Multiband antennas

Quite a good multi-band antenna is the end-fed via a 9:1 balun. At the end of the wire it presents a high impedance and the 9:1 balun drops the impedance to a low SWR, certainly less than 3:1 that can be tuned via the auto-ATU in many modern rigs. On many radios an ATU will not be needed at all. With QRP, RF on the coax is not usually an issue. With high power, more care or a counterpoise may be needed.

At the moment I am using an end-fed antenna. I have not found a counterpoise necessary.

Commercial versions are available (e.g. from Moonraker), although many make their own.

Amateur Radio Weekly

Thus comes to me as an email on Saturdays. It is a precis of amateur radio news and very good it is. There are links to the originating articles.

See https://hamweekly.com/ .

8m tests to restart

This next week, I hope to restart my QRP tests on 40.680 MHz FT8. I have been off for a few weeks. 

The Es season is just getting under way. This season, I may try WSPR sometime probably in the WSPR window at 40.680 MHz (DF 1400-1600 Hz).

It would be good if lots of countries came on 8m FT8 or WSPR this season, ideally TX, but RX if nothing else.

I am convinced that just 10mW ERP WSPR will be copied across Europe on 8m at times. In the UK anybody would be able to TX 10mW ERP WSPR in the 8m ISM band without a licence as long as the technical requirements and IR2030 are met. This is not the Amateur Radio Service. It is an experiment under ISM rules.

Breakfast time? - NOT amateur radio

This thrush was hunting for worms and insects when we were on our walk earlier. Must be breakfast time!

10m QRP FT8 with the QDX

Since breakfast, I have been on 10m FT8 with the QDX QRP rig. 16 spots of me so far with the furthermost H44MS (14814km) in the Soloman Is in the Pacific. I think this genuine too.

UPDATE 1824z:  65 stations have spotted me so far today (see map).

Sunspots - Saturday April 29th 2923

 Solar flux is 150 and the SSN 111. A=19 and K=3. 

QDX

Just would like to put on record how amazing the tiny 20-10m QDX digital transceiver is from QRP Labs. 

It works extremely well on TX and, as I have found out in the last day, works extremely well on RX down to at least 40m. It will probably go even lower! 

If you have no other rig, this tiny transceiver is a real winner. It can be used with WSJT-X on all modes I think. So far, I have used FT8 and WSPR. It is nominally a 5W rig, but my QRP signal is daily copied all over the world.

It is incredible how something this tiny works so very well.

See https://qrp-labs.com/qdx.html .

40m FT8 RX (Friday)

It is intriguing to see how low I can RX on my tiny 20-10m QDX transceiver. At the moment I am on 40m FT8 RX with the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground, which seems to work better at 40m than my end-fed 10m antenna. It would probably work on TX too but the low pass filter is probably ineffective.

Nothing has appeared on PSKreporter, although I can see many stations locally on my screen. Perhaps there is a delay or a reset is needed?

UPDATE 1310z:  WSJT-X reset. Still no PSKreporter spots on 40m FT8 RX.  Just looked on the "all bands" view and I can see my 40m RX spots - odd.

UPDATE 1401z: 51 stations spotted on 40m FT8 RX on the 20-10m QDX RX with the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground.

OFCOM updates

Just a reminder that OFCOM updates the information it holds every week. There is also a list of its publications. See the OFCOM website.

Dayton Hamvention - reminder

This is mid-May in Ohio USA. It is one of the biggest amateur radio gatherings in the world. It is often the place where major manufacturers announce new products, even if they are still some way off. I have never been. Let's hope Yaesu do not miss the boat again, or I fear curtains.

See https://hamvention.org/ .

Progress report

 Some weeks ago, these were my aims. Some have been achieved.

Done

• Put Spectran software on the shack PC.
• Been on 80m and 160m with the earth-electrode "antenna".
• Local 481 THz tests.

Not done

• QRSS tests on 136 kHz.
• 481 THz QRSS tests with Spectran.
• Yet to restart 8m tests.

Trinity flowers - NOT amateur radio

These were the flowers on the path to Trinity College, Cambridge earlier this week.  Last year we were too late.

10m QRP FT8 (Friday)

Since 0915z, I have been on 10m QRP FT8 with the QDX transceiver. Poor conditions?  At 0928z, just 2 stations spotted and just one local has spotted me so far.

UPDATE 1208z:  15 stations have spotted my 10m QRP FT8 today.

30m FT8 RX in the last day using the 20-10m QDX

As stated yesterday, my QDX covering 20-10m is used with a 10m end-fed antenna. As an experiment I wanted to try it on 30m FT8 RX. I am amazed. Having been on since last evening only, with a totally non-resonant antenna, 654 stations have been spotted!!

Sunspots - Friday April 28th 2023

Solar flux is 150 and the SSN 136.  A=21 and K=3.  Conditions seem poor.

30m FT8 RX with the 20-10m QDX (Thursday)

My 10m band end-fed antenna is way off tune on 30m. As an experiment, I tried my QDX for 20-10m on 30m FT8 RX this evening.  I have no idea how sensitive it is on 10.136 MHz. So far, 384 stations have been spotted at 2131z. The map shows the stations spotted here by 1935z.

15m QRP FT8 with the QDX (Thursday)

Stations spotting my QRP FT8 on 15m today

As 10m FT8 is so poor, I have QSYed to 15m. So far, I have been spotted by 14 stations with the furthermost WA4MIT (7015km) and I have spotted 21 stations.

UPDATE 1643z: 45 stations spotted and I have been spotted by 41 stations.

Adder snakes - NOT amateur radio

At 74 years old, I just realised I have never once seen an adder snake in the wild! 

I believe they bask in the sun, but they cannot be that common. They are most often seen on heathlands and woodlands. They are the only venomous snake in the UK. They are also known as vipers.  Their venom is rarely harmful to humans although medical treatment is advised. The photo is attributed to Benny Trapp on Wikipedia.

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

See https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/reptiles/adder .

Ely yesterday - NOT amateur radio

This was Ely yesterday by the River Great Ouse.  Ely is a nice place with a cathedral on the hill and an attractive waterfront. The railway station seems always to be busy.

Rally at the weekend

The following has been notified to me. As this is an automatic email, it is advisable to check it is on and the information is correct.

Sunday April 30th - Ripon Radio Rally, Ripon, HG4 2PT. Contact  https://www.g4sjm.co.uk/contact-us .