Solar flux is 133 and the SSN 87. A=20 and K=3.
4 Nov 2025
3 Nov 2025
On 474.2kHz WSPR RX again (Monday)
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| 630m ATU |
After the success last evening I am again on 474.2kHz WSPR RX with my ad hoc antenna and ground.
UPDATE 2203z: Already spotting 8 stations with the furthermost 8 spots of OH1LSQ (1733km).
Milking?
Whenever something sensational happens it seems the media "milks" the story, going on for days and days,
Recently, we had what appears to have been a mentally ill person stabbing train passengers. Whilst fully understanding this must have been very traumatic for those on the train, I get really annoyed that the media goes on and on about it. In this case it was the BBC. It seems that every story must be rung dry and made to last. We rarely get good news as this is, sadly, not newsworthy.
Recent examples have included the UK Prince Andrew.
Google Ad(non)sense
Suddenly the number people looking at this blog shoots by a factor of about 10. I am sure the popularity of the posts has not suddenly gone up! I have no idea how they measure visits, but I am sure it is not correct.
630m WSPR RX (Sunday evening)
It is ages since I tried 630m WSPR RX. I connected my coax up to my 2m big-wheel via a ferrite rod ATU as the antenna and a mains plug ground. All this is very far from ideal! Judging by results, it certainly works.
2 Nov 2025
Change of plan - 40m 2W FT8
Earlier in the evening I can go on 40m FT8 TX at 2W via my coax to the 2m big-wheel antenna via an ATU.
UPDATE 1831z: No spots of me although I have spotted a couple of stations in Germany with this ad hoc set-up.
UPDATE 1853z: Swapped to my 10m EFHW antenna via the ATU. Lots more stations spotted on RX, but nobody has spotted my 2W.
UPDATE 1858z: I have come to the reluctant conclusion that 2W is below the noise floor for most stations in Europe. I shall stick with it for a while longer, then go back to 474.2kHz WSPR RX only.
630m (474.2kHz) WSPR RX
For a total change, I am on 474.2kHz WSPR RX using the coax up to my 2m big-wheel antenna tuned via a ferrite rod ATU and a mains plug earth.
UPDATE 1826z: DC0DX (467km) spotted. This rubbish set-up works!
UPDATE 1916z: Back on 472kHz WSPR RX. DC0DX copied 5dB stronger.
How simple?
Many years ago I designed and built this transceiver for 80m CW. It has been on the blog before. It is also on my website. It just goes to show what is possible with just 14 parts!
Outside of space and time
One of the philosophical questions I have been grappling with recently is consciousness outside of space and time.
We live in a world bounded by space and time. We seem to live in a vast universe with time flowing from the past into the future. Trying to imagine things outside of these is all but impossible.
I am reminded of a book I read in the 1960s where everything had just 2 dimensions. Thinking outside of these was almost impossible. An object passing through this world might get larger, then smaller, but it might be hard to understand this in a 2-dimensional world.
The book may have been called Flatland. There are books called this on Amazon, although I am not sure if these are the same book in more recent editions? It was first published as a novella in 1884, so these may well be the same.
I sometimes think we might be like that: unable to think unless they are within the bounds of experience of our finite brains.
We are used to think in our world view, but this may be a very narrow.
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