Sword fighting - NOT amateur radio

During half term holiday we visited the Oliver Cromwell house in Ely with some of our grandchildren. Here they were sword fighting.

Oscar 100 update

The narrowband transponder of this geosynchronous satellite has been increased to 500kHz wide. My casual monitoring of the narrowband transponder shows no real change in occupancy: busier than earlier months, but still plenty of room.

See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/

Heathkit

It was Heathkit that got me into radio way back in the early 1960s.

In recent years, they have been trying to make a comeback, although judging by their product range, I suspect they must be struggling. Basically, I can see a very few loyal people buying these, but not many. Anyone know what has happened to them?

See https://shop.heathkit.com/shop/category/products-am-fm-shortwave-tv-explorer-tm-series-receivers-8

Sunspots - Friday February 28th 2020

Solar flux is 71 and the SSN 0. A=4 and K=2.

Snow - NOT amateur radio

When I first came to Cambridge in 1970 the winters were cold and dry. Nowadays winters are wet and mild. Snow is a rarety. Many winters we see no snow.

This morning we had snow, although it had all gone by lunchtime.

The photo shows the snow this morning.

Petty Cury, Cambridge - NOT amateur radio

This is the view at one end of Petty Cury in Cambridge.

When I first came to Cambridge in 1970 it was a lovely street with shops and plenty of bay windows. In their infinite wisdom, the planners pulled all these down and replaced them with modern monstrosities.

I would like to think they would not be so stupid today. Do we never learn?

Elecraft KX2 transceiver

Apart from a few disadvantages this looks a fine choice for HF. It is very small, it has a good RX and can produce 10W and could even be used handheld.

But....

• The internal batteries have to be removed to charge.
• It does not cover 160m or 6m.
• It is expensive in the UK, but has a 2 year warranty and good technical support.
• The internal auto-ATU is extra.
• It does not have an SDR display.
• No 2m or 70cm.

I quite expect Elecraft to come out with a Mk2  which allows charging in situ of the internal batteries. One thing is certain: if I was to buy one then this Mk2 version would be released the very next day!

See https://elecraft.com/

Rally

Sunday 1 MARCH : EXETER RADIO & ELECTRONICS RALLY

America Hall, De la Rue Way, Pinhoe, Exeter EX4 8PW. Doors open at 10.30am (10.15am for disabled visitors). Admission £2 (under 16s free). There will be trade stands, Bring & Buy (book in from 10.15am), and catering. Details from Pete, G3ZVI on 0771 419 8374 or g3zvi@yahoo.co.uk

A list of rallies can be found at http://rsgb.org/main/news/rallies/

20m FT8 again with the tiny indoor loop

Again, I am on 20m FT8 with the tiny indoor loop antenna and 10W. 28 stations spotted so far today with best DX spotted on RX being JF8EPR (8779km) in Japan. On TX, spots received from Greece and Sicily.

UPDATE 1737z: My little signal has been spotted by 13 stations so far today. 229 stations spotted on RX.

Stations spotted so far today
on the tiny indoor
loop on 20m FT8 RX 

UPDATE 2037z:  Now QRT. The stations that spotted me today are shown on the second map.   The loop is about 0.5m across and the wire about 1mm diameter! It just sits on my windowstill.

Stations that spotted my 10W
20m FT8 to the tiny indoor loop

Sunspots - Thursday February 27th 2020

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

ICOM IC-705

This QRP radio is still not available. Many think it will be first released in the USA in May at Dayton, although I would expect it to be released in Japan first. As reported on Tuesday, the Chinese Q900 is clearly designed as competition at about a third of the price.   Chinese quality control still bothers me though.

The IC-705 will clearly be market priced so they maximise profits for ICOM and their dealers. This basically means inflate the price as much as the punters will pay. Only drop the price if demand falls.

Elecraft

Elecraft K4 transceiver

Elecraft make some fine products, although they tend to be a bit expensive here in the UK. In the past, I have owned a K1 4-band CW transceiver and a T1 ATU. Their latest newsletter highlights the K4, which is Elecraft's new SDR transceiver. Sadly, this will be too expensive to buy for me, much as I would love one.

See https://elecraft.com/

Beofeng portables

These seem to be "iffy".

They are very low cost, but the quality control seems poor. Some work well, whereas others may be very deaf. It seems to me like the Chinese are still on a learning curve.

At the moment I am not inclined to spend much money on Chinese amateur radio gear. They can do it - see for example of the Apple iPad.

20m FT8 with the tiny indoor loop

A few moments ago I QSYed from 17m FT8 to 20m FT8. Although no-one has spotted my 2.5W yet, it is working on RX with 21 stations spotted so far with AB1EP (4941km) as best DX spotted here so far on 20m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1514z: With 2.5W and the tiny loop indoors the best DX is ES5RY (1791km). SWR is 1:1.  On 20m FT8 RX 68 stations spotted so far today.

UPDATE 1529z: Changed rigs so now running 6dB more on 20m FT8 TX.

Stations spotted to about
1545z today on 20m FT8 RX

UPDATE 1610z:  Now 97 stations spotted on 20m FT8 RX with best DX spotted K6OK (8413km). It really annoys me that the FCC has really messed up USA calls! At one time K6 would have been somewhere like California. Now K6 can be anywhere. It happens to be California in this case.

UPDATE 1627z:  IU6JJE (1570km) was spotting me strongly. Even with my 10W to the tiny indoor loop he was copying me at -9dB S/N on 20m FT8 TX!  On 20m FT8 RX, 106 stations spotted so far.

20m FT8 TX (10
or less) today

UPDATE 1816z:  8 spots of my 10W 20m FT8 so far today. On 20m FT8 RX 139 spots so far.

UPDATE 1900z: After a QSO on 20m FT8 with an EA5, I have now gone QRT on all bands.

365project - NOT amateur radio

Firstly, to avoid all confusion, this nothing at all to do with Microsoft Word 365! If you want, it can be totally free. For not much you can have total privacy and multiple albums.

For many years my wife and I have sent a picture a day to 365project.org. I think we both started in 2013. Some use this as a way of posting wonderful photographic creations. Others, like my wife and I, just use it as a visual diary. We would win no prizes!

If you have grandchildren, it is good to look back every day and see how they have developed. When we have visitors we can say exactly when they last came! You can look back each month right back to when you started.

You can also, if you want, look at other people's photos. No great photographic masterpieces are needed. Photos can be uploaded by email if you want. Altogether great fun. My user name is g3xbm and my wife foxes37.

The photo shows the snapshots for August 2019. Clicking the individual photos on 365project brings up the full sized images.

See https://365project.org/

481THz

This popped up as a Facebook memory from 2012. It shows G4HJW's optical signal received on my kit "over the horizon". There was no signal visible. This encouraged me to carry out my own experiments.

17m FT8

Last night I decided not to go on any band although this morning I am on 17m FT8 RX with the tiny indoor loop antenna.

UPDATE 1032z: 21 stations spotted so far today on 17m FT8 RX. Best DX spotted here so far is 9K2HN (4632km).

17m FT8 RX spots to 1300z today

UPDATE 1300z: Now 40 stations spotted today on 17m FT8 RX with best DX spotted being HS5XWY (9469km).

UPDATE 1327z: I have just decided to try 17m FT8 TX (2.5W) with the tiny indoor loop antenna. Already I have been spotted well in the Canary Islands by EA8BEV (3126km).

Cambridge bookshops - NOT amateur radio

When I first came to Cambridge about 50 years ago, there were far more bookshops than now. The biggest was Heffers with several shops scattered across the town. Heffers is now owned by Blackwells of Oxford I think.

I guess many people buy their books on the internet instead (in the main, I do), although browsing through books is still a pleasure. In 20 years' time what will we do?

There are still a few independent second-hand bookshops around. One of these is David's shown in the photo. This has remained much the same over 50 years.

Sunspots - Wednesday February 26th 2020

Solar flux is 71 and the sunspot number 0. A=3 and K=1.

2m FT8

Since returning from Cambridge I have again been on 2m  FT8 with 10W to the big-wheel omni antenna

So far, 7 spots of me in 3 countries with the best being a spot by GI6ATZ (479km) in N. Ireland. It seems nearly every time I go on 2m FT8  he copies me!

Fewer stations spotted here. Tropo conditions seem dire.

UPDATE 2105z: 12 stations in 4 countries have so far spotted me on 2m FT8 this evening. Best DX is a spot of me by EI3KD (583km).

UPDATE 2318z: QRT.

OFCOM - thank you!

OFCOM is usually an organisation I complain about, but today I want to say thank you. Yesterday I forgot my password. Today I got an email to get a new one and an email to say my amateur licence had been revalidated to 2025. The person who handled the query showed initiative - thank you!

Honesty - NOT amateur radio

After my U3AC course in Cambridge I decided to have a coffee at Pret a Manger in Market Street. About 5 minutes after someone dropped some change on the floor a shop assistant just picked it up and put it in the charity box. Excellent. At 99p filter coffee here is good value and the service is very good.

Q900 QRP rig

The IC-705 already has a Chinese competitor at about one third of the price according to DXzone.com. Pretty sure this is genuine.

It surprises me that we have not seen many more Chinese radios yet. Once they get the quality right, they will undercut the Japanese big time.

See https://www.dxzone.com/q900-sdr-transceiver

UPDATE 2100z: You get the feeling this is a "test the market" prototype. At least one YouTube review is raising questions. For now, I have sufficient doubts not to buy one. In time, the Chinese could become a big threat to the Japanese manufacturers, but not yet.

Almost spring - NOT amateur radio

Flowers on sale on Cambridge Market earlier.

What is reality? - NOT amateur radio

As many know, I had a stroke in 2013. In many ways I recovered, but I am still left with some quite severe impairments. It is hard to know if some of these are just me getting older or are due to the stroke.

Poor balance and giddiness are with me most of the time. My voice is poor and I get very frustrated when some people treat me as being a simpleton. Also frustrating is being unable to speak, as I used to, to put over my point of view.  Just joining in casual chats is hard. Often it would be hard to get my point across, so I say nothing.  When speaking to others I often have to repeat myself.

My comprehension of time and speed are different. When driving at a certain speed it feels, to me, as if I am driving much faster: the dial says 45mph whereas it feels like 60mph! Likewise my perception of time is different: time seems to pass more quickly. The bus ride to Cambridge takes an hour, but to me it seems much faster.

Now, it is hard to know if these are just old age or artifacts of my stroke.

What it has told me is that what we perceive as individuals is different. On the BBC radio today someone said that our perception of colour is in the mind: how one person sees the world differs from others.

All this brings me to one thought. What is reality?

Time and space we take for granted, but these could be illusions. Likewise, we assume past memories are real. One thing is certain: how we see the world is limited by our brains.

South Devon again - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday I mentioned that I come from South Devon. The photo shows another view of where I come from.

10m FT8 RX

At the moment I am on 10m FT8 RX using the tiny indoor loop antenna.

UPDATE 0950z: Nothing yet spotted on 10m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 2035z: No spots all day. Maybe tomorrow I shall try 17m FT8 RX with the tiny indoor loop?

Disappointment on 160m FT8 RX overnight

Last night was the poorest one this season with no transatlantic DX at all overnight. I checked that things were working as I thought something was wrong!

Sunspots - Tuesday February 25th 2020

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

160m FT8

So far today in the last few hours 63 stations spotted. See map.

160m FT8 spots
 so far this evening 

With a granddaughter - NOT amateur radio

The photo shows one of our granddaughters with me at the weekend. She went home with her brother yesterday.

Harvey Weinstein guilty - NOT amateur radio

According to the BBC website, I understand that, allegedly, Harvey Weinstein has been found guilty by a jury in New York of sexual assault and rape. He was once a very powerful man in Hollywood.

At the moment, I do not know what his sentence will be. It proves none of us is above the law and we cannot ever abuse our position or power.  It would not surprise me if he faces many years in prison.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-51621041

OFCOM and licence revalidation

Just now I tried to log on to the OFCOM website to revalidate my amateur licence. Problem 1 was I could not remember the password. Then I saw something pointing me to a page where I could revalidate my licence online. Worth a try except (problem 2) when I got to this page there was no mention of revalidating amateur licences!!  I have requested a new password in the hope that I can then log in, but received a response (from a computer) advising me they were very busy (knitting?) so expect a delay (problem 3).

Overall I remain totally unimpressed. Surely if a computer can send me an email saying expect a delay then it could just as easily send me a reset password link! Doh! Surely I can be excused for not being too impressed.

Ferrite rods as TX antennas

Now, I am no expert and this is based on personal experiences.

As TX antennas ferrite rods should work. Indeed, my own tests at 80m, 40m and 30m rather prove this. Yes, they will be many dB down on more conventional antennas and can only be used with low power to prevent the ferrites saturating. However, with modes like WSPR they do work. I urge you to try sometime!

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

Early days on VHF SSB

My very first experience of 2m SSB was in the late 1960s when our university club station at Liverpool G3OUL had a sked. As I recall we used 20W from a homebrew transverter designed by Ian Vance G3WMS who later was in charge at STL. He was a modest man, but clearly very clever.

Later, the Liner-2 brought 2m SSB to the masses. For several years SSB 2m DXing was very popular. In the UK this was at the time when G8s were allowed on 2m for the first time. Before that they were only allowed on 70cm and microwave bands.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/liner2

Solar weather forecast videos

Southgate News links to the video solar forecasts by Dr Tamitha Skov.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/space-weather/index.htm#.XlOwvI6TK00

Corona virus fears - NOT amateur radio

This morning, many stock markets have tumbled, probably because of the fear that a coronavirus pandemic could badly impact world trade.

We have yet to see the impact of Chinese lock-downs on their exports. Most goods now say, "made in China", so the impact of goods not being shipped from China could be very disruptive.

As I understand it, the virus can be easily passed on, although the death rate seems less severe than in flu for example. I guess the great fear is that it could mutate into something worse. As you can tell, I am no virologist!

These days, the world is far more interconnected than in the deadly flu pandemic after WW1.

UPDATE 1150z:  I see that oil prices are down over 4% suggesting demand has fallen.

160m FT8 overnight

It is getting less good. Overnight 15 North Americans copied and one Caribbean. In total just 192 stations spotted on 160m FT8 in the last 12 hours.

160m FT8 RX overnight 

South Devon - NOT amateur radio

As many know, I was born and brought up in South Devon. The photo shows where I come from. We owned land near here in 1427 and can trace our family history continuously back to the mid 1500s.

Sunspots - Monday February 24th 2020

Solar flux is 70 and the SSN 0. A=4 and K=2.