Storing renewable energy

Often you hear that renewable energy is OK, but what happens when there is no sun for solar panels or no wind for wind farms?

These are fair comments. Of course, this energy could be stored in chemical batteries, but people are looking for other solutions. One of these might be using old mines for gravitational energy storage. Around the world there are millions of abandoned mines. 

As technology improves, I am sure solutions will be found.

Testing the boundaries

When I was younger and fitter, I enjoyed experimenting "at the boundaries".  These days I cannot do that much.

In the past I have enjoyed amateur radio below 10kHz, over the horizon with 481THz red light, experimenting with earth-electrode antennas, earth-mode VLF TXing with 5W, 8m, extreme QRP, etc.. Most of my fun has been pushing the boundaries.

Sadly, few in our hobby are interested these days, which is sad. At the moment I try to do things I can experiment with at home. I just wish I was younger and fitter!

Chickens

My grandson, who is a great all rounder, has kept chickens 🐓 for years. 

He’s an old softy at heart!

The photo shows him holding one. 

BBC longwave going QRT

Because of falling numbers and costs to keep it going I understand that the BBC is turning off its longwave broadcast transmitters towards the end of June. Sad, but understandable.  I am not sure what is happening to the utilities that depended on the 198kHz signal

I wonder what will happen to LW spectrum?  Maybe they will introduce a service like in the USA where anyone (part 15?) can operate a station as long as they run less than 1W to short antennas? Probably not in the UK!

8m FT8 RX (Monday)

 Today I shall probably stick with 8m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 0500z: Just G8VER spotted so far.

UPDATE 0830z: 2 stations have been spotted with the best S57TW (1237km).

UPDATE 0957z: 3 stations in 3 countries spotted.

UPDATE 2040z: 11 stations spotted in 4 countries today on 8m FT8. The impression I am getting is that my endfed antenna is better than the dipole I was using when I had a TX permit (now taken down). I think that’s it but I shall continue until bedtime. Now QRT.

Toad in the compost

Yesterday I did some gardening in bite sized chunks. Much to my amazement I found a toad (I think, not a frog) in my compost. 

Afterwards I was telling this to one of my granddaughters who was around opening her birthday presents.

Sunspots - Monday May 25th

 Solar flux is 133 and the SSN 86. A=6 and K=2.

8m FT8 RX (Sunday)

As Es seemed good on 10m and 6m, I thought I'd try 8m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1442z: So far, EA3GCV (1231km) spotted using the well off tune V2000 vertical.

UPDATE 1513z:  3 stations in Spain and 1 in Sardinia spotted.

UPDATE 2130z: 18 stations spotted in 4 countries.

PC fixed

My shack PC was not TXing. Following several suggestions (thank you) I reset the TX USB audio to default and that seems to have fixed it. As far as I could see the output and sound mixer settings were correct beforehand!  Anyway, it is now working again.

I went briefly on 6m TX and was widely copied in Europe and the Canary Isles with 5W.

QRP operation

How we enjoy amateur radio varies from person to person. 

We are all different, so how we enjoy the hobby varies greatly. This is healthy. It would be a sad world if we all liked the same things!

I quite enjoy QRP (low power) and like finding out how far really low power goes. 

As an example, today one station was giving my 200mW WSPR beacon a report of -3dB S/N suggesting the even microwatts might have been enough. 

I have been a member of the GQRP club for very many years. Their quarterly SPRAT magazine (A5 colour) is usually packed with ideas for simple circuits. As I have said many times, if all other radio magazines had to go, SPRAT would be the one I would keep. 

Back issues of SPRAT are available on a flash drive.

The RSGB has a page about QRP. See https://rsgb.org/main/technical/qrp-low-power-operating/