My new radio

Still thinking....

At the moment these are under consideration:

• FT991A - probably not the best, but with a thermally controlled fan, 2m and 70cm and ATU.
• IC7300 - SDR based. Probably the best radio and with 4m, but no 2m and 70cm and (possibly) noisy fan. Good ATU with wide range.
• FT891 - much cheaper but with no 2m or 70cm. Gets good reviews.
• FT450D - older and without 2m and 70cm. Inexpensive.

Or nothing!

At the moment the FT991A is probably the best for me. If I am buying, it will be this month.

Cooking - NOT amateur radio

Our elder granddaughter loves cooking and completely makes herself at home in the kitchen. This is how we like it.

We hope, in years to come, all our grandchildren look back on these days with fondness.

D-Day anniversary - NOT amateur radio

My father was a Pathfinder. He flew night raids over Germany in WW2 in Lancaster bombers. He rarely spoke of these days. I am sure my dad , and many others, was badly affected by the horrors of war.

With the anniversary this week of the D-Day landings I think the fear these brave people had must have been truly, almost unimaginably, horrific. As they landed on those beaches they must have known there was a high chance of being killed or wounded. No, these were very brave people and it is little surprise these horrors were too much for many to talk about.

Every night that my dad flew over Germany, my mother and grandmother must have been terrified. No wonder he loved his golf on the Devon clifftops.

OFCOM to share some spectrum at 8GHz and 26GHz

I am so thrilled. Said with a good dose of sarcasm. OFCOM is to make available some microwave frequencies.

The mystery of life - NOT amateur radio

Once in a while I post a philosophical question on this blog. I am no philosopher!

When we die those of a religious persuasion believe in some kind of life after death.  Those without a religious belief tend to believe life ceases and we just cease to exist.

Now, all we know is how little we know. We can experience only through our senses. In the last 150 years we realise how easily we cannot rely on our senses. As an example think of quantum mechanics which can be very counter-intuitive. All we can be sure about is how little we know.

There are so many things that we simply do not understand and probably can never know or understand. Human consciousness is perhaps the ultimate mystery.

Something tells me there is so much we cannot know.

6m FT8 RX

Even though it is just 0830z, 10 stations in 4 countries spotted already on 6m FT8 RX. There is some early Es about with best DX spotted so far being HA7TM (1429km).

UPDATE 0937z: So far this morning 15 stations in 5 countries spotted on 6m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1322z: Now 39 stations in 11 countries spotted today on 6m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1756z: Now 60 stations in 14 countries (all EU) spotted today on 6m FT8 RX.

160m FT8 RX

Although I remained on 160m FT8 RX overnight, there were fewer EUs active than previously and no "real DX" on the band.

Electric Cars - NOT amateur radio

As mentioned a few days ago, my view is this is still not quite a mature technology. Once ranges are improved, I am still convinced there will be a "tipping point", although we are not there yet. Batteries based on lithium may not be the answer. Maybe we need a new technology that is truly green?

Sunspots - Wednesday June 5th 2019

Solar flux is 69 today and the sunspot number. A=4and K=1.

160m FT8 RX

Overnight, I shall be on 160m FT8 RX again. Now darkness has fallen Europeans are starting to come through, although it is unlikely stations "across the pond" will appear. Currently my best DX on 160m FT8 this evening is OM7DX (1325km). Still using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground.

UPDATE 2137z: Now 21 stations spotted on 160m FT8 RX this evening with best DX R7PL (3468km) in Chechnya.

2m activity contest

This evening was the monthly 2m leg of the RSGB's activity contest(UKAC), that I missed last month as I was on holiday.

Again, my poor voice did not help and I could only stay on for about 50 minutes only. My 5W to the big-wheel omni netted me some decent QSOs as the map shows.

New radio

As the photo shows, I decided to pass on the IC7300 and FT991A and buy some modern gear instead. The picture shows me demonstrating it to a few old friends. 😉

Anglo-Saxons - NOT amateur radio

At the weekend we took 2 of our young grandchildren to West Stow where there is a reconstructed Anglo-Saxon village. The theme was Anglo-Saxon food.  Despite the looks on our grandson's face, he actually enjoyed it! We also ate in the café there and were served by very friendly staff. My wife said the fruit scone was one of the best she had ever had.

One of their drinks was dandelion coffee. We made some years ago and it was actually very good.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dandelion_coffee

OFCOM monthly update

Every month OFCOM issues an update to its Communications Monthly. This summarises the main numbers that matter.

BREXIT - NOT amateur radio

We have the US president on a state visit to the UK giving his usual "helpful" advice. Without his help we are already in a mess with the ruling Conservatives and the main opposition Labour parties both deeply divided over the EU. Also the Conservatives are to elect a new leader and Prime Minister when Theresa May leaves soon.

Honestly, we are deeply divided over the EU and I see no easy answers. If I could hibernate I should do so for 10 years to see how this works out. If only the EU had been a little more flexible. With the rise of right wing parties maybe they will soon face a stark choice: modify how the EU works or face its break-up.

4m (70MHz)

It is many years since I went, briefly, on 70MHz with a homebrew QRP transverter and a wire dipole. Even with this some impressive inter-G DX was worked. The transverter featured in GQRP SPRAT. It is also on my website.  If I buy a new radio it is unlikely to include 70MHz.

See www.70mhz.org .

Sunspots - Tuesday June 4th 2019

Solar flux is 69 and the SSN still 0. A=4 and K=1.

160m FT8 RX overnight

Loads of Europeans spotted with best DX on 160m FT8 RX with the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground being CT3MD (2521km) on Madeira. Nothing from "across the pond". In all, 98 stations spotted on 160m FT8 RX with this "antenna".

6m FT8

In the last few minutes I have been calling CQ at 2.5W to the vertical omni V2000 antenna. No QSOs resulted, but I was spotted by 3 stations with best DX M0BEW (194km). Now I am RX only on 6m FT8.

UPDATE 0947z: Now 13 stations in 3 countries spotted this morning on 6m FT8 RX with best DX SM7CAD (1140km), which was probably Es.

UPDATE 1535z: Now 44 stations in 12 countries spotted so far on 6m FT8 RX today. Some Es, but not great.

Photo-bomb - NOT amateur radio

This picture is superb. Not because it has any merit for photography skills, but I love the way our granddaughter just popped up!

This was totally spontaneous and I love that you can only see her eyes. We laughed and laughed.