Sub 9kHz amateur radio

These days a dedicated bunch of amateurs continue to "push the envelope" by experimenting below 9kHz. At one time though getting outside the garden would be seen as amazing with the small antennas and low powers possible by amateurs. In actual fact amateurs have crossed the Atlantic! Although I don't claim to be always up to date, I try to be on my sub-9kHz website. If you are interested, take a look.

One myth is you need big antennas. On TX this helps with radiated signals, but on VLF RX they can be very small. An E-field probe just a few centimetres long can be very effective.

XBS Telecom

Every month I get an email from this EU company.  Prices include VAT and warranty and are always lower than the prices from UK dealers. Although I have never bought from them, they look good value.

See https://www.xbstelecom.eu/shop/en/12-ham-radio

Climate change - NOT amateur radio

There is little argument that our climate is changing, although people still argue about whether this a natural cycle or worsened by the actions of man. Personally, I am more than convinced that what we do has a lot to do with rising temperatures and rising sea levels.

Although recyclable sources of energy are now far less expensive, most of us still drive around in cars powered by fossil fuels. At some point when electric cars have better ranges and are less expensive we will all change and drive these; much like flat screen TVs and digital photography, we will change and quite quickly. Cathode ray tubes and photographic film seem so outdated now.

Likewise, we will eat less meat and think nothing of it. Speaking as someone who eats and enjoys bacon, sausages and beef it would not really bother me if I had to eat less, or no, meat. By the subtle power of advertising we will all think eating healthy food will be wonderful.

At some point we will change our habits. Only a few years ago, nothing was recycled. Now we all do it. We have lots of plastic packaging - this will change.

If we do nothing the Earth may be in grave danger, although I think we will change, even in those nations that do our polluting for us like China, India and the USA. Let us all hope we change sooner rather than later. I am as guilty as anyone.

2m SSB

These days 2m SSB is nothing new, but back in the 1970s there was no VHF SSB commercial gear until the Liner-2. After the Liner-2 came the IC202 followed by the IC202S. These were military styled handhelds. The FT290 came later followed by the FT817.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/ic202

Sunspots - Monday December 16th 2019

Solar flux is 71 and the SSN still 0. A=5 and K=0.

472kHz (630m) WSPR TX (10mW ERP)

For a change I am on 472kHz WSPR TX with 10mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. Already 9 unique reports with best DX being a spot by PA3FNY (330km). It seems only a few moments since I connected up things! I hope there are some stations in Norway active on RX tonight.

FT817, FT817ND and FT818

When the FT818 appeared I was disappointed. The FT817 has been popular for many years and the FT817ND and FT818 seem to have built on that reputation.

In truth the FT818 just got rid of difficult to source parts and offered customers little new. Had they added a few extras they would have sold thousands. It would appear ICOM's IC-705 will do this instead. In my view, Yaesu has lost its focus and could leave the amateur market. ICOM seems more likely to survive.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/ft817

Pathfinders - NOT amateur radio

During WW2 my dad was an RAF Pathfinder. Like many, he rarely talked about those dark days: I suspect they made a deep impact on him and those around him. My great regret was not finding out more from him about what it was really like. It must have been so frightening.  He died in 1987.

At heart, he was a simple man, who hated hurting anyone. I suspect he had deep sadness that innocent men, women and children were killed as a result of his actions. On one occasion he crash-landed in Kent on the way back from a night raid over Germany. In his heart he did not want to hurt a fly. This was wartime and things were so very different.

It is perhaps not surprising that so many who lived through WW2 never wanted to share these dark days. I guess it must have been strange to know that every flight had the very real danger of death, burning or capture. Looking back, I don't know how they did it again and again.

These days we are friends with people in Germany and WW2 seems a long time in the past. May peace continue. There is no place for hate in our world.

Chrome OS - NOT amateur radio

As it is a few weeks since I bought a Chromebook, an update is in order. I am very pleased with it. What I can't get over is how it immediately comes on: no waiting - it is just there. I am using it now. For all I want to do in the lounge it is perfect. The battery lasts me all day on a charge. At the moment I have absolutely no regrets at all.

Windows? Who needs it?

Reflections - NOT amateur radio

Most months we go for a walk at nearby Anglesey Abbey. We were expecting to see the first daffodils out, but these were still a few weeks off. It was a cold, but bright, day.

We have had some very wet days. It has been very wet over here in East Anglia, which is normally the driest part of the UK. This photo shows the mill leat.

The collage was created by my wife. It show various things at Anglesey Abbey. We are lucky having this so near.