Rainy Cambridge - NOT amateur radio

Most Tuesdays and Wednesdays I travel into Cambridge for my U3A courses. Today it was a typical showery November day. The photo shows Cambridge Market with the university church behind. There are few visitors.

I am studying "Weather and Climate" and "Samuel Pepys". We are lucky in Cambridge having so many things to choose from. Many on my Tuesday course are doctors, not of the medical sort! Usually the questions and discussions are interesting. It is nice to learn for fun too - no exams, no vivers.

The Pepys Library is in Cambridge along with the world expert. We visit this library in a couple of weeks.

See https://www.magd.cam.ac.uk/pepys .

10m FT8 RX

Although I have been on 10m FT8 RX from just before breakfast, nothing spotted as yet.

UPDATE 1440z: Today looks more promising with PP5JP (10026km) spotted at 1310z. This is the first South American spotted here on 10m for several days. Lots of EUs plus the Canary Is too on 10m FT8.

UPDATE 1850z: No more South Americans on 10m FT8 today and I have now QSYed to 630m WSPR.

630m WSPR overnight

In all, I was spotted by 9 unique stations with the best DX LA3EQ (769km) in Norway. As usual, my ERP is 10mW.

Sunspots at last! - Wednesday November 15th 2017

Solar flux is 74 and the sunspot number 14 (not zero!). A=11 and K=3.

New student flats - NOT amateur radio

Years ago we bought a car from West's garage in Cambridge. They moved and now they are building new student flats on the site. This photo was taken from a bus tonight in the dark. No doubt these are "posh" with en suite facilities: not like we had!

630m WSPR

For a little while I have been active again on 630m WSPR (10mW ERP, 20%). So far,  4 unique spots of my QRPP signal, all in England. I shall remain on overnight probably.

70cm UKAC contest

This 70cm activity contest, organised by the RSGB, was tonight.

Although I worked a couple of stations and heard several more, the limitations of my system were apparent tonight (just 5W, lossy coax, 2m halo).  To take this seriously I need a 70cm beam and a rotator! Best DX this evening was only 57km. In all, I think I was active for less than 30 minutes. In past 70cm UKAC (activity sessions) I have worked a lot further.

Also, because of my poor voice I was not on very long. Disappointing.

Gearbest

A little while ago I ordered 2 UHF transceivers from them. A few weeks later a package arrived containing just 1 transceiver. My original order was  very, very, clear that the order was for 2pcs (transceivers). After a great many emails to them it is clear they do not understand English and insist I ordered just 1!

In the end they have agreed to a full refund. I shall not be doing business with Gearbest ever again, despite their good prices. If you order things online beware: the company may not understand!

5MHz

According to Southgate News, Germany now will get access to the WRC 5MHz allocation and an extension of their 50MHz band.

I wonder when the WRC 5MHz band will become available in the UK?

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2017/november/german-radio-hams-get-5-mhz-band-and-50-mhz-extension.htm#.WgrA77p2vIU .

Copied in Scotland on 630m WSPR

Overnight, I was spotted by 12 unique stations including GM0UDL (659km). This is my first report from GM this season. I am not sure how many stations have spotted my 10mW ERP from my crap antenna, but it is probably more than 40 now in 8 countries. All I can say is that if I can do it then, honestly, anyone can.

Sunspots - Tuesday November 14th 2017

Solar flux is 72 today, but the sunspot number remains zero. We will see many days or months without spots in the years ahead. We could even see years with a sunspot number of zero! A=6 and K=3.

10m FT8 RX

As is usual, I've been on 10m FT8 RX since before breakfast. Just a single spot so far - PD0HCV (422km). This could be aircraft reflection?

UPDATE 1105z: With just 2 Gs and one PD0 spotted this looks like another bad day on 10m FT8?

UPDATE 1235z: Now 4 G stations spotted plus 1 PD0. Maybe people are realising 10m FT8 will also be useful for inter-G QSOs even when it behaves more like a VHF band?

UPDATE 1925z: Another dismal day on 10m FT8. More G stations spotted plus one other from Holland. Time to QSY to 630m WSPR!

Made in China - NOT amateur radio

In the west we have become addicted to low cost goods. It seems almost everything is made in China these days. Try it: look on the label of almost anything and the chances are it says, "made in China". I just don't understand how they make things at such low prices and still make profits.

All this come at a price and that is we are exporting our CO2 emissions! China has a high reliance still on coal and is the greatest contributor to the recent rise in global CO2 emissions. They are moving to renewables, but not fast enough it seems. The USA government policy on coal seems flawed too.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-41941265 .

2m UKAC entry - almost forgotten!

Usually, I send an entry in for this contest the very same evening, but this time I forgot. My XYL tidied up and my logbook was hidden. Luckily, I was in time. My entries never come anywhere near winning, but it is good voice training for me and I often work new squares on 2m. These are fun contests best taken not too seriously.  Usually I manage under 1 hour of operating. Then my voice says, "stop".

Tomorrow is the 70cm contest (UKAC). I usually use my 2m halo for this as  have no horizontal 70cm antennas. Start time is 2000z and the contest lasts for 2.5 hours, if you are keen. As you can tell, I am a fair weather contester who operates from home! A coffee or whisky is about 10m away!

Stained glass - NOT amateur radio

We visited the Stained Glass Museum in Ely Cathedral yesterday. It was fascinating to see a range of stained glass from the Middle Ages to more recent times.

This stained glass panel was made in 1979 by Paul San Casciani and is his interpretation of hydra tissue taken from an electron photomicrograph.

10m FT8 RX

Since breakfast, I have been on 10m FT8 RX. Just one spot so far in G4HZW (208km), probably by aircraft reflection. No real DX seen here for several days.

UPDATE 1450z:  It looks like another dire day on 10m FT8 here. So far, just a couple of Gs and no DX - not even a European - spotted today on 10m FT8.

A good night on 630m WSPR

Last night I managed my greatest distance this season (10mW ERP, 20%) to LA2XPA (1310km) and this with my really poor antenna! He copied me 3 times. In all, I was spotted by 12 unique stations and I spotted 10 unique others on 630m WSPR.

Sunspots - Monday November 13th 2017

Solar flux is 69 today. Sunspot number remains zero. A=6 and K=2.

630m WSPR

For the last few hours or so I have been on 630m WSPR. So far, 5 spots of my 10mW ERP WSPR. This is average.

Sunset - NOT amateur radio

As we drove back from Ely we were treated to a great sunset. This photo was taken from our moving car. It is quite flat in the Fens, but we do get some great skies.

Grumpy old man - NOT amateur radio

You can tell I am getting old!

Have you noticed that most young people go up at the end of a sentence? You can almost tell how young someone is by this, not forgetting "like" liberally sprinkled throughout sentences.  It is, like, annoying like, you know what I mean?

I try hard to ignore this, but find myself counting "likes".

Grumpy old man - definitely.

10m FT8 RX

Since breakfast, I have been on 10m FT8 RX. So far, just M0SSK (75km) spotted.

UPDATE 1158z: Best DX is now IZ2MHO (996km) in northern Italy.

UPDATE 1910z: Nothing outside Europe spotted here today on 10m FT8. The last was DM1FL (495km) in the Cologne area.

630m WSPR last night

In all, 11 unique spots of my 10mW ERP with best DX again Norway. I spotted 12 uniques. Not bad.

Sunspots - Sunday November 12th 2017

Solar flux is 68 today and the sunspot number remains zero. A=8 and K=2.

New WSPR beacon

SOTAbeams has a new product that can be used from 630m to 6m with a suitable low pass filter. This is a bit more than the original WSPRlite, but likely to be popular. A great deal of fun can be had with WSPR. The external LPF is a must.

See https://www.sotabeams.co.uk/wsprlite-flexi .

Solar cycle 25 - what will it be like?

"As of April 2017 the strength and trend of the southern polar field hints at a cycle 25 with a magnitude close to that of cycle 24. " 

This was a quote from http://www.solen.info/solar/.  It is expected to be a weak affair. If anyone knows of a better forecast please let me know. As it will probably be my last, I hope it is better than cycle 24, although I think this is unlikely.

An early QSY to 630m WSPR?

As 10m FT8 seems poor again, I am tempted to QSY early to 630m WSPR.

UPDATE 1525z: Well it is done! I've QSYed to 630m WSPR (10mW ERP, 20%). It will be interesting to see what happens in daylight.

UPDATE 1550z: Several spots already given and received on 630m WSPR. My best spot (of my 10mW ERP) is by G4CPD (232km).

UPDATE 2246z: So far, an average evening on 630m WSPR.

Rallies

It must be the time of the year when few, if any, rallies take place in the UK. I guess it is too wet and too cold to attract the punters. Certainly, I have not received notification of any. Time to draw the curtains, stoke the fire and watch TV?

Autumn colours - NOT amateur radio

Anglesey Abbey is about 4 miles away by car. In every season it looks good. At the moment it is the autumn colours that delight. In a few months it will be the first snowdrops and daffodils.

See https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/anglesey-abbey-gardens-and-lode-mill .

Giddiness - NOT amateur radio

It is over 4 years since my stroke. Whenever I am on my feet I feel giddy and drunk. By now, I was hoping this would have got better, but it seems this is how I am going to be for ever.  I can manage, but I feel way below how I once was.

At the same time others say, "you do look well". That is the problem: appearances deceive. I do look fine and normal, but others do not realise what a struggle ordinary things are.

Overnight on 630m WSPR

An average session on 630m WSPR. In all, my 10mW ERP was spotted by 9 unique stations and I spotted 13 uniques. I have known better nights.

10m FT8 RX

Better than yesterday (when I spotted absolutely nothing!) but still pretty dire. Just a couple of spots so far with 1 G and 1 OZ. Best DX, so far today, is OZ1LXJ (806km). These could be aircraft reflection?

UPDATE  1520z: No further 10m FT8 spots, so I guess the ones above were probably off aircraft or even MS.

Sunspots - Saturday November 11th 2017

Solar flux is 70 and the sunspot count is still zero. A=21 and K=2.

630m WSPR

In the end I gave up on 10m FT8 and QSYed to 630m WSPR. So far, my 10mW ERP has been spotted by 4 unique stations and I have spotted 6 uniques.

10m FT8 - another bad day?

Although I have been monitoring 10m FT8 RX all day, I have spotted absolutely no-one so far! Unless things change, this will go down as another bad day.

UPDATE 1730z: Still no 10m FT8 spots all day! Another hour and I shall QSY to 630m WSPR.

Real or Fake?

Supposedly this guy worked 2m transatlantic in 1982 on FM. I find it hard to believe this was genuine. It seems amazing that this was not well publicised at the time. Make up your minds.

Sunspots - Friday November 10th 2017

Solar flux is 65 (low) and the sunspot remains zero. A=20 and K=4. Not at all promising for the higher HF bands.

Bank closing - NOT amateur radio

Like many branches, the only bank in our village closes tomorrow. Our nearest bank is 4 miles away. Like many, we bank online and get money from a cash machine. It is closing because of lack of use. We are to blame.

Wireless Charging

There has been a fair bit of concern in recent weeks about the spectrum pollution that may result in future from the wireless charging of devices and vehicles. Spectrum for this may be allocated at the next WRC in 2019. Now, wireless charging is probably a "good thing" and may help with fossil fuel use reduction, but this needs to be done in ways that minimises RF spectrum pollution. Once the genie is out, there is no going back.

10m FT8 RX

Since breakfast I have been on 10m FT8 RX.  As yet (0937z), no spots on 10m.

UPDATE 1335z: Still no spots at all on 10m FT8. Very quiet.

UPDATE 1628z: Just G4YBI (83km) to the east of London. Tropo or aircraft? Quite the worst day on 10m for quite a while.