Sunspots - Monday December 2nd 2019

Solar flux is 71 and the sunspot number 0. A=4 and K=1.

VLF upconverter

Some years ago I needed a VLF upconverter so I could listen for SAQ on 17.2kHz CW. The converter(s) here might be of use to help you copy some of the commercial VLF stations. It will not help copy most amateur VLF stations where frequency accuracy and long integration times are needed.

If my memory serves me right, this design of mine appeared in GQRP SPRAT, although I cannot remember which one it was.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vlf/vlfconv

Cookies - NOT amateur radio

Certainly in the UK and possibly elsewhere, we now have to accept (or otherwise) cookies on websites. No doubt someone somewhere thought this was "a good idea".

In reality we get annoyed and click "accept" without bothering to read. So, the whole thing becomes pointless, even dangerous. We get cross.

eHam.net

This website often has some good reviews and much else as well. If you are looking to buy something, it is worth checking this site first. If people have a very bad experience they tend to say so, but many reviews are balanced and fair.

See https://www.eham.net/

DX on 10m FT8 RX

Shortly before breakfast I turned on 10m FT8 for the day. My early 2.5W CQ on FT8 was spotted by no-one, but it seems the band has suddenly burst into life with plenty of Europeans plus 3B8CW (9752km) on Mauritius in the southern Indian Ocean. It is only 0938z.

UPDATE 1440z: Now 291 stations spotted today on 10m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1738z: 302 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX in the last day. I think that is it, although I shall leave the RX on for a bit longer. It is already dark here.

10m FT8 RX here today

UPDATE 1955z:  Well, that was not it! At 1808z LU5HA (11096km) was coming through. But not only that, PU2TWU and AK4QR also spotted but for some reason did not get uploaded to PSKreporter. Quite the best 10m FT8 day in some time.

Sunspots - Sunday December 1st 2019

Solar flux is 70 and the SSN 0. A=4 and K=1.

Sunshine - NOT amateur radio

As the sun was shining brightly we went for a walk at Anglesey Abbey. It was cold at 6 degrees C but we were surprised to see a choir singing. I have to admit, I thought this was a recording at first!

Architypal Cambridge - NOT amateur radio

This picture was taken in central Cambridge yesterday. The red phoneboxes are archetypal UK and the bikes archetypal Cambridge.

Falkland Is amateur bands

Some recent changes to the amateur frequencies in the Falkland Islands have been announced including 60m.

Also included is 4m. This may have been there before, although I was not aware. I guess VP8 to ZS might be possible but EU to the Falklands on 4m is very unlikely although just possible with TEP. Someone will give it a go. A 4m beacon in the Falklands beaming north would be interesting. I guess the path VP8 to EU on 4m might just be possible at times with a combination of TEP and Es.

See https://www.regulatorfi.org.fk/spectrum/amateur-radio/70-terms-and-conditions-amateur-radio-licence-v2-0-121119-pdf/file

JS8Call V2

Earlier, I was sent an email by G3WKW (an old work friend) about the latest version of JS8Call which supports faster speeds. JS8Call is like FT8, but allows free-form text, so allows chatting and is more like RTTY and PSK31. I have to confess that I have never tried this mode.

See http://files.js8call.com/latest.html

Better day on 10m FT8

Promising. Although no-one copied my 2.5W FT8 CQ earlier, 8 stations have already been copied already by 0930z on 10m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1019z: Already 38 stations spotted this morning on 10m FT8 RX. All Europeans.

UPDATE 1056z: 87 Europeans spotted so far this morning on 10m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1504z: Now 262 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX with best DX spotted being 4Z5AV (3633km).

UPDATE 1756z: 280 European stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX today. Nothing in the last hour, so soon be time to go QRT.

UPDATE 2246z: Now QRT.  287 different stations spotted in the last day on 10m FT8 RX. Not bad considering this is sunspot minimum and well outside the Es season.

Sunspots - Saturday November 30th 2019

Solar flux is 70 and the SSN 0. A =5 and K=1.

VDSL interference

Some people suffer horrendous interference that make operating HF and 6m virtually impossible. At the moment I am not one of these, but will I soon be affected too?

Southgate News has links to a recent RSGB survey published by OFCOM.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2019/november/spectrum-assurance-analysis-of-bt-openreach-vdsl.htm#.XeGKQOiTLnE

Black Friday - NOT amateur radio

In the UK this American import arrived a few years ago. As far as I can see, it serves no real purpose other than trying to get us to part with our cash for even longer over the Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year period. It is about profits and greed. As far as I am concerned the good people of the USA can take it back. I for one have no interest at all. If I see an email with the words "Black Friday" it gets deleted right away.

Yes, our shops are struggling in the age of online sales, but from what I read Black Friday bargains are often not the bargains they appear.

Pure commercialism.

2m FT8

Today, I have remained on 2m FT8. An earlier CQ (2.5W to the big-wheel omni antenna) was spotted by no-one. So far this morning, 9 stations have been spotted in 5 countries with best DX spotted on 2m FT8 RX being DF6PW (562km).

UPDATE 2230z:  I am about to go QRT as the overnight period is rarely productive.  Today, 52 stations in 8 countries spotted on 2m FT8 RX.

UK General Election 2019 - NOT amateur radio

In the UK, there is a General Election on December 12th. I quite like some Labour Party policies but they have swung too far left for me. I want BREXIT done, but I prefer a softer BREXIT than the Conservatives want. I think the Conservatives have moved to the right, which I do not like.

In the 2016 EU referendum I voted (narrowly) to remain in the EU. The Lib Dems are openly "remain", but I don't want yet more delay and indecision caused by a hung parliament. My brother-in-law who voted leave may spoil his ballot paper. I should vote Labour, but in this constituency they have little chance.

I really do not know how to vote.

Sunspots - Friday November 29th 2019

Solar flux is 70 and the SSN 0. A=4 and K=1.

2m FT8 this evening

About 20 minutes ago, I QSYed to 2m FT8. A couple of stations have spotted my 2.5W to the bigwheel with best DX spot being by G1BHM (365km) in IO70. On 2m FT8 RX just 2 spots so far (F and PA).

Clover-leaf 2m antenna

This has been on before, but I am very pleased with my big-wheel 2m antenna.

Some people call them "clover leaf" antennas as that is what they look like. These are horizontally polarised omni-directional antennas for 2m (in my case). Although I am not sure of the radiation pattern, it is quite a good match on 70cm too.

Mine has been up for several years now and I am very pleased with it. Only today my 2.5W FT8 TX signal was copied (again) in Eire and Germany. It has a few dB of gain in all directions. For my sort of operating it is ideal and it gets used for UKAC sessions on 2m and 70cm SSB as well as for FT8. Some may want the extra gain and directionality afforded by a beam, but beams need rotators.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/antennas/bigwheel

Burwell node improvement

This has just come in from Mark G7LEU. This is about MB7IBW an all-star node in Burwell, Cambs..

"I’ve just changed it over to a JPole, with the base about 2.5m AGL. That should be a little better than when it was using a (bungalow altitude) loft aerial.

Currently running with a UV-5R on low power, as high power was too much for it when linked to busy nodes. I have a real radio to put on there now, and how to build an interface for that over the weekend."

10m FT8

I must be a sucker for punishment!

About 40 minutes ago I switched to 10m FT8, calling CQ initially (2.5W). So far, no 10m spots.

UPDATES 1525z:  Still no spots. At the moment, 10m FT8 again looks bad.

UPDATE 1628z: Well, 10m FT8 seems a bit like the weather here: dull and wet. There were no 10m FT8 spots here all day! I shall soon go QRT.

Endings and change - NOT amateur radio

OK, I admit it: I am not good with endings.

Endings and change are a facts of life: things go along with a pattern that seems never ending and then something happens and it ends. Suddenly all that was familiar is no longer the same. Things change and the life that we seemed to have forever is forever changed. The pattern is changed.

Over time, we adapt and move on. For some change is accepted. For others, change comes as a shock. One thing life teaches us all is that there are always changes and endings. Much as we may not like these, they happen. I guess we all have to accept that nothing is forever and we must make the most of the here and now.

2m FT8

Overnight I remained on 2m FT8 RX although it was breakfast time before stations appeared. There is really no benefit in monitoring through the night. Maybe if there was a significant MS shower I might catch a few early risers).

As of 0938z, 46 stations spotted overnight and last evening. In the last 3 hours, 8 stations spotted on 2m. It appears that DX ranges are possible irrespective of conditions on 2m FT8. Best DX this morning on 2m FT8 RX is  DF6PW (562km).

Stations spotted on 2m FT8 RX in the last day

UPDATE  1238z: About 45 minutes ago I called 2m CQ (2.5W FT8 to the big-wheel omni) and was spotted by EI3KD (583km) and DF6PW (562km).

Sunspots - Thursday November 28th 2019

Solar flux is 71 and the SSN 0.  A=11 and K=1.

2m FT8

For some hours now, I have been on 2m FT8, which is much more productive than 10m FT8!

UPDATE 1947z: At the moment 38 stations in 8 countries spotted. My own 2m FT8 CQ a few hours ago (2.5W to the big-wheel omni) was spotted by 8 stations in 2 countries.

UPDATE 2228z:  Now 39 stations spotted on 2m FT8 this evening. I shall leave the RX running overnight although it is normally quiet until breakfast time. One QSO with local M0BXF.

New 2m node in Burwell, Cambs

MB7IBW is now live, though currently with a compromise antenna. It’s an AllStar node on 145.2375MHz 94.8Hz.

10m FT8 again

For the daylight hours I am, again, on 10m FT8. An initial 2.5W FT8 CQ was spotted by no-one and no-one yet copied on RX.

UPDATE 1519z: What a pits of a day on 10m!  Nothing at all spotted on 10m FT8 all day. A couple of CQ calls have been spotted by no-one. I'll give it a little longer then return to 2m FT8 I think.

Old friends - NOT amateur radio

About 10 years ago some old friends in our village moved to the Cotswolds. We see them a few times each year.

When we meet it is as if we have never been apart.

The photo show the husband helping me with some VLF tests many years ago.

Overnight on 2m FT8

My own 2.5W to the big-wheel omni was spotted by 7 stations with the best being Germany. On 2m FT8 RX 22 stations were spotted (see map).

Sunspots - Wednesday November 27th 2019

Solar flux is 70 and the SSN 0. A=3 and K=1.

Yaesu FT7 HF transceiver

This product was around in the late 1970s  and was a 10W rig intended for mobile use. By modern standards it was big. From memory it was about 6 times bigger than the FT817. It covered all the non WARC bands from 80-10m. On the latter band it only covered 500kHz. The later FT7B was 50W and had 4 switched bands to cover 10m. In those days there was no 6m in Europe and the WARC bands had not been allocated.

It was one of the quietest receivers I have ever owned. It was before the days of synthesisers. I liked mine and worked the world with it from home with simple 10m antennas and 10W SSB.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/ft7

2m FT8

For a change, I am on 2m FT8 calling CQ (2.5W to the big-wheel omni) initially.

On RX just a single spot of a station in the Netherlands.

My own QRP has been spotted by 3 stations in 3 countries with my best spot (again) being by GI6ATZ (479km). This rarely fails. The others were in France and Belgium.

UPDATE 2043z: So far this evening my 2.5W 2m FT8 has been spotted by 7 stations in 4 countries with best DX being DF6PW (562km). On 2m FT8 RX 16 stations in 5 countries spotted so far.

Ageing dangers

For quite a while now, I have been concerned about the ageing amateur radio population. Before my stroke in 2013, I visited quite a few radio clubs giving talks. All had one thing in common: ours was a male, old aged population with few young people and girls. From a recent report from Germany reported on Southgate News, this would appear to be a worrying trend. Within 20 years most active amateurs will be very old. I can see several dangers:

• The hobby could just die out.
• Amateur radio magazines will get hard to find (they are hard enough to find now!).
• There will be fewer ads in magazines for new gear.
• Manufacturers will stop making amateur gear as the volumes are too low to make a profit.
• Dealers will close.

Now, I very much hope I am wrong, but unless we attract and keep younger people, who see no magic in radio as most of us did, our hobby is doomed. Sadly, I do not have a magic bullet.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2019/november/germanys-darc-faces-an-aging-membership.htm#.Xd0n6e2TLnE

QSL cards

These days I do not seek paper QSL cards. Mostly I use eQSL for QSLing, although I often forget! These are a few of my many paper QSL cards. 10m QRP SSB DXCC was achieved many years ago.

They include one for reception of SAQ (17.2kHz CW) and a QSO with K1TOL for a QRP 6m VHF CW 2-way contact many years ago. This one, is probably my best ever QSO.

10m FT8

As usual in the daytime, I am on 10m FT8.  My 2.5W FT8 CQ (2.5W) was copied by no-one and, so far,  no spots on RX.  Mind you, it is early at 0952z.

UPDATE 1640z: Just 1 spot on 10m FT8 RX all day. That was RA2FL (1343km). A recent 2.5W FT8 10m CQ was again spotted by no-one. This again looks a dreadful 10m FT8 day here.  Well equipped stations may do better, although I would not bet on this. A good high beam might be 10dB better, but if the propagation is not there, no amount of power would help. This evening I'll give 2m FT8 a go.

A good session on 472kHz WSPR TX

Last night and overnight I was on 472kHz WSPR TX with my 10mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. This is totally invisible! Even the XYL cannot see it!

In the end 19 stations spotted me with the best DX being LA8AV (1035km) in Norway. It seems that if anyone in Norway is on I have a good chance of being spotted, despite my low ERP and, basically, poor antenna and ground. It goes to prove, with WSPR, most things are possible.

UPDATE 0955z: Yet again, despite the dial of the FT817ND saying 80m, I am still copying 630m WSPR signals. So, it is as if the rig is operating in split mode, even when the display says I am not! Just now G0MRF was copied on 630m (472kHz) WSPR.

Stations spotting my 10mW ERP 

WSPR on 472kHz overnight.

Sunspots - Tuesday November 26th 2019

Solar flux is 70 and the SSN 0. A=5 and K=2.

472kHz WSPR TX again

Yet again I am on 472kHz WSPR TX with my 10mW ERP  from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. So far this evening 8 stations have spotted me with the best DX being PA3ABK (306km). No reports from Norway this evening!

Disability, what disability? - NOT amateur radio

When I first came out of hospital after my 2013 stroke I had a blue disability badge. This went several years ago as I knew it would not be renewed because I could walk. To assessors I would appear perfectly fine.

Six years later, I still find speaking and being understood hard. Driving is still possible, but I do not enjoy it. All the time I feel giddy on my feet. I tire easily. Compared with how I was before my stroke I am disabled.

Now I am not after the sympathy vote! What I want to say is there must be thousands of people who look perfectly healthy on the outside yet are not healthy on the inside. So, do not judge.

6m in Region 1

As reported earlier, the WRC-19 has ended. One of the outcomes, as reported in Southgate News, should be more countries on 6m in Region 1, as this is to become a proper Region 1 amateur allocation.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2019/november/more-countries-gain-access-to-50-mhz.htm#.Xdu0P-2TLnE