Me

This is a photo of me earlier this week at Hare Park, Chippenham, near Cambridge. There are snowdrops everywhere!

My wife says I am expecting triplets!

OFCOM consultation

 OFCOM is consulting about its 28 GHz allocation to Arqiva. See the OFCOM website for details.

4X1BG on 8m

This station in Israel seems to be legal with an experimental permit for the 8m band. 

At the moment, I do not know further details e.g. power, frequencies, times etc..   I copied him yesterday on 8m FT8.  Robbie Phelan EI2IP worked him on SSB on 8m.

I really hope people in other countries apply for, and get, special permits, if just for the time around the sunspot maximum. With the MUF now exceeding 41 MHz quite often, this year could be excellent.

Sunspots - Thursday February 16th 2023

 Solar flux is 174 and the SSN 140.  A=29 and K=3.

Springtime? - NOT amateur radio

Central Cambridge earlier 

It is just mid-February, but here it felt very spring-like today. There are far more daffodils in flower and the birds are starting to repair nests. Yes, the weather can turn far colder again, but there is a hint of spring on the way.

8m FT8

After a few minutes on QRP FT8 TX, I am on 40.680 MHz FT8 RX. So far (at 0918z) no spots. 

UPDATE 1448z: 4 unique stations spotted today on 8m FT8 RX (see map). Now on QRP TX.

UPDATE 1540z: 5 unique stations have been spotted today. Nobody has received my QRP 8m FT8. Back on 8m FT8 RX only again. 4X1BG (3532km) spotted. Is he legally on the band?

10m QRP WSPR TX

Just before 0900z my 500mW WSPR beacon on 10m was turned on. Spots from a local and an Italian so far. 

UPDATE 1512z:  29 unique stations have spotted my QRP 10m WSPR today.26z: 

UPDATE 1626z:  35 stations have spotted my 10m QRP WSPR with the furthermost F61695 (9729km).

UPDATE 1921z:  36 stations have spotted my 10m QRP WSPR TX.  QRT soon. Spots of my 10m WSPR QRP are shown on the map from wspr.rocks.

Wednesday plans

My current plan is to go on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW from the W5OLF beacon and 8m FT8 RX. 

Old relative? - NOT amateur radio

We found this when clearing my mum's house years ago. It was a Facebook memory. 

Staggering numbers - NOT amateur radio

Continuously, I get amazed by the number of planets in the universe. One estimate puts the number of planets as 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, which is totally mind blowing. 

At the same time SETI has been searching the universe since the 1960s and have found not a single sign of intelligent life. To me, I find this odd. In the early days, equipment was not as sophisticated as today. However, by now, I would have expected to find something.

My only conclusion is that our view of the universe must be flawed or that we are somehow missing something important.  

To me, all our religious beliefs are too "Earth centred".

I look at the heavens and feel awe.

See https://www.seti.org/ .

70cm activity contest

Last evening, I took part in the 70cm UKAC activity contest organised by the RSGB. As I had just sold my IC-705, I had to use my FT817ND at 2.5W without the speech processor. 

To my surprise I worked 6 stations and some good DX as the map shows.

Once again, my antenna was the 2m big-wheel omni.

Sunspots - Wednesday February 15th 2023

Solar flux is 180 and the SSN 206.  A=8 and K=4.

Hawkedon, Suffolk NOT amateur radio

The photo shows two of the grandchildren on a walk at Hawkedon in Suffolk today.  

Our son says it is a lovely walk we must do.

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

Reset done on the FT-710AESS

Just now, I did a microprocessor reset on the FT-710AESS. Indeed the audio does come out of both speakers, but there still seems far more from the external speaker irrespective of the AESS balance. Overall, I am not impressed with this AESS "feature". The rest of the rig seems excellent.  At QRP levels, I doubt I shall hear the fan very often! In fact, I have never heard it yet!

UPDATE  1638z:   Must try the transceiver with FT8 soon.

Almost forgot!

Almost as time was running out, I remembered that I had not submitted an entry for the 2m UKAC activity contest for February. With just 2 QSOs before my voice said "enough", I expect I shall be somewhere near the bottom of the low power section! 

Hare Park, Chippenham near Cambridge - NOT amateur radio

 

This photo of my wife and I was taken at nearby Hare Park, Chippenham earlier.

10m QRP WSPR (Tuesday)

 On my 500mW QRP WSPR beacon again. So far today, spotted by 16 unique stations at 1356z.

UPDATE 1636z: 27 unique station spots of my QRP WSPR today (see table).

UPDATE 1730z:  The map shows the spots of me today. 

See http://wspr.rocks/.

UPDATE 1955z:   29 unique stations have spotted me.

8m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

Just been copied across the Atlantic again on 40.680 MHz FT8 - VO1SIX (3933km).  Again, my power was 2.5W to the low wire dipole. On RX G9PUV and G4APB copied probably by F2 back scatter.

Anglesey Abbey - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday afternoon we went for a walk at nearby Anglesey Abbey. The photo shows a bracket fungus (I think) on a tree trunk. The place is now full of snowdrops and the daffodils are starting to flower. 

This photo was taken on my Canon Powershot Zoom camera on zoom. I bought mine on Amazon, but have just realised the price has shot up again!  Probably wait a bit and the price will fall dramatically again!

Village Church at night - NOT amateur radio

This was our local church last night when it was dark.