Sunspots and 10m - Tuesday March 28th 2017

Solar flux is 85 today. Sunspot number is 49. A=54 and K=3. 10m conditions are expected to remain "poor" but solar flux and sunspot numbers are quite decent.

Russia again - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday numbers of visitors were up on a couple of my blogs. Now, I welcome anyone from any part of the planet, but it is strange how numbers seem to double and most of these are from Russia.  This is a pattern I have seen before and I know others have seen similar.

It looks very suspicious to me like they are probing for vulnerable sites to hack with malicious intent. Sorry but I think my content is pretty innocuous! 

Should my blogs suddenly go you will know the reason! If you suddenly get links to porn sites or sites offering you lots of money you'll know I have been "got at". I try to screen and delete dodgy comments that are clearly outright ads or with links to dodgy sites, but please let me know if you find any that I have missed.

SDR receivers and transceivers

There is a real gap in my knowledge as I have never once tried an SDR based receiver or transceiver. SDR dongles are very low cost, so I really have no excuse.

On the Southgate site I read news of a new SDR 5W transceiver.

See https://sunsdr.eu/product/sunsdr2-qrp/

10m JT65 (2W) this morning

This morning, I am on 10m JT65 transceive.  As yet, no spots given or received.

UPDATE 0918z: Still no 10m JT65 spots given or received, but it is still very early. I was hoping to see a few Gs, but nothing.

UPDATE 1124z: 10m JT65 - still nothing at all!

Sunspots and 10m - Monday March 27th 2017

Solar flux is 78 today. Sunspot number is 20. A=4 and K=5. 10m propagation is again expected to remain "poor". Not too long to wait now to the Es season.

QRP and QRP Club

Oleg's usual report:

Dear Club 72 members and friends,

Weekly QRP Rendez-Vous Report (March, 26, 2017)
Thanks all for starting new sessions of evening 7030 kc Rendez-Vous!
Visitors  of  the week: RU3NJC, UA1CEG/p, UA1ADF, US7IB, R1OA, DK1HW,
RA1OIM,  RN4AO,  PA3DEU,  OF5LP, OH6NPV, RV3GM, UR5EFD, R1CAN, UR7VT,
G3XJS,  UR0ET, US5ERQ, I1NOL, UA0SBQ, R1CAF, SM7RYR, IW2HTH/p, DH0DK,
DL6YYM, G4HOM, R2AJA, UA1CEX, G6HUI, ON6KZ, UR5IFM, G0EQC
Congrats!
IW2HTH became Honor Frequenter (regular visitor)
New Visitors: I1NOL, DL6YYM, G0EQC - you are welcome!
See full Frequenters and Visitors lists on the Club 72 web page.
Some comments...
See full WQR Report on the blog page - http://qrp-club72.blogspot.ru/

Schedule:
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
9.00 UTC - 14060 kc
18.00 UTC - 7030 kc
alternative 10116 kc if contest QRMs. Keep +/- RIT for QRM, QRL, XTAL

72! Oleg RV3GM / KH6OB "Mr. 72"


This is a periodic Newsletter of the Club 72. Don't reply to Newsletter address! Send any requests or news to mr72@club72.su please.

eBay HB100 10GHz modules

An old work colleague, Richard G3TFX, has found these modules on eBay for £2.23 with free postage. This is an insane price.

Gardening - NOT amateur radio

In the last few weeks with some decent sunshine the garden has "come alive". There is new growth everywhere.

Here I am in the garden yesterday. Lis (my wife) has done most of the work. I am pruning a rose and clearing a bramble.

Ashhar Farhan, VU2ESE website

Ashhar is well known for his BITX rigs for HF. This is his website. If you are looking for low cost HF rigs, this may be your answer! The circuits are clever, simple and low cost.

See http://www.hfsigs.com/

New world record with low cost HB100 module on 10GHz

I see that a new world record has been set in Italy using the very low cost HB100 Doppler radar module (204km). This was wideband FM, I think.

These modules are very low cost. They make the heart of a very low cost wideband FM system for 10GHz. They are the modern version of the Gunnplexer. They contain (I think) a transmitter, RX mixer and 2 antennas all on a small PCB. If you spend £5 you will have change from some eBay suppliers!

"204km. NEW WORLD RECORD, Full Duplex 10GHz with HB100 only 10mW!
Team #1: Giuseppe IK8XFR - Nino IZ8WLZ - Giacomo (Jack)
on S. Giovanni a Piro JN70RB
Team #2: Giuseppe IZ8WGU - Domenico IZ8BAD - Gianluca IZ8YWC - Antonio IK8TGH
on Solano Sup. JM78VF...
Strong signals, how many Km can still make HB100 with only 10mW?"

No more 5MHz ....yet

On the GB2RS news today from the RSGB:

Somebody dragging feet?

"Amateurs in the UK have been very fortunate in having early access to 5MHz, with 5 spot frequencies 15 years ago and more than 70kHz of spectrum made available in 2013. This was a result of close cooperation with Ofcom and the MoD, who is primary user on the band. The UK currently has an arrangement that gives us more spectrum and a higher power allowance of 100W at 5MHz, however it does not cover all of the WRC-15 band of 5351.5 to 5366.5kHz. The Society played a very active role in the WRC-15 process and continues to work with Ofcom to gain access to all of the WRC-15 band, however this is not expected to change in the foreseeable future as there are on-going assignments within the band. The RSGB will implement the IARU Region 1 band plan for 5MHz within the segments allocated to us. In common with other Region 1 societies with allocations greater than 15kHz, we will recommend that frequencies within the WRC-15 band that are allowed under the UK Amateur Radio Licence only be used for international contacts, or for stations with no other option."

8m (40MHz band)

Re a small 40MHz allocation to help with Es research, this was on the RSGB forum earlier:

In the ITU Radio Regs, please remember there is no international amateur allocation for 50 MHz in Region-1 (ie Europe, Africa, Middle East). We are very focussed on trying to fix this under WRC-19 Agenda Item 1.1. Our usage (and by other european countries) is effectively a national non-interference one. Only Region-2/3 have formal 50 MHz amateur allocations.

Getting that change for Region-1 you might think ought to straightforward given the spread of 50 MHz national level licenses - but it is most definitely not. It needs agreement from first CEPT (where Russia and France have serious objections) and indeed all 193 ITU Member States. The impact of that on an ordinary amateur is both lower activity and a direct restriction in your UK personal licence. When you are abroad or Maritime Mobile in Region-1 international waters - 50 MHz usage may be barred. If you look on the other thread in this C3 forum, there is a new draft paper on 'Spectrum Prioritisation and Development' which covers the challenge and explains that CEPT/193 issue further.

The recent 5MHz WRC result (and this weeks announcement in GB2RS re no 5MHz future changes) is proof that this is not an easy process. It is not free either - attending the Ofcom/CEPT prep meetings costs RSGB (ie members subs) quite a bit over the four years of that WRC15 cycle, and more in the run up to WRC-19. Smaller amateur radio societies in other countries often cant afford to do that and thus fail to get their governments fully on side.

Returning to 40MHz. Years ago when we and the Danes did our 40 MHz beacons, other IARU Member Socs were formally encouraged to do likewise - nothing happened (not even in South Africa). If other amateurs cant even manage that (let alone convince their governments to have a Tx allocation) - then you can assume its not going to happen very quickly...

We do recognise that some knowledge of propagation at 40MHz is a technical nice to have - but we need to be realistic re an 'allocation'

73

Murray G6JYB

PS. Dont forget members subs also have to go into protecting what we have first, before acquiring more.
PPS. 50 MHz and 70 MHz are in the same boat of course - as they are national and not ITU allocations (A great Question for Advance exams that!)
PPPS. Any future item for WRC-23 will need all those 193 states to approve it at WRC-19 just to even have it added to the agenda
PPPPS. IARU is funded by IARU Member Socs - basically Progress needs Pounds (or Euro or whatever) - ie healthy membership subs for Member Socs

Continuing on 6m MSK144 RX

Already 6 stations in 5 countries (OZ, G, EI, F, HB9) spotted on 6m MSK144 RX this morning. I shall leave the RX and PC running whilst I cut the grass.

UPDATE 1320z: Now 9 stations in 7 countries on 6m MSK144 RX today.

UPDATE 1530z: Now 11 stations in 8 countries on 6m MSK144 RX today and another new country (LX) on this band/mode.

UPDATE 1905z: Now 12 stations in 9 countries on 6m MSK144 RX with SK0TM (1156km).

Sunspots and 10m - Sunday March 26th 2017

Solar flux is 74 today. Sunspot number is 11.  A=4 and K=0. 10m propagation is expected to be "poor".

British Summer Time - NOT amateur radio

Well, if you are in the UK did you remember to put your clocks forward an hour?

BST means it is darker for longer in the morning, but it is lighter in the evenings. It also helps delineate winter from spring - lighter evenings bring a promise of better weather as we move on through spring.

Pipit - 15m QRP CW transceiver

Many years ago I designed and built the Pipit, an 800mW CW transceiver with a direct conversion receiver. It really worked and for some time was my main rig. Used with a low dipole it worked some decent DX. The design was published in GQRP "SPRAT" many years ago.

Sadly, the rig was dismantled some years later. I regret this!

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/15m_pipit

Obamacare - NOT amateur radio

Although I don't live in the USA, free healthcare, it seems to me, should not depend on wealth. There is a lot wrong with our NHS here in the UK, but the Trump version of Obamacare seemed, to me, to be a step backwards. Yes, the richer have to subsidise the poorer in society. So what?

Now, I am no USA politics major, but looking in from the outside, I think Congress was right to dismiss Mr Trump's healthcare bill at the first hurdle.

As I said, this is my opinion. You may well disagree!

Cattle Egrets - NOT amateur radio

Before the late 1980s, seeing a little egret in the UK would have been rare. Now they are everywhere. I have even seen these in our village here in East Anglia.

Now it is the turn of the cattle egrets, which are becoming increasingly common in Devon. These are slightly smaller than little egrets with a different bill colour. They tend to be near cattle.

See https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bird-and-wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/c/cattleegret/

See also https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Cattle_Egret/id

UPDATE 1638z: I see that a swallow was seen in Slapton village, Devon 17.3.17,which is very early. I think it will be well into April before I see one up here.

Lady Day - NOT amateur radio

Today, March 25th, is Lady Day. Years ago, this marked the start of the year. The UK tax year starts April 6th, which was Lady Day before calendars changed. This day had great non-liturgical importance too. I remember my parents moving house on Lady Day 1959.

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

Sunspots and 10m - Saturday March 25th 2017

Solar flux is 72 today. Sunspot number is 12. A=6 and K=1. 10m propagation is expected to be "poor".

North Norfolk

Yesterday we drove up to North Norfolk. We ate at "The Old Reading Room" in Kelling. This is a simple place run by real locals and serving simple, no nonsense food.

Later we went to the coast for a short walk where we saw these hardy fishermen.

QRP and QRP Club

More from Oleg:

Dear Club 72 members and friends,
members of the Club 72 invites all QRP operators to take a part in the
trial   Evening Rendez-Vous at 18 UTC on 7030 kHz +/- QRM/QRL started
today in Friday March 24.
Next  schedule  is  the same days as traditional 14060 "rendezvous" -
Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays
9 UTC on 14060 kHz
18 UTC on 7030 kHz
alternative 10116 kHz if Contests QRM
All  comments  (soapbox)  and  lists  of  worked/heard  QRP  stations
appreciated after each "rendezvous" to "mr72" e-mail, please.
Each  Sundays  I publish the Weekly QRP Rendez-Vous Report in the "72
Newsletter" (shorted) and on the Club 72 blog-page (full).
Keep your activity and enjoy QRP!

72! Oleg RV3GM / KH6OB "Mr. 72"

This is a periodic Newsletter of the Club 72. Don't reply to Newsletter address! Send any requests or news to mr72@club72.su please.

Back on 6m MSK144 RX again

At breakfast I returned to 6m MSK144 RX.  Best DX so far today is EA2ARD (1010km) in the Basque region of Spain.

UPDATE 1310z: 5 stations in 4 countries on 6m MSK144 in last 12 hours.

UPDATE 1726z: OZ2TG (878km) spotted bringing the total 6m MSK144 RX total today to 6 stations in 5 countries.

Sunspots and 10m - Friday March 24th 2017

Solar flux is 72 today. Sunspot number is 12. A=11 and K=2. 10 propagation is expected to be "poor".

First swallow (bird) seen in Devon - NOT amateur radio

A first swallow was reported in Devon yesterday. If this report is correct, this is the first seen this year. They usually start to arrive about now in Devon, but it is usually later up here in East Anglia.

See https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bird-and-wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/s/swallow/

UPDATE 1740z 26.3.17: Well apparently the first swallow in South Devon was reported a week earlier, which is very early.

QRP and QRP Club

More from Oleg:

Dear Club 72 members and friends,
I'm happy to inform about new Club 72 member -
RU6ME op. Eugene (# 96)
Who's next?

72! Oleg RV3GM / KH6OB "Mr. 72"

This is a periodic Newsletter of the Club 72. Don't reply to Newsletter address! Send any requests or news to mr72@club72.su please.

VLF (8.97kHz) TX

8.97kHz 5W TX

Before my stroke in 2013 I did a fair bit of experimentation at VLF, successfully receiving quite a few European amateurs on VLF doing radiated tests. I did some "through-the-ground" utilities assisted earth-mode tests out to 6km using just a 5W transmitter. At some point I'd like to do more.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vlf/8-97khz-earth-mode-transmitter

6m MSK144

This morning, I am again on 6m MSK144 RX. At the moment, the best DX is Switzerland.

UPDATE 1806z: GI4SNA (488km) brings my country total on 6m MSK144 to 17 now.

UPDATE 1834z: 7 stations in 5 countries received on 6m MSK144 RX today so far.

UKAC results

The results of the 2m and 70cm UKAC activity contests have been published and I notice I had points deducted for logging errors. These were me being careless - sometimes it is as if my brain runs at a slower rate than it once did and I fail to get everything written down. Later, I see there are missing data, but it is too late. I notice this with driving too - these days I drive slower as my reactions are not as fast.

Nonetheless, on both bands my scores were still respectable considering I use just 5W and a big-wheel omni on 2m and 5W and a 2m halo fed with lossy coax on 70cm! I enjoy these contests but I need to take more care with the logs in future. In the end, it is more about taking part than the actual scores, but I need to try harder. Getting accurate logs should be straightforward.

uBitX 10-80m HF rig

This came in from Steve G1KQH:

Recent interview with Ashhar Farhan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9al-RiitWQ

Scroll video forward to around 54 mins to start.

uBitx HF-10-80 plus Gen coverage RX in production within the next couple of months, to be not much more expensive than Bitx40!!

(If you want to cut out some of the waffle and get down to it. Scroll video fwd to around 1:12 to watch the uBitx stuff) Link here:

https://youtu.be/T9al-RiitWQ?t=4343

Performance of FT-817???

Very interesting well worthy of watching with a glass of beer..

Alien space travel? - NOT amateur radio

This is pure speculation and there may well be other explanations, but two Harvard scientists have speculated that alien lifeforms on distant planets may be travelling through the cosmos using powerful radio beams to power their sails.

See http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/aliens-space-travel-fast-radio-bursts_us_58caf1f7e4b00705db4d8f65

Man has been searching for alien life for about 50 years. It is surprising that nothing has been found.

New cloud type - NOT amateur radio

Apparently, a new, rare cloud type has been officially acknowledged in a cloud atlas.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-39351843

Although I am not "into" clouds, I know some people are.

I do recall seeing lenticular clouds in the Yorkshire Dales some years ago.


The full version of the image on the LHS is at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenticular_cloud#/media/File:Lenticular_Cloud_over_Harold%27s_Cross_Dublin_Ireland_30-6-15.jpg

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

Cowslips - NOT amateur radio

The first cowslips have appeared here and, by any measure, we are now officially in spring. The clocks go forward this coming weekend.

100 sand martins (birds) have been seen in Devon. These are migrants often seen returning about now. I remember my dad telling me when he first saw these over the golf course. He died in 1987 sadly. I miss him.

Sunspots and 10m - Thursday March 23rd 2017

Solar flux is 71 today and the sunspot number is (don't hold your breath!) 12. A=27 and K=2.

10m? Anyone's guess.

Back on 6m MSK144 RX

Since breakfast, I have been on 6m MSK144 RX. So far EI7BMB (462km) and HB9FX (778km) spotted.

UPDATE 1120z: G0GGG (210km) now spotted on 6m MSK144.

UPDATE 1650z: 5 stations in 4 countries spotted on 6m MSK144 so far today (G, OZ, EI, HB9).

472kHz WSPR RX

As 10m JT65 got me no spots at all today, I QSYed to 630m (472kHz) WSPR RX this evening. So far on RX the best DX is DH5RAE (995km). ON7ZO (355km) is a new station for me, I think, on 472kHz RX.

To ensure a low noise floor, the PC is running on its batteries and the battery charger is not being used. With the SMPSU charging the batteries the noise on RX runs at S8. Just on batteries, the 472kHz noise floor is S0.

UPDATE 2138z: LA2XPA (1310km) is now the best DX on 472kHz RX.

UPDATE 2236z: EA5DOM (1525km) is now the furthermost DX on this band this evening.

Don Miller W9WNV DXer

If, like me, you are getting a bit old, you may recall some of the great DXpeditions of the 1960s undertaken by Don Miller W9WNV. He became a legend at the time. Later, some of his reported DX sites were questioned.

There are some YouTube interviews and his story is at http://www.k6qqq.com/the-don-miller-story-as-told-by-hugh-cassidy-wa6aud/ .

Just maybe, some are too young to remember him!

472kHz WSPR webpage

My main website at www.g3xbm.co.uk  has a new page on 472kHz WSPR.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/mflf/472wspr

6m QRP aurora

Shortly after 6m was released in the UK back in the mid 1980s I only had 1W to a simple wire dipole. This antenna was not very high and just strung from the gutter. I chanced on an aurora and managed to work some DX on 6m SSB, even with this set-up.

GB3RMK, the beacon way up in Scotland, was copied many times with this set-up on meteor pings on 6m. I used to leave the RX running and in just about every 15 minute period I would copy part or all of the callsign on CW. On 6m, auroras can be good.

On 10m QRP SSB I recall working the USA aided by auroras too.

365project - NOT amateur radio

For several years now my wife and I have (separately) taken a photo every day and submitted them to 365project. For $19.99 a year you can make the images private so only the people you choose can see them. You can then also have more albums if you want.

Some of the photos sent in are "arty", but many are just a record of ordinary life. Looking back over the years, you can see what you were doing.

Often the most mundane subject matter is popular. Some years ago I remember a photo of mine of a mole hole being widely viewed whereas something I thought would interest many turned out not to be popular in the least.

We mainly do this for a record of what we did rather than to be particularly popular. It is great fun.