Cottage garden - NOT amateur radio

This cottage garden was seen on a recent walk. Although largely untended, it is filled with "cottage" plants and looks a picture.

1990s shack

One of my Facebook memories today was this photo of my gear in the mid 1990s. I had far more gear then than now!

Yesterday on 10m WSPR TX

In all, 28 unique stations spotted my 10m WSPR TX beacon using 500mW to the tiny indoor loop antenna. It was the best day this Es season.

Sunspots - Friday July 3rd 2020

Solar flux is 68 and the SSN 0. A=4 and K=1.

Rally News - on?

I just got this email this morning. It does not say it is cancelled. This a definite case when contacting the organisers makes sense before travelling.

As before, sorry if the background makes it hard to read on some screens, but this is how it comes to me.

4  JULY 2020 (Saturday) : STOCKPORT RS RALLY

New Venue: Bridgehall Community Centre, Siddington Avenue, Stockport SK3 8LX. New venue is ground floor only. Doors open 9.30am (traders from 7am). Admittance is £2.50 with under 16s free. There will be trade stands (tables cost £10 each), special interest groups and an RSGB Bookstall. Catering is available on site and locally. The venue is accessible by bus from Stockport town centre and mainline rail station More details from 07506 904422, info@g8srs.co.uk. www.g8rs.co.uk.

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

This morning's walk - NOT amateur radio

We did a 3.98 mile walk around the village earlier. Just after we got back it rained - we missed getting soaked by 10 minutes!

10m WSPR TX using 500mW to the tiny indoor loop

All morning I have been on 10m WSPR TX again.

UPDATE 1115z: 16 unique stations spotting me today with the best being OH1RJ (1655km).

OFCOM cooperation

Gosh!! Get back in your seats and try to contain your excitement and joy. OFCOM has announced it is to cooperate with the Competition and Markets Authority and the Information Commissioner's Office in a joint forum. More details on the OFCOM website. I bet you are as thrilled as I am!

Sunspots - Thursday July 2nd 2020

Solar flux is 68 and the SSN 0. A=6 and K=1.

Angry sky - NOT amateur radio

This evening the sky was very dark and it rained heavily. This is the windmill next to our house.

6m FT8

Apart from a few minutes calling CQ, I have mostly been on 6m FT8 RX for the last hour or so. The brief CQ was widely spotted by Es and 63 stations spotted so far on 6m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1803z:  Mostly on 6m FT8 RX, although I did have a QSO just now with an SP. In all 277 stations spotted today on 6m FT8 RX.

10m WSPR TX (500mW to the indoor loop)

Since shortly after breakfast, I have been on 10m WSPR TX. Several spots from Scandinavia already received.

UPDATE 1807z: 18 unique stations have spotted my 10m WSPR so far today.

UPDATE 2037z: 23 unique station spors of me today.

Narrow boats - NOT amateur radio

We saw these narrow boats on our walk yesterday.

Sunspots - Wednesday July 1st 2020

Solar flux is 68 and the SSN 0. A=4 and K=1.

Wicken Fen walk - NOT amateur radio

Our walk today was around the outskirts of Wicken Fen and Wicken village. The photo shows some of what we saw.

2m FT8

Since 0655z my 2m FT8 (10W and the big-wheel omni) has been turned on. 8 spots in the first 15 minutes.

10m WSPR TX beacon

My 500mW 10m WSPR beacon to the indoor loop antenna has been on since 0655z. No spots yet.

ICOM IC-705 details

The spec and other details of this new QRP radio are on the ICOM UK pages.

See https://icomuk.co.uk/IC-705/Mobile_Amateur_Radio_Ham

Sunspots - Tuesday June 30th 2020

Solar flux is 69 and the SSN 0.  A=3 and K=2.

Oscar 100 and SOTA

Southgate News has a piece about a recent SOTA activation using Oscar 100, the geosynchronous satellite between 2 G stations.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/june/qo-100-s2s-in-sota.htm#.XvoFkYjYq00

Walk collage - NOT amateur radio

Most days, we try to do a walk. The collage, by my wife, shows the things we saw on our walk yesterday. We try to vary where we walk.

It is surprising how many good walks there are quite close to home.

Skyscape - NOT amateur radio

East Anglia, UK, can be quite flat, but we do get some great skies as the photo shows. This was on our walk yesterday down to the River Cam, near Cambridge.

2m FT8 (1W and 10W)

At about 0845z, my 1W to the big-wheel omni was turned on. So far, 6 spots on TWX with the best being M0NPT (125km) in Nottingham. On RX 6 stations spotted so far with the best being PD4HW (294km) in Holland.

UPDATE 1118z:  So far today my 1W has been spotted by 8 stations with the best being G4RRA (333km)  in Devon. On 2m FT8 RX, 10 stations in 3 countries spotted so far today.

UPDATE 1351z:  So far today, my 1W FT8 has been spotted by 11 stations. G8VHI (127km) in the Birmingham area is showing up on the "all bands" PSKreporter map, but not on the 2m one. I have no idea why this is so. It happened briefly yesterday, but went.

UPDATE 1512z:  Increasing the power by 10dB has resulted in 23 spots of me in 6 countries. Best DX spot of me is GI6ATZ (479km).

UPDATE 2002z:  28 stations spotted me today. Now QRT.

10m WSPR TX

At about 0845z, my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon (into the indoor loop) was turned on. Already loads of spots from 4 unique stations. A promising start. No spots outside Europe on 10m WSPR this year.

Spots to 1250z today

UPDATE 1250z: 12 spots of my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon so far today. Best spot is by SM0FKI (1332km).

UPDATE 1337z:  No spots since 1056z.

UPDATE 1602z:    A spot from GM at 1526z.

UPDATE 2006z:   QRT.

FT991A

The Yaesu FT991A, which covers all HF, 6m, 2m and 70cm has served me well. It has been used on 20m, 17m, 10m, 6m, 2m and 70cm. Most times it is used at 10W.

At this power I am tempted by the IC-705, but not by the price!

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/ft991a

Sunspots - Monday June 29th 2020

Solar flux is 69 and the SSN 0. A=4 and K=1.

So when is/was the solar minimum?

My favourite site for solar predictions still thinks we have just passed the solar minimum. This is despite the very low solar flux readings seen in the last few days. I think he calculates the minimum looking at things like polarisation changes. Pages and forecasts are due to be updated later this week.

IC-705 videos

Now this is on sale in Japan there are quite a few videos appearing including one of a teardown that looks inside.

Breezy walk - NOT amateur radio

River Cam

We have just got back from a walk towards the R. Cam. It was very breezy.

10m WSPR TX beacon

Already on 10m WSPR TX using 500mW to the tiny indoor loop antenna. Already spotted in Germany.

10m WSPR spots so far today

UPDATE 1158z:   Already 9 unique stations spotting me.

UPDATE 1400z: 16 unique stations have spotted my 500mW 10m WSPR so far today. At some point OZ7IT was getting me at an incredible +10dB S/N. Considering my 500mW to my indoor loop, this is amazing.

UPDATE 2146z:  QRT.

2m FT8 (1W)

As yesterday, I am on 2m FT8 using 1W to the big-wheel omni antenna. Plenty of stations spotting me.

Stations spotting my
2m FT8 1W so far today

UPDATE 1748z:  After a break of several hours I am again TXing (1W) on 2m FT8. The maps shows where my 1W to the big-wheel has reached today so far.

UPDATE 2040z:  QRT on 2m now.

Salcombe, South Devon, UK - NOT amateur radio

As a young child, I was brought up and lived in Salcombe, Devon. These days it is a playground for rich second home owners. It has been a holiday destination for centuries, although it is still very beautiful, In 1959 my parents sold our terraced house for £1.8k. These now sell for £500-600k to second home owners.

Sunspots - Sunday June 28th 2020

Solar flux is 69 and the SSN 0.  A=7 and K=2.

Wind and rain - NOT amateur radio

A few days ago it was very hot and sunny. Today is very different with strong winds, showers and dark clouds. The garden needs it, but I prefer warmer (not hot) settled sunny days.

2m FT8 (1W)

A few moments ago I QSYed from 6m to 2m FT8, using 1W from the FT817ND into the big-wheel omni. My signal is still between +7 and +9dB S/N on the grabber at G0LRD. So far, 9 spots with the best being by GI6ATZ (479km).

It is amazing how well 1W to the big-wheel omni does on FT8.

Clearly I am having no issues with DIG on the FT817ND on 2m.

UPDATE 1340z: 7 stations spotted so far on 2m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1428z:  13 stations in 3 countries have spotted me so far today on 2m FT8 TX with 1W. On 2m FT8 RX  still 7 stations spotted.

Stations spotting my
2m FT8 1W to 1916z

UPDATE 1916z:  18 stations have spotted my 2m FT8 1W to the big-wheel omni today. Amazing.

60m and WRC15

I rarely use the 60m band.

WRC15 (5 years ago!) allocated a 15kHz band at 60m to radio amateurs on a secondary basis. Some countries have allocated this, but as far as I know the UK has not.  The WRC allocation is low power and the argument is the UK allocations are more generous and partly cover the WRC band. Personally, I would prefer a harmonised band at lower power to the split UK allocations which I find confusing.

See https://rsgb.org/main/operating/band-plans/hf/5mhz/

Buying new radios

When I buy radios, they usually last me for many years. Last year I bought an FT991A, which is a great radio from Yaesu, even though I usually run it at only 10W. With a suitable PSU, it can run 100W.

As a QRP man, I am quite tempted by the new IC-705 which covers all HF, 6m, 2m and 70cm, but am put off by the high price here in the UK. It also supports D-STAR, Bluetooth and wi-fi. It also has its own battery and GPS. Nice radio, but a shame about the price!

At one time it was meant to include 4m, but this has been dropped. It is not clear if this will be available in a later firmware upgrade. An auto ATU has never been offered.

I don't think it will be available in the UK until later in the year. It has just gone on sale in Japan.

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

6m FT8 RX

At the moment, I am concentrating on 6m FT8 RX with the V2000 vertical omni.  So far, mostly EU stations spotted plus 4Z5AV (3633km).

UPDATE 0958z:   186 stations spotted so far this morning on 6m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1245z:  365 6m FT8 stations spotted so far today on RX. Although I get full power on FM, for some reason there is no output on DIG with the FT817ND. On the FT991A all is fine. It worked fine before. I suspect finger trouble, so I shall again later.

UPDATE 1635z: Mystery solved! It appears the FT817ND produces no output above 2.4kHz audio (this may be 2.7kHz) whereas the FT991A produces output to audio frequencies to almost 3kHz. When I set the audio to a much lower frequency it produced plenty of output on 6m.  I found this be accident.

10m WSPR beacon

As usual, I have turned on the 500mW 10m WSPR beacon with the indoor loop antenna. Amazingly, already a spot from Switzerland.

UPDATE 0934z: Already spots received from 5 different stations across Europe.

UPDATE 1935z: 11 unique stations have spotted me today on 10m WSPR.

VERY old photo - NOT amateur radio

This photo first appeared on my blog in 2010. It shows a man who is supposed to have been been born in 1746!

If correct, this must be one of the earliest photos of a human being ever. This is well before the French Revolution, when the USA colonies were still "owned"  by Great Britain and more than a century before the American Civil War.

I have no idea where this first appeared. As I recall, the first photos were taken in the late 1830s or early 1840s.