Amusement - NOT amateur radio

This recently appeared in WhatsApp in response to the UK government's u-turn on exam grades. They tried to normalise school exam grades but at the very last minute had to agree to teacher's assessments instead. Many good students had results downgraded.

What a total display of ineptness!! If the UK had any credibility left, they have now lost it. The government comes across as "back of a fag packet" people.

The future of amateur radio

On Southgate News there is discussion about online exams as recently done in the UK and in the USA. This particular piece is about Australia.  Personally, I think it is a far bigger issue than exams.

When I was young radio was magic and the idea of talking across the world was like landing a man on Mars. To talk around the world meant amateur radio and getting a licence.  My first introduction to the hobby was hearing AM amateurs on HF and 160m. These days there is no magic as people can hold video chats with friends and family across the planet for free using the internet.

Unless we can properly connect with the generation of today, I can see amateur radio just fizzling out within 20 years. Now, I hope I am pessimistic, but the signs are not good. As the amateur radio population ages (most are old men) fewer radios will get sold and some manufacturers will leave the market as there are no profits to be made. There will be fewer dealers, fewer ads, fewer and smaller magazines. Fewer new people will enter the hobby.

I just wonder what our hobby will look like in 2040.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/august/time-for-reconstruction-of-the-ham-radio-hobby.htm#.Xztyp2jYq00

137kHz transverter

From this QTH I have never tried 137kHz. At some point I really should. It is an interesting allocation. From the old QTH I copied a station in Sweden with just an E-field probe antenna. The transverter below was used on TX (see link below).

With QRP ERP from my old QTH it allowed me to be copied 250km away on WSPR. I forget the actual ERP but it was low mW at most. The antenna was either my earth-electrode antenna in the ground or my 80m square loop.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/mflf/137khz_tvrtr

Reviews

Before buying new or used gear, it is often worth looking at reviews.

Remember than people who are very happy or very unhappy tend to leave reviews and many just use the gear.

I often look at the reviews on eham.net to get an impression. If a product is well liked, or disliked, this can be a good indicator.

See https://www.eham.net/reviews/index

Sunspots - Tuesday August 18th 2020

Solar flux is 71 and the sunspot number 0.  A=3 and K=1.

Visitor - NOT amateur radio

This picture was a Facebook memory from last year.  It rested on a white background long enough for a photo.

Not including the antennae, it was about 3cm long. I don't think these can fly.

I have not seen one this year.

East Cambs 2m FM net

Every Monday night at 8pm UK time, we hold the East Cambs net on 144.575MHz FM vertical. Usually we are on for about 30 minutes. Sometimes there are technical discussions, although this is usually just someone sharing their knowledge to help someone out.  It is rare for deep technical discussions to take place. All are always welcomed.

Government U-turn - NOT amateur radio

After a public protest, the government has been forced to make a U-turn over A level and GCSE grades. These are usually given as a result of exams held in the summer term. This year, these were not possible because of Covid-19. A level grades are used for offers of university places. Many grade predictions made by teachers were down-graded by an algorithm designed to normalise results.

After a public outcry in England the government has decided to use teachers predictions after all. Although they will be humiliated (again) over this, at least they saw sense in the end.

Flood - NOT amateur radio

For a few minutes yesterday, it rained very heavily. For the first time since this happened, I went into the shack just now. The floor of the shack is about 10cm lower than the rest of the bungalow.

Much to my surprise some of the floor carpet is wet. Luckily nowhere else in the shack or house seems to have been affected. I have placed a convector heater in the little room to dry the carpet. I hope it does not leave a bad stain.

10m FT8

I have just switched my 4W 10m FT8 to the indoor loop on. We had thunder and my son and family staying, hence the late start today. Within a few minutes my 4W was spotted by 20 stations (mainly in eastern Europe) via Es. 3 stations spotted on RX so far. It is now 1445z.

UPDATE 1544z:  Even though I have not been on long, 28 stations have already spotted my 4W 10m FT8 signal today so far.

UPDATE 1745z: 30 stations have spotted me today so far.

Gifts - NOT amateur radio

We had some gifts brought back from Brittany by our son's family. See the photo.

10m FT8 on Sunday

Until we had thunder and heavy rain yesterday, I was on 10m FT8 with 4W and the tiny indoor loop antenna. There was plenty of Es about.

In all, I was spotted by 65 stations and I spotted 247 stations on RX. I was only on for a few hours too!

Sunspots - Monday August 17th 2020

Solar flux is 71 and the SSN 0.  A=4 and K=1.

Rain stops play

About 15 minutes ago all leads to the rig, PC and PSU were disconnected as we have heavy rain and thunder. It is the first decent rain for weeks. Luckily I cut the front hedge and lawn earlier!

Yesterday on 10m FT8 (4W and the indoor loop)

Yesterday, I went on 10m FT8 with the tiny indoor loop antenna. It was a successful day with my 4W spotted by no less than 67 stations across Europe. On RX I spotted 62 stations.

What is not clear is how far down the loop is on an external antenna like a dipole. At a guess I reckon this must be less than 6dB based on results.

This difference could be important with weak signals, but is probably less important with Es. As mentioned before, I'd like to get an external 10m antenna up soon.

No spots from South America.

Predicting the size of the next solar maximum

We know that predicting the size of solar cycle 25 maximum can be extremely difficult: a bit like weather forecasting in that the best predictions are made after the event!  Many try and we are getting better.

A summary of recent predictions is available at the site below made by K9LA. I expect there will be revisions as cycle 25 really starts to motor.

See http://k9la.us/Aug20_Cycle_25_Predictions.pdf

Open Thursdays - NOT amateur radio

After several months of remaining closed, our local museum is open again on Thursdays.

As all sections cannot guarantee social distancing, they have decided to open parts only and ask for donations.

It really is a splendid place and most visitors are surprised how good, and how big, it is.

Sunspots - Sunday August 16th 2020

Solar flux is 71 and the SSN 0. A=3 and K=1.

Walk - NOT amateur radio

Fruit seen on the ground
on our walk today

Today, the weather is much duller than last week. We decided to do our "Muntjac walk" which is 3.5-4 miles long and when we often see Muntjac deer.

It was drizzling slightly on our way back.

Although still August, there are signs of autumn with these sloes and plums on the ground (see photo).

10m FT8 (4W to indoor loop)

Having returned from our walk, I decided to go on 10m FT8. So far, lots of Europeans spotted via Es and already 16 stations have spotted me in about 15 minutes!

UPDATE 1128z:  Already spotted by 33 stations and I have spotted 33 on RX.

UPDATE 1240z:  35 stations have spotted me so far on 10m. On 10m RX the best DX spotted is 5T5PA (3791km) in Mauritania.

UPDATE 1414z:  So far today, 48 stations have spotted my 4W 10m FT8 to the indoor loop.

UPDATE 1802z:  So far today, 65 stations have spotted me and I have spotted 62.