only use a 6ele PCB antenna firing out of the shack window. With the leaves off the trees, now is probably a good time to see if I can receive it.

It is very much an obstructed path.

This is a useful distance and bearing calculator if you know the Maidenhead 6 figure grid for both the TX and RX. See https://www.chris.org/cgi-bin/showdis .

Chocolate box village - NOT amateur radio

This is the village of Dalham not far from us. It is filled with "chocolate box" thatched cottages that must be worth a fortune today.  

At one time they were probably worker's hovels. How times change.

Wet string antennas

Yesterday I mentioned using the coax to my 2m big-wheel antenna on 80m. It worked remarkably well. 

I came across this video on YouTube showing someone using a coat hanger antenna on 10m. As long as the antenna is properly matched to the rig with an ATU, you may be surprised.

If you do not have an antenna for a certain band do not give up. I am sure such compromise antennas would be down on a "proper" antenna, but do not be too surprised if it works quite effectively.

Some have used wires in their plastic guttering down-pipe or a flagpole. You may be amazed just how well such hidden antennas work.

Sunspots - Sunday January 5th

 Solar flux is 209 and the SSN 193.  A=32 and K=2.

Faroe Is - NOT amateur radio

One of the pleasures of 365project, as I have said before, is having a "window on the world" as in this photo recently posted by a friend who lives in the Faroe Islands. I can imagine that it is often cold, wet and windy.

See https://365project.org/mubbur/365/2024-12-29. 

The year of 23cm?

I bought  my 2W transverter with a view to using it in the RSGB activity contests (UKAC) when out /P last year, but the weather put me off, so maybe I shall try again in 2025. 

Also I have an SDR receiver that is better suited to beacon hunting. 23cm (for me) would be a new challenge. Since buying the 23cm transverter, it has hardly been used.

10m 500mW WSPR (Saturday)

 My QRP 10m WSPR beacon is on again, but again no spots. I suspect there is a problem uploading spots as I know it is working and time is synced.

UPDATE 1545z:  Whatever was wrong seems to have been fixed as my little beacon is being spotted by 39 stations with furthermost ZD7GB  (7607km).

UPDATE 2035z:  QRT.

The home of horseracing - NOT amateur radio

 

Newmarket is world famous as the home of horseracing. These horses have just returned from exercising on "The Gallops" nearby.

6m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

 Today, I am back on QRP 6m FT8 with the QMX+.  At 1043z 6 English stations had spotted me.

UPDATE 1418z:  13 stations have spotted me, all in the British Isles.

UPDATE 2025z:  QRT.

Wet string next time on 80m FT8?

 In the last 12 hours I was spotted by 184 stations despite just running a few watts of 80m FT8 from my QMX+ to the coax up to my 2m big-wheel antenna via an ATU. 

On 80m FT8 RX 629 stations were spotted here. See the map of stations received.

Hence my title! If this works anything will.