This is where my brother-in-law lives. It is classed as a city but feels more like a town. It has a fine cathedral and mill pond.
2 May 2023
Lichfield - NOT amateur radio
This is where my brother-in-law lives. It is classed as a city but feels more like a town. It has a fine cathedral and mill pond.
1 May 2023
Local UK elections - NOT amateur radio
This Thursday, many in the UK vote in local elections.
Admittedly, some enter politics for selfish reasons, but I would like to believe that most do so from a wish that they can do some good. For the first time, voter ID is needed. This may put off some less affluent voters.
Whatever your political affiliation please use your vote. I have known some good and honest people in all political colours. Use your democratic right.
8m band experiments
Later this week I expect to resume 8m experiments.
After about 3 weeks I am still awaiting a response from OFCOM about changes to power levels. This is after several chases too. They obviously treat this as a really high priority!!
Perhaps I should just run 10kW and a 10 el yagi??
OFCOM = OFfice for Comatose Old Men?
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/8m-band.
Solar Maximum - cycle 25
The site below was updated yesterday. The forecast peak of solar cycle 25 has now been pushed back a month to December this year. We can expect conditions to be good for a few years.
Stubborn - NOT amateur radio
This plant was dead, so I thought I would just dig it up. Two days later, yes two days, I eventually got it up. Whenever I thought I was there, I found yet more deep thick roots! I have never, ever struggled so hard.
10m FT8 QRP (Monday)
Shortly, I shall turn on my QRP FT8 using the QDX transceiver.
UPDATE 1058z: 9 spots of my QRP FT8 today.
UPDATE 1739z: 20 stations have spotted me today.
Reach Fair - NOT amateur radio
There has been a fair here since the 1200s when King John gave it a charter. It will have changed a bit over the centuries, but it is great to think people have walked to it for centuries. It is on today and traditionally opened by the Mayor of Cambridge.
30 Apr 2023
10m FT8 simple receiver
This has been on before, so this is just a timely reminder.
10m FT8 is becoming very popular and this receiver allows 10m FT8 reception without tying up the main rig. It is simple, very low cost and works really well.
I could probably convert it into a full FT8 transceiver!
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/10ft8r-rx .
"London" grandchildren - NOT amateur radio
Two of our grandchildren are half French. On May 2nd their French grandfather has his birthday, so we took a photo in our back garden to send.
10m (28 MHz)
At various times of the solar cycle our largest HF allocation enjoys most propagation modes. At all parts of the solar cycle it experiences Es openings in spring and summer. It is often open when people desert it. This is where FT8 could prove useful in the quieter years.
It is also good for local chats. At one time modified CB rigs were very popular. With these and a CB vertical ranges of about 30km locally were common.
At the moment, it is a great DX band. It is usually better in the daytime, although when it is really good, it is often open for DX in the evenings.
It is wide enough for all modes. Even digital TV has been tried above 29 MHz.
It remains my favourite HF band.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/10m-operation .
Spring - NOT amateur radio
These flowers were in a garden in a nearby village. For the last couple of days it has felt like spring at last.
Getting ready - NOT amateur radio
Our grandson has rung in 109 towers now including this one at Isleham where they seem prepared for the coronation next weekend.
In general, the whole preparation for the coronation feels very low key. I am old enough to remember the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II!! I guess we were still getting over WW2 and this was a bit of light relief.
I remember going to watch the coronation on a neighbour's tiny TV screen in black and white. We did not have a TV until 1957 and that was just one channel and back and white. At the time we thought it was amazing. Before then, we used to watch a snowy TV picture whilst sitting on the floor a a local radio/TV shop. At that time we were about 150km from the nearest TV transmitter.
10m QRP FT8 with the QDX
UPDATE 1340z: 80 stations have spotted my QRP.
Crabapple - NOT amateur radio
We only have one crabapple tree. It seems to be good every other year, so we are hoping for a good crop this year and some good crabapple jelly, as last year was poor.
29 Apr 2023
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.
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