Solid state batteries

Most agree that electric cars are not there yet. 

Early adopters have to contend with lithium-ion batteries, where lithium is in short supply (and often mined by children), limited range, high prices and long charging times.

If ranges were significantly improved, charging would be needed less often.  Also price puts many off currently. One answer that always seems to be "just around the corner" are solid state batteries. These promise greater ranges, lower prices and no rare materials.

These seem nearly there, but not quite. With all the research it is likely this will come, but when?

Sunspots- Monday November 10th

 Solar flux is 176 and the SSN 126.  A=8 and K=2.

Monday plans

At the moment I am not sure about Monday. I may try 23cm beacon hunting with my SDR receiver or even lower power on 10m FT8. If there is thunder around I may just stay off the air.

Spitting Image

 This was originally on terrestrial television, but is now on YouTube.  I imagine they avoid some of the censorship this way. 

50mW 10m FT8 (Sunday)

Just for fun, I am trying 10m 50mW FT8 with the IC-705 with the attenuator right on the output (see photo).  Almost immediately it was received by an IT9 over 2000km. 

I have used the GE3 prefix to distinguish the 50mW signals.

UPDATE 1304z:  59 stations have spotted my 10m 50mW FT8 today. Furthest is OX3HI (3173km).

UPDATE 1449z:   84 stations spotting me. Nothing from the USA or Canada yet.

UPDATE 2012z:   97 stations have spotted me with the furthest KW7MM (8476km) in Arizona. See map.

Sunspots - Sunday November 9th

 Solar flux is 172 and the SSN 107. A=36 and K=2.

Day off the radio?

 Today, I shall probably not go on the radio. On Sunday I may give 10m FT8 a try with 50mW.

Obscene?

I have just heard that the richest man in the world has just got a salary package that could be worth an extra $1trillion. 

When some in the world are starving, I find this obscene. Meanwhile the poor get even poorer. 

Some advert for democracy - NOT.

Web SDRs

There are quite a few SDRs (software defined radios) connected to the internet often with extensions so you can decode your favourite modes. It is fun to take a listen to these.  

I was listening on 10m FT8 via http://sdr.gb0snb.com:8073/ which uses an active loop by George Smart M1GEO called the Wellgood loop. See https://www.george-smart.co.uk/projects/wellgood-loop/ .

A search on Google or similar will produce a list. of webSDRs.  Alternatively see https://rsgb.org/main/operating/web-sdr-receiver/.

Sunspots - Saturday November 8th

 Solar flux is 166 and the SSN 133. A= 32 and K=5.

USA government shutdown

Not being a politician, I am unclear about the government shutdown in the USA, but it must be costing a lot to the USA economy. I can see this becoming a massive issue.

10m 500mW FT8 (Friday)

Without an external attenuator, 500mW FT8 is the lowest power I can run from my IC-705. It was turned on at about 0945z.

UPDATE 1036z: So far, spotted by 83 stations. It is still too easy!! Furthest is RN4WA (3365km).

UPDATE 1433z: 231 stations have spotted me including VO1CH (3737km).  See map. I think I'll stick with 500mW today, but might try 50mW 10m FT8 another day. At 500mW FT8, I have no problem at all getting lots of spots on 10m. Furthest is a spot by HZ1BQ (4465km).

UPDATE 1640z:  250 stations have spotted my 10m 500mW FT8. Furthest is W4SPF (7202km).

UPDATE 1708z: QRT.

2m activity contest last Tuesday

Every month, despite my poor voice I go on the 2m and 70cm activity contests (UKAC) organised by the RSGB. It may be me, but I am sense there are fewer people taking part. 

Perhaps it is me, but maybe the higher local noise floors in urban areas are making it harder for QRP stations. Certainly, I generally work fewer 2m stations, whereas I don't have the same problem on 70cm. in fact I usually work more now on 70cm SSB!

Where I was spotted with 2m 10W SSB to the big-wheel omni antenna

On FT8 with half the power I am regularly spotted on 2m in GI and EI at well over 400km. It seems to me that on 2m FT8 it is far easier.

Sunspots - Friday November 7th

Solar flux is 163 and the SSN 104.  A=43 and K=5. 

2m 5W FT8 (Thursday)

 My 2m FT8 gear was turned on at about 1820z.

UPDATE 1857z: So far, 11 spots of me with furthest GI6ATZ (479km).

UPDATE 1922z:  QRT.

10m 500mW WSPR TX (Thursday)

My beacon was turned on just before lunch.

UPDATE 1444z:  No spots.

6m 5W FT8 (Thursday)

My gear was turned on at about 1145z.

UPDATE 1745z:  16 stations have spotted me.  All are in the British Isles.  See  map.

The Tenner QRP CW transceiver

This was a 500mW CW transceiver that I designed and built some years ago. 

It is also on my website. 

It has worked plenty of DX.

FTX-1 and IC-705 head to head

In the end, if you are choosing between these two transceivers, it will be a personal decision based on the way you operate. 

Another factor is price with the IC705 considerably less expensive than the FTX-1 in the UK. In this video, both are compared. The IC-705 has more features built in.

Personally, I would not pay the extra for the FTX-1.  If it was the same price as the IC-705 it might be a harder decision!

Village centre?

In our village, Burwell, we have no real village centre, with shops in various places. 

Perhaps the village centre could be considered as near our local co-op shop where there are a few shops together as in the photo.