4m QRP transverter

It is some years since I was active on 4m.  Several years ago now, I designed and built this transverter as I had no gear for this band. I worked a few stations in a 4m contest with it and just a wire dipole.

Of course, these days the IC7300 from ICOM covers 4m.  These days there are lots of EU countries on the band, so it can be good in the Es season.

Years before I recall working ZB2VHF with 4W of AM in my university days by Es.

At some point I intend to get on 4m again.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/4m_tvtr .

Birds

One of our grandsons in Australia. He loves all animals and looks in his element with these birds.

Perseid Fireballs?

This weekend the Perseid meteor shower peaks. According to Southgate News relaying a post on spaceweather.com the Perseid shower produces more fireballs than any other shower.

See http://spaceweather.com/  .

Nostalgia - SW interval Signals

Well I am pretty sure I've posted this link before, not that it matters.

When I started in the 1960s my first experiences were with short wave broadcast stations.  There was no such thing as TV live from the USA or Australia. Skype and FaceTime were in the far future.

Radio Australia would fade in and out. Radio New Zealand was a good catch. Many broadcasters had English language services. On the hours and half hours we'd listen for the interval signals. Many communist nations tried to blast us with propaganda. All I wanted was a QSL card!

Anyway, grab a drink and listen to the past. Enjoy.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/interval.

In Australia - NOT amateur radio

At the moment a couple of our grandchildren are in Australia visiting their Australian grandparents with their mum and dad. The photo was taken on Hamilton Island in the Whitsunday Islands. The grandparents live in Brisbane.

PF1 UHF

In my professional life I worked first for Pye Telecom. My first ever job (I think it was really a test of my capabilities) was converting the PF1 (a small UHF portable with separate RX and TX) to 12.5kHz channel spacing. In those far off days we had 995 signal generators and these took hours (really) to stop drifting! The task was completed OK as I recall.

The task was set by Mike Gotch , G0IMG, who is now a SK. At the time I had no idea Mike was interested in amateur radio. Apparently years before he had been a pirate and got caught! In the early days of UK CB he was a keen DXer and I last worked him on 6m I think.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/pf1.

6m MSK144 RX

As the Perseid meteor shower peaks this weekend, I intend to stay on 50.280MHz MSK144 RX all weekend. Certainly here in Europe this frequency is much more used than 50.360MHz recommended by WSJT-x v1.8. So far, 9 countries spotted in the last 12 hours on 6m MSK144. Best DX so far is LA7DFA (1312km).

Sunspots - Saturday August 12th 2017

Solar flux is 70 today and the sunspot number 11.  A=7 and K=2.

Insurances (car and home) - NOT amateur radio

House and car insurances - call me a grumpy old man, but a couple of phone calls to the SAME insurance company and I get £172 off.

If they wanted to keep me why not offer the best prices to start with? Don't answer, as I know the answer already. They assume most won't bother and will just pay up at the inflated prices.

Personally I find this STUPID. This is an immoral racket preying on the old and vulnerable.

Insurance companies - you should be ashamed!

70cm QRM

A friend of mine in Cambridge Richard G3TFX is getting QRM on the GB3OV repeater. OFCOM cannot help.

He writes:

Can anyone pin down the direction of a pulsing telemetry signal causing QRM on the OUTPUT channel of the St Neots repeater GB3OV, 433.125 Mhz? It's a pretty strong signal in the center of Cambridge and my guess is it might be a device on a crane.

Rally this Sunday

13 AUGUST 2017 : FLIGHT REFUELLING ARS HAMFEST
Cobham Sports and Social Club Ground, Merley, near Wimborne, Dorset. BH21 3DA There will be a talk in station on S22 and the venue has free car parking. Doors open at 10am and admission is £3.50. There will be trade stands, a car boot areas and indoor and field pitches for traders. Lectures will take place during the day. there is catering and a licensed bar on site. Camping is available on Saturday night only in an adjacent field. More information from hamfest@frars.org.uk
A list of rallies can be found at http://rsgb.org/main/news/rallies/

Eddystone receivers

When I first entered the hobby in the early 1960s, many here in the UK aspired to Eddystone receivers, made in Birmingham, UK. They were beautifully made with velvet touch drives.

I wanted an 840C, but never had one. When I started work a friend had a dad who worked for Eddystone. I was lucky enough to get an EC10 in the early 1970s. These were the first transistorised  receivers that they made. They sold for £48 when they first came out. 10m bandspread was appalling and in all honesty, by modern standards, they were not very good. I think the IF was very low. They still had lovely mechanical construction and velvet smooth drives, but the receivers were really average.

For quite a while I used mine on the lower HF bands and as a tuneable IF for VHF and UHF RX converters. As an IF they were fine.

They used germanium transistors and they occasionally turn up on eBay and similar. These days, I would not bother apart from nostalgia.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/ec10 .

Sunspots - Friday August 11th 2017

Solar flux is 71 today and the sunspot number is 11. A=5 and K=1.

Overnight and this morning on 6m MSK144 RX

As we are near the peak of the Perseid meteor shower, I have been on 6m MSK144 RX overnight and this morning. I decided to look around 50.280MHz rather than the "new" frequency recommended in WSJT-X v1.8. So far, 9 countries spotted on 6m, although not all of these will have been via meteor scatter as there is still Es on 6m.

UPDATE 1520z: 16 countries spotted on 6m MSK144 RX so far today.

UPDATE 2122z: "Just in case", I have just done a manual time sync in readiness for the overnight period on 50.280MHz MSK144.

Now on 6m MSK144 RX on 50.280MHz

At about 1830z I turned off the 10m WSPR TX beacon (no spots all day) and moved from FT8 RX on 50.313MHz to 6m MSK144 RX on 50.280MHz. I'll check the logs later and tomorrow to see if I see spots as a result of the Perseid shower. At this time of year it is sometimes hard to tell which is Es and which meteor trail reflections. If during the early hours, it is more likely to be meteor scatter.

UPDATE 1938z: No 6m MSK144 spots yet.

6m FT8 RX

Since mid-morning I have been on 6m FT8 RX. So far, 8 countries spotted. Although I have also been on 10m WSPR TX (500mW), no 10m spots today at all.

Perseid Meteor Shower

Tonight, I will try MSK144 on 50.280MHz RX. The Perseid meteor shower peaks, so there is a good chance of copying many European stations by this mode. This frequency is still better liked in Europe than the 50.260MHz recommended in WSJT-X v1.8 and the new band plan. Not sure why this is.

See https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/meteor-shower/perseid.html .

North Korea - NOT amateur radio

There is a crisis brewing.

The North Koreans are treading dangerously. The USA is being provoked and Trump is a loose cannon. If the USA fires a pre-emptive strike all hell would be let loose with unpredictable outcomes. Talk is always better.

70cm Moxon Beam

This has been posted before, but it is to show amateur radio need not be expensive or hard. I built this antenna in minutes and it worked remarkably well.

Moxon beams have a useful gain, a broad main lobe, and they work. They are ideal for portable work. As this example shows they are low cost to make, especially if you scavenge bits.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/antennas/70cm_moxon

Sunspots - Thursday August 10th 2017

Solar flux is 71 today and the sunspot number 11. A=4 and K=1.

Final QRT tonight

Finally, I went QRT on all bands about 1930z. I may go on again tomorrow.

QRT - thunder

My wife said she heard thunder, so I have disconnected everything again. At the moment it is rain, rain, rain. Tomorrow looks better. I suspect I'll be QRT until tomorrow.

UPDATE 1444z: At the moment the storms look to be confined to Kent, so I have gone back on the air again. Outside it is still very wet! The photo shows a group (with umbrellas) arriving at our museum and windmill. The photo was taken out of the lounge window.

UPDATE 1627z: 8 countries spotted on 6m FT8 in the last hour.

Trump and North Korea - NOT amateur radio

So, what happens next?

North Korea is run by Kim. The USA is led by Donald.

In years past I had confidence in the leaders to wisely "do the right thing". This time I have my doubts. Both are unpredictable.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/40857783/trump-north-korea-threats-will-be-met-with-fire-and-fury.

Mini Rally (Scotland)

11 AUGUST 2017 : 24th ANNUAL MINI RALLY NIGHT
Port Seton Resource Community Centre, South Seton Park, Port Seton, East Lothian EH32 0BQ Doors open 6 to 9pm and entry is £2. A raffle will be held on the night and refreshments will be available. Bring along your own 'junk' and sell it yourself. No charge for a table but they are on a first come first served basis. More information from gm4uyz@csparc.com A list of rallies can be found at http://rsgb.org/main/news/rallies/

Sunspots - Wednesday August 9th 2017

Solar flux is 71 today. Sunspot number is 11. A=5 and K=2.

10m WSPR TX

Several spots of my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon, mainly from Germany. Early Es.

UPDATE 1115z: 9 unique spots of my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon so far today. The map shows the spots so far today.

UPDATE 1912z: 13 unique spots today on 10m WSPR TX (500mW).

6m FT8 RX

At the moment my best DX on 6m FT8 RX is LZ2NW (2139km) in Bulgaria. There seems to be early Es from southern Europe with early spots of Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland and Germany. I have also spotted a couple of UK stations.

UPDATE 1032z: 10 countries spotted so far on 6m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1854z: Best DX on 6m FT8 RX was EA8YV (2982km) earlier this evening.

No storms yet, so back on air

At the moment all the nasty storms are far away, so I have returned to 6m FT8 RX and 10m WSPR TX.

Wednesday looks dire!

The WX tomorrow looks miserable with lots of dark clouds, rain and thunder/lightning. Shortly I shall go QRT and it is doubtful if the rigs will get switched on tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow is a day to read a book instead.

Visit by Richard G3TFX

An old work friend, Richard G3TFX, called in today. He stopped for a cup of tea, before rushing to catch a bus.

I owe my life to him as it was he who told my XYL to get me to A&E when I had my stroke 4 years ago. I was in hospital for 3.5 months. Had I collapsed at home, I might be dead now.

Storm gone through, so on air again

The thunderstorm has passed and is currently well east of us and moving away, for now. So, I am again on 10m WSPR TX (500mW) and 6m FT8 RX. Assuming the storms stay well away, I expect to be on for many hours.

UPDATE 1532z: Just a couple of G spots since returning to 6m FT8 RX. Nothing, as yet, on 10m WSPR TX.

Thunder, so QRT

In the distance I can hear thunder. I have still to check the storm map to see exactly where the storms are, but I am taking no chances, so have gone QRT and disconnected everything. Darn it!  It was such a promising Es day.

Now it is raining. The forecast says dry now!

See https://www.lightningmaps.org/blitzortung/europe/index.php?lang=en  .

UPDATE 1228z: The storms are just to the south, but I cannot tell (yet) if they are getting closer.

365project - NOT amateur radio and NOT Microsoft

For several years now I have done a photo a day as a kind of visual diary. It is interesting to look back and see what we did, say 2 years ago to the day. Some would find this hard to keep up, but I have found it fun. It is totally free but if you want more albums and total privacy this only $19.99 a year. See http://365project.org/ .

Don't confuse with Microsoft's Office365 which is totally unrelated and which is a subscription service. I use OpenOffice instead and that is free. See https://www.openoffice.org/download/  .

10m WSPR TX (500mW)

With 5 unique spots of my little WSPR beacon already very early by Es, today is already better than yesterday on 10m WSPR. The Es season may be drawing to a close, but there is still Es about on 10m and 6m.

10m WSPR spots of my 500mW as of 0945z today

70cm UKAC tonight

If memory serves me correctly, tonight starting at 1900z, for 2.5 hours, is the August leg of the RSGB's activity contest on 70cm. I had to miss last month as we were on holiday. I only have a 2m halo and 5W but still manage to work some reasonable ranges especially towards the Midlands. Usually I am active for about 40-60 minutes maximum because of my poor voice. This is usually my limit.

UPDATE 1936z: With just 1 QSO and dire conditions, I gave up! Even G4CLA in the Midlands was weak: usually I manage to work him despite my 5W and 2m halo.

6m FT8 RX

There is early Es on 6m this morning with widespread early reception of southern Europeans. Best 6m FT8 RX DX is IK7EOT (1847km). 6 countries spotted already and it is only 0846z.

UPDATE 0900z: 8 countries spotted so far on 6m FT8.

UPDATE 0921z: 16 countries spotted already! Hum dinger of a morning so far.

6m FT8 RX up to 1030z today

UPDATE 1030z: The map shows my spots on 6m FT8 so far today. A good Es day.

UPDATE 1152z: Best DX is currently SM2A (1816km) in the north of Sweden. Nothing outside of Europe so far.

UPDATE 1734z: After a break because of storms, the best DX on 6m FT8 RX is EA8AQV (2988km).

Back on again

Just before breakfast I resumed operations. I am on 10m WSPR TX (500wW) and 6m FT8 RX again.

Sunspots - Tuesday August 8th 2017

Solar flux is 73 today and the sunspot number 11. A=5 and K=1

Now QRT

After a brief period looking at 20m FT8 (very busy at 1930z), I have now gone QRT on all bands.

All being well, I hope to return to 10m WSPR TX (500mW) and 6m FT8 RX at breakfast time tomorrow.

20 minutes on 20m FT8 RX this evening

Es season ending?

Today, there were just 2 unique spots here on 10m WSPR of my 500mW beacon, although I did much better on 6m FT8 RX. My feeling is the Es season is drawing to a close in the northern hemisphere, although there will still be DX there for those looking. Es occurs at any time of the year although in the UK and USA the best months are May, June and July.

I have worked Es 6m DX on QRP SSB in September and with newer digital modes quite brief openings can now be spotted. Never give up!

As we enter the "quiet sun" years E layer propagation becomes more important and may be the best hope of DX on 10m and higher bands.

For reasons I do not understand, there is a smaller Es peak around the end of December and early January. So, for those alert, there are plenty of opportunities for DX by E layer at any time of the year. OK, outside the peak months there may be long quiet periods, but stick with it and search out those brief openings!