Zoom - NOT amateur radio

A few weeks ago I had not even heard of Zoom. Now, I have been to 2 online meetings of the Cambridge club (CDARC) and Zoom video has allowed our family to get together virtually at Easter. Certainly many of us have enjoyed the benefits of video conferencing.  Like never before, online video is important.

Where did I go wrong?

One of my Facebook memories from many years ago was this photo of my grandson taken 7 years ago. It shows him making his first circuit. He is now 12 years old and has no interest in the hobby.

Sunspots - Monday April 13th 2020

Solar flux is 71 and the SSN 0. A=7 and K=1.

Network radios

About 2 years ago I bought a network radio. We were entering a time with low solar activity and this, at the time, seemed a good idea.

The handheld has hardly been used. I prefer "real radio". Echolink contacts are strangely unsatisfying to me.

In these odd days other people may think differently.

Basically these are Android phones with an antenna and PTT. They use the internet but feel just like a VHF handheld. In many ways you would think they would be more popular.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/network

Lode walk - NOT amateur radio

As it was cooler this morning we did an early walk along Burwell Lode, an ancient waterway made by the Romans. We saw plenty of geese and swans as well as konik ponies , but no swallows.

10m FT8

Since returning from our walk I have been on 10m FT8 with the tiny indoor loop antenna.

UPDATE 1330z: 6 Southern Europeans spotted but just local G4KPX (14km) spotting me so far today. Thanks Richard.

UPDATE 1340z:  Now 10 stations spotted and my 2.5W has been spotted by 3 stations including a couple in Southern Europe, suggesting Es.

UPDATE 1715z:  96 stations spotted on RX and 11 stations spotted my 2.5W, mostly in southern Europe. Then I had to unplug everything because of thunder and lightning. The BBC weather forecast made  (as usual), no mention of this.

UPDATE 1802z: The storms have passed, so I have reconnected things. At the moment the storms are near Norwich. Now 97 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX today.

UPDATE 2138z: Now QRT.  101 stations spotted today on 10m FT8 RX.

Easter video - NOT amateur radio

This will be a strange Easter with many families trying to hook up by video rather than face to face. We hope to chat later.

Ornamental cherry - NOT amateur radio

The blossom on our cherry tree is not around for long, but lovely for a few days. I see other trees now with green shoots.

Sunspots - Sunday April 12th 2020

Solar flux is 71 and the SSN 0. A=6 and K=2.

More from yesterday's walk - NOT amateur radio

This was the view at the start of the walk yesterday along part of the Devil's Dyke in Cambridgeshire

Village walk - NOT amateur radio

As it was cooler this morning we have just got back from a walk around the village. The photo shows a thached cottage on the way. We walked about 2.7 miles.

10m FT8

When we get back from our walk, I may try 10m FT8 with the tiny indoor loop antenna. Again I shall be using the FT817ND with 2.5W. If I get spotted at all, I shall be pleased.

UPDATE 0950z:  Now on 10m FT8 with the tiny indoor loop antenna and 2.5W.

UPDATE 1307z: No spots so far today.

UPDATE 1640z: 2 local spots so far today with no DX.

UPDATE 1837z: A QSO with M0BXF (local) was the first 10m QSO this year. Some Spanish stations spotted on RX, probably Es.

Sunspots - : Saturday April 11th 2020

Solar flux is 69 and the SSN 0. A=5 and K=1.

Devil's Dyke - NOT amateur radio

Before lunch we did a nice walk along part of the Devil's Dyke in Cambridgeshire. I think there is another one near the South Coast. The one we walked on is about 7 miles long and was built as a defensive barrier not long after the Romans left, so it is probably well over 1400 years old. It is a chalk path with a deep ditch. We saw few people.

CDARC net tonight on GB3PI at 8pm

With kind permission of the repeater group the local Cambridge Radio Club (CDARC) is holding a second club meeting virtually. The topic is the HB9CV antenna. It starts at 8pm.

UPDATE 2119z: A very successful net.

20m FT8

With the FT991A I get sometimes get feedback into the rig when using the tiny indoor loop antenna. This occurs at 10W. So I am using the FT817ND instead as this seems totally immune. Ferrite beads on the leads make no difference. On TX just one spot so far. On RX, 126 stations spotted so far today.

UPDATE 1242z:  4 spots of my 2.5W so far today.  On 20m FT8 RX 204 stations spotted so far today.

UPDATE 1800z: 8 spots today of my 2.5W 20m FT8 to the tiny indoor loop antenna.

UPDATE 2116z:  In the end, 11 stations spotted my 20m 2.5W FT8.

Sunspots - Friday April 10th 2020

Solar flux is 70 and the sunspot number 0. A=5 and K=0.

Stay at home this Easter - NOT amateur radio

This Easter will be very different for many. Often it is a time for families to get together. This year, in many countries, we have been urged not to travel far and keep social distancing. I suspect there will be plenty of families having video chats instead!

More rallies cancelled or postponed

At the moment it is best to assume all rallies are cancelled or postponed.  I have been notified of this one. Again, the white background (as I received it) may make it hard to read on some screens. Basically it says the Ripon rally has been postponed.

Sunday 12 APRIL : POSTPONED

RIPON RADIO RALLY. Hugh Ripley Hall, Ripon, HG4 2PT Doors open 10am. Refreshments will be available on site. Information and table booking form on the website www.g4sjm.co.uk Contact d.cutter@ntlworld.com for further information.

Virtual dinner and drink - NOT amateur radio

Most months, a group of old work colleagues meet up locally for a drink and meal. We go to different places each month. Clearly this is not possible at the moment, so we all hope to share a drink at just after 8pm tonight thanks to Zoom, from the comforts of our own homes. I hope it works.

UPDATE 2045z: It worked well (see photo) and was a good way to keep in touch. We hope to do the same next month.

2m FT8 - too easy?

Much of the morning I've been on 2m FT8 using 10W and the big-wheel omni. With 22 spots so far I am wondering if this is just too easy.

UPDATE 1240z: After a recent QSO, I am on 2m FT8 TX again being spotted in GI. It seems that every time I transmit someone a long way away spots me. I am convinced this must be some sort of scatter. So far today 29 stations in 5 countries have spotted my 10W FT8 with the best DX being a spot by EI3ID (583km) in the Cork area. The map shows the stations spotting me today on 2m FT8 to 1230z.

UPDATE 1800z: 39 stations have spotted me today to 1800z (see photo).

UPDATE 2102z: In the end 50 stations spotted my 10W today. 2m dead?

2m activity contest last Tuesday

Every month, the RSGB runs a series of activity contests on various VHF and UHF bands. Last Tuesday evening, it was the April 2m activity contest (UKAC).

I was only on for an hour (poor voice!) with 10W and the big-wheel omni antenna. 9 stations were worked on SSB (see photo). I have just submitted my results. Although I will never win or even come close (!) I  submit a log most months.

2m FT8

Last night I was on 2m FT8 using 10W to the big-wheel omni antenna. In a few hours I was spotted by 31 stations in 5 countries.

Best DX was again GI and GD. These were spots of my 10W, not two-way QSOs. It proves that my signal seems to always get this far. 2 QSOs had, 1 station called me (although we did not complete a QSO) and 1 PA0 spotted me. The map shows where I was spotted to 2030z.

These sort of spots are possible every evening on 2m FT8 from here with just 10W to the omni antenna, whatever conditions are like.  As I have mentioned before, I think aircraft reflection is unlikely, but that some sort of scatter is involved. Polarisation seems to make little difference. When I use the V2000 vertical I get similar results to the big-wheel.

Certainly, FT8 shows that 2m is far from dead!

Should we have left the EU? - NOT amateur radio

There is debate about our sense in leaving the EU when we are all suffering with the Coronavirus.

It is hard to know, but there are fears that northern countries like the Netherlands and Germany might end up bailing out countries like Italy and Spain.

In some ways we may be better making our own decisions. The truth is, it may take years before we know. Certainly Coronavirus is putting a great strain on all countries.

A year ago no-one would have imagined this.

2m Fredbox QSO

Several years ago I rebuilt my 10mW 2m AM Fredbox transceiver.

For this QSO over 16km I used a halfwave whip antenna. This contact was many years ago. The best contact was 160km handheld to France.

There is a video on my YouTube channel G3XBM of the Fredbox. The Fredbox is described on my website.

The original rig dates from the 1970s. At the time, it was very tiny for a 2m transceiver.

Sunspots - Thursday April 9th 2020

Solar flux is 70 and the SSN 0. A=13 and K=1.

FT7 series

Back in the late 1970s I owned an FT7 transceiver. This produced 10W and allowed me to work all over the planet, mainly on 10m SSB. Contacts included New Zealand, which was about as far as possible. All these were with low wire dipoles - no beams!

Later Yaesu sold the FT7B, which was a higher power version which covered all of 10m. I never owned one of these. About 20 years later you could buy the FT817 which was a 5W portable including 6m, 2m and 70cm as well as FM.

More signs of spring - NOT amateur radio

In these strange days, we try to keep a routine by doing a daily walk. We see very few people and those we do are very good about social distancing. This tree (see photo) is another sign of spring.

Although there are swallows in Devon (migrant birds), I have yet to see any here in East Anglia.

The 2m SSB Liner-2

If you were around in the 1970s, you probably remember the Liner-2. This was the 2m rig that brought 2m SSB to the masses. I had a second-hand one and recall being amazed by how far I could reach.

With a simple loft antenna (HB9CV I think) I could reach stations totally out of reach on QRP AM.

The Liner-2 was a synthesised rig that produced lots of spurii if over driven. In the end mine was sold and replaced by an ICOM IC-202 as I recall. In its day, the Liner-2 was ubiquitous and a "must have" rig for serious 2m operators.

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

Adverts I hate - NOT amateur radio

Not sure if this a recent thing, but I am seeing more and more ads that say something like, "UK seniors over 50 are rushing to get this new....".

They are written in such a way that your interest is raised, so you are tempted to take a look. Whenever I see this I do not look. Although most are probably virus free, they are clickbate. Personally I hate these.

Early start on 20m FT8 today

At 0620z I was on 20m FT8 with the tiny indoor loop and 10W. No spots of me yet but one CT copied (0630z) .

UPDATE 0810z:  Although 20 stations so far spotted on 20m FT8 RX, (best spotted here is JT1CO (6662km) in Mongolia), no spots yet received on TX. It appears I was only using about 5-6W, so this has been increased and the frequency moved in case I am being clobbered by a big station I cannot see.

UPDATE 0836z: Just 1 spot of me so far today by UT4EX (2464km). 25 stations so far spotted on RX.

UPDATE 0903z: With 32 stations spotted so far today on 20m FT8 RX, the tiny loop is performing well. On TX I am sure the main problem I have is being obliterated by stations co-channel with me that are much stronger. When the frequency is clear, my 10W tends to get spotted by loads of stations. The trouble is I do not know when this happens as often these signals are not visible here. I always choose, what I think are, free frequencies.

UPDATE 1450z: 27 spots of my 10W so far today.

UPDATE 1747z: The map shows where I was spotted today on 20m FT8 TX with 10W and the tiny indoor loop antenna.

OFCOM updates

As is usual, OFCOM has updated its Communications Monthly with the latest data. See the OFCOM website for details.

The updates include:

• Office of the Telecommunications Adjudicator update
• Television broadcast licensing update
• Radio licensing monthly update
• Clarifications on Wholesale Fixed Telecoms Market Review
• Customer satisfaction tracker 2020, complaints handling tracker 2020 and reasons to complain tracker 2020
• Final directions applying Code powers to Aquind Ltd and Optical Fibre Infrastructure Ltd
• Ofcom's Tariff Tables 2020/21
• Limiting exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) consultation FAQ

Sunspots - Wednesday April 8th 2020

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

iPad question - NOT amateur radio

Although Steve G1KQH kindly solved the problem of my wife being unable to email photos from her gallery, we still have the mystery why the battery now seems to drain so much faster. This suddenly changed.

Although I cannot be sure, it does not seem to be the cells.

I am wondering, as an experiment, if there is a way of loading older software versions to see if this change is, or is not, linked to a software change.

Village walk - NOT amateur radio

This morning we did a nice walk around the village. We covered about 3 miles. We saw 4 buzzards but we have still to see any swallows. The photo shows some of the flowers we saw.

2m UKAC activity contest this evening

At 1900z this evening is the April 2m leg of the UKAC activity contest.

Usually, this attracts quite a few portable stations. This time we may hear more fixed stations.

Activity levels are usually high on SSB and there is no compulsion to submit logs in the contest. I normally do, but if you are free perhaps come on 2m SSB and give a few points away. This is a fun contest.

15m FT8 TX and RX (2.5W to the tiny indoor loop)

Yesterday I tried 10m FT8 with limited successs (just 1 spot), so today with the same rig and antenna I am giving 15m FT8 a go. The gear was turned on at about 0805z.

UPDATE 0840z:  No spots so far on RX or TX today.

UPDATE 1314z: 13 stations (including 1 Brazilian) spotted so far today on 15m FT8 RX, but no spots of me.  It looks like I was only running about 100mW, so this has now been increased to more like 2.5W.

Local walks - NOT amateur radio

One of the good things about the lock down is we are doing more local walks. Most days we go somewhere.

We have probably walked more recently than we would have done. OK we generally walk locally, but it is fun exploring new walks with few people around. Certainly everyone we have seen is observing social distancing.

Chicks - NOT amateur radio

Just in time for Easter, our son and his children has witnessed the birth of chicks as the photo shows. These were born to a chicken they look after at school.

This is a strange time for us all. At least they have the little chicks to enjoy. This is the first Easter we will not have seen the grandchildren in person. Thank goodness for modern video technology.

Online Foundation exam

The RSGB has moved to online Foundation licence exams. This simplifies things, but runs the risk of being abused. At the moment I am unsure if this will be an issue or not.

See https://rsgb.org/main/clubs-training/for-students/foundation/