Rally Sunday

Sunday October 1st - Welsh Radio Rally, Newport,  NP18 2YE. Contact rackmone@aol.com.  

It is always worth contacting to confirm details.

European Conditions

At the moment, conditions in Europe do not look too promising. At the moment, I am inclined to try 6m FT8, although I suspect most or all of the reports of my 2.5W to the V2000 will be from England.

Wicken Fen - NOT amateur radio

We saw several very late swallows today. These have normally flown on migration by now. 

My wife took this photo of an old boat at Wicken Fen. We usually walk there, have a break in the cafe there and walk back.

We usually see Konik ponies, but we saw none.

Christmas bookings - NOT amateur radio

It is only September, but I am inundated with emails urging me to book pubs meals for Christmas. 

To me the Christmas season does not start until December. This is pure commercialism. I have deleted these emails.

One of the major retailers in Cambridge often puts up Christmas decorations in October. I boycott them!!

630m WSPR RX last night

Last night, 6 stations were spotted. I think I have spotted 8 unique stations on the band this autumn. I must get back on TX!

10m QRP WSPR TX (Thursday)

 My 500mW beacon was turned on at 0726z. So far,just spots from local G4KPX (14km).

Sunspots - Thursday September 28th 2023

 Solar flux is 156 and the SSN 138.  A=15 and K=3.

630m WSPR RX (Wednesday)

Once again, I have QSYed to 630m WSPR RX with my earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. So far, no spots.

UPDATE 2020z: The spots so far this evening are shown in the table.

8m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

As the Es in Europe looks a bit promising, I have QSYed from 6m to 8m FT8. 

Storm Agnes - NOT amateur radio

This is the first named storm in the UK this autumn. Although it is cloudy and the wind is getting stronger, it is far worse in the west.

OFCOM and mm wave 5G spectrum

OFCOM has announced that it will issue city-wide licence allocations at 26 and 40 GHz for 5G services that will last 15 years. See the OFCOM website for details.

Amazing Ali-Express deal

In case you missed Keith's comment on a post yesterday, you can now buy a complete 40m Pixie CW transceiver kit for just 42p with free shipping!!  They cannot make any money on this at all.

See https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32659942384.html?spm=a2g0o.detail.0.0.798d3e717zW8OZ&gps-id=pcDetailTopMoreOtherSeller&scm=1007.40050.354490.0&scm_id=1007.40050.354490.0&scm-url=1007.40050.354490.0&pvid=cf2c5bcb-d6d5-46a0-82f8-937ee83d86b6&_t=gps-id:pcDetailTopMoreOtherSeller,scm-url:1007.40050.354490.0,pvid:cf2c5bcb-d6d5-46a0-82f8-937ee83d86b6,tpp_buckets:668%232846%238113%231998&pdp_npi=4%40dis%21GBP%214.20%210.42%21%21%214.96%21%21%402101e9a216958169374761959e95a7%2159889805406%21rec%21UK%21%21AB

10m 500mW WSPR TX (Wednesday)

 As I am not using the 10m antenna, I am on 10m WSPR with my QRP TX beacon.  So far local G4KPX (14km) and the 2 monitors in the Canaries. 

UPDATE 1035z: More spots by the same stations.

UPDATE 1249z: 5 stations have spotted me today. Mostly F2 I think.

UPDATE 1351z: Spotted in Antarctica yet again on the German research station DP0GVN (13685km). I think this is the third or fourth time this has happened. USA (SE) spotting me now.

6m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

This morning, I am on 6m QRP FT8 with my 2.5W and the V2000 vertical omni antenna. At 0831z, I have been spotted by 2 stations and I have spotted 1 station. All these were in England.

UPDATE 0927z: Still just 2 UK stations spotting me. I have spotted 2 stations on PSKreporter and I spotted EI2CN working a French station.

UPDATE 1037z: 3 English stations have spotted my 6m QRP. No further spots on RX.

UPDATE 1250z:  No further spots.

UPDATE 1402z:  5 English stations have spotted me today. I suspect these are by tropo or aircraft scatter? No spots outside the UK.

Our garden - NOT amateur radio

 

Our rowan berries are at their best at the moment. Against a blue sky, they look great. 

The windmill is right next door, about 15m from our house.

630m WSPR last evening

As I have still to fix my 630m transverter, I went on 630m WSPR RX last evening. 4 different stations spotted. 

Sunspots - Wednesday September 27th 2023

 Solar flux is 165 and the SSN 179. A=32 and K=4.

630m (472 kHz) WSPR RX (Tuesday)

At about 2015z, I QSYed to 630m WSPR RX with my earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. So far (at 2027z) just G1GKN (54km) and DC0DX (467km) spotted. 

DC0DX is stronger than I have ever spotted him so far this autumn.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Tuesday)

When I am on 8m FT8, I can also go on 10m WSPR TX with my 500mW WSPR beacon. I keep forgetting! Some of my reports from the Canary Is are very strong.

UPDATE 2020z: 10 stations have spotted me. Now QSYed to 630m WSPR RX.

8m in a few years?

OFCOM (and the RSGB) and the FCC seem to be dead against allocating even a tiny, low power, amateur allocation at 8m. There must be a very good reason for their position, but they seem unwilling to share their reasons. As an outsider, the position seems stupid and illogical. 

It is my hope that, over time, many administrations will allocate 8m to amateurs. As I understand things, most on 8m now, in any country, are interested in propagation and research, not chatting. By restricting modes to narrow digital only (modes like FT8, WSPR and CW) it is extremely unlikely this band would ever be used in this way i.e. for chatting. I cannot see why every administration cannot make, say, 5 kHz in the ISM section available to radio amateurs that apply, especially if secondary, low power, and assuming interference must be accepted and not caused to other services.

Will many more administrations grant amateurs access to 8m? I hope so.