Sunspots - Monday February 16th

 Solar flux is 118 and the SSN 65. A=26 and K=4.

10m 5W FT8 (Sunday)

My 10m QRP FT8 was turned on at 1144z.

UPDATE 1149z: So far, spotted by 13 stations.

UPDATE 1252z:  Currently 10m FT8 RX only. 249 stations spotted.

UPDATE 1656z:  662 stations spotted here. See map. Seeing this 5W radio (QDX-M) is about the same size as a pack of cards, i.e. tiny, I am very impressed! Actually it is probably smaller than a pack of cards!  My antenna is just a low end fed. Now QRT.

Archetypal Cambridge

When many think of Cambridge, they think of King's College Chapel, punts on the Cam and weeping willows. 

Yesterday we had all three in one photo ....and blue sky!

IPSOS radio listening survey

In the last week I have been recording the broadcast radio stations that I have listened to as part of an IPSOS survey.  Mostly it is BBC Radio 4 around breakfast time.

OFCOM is consulting on the future of radio broadcasting in the UK.  According to them AM broadcast listeners have been declining.  I am not sure if this is true or as a result of more people listening to traditional broadcasts via smart speakers and DAB. Yours truly is as guilty as the rest!

If traditional AM broadcasts are declining this is a pity as many first came across radio by building simple Medium Wave receivers. My first introduction to amateur radio was hearing some locals on 160m AM. To many, radio was magic whereas nowadays we take it for granted.

70cm activity contest

Just now (belatedly) I submitted my entry for the 70cm activity contest. 

Because of my poor voice and rubbish set-up (10W and a 2m big-wheel omni antenna) I do not stop on very long. 

If I had stopped longer I would have worked far more than the 2 shown on the map. Usually I work over 100km.

Are the days of the major Japanese manufacturers numbered?

Many people in amateur radio get a lot of pleasure from unpacking a new radio for the first time. 

Often these new radios come with some new feature that a person "must have". Sometimes older radios are traded in to pay for the new box.  In reality, this new feature will not be noticed or rarely used.

Of late, the Chinese, Indians and others have been producing transceivers that are superior at much lower prices. In my view, as the demographic of radio amateurs ages, many of the traditional Japanese manufacturers will think twice or even leave the market.

It would appear that many of these Japanese radios are still using conservative designs. In the past, I think I am right, the Japanese have not been so good on innovation.

Maybe the "big three" are about to get a bloody nose?

Sunshine

 

After what has seemed a long wet and dull period we had a lovely sunny day yesterday. 

This was one of the Cambridge University colleges in the sun.

10m 200mW WSPR (Sunday)

 My beacon was turned on at about 0922z.

UPDATE 0937z:  Two spots of me.

Longest line of sight paths

This came as a real surprise to me. I was expecting the longest line of sight paths on the planet to be around 120km, whereas they are over 500km, which I find almost incredible. 

This was a link on the Amateur radio Weekly email that came yesterday.

See https://alltheviews.world/

See https://daily.hamweekly.com/

Sunspots - Sunday February 15th

 Solar flux is 117 and the SSN 60. A=11 and K=3.