8m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

After a walk this morning, I turned on my 2W FT8 on 40.680 MHz from the QMX+ to the low wire dipole.

UPDATE 1542z:  No spots.  Probably, I have found out all I need to know about 8m. My main experiment was to find out just how useful really low ERP  could perform on this band. It would appear that my 2W to a low wire dipole is quite enough to reach the Caribbean, USA, Canada and South Africa if the F2 MUF goes high enough. For Es, it behaves much like 6m. I am not sure I shall learn much more now. It is a pity more countries do not allow radio amateurs access to the band. As I have said many many times (I can say it no more!) just 5kHz wide, low power, narrow digital only, would be enough. It would appear the FCC and OFCOM (and probably the RSGB) seem dead set against this sadly. It makes you wonder what our hobby is really about.

UK weather forecasts - NOT amateur radio

 UK weather forecasting is hard as it is where many air masses meet. Despite this, millions have been spent on super-computers to make it better.  On my phone I have 3 weather forecasts. This morning they are all different! Looking out the window it looks sunny but cold. I think I will choose that one!

Why do they pretend?

Sunspots - Saturday January 25th

 Solar flux is 205 and the SSN 131. A=7 and K=0.

Quiet corner - NOT amateur radio

This is a quiet part of our village. Snowdrops are out!

10m 500mW WSPR (Friday)

My QRP 10m WSPR beacon is on.

UPDATE 1807z:  29 stations have spotted me with the furthermost ZD7GB (7607km). QRT.

8m QRP FT8 TX with the QMX+ (Friday)

My QMX+ is TXing QRP FT8 on 40.680 MHz.

UPDATE 1809z:  No spots. QRT.

"Our" windmill late yesterday afternoon - NOT amateur radio

 

This was the windmill next door late on Thursday afternoon. 

The hedge in front is ours. 

We get a good view when we have breakfast and in the lounge where this photo was taken.

Peace - NOT amateur radio

It saddens me that so many who were so badly affected in WW2 (6 million Jews were killed) are now able to inflict such horrors on innocent people in Gaza. 

What happened to the Jewish people on October 7th 2023 was horrific, but nothing, NOTHING, can condone what has happened since.

It seems that mankind is incapable of living in peace. More and more I am saddened that so much hate exists.

How simple can you make a transceiver?

Before my stroke in 2013 I enjoyed seeing what could be done with almost nothing. This circuit was based on an earlier design for 40m CW by someone in the USA. Others made copies and some remarkable DX was  worked.

Sunspots - Friday January 24th

 Solar flux is 205 and the SSN 169. A=10 and K=1.

Rally reminder

This Sunday the following rally takes place:

Sunday January 26th - Lincoln Short Wave Club Winter Radio Rally, Market Rasen, LN8 3HT. Contact m5zzz@outlook.com .

Propagation guide

This may not be perfect, but it gives a general guide to HF conditions. It shows the F2 MUF goes way above 30 MHz at times in certain places.

See https://prop.kc2g.com/ .

Previous intelligent civilisations on Earth? - NOT amateur radio

There was a post on Facebook earlier that got me thinking. 

The Earth is probably 4 billion years old and humans have maybe been around maybe 500000 years. What if intelligent civilisations existed in the distant past and then destroyed themselves without a trace? This is very unlikely as we would probably have found some evidence such as tool remains.

However, this could have occurred elsewhere in the solar system (Venus,Mars?) or on other planets in the universe.

Church tower (unusual angle) - NOT amateur radio

This is a view of the church tower in our village from an unusual angle. In places it is almost 1000 years old.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Thursday)

My 500mW 10m WSPR beacon was turned on at 0932z.

UPDATE 1842z: 29 stations spotting me. Now QRT.

8m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

My QMX+ (2W) to the low dipole was turned on at about 0934z.

UPDATE 1850z:  HI0SDR (7062km) has spotted me again. No other spots of me. Now QRT.

Sunspots - Thursday January 23rd

 Solar flux is 214 and the SSN 158. A=10 and K=1.

Refused pardon - NOT amateur radio

It amazes me that the USA president has pardoned so many people who stormed Capitol Hill 4 years ago.  I see one woman has refused the pardon admitting that wrong was done that day.  

I have no right to interfere with politics in the USA. However, I observe how the rest of the world looks on. The USA does not look like a role model for democracy.

In these troubled times everyone in power must project honesty, kindness and a concern for the greater good.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvged988377o .

Kindness - NOT amateur radio

Each year, the Oxford English Dictionary chooses a word that sums up the year. Their most recent is KINDNESS. In these troubled times, we could all do with a lot of this.

Quiet village corner - NOT amateur radio

This is our local church with a fairly recent house (designed to blend in really well) with snowdrops in the foreground.