At the moment, the pound is appreciating in value against the euro. This may be just a blip or it may be sustained.
The big unanswered question is will there be a trade deal. I hope so, as this is in the interests of the UK and EU. Expect some brinkmanship in the next few weeks! If the UK leaves without a deal I think this would be the height of stupidity. Having said that, nothing would surprise me with Boris, the UK Prime Minister. He has some very similar traits to Donald Trump.
At about 1025z, I turned on my 2.5W 6m FT8 to the V2000 vertical omni antenna again. No spots yet. Yesterday, I was only spotted by a couple of Gs on 6m FT8.
UPDATE 1223z: No spots. At the moment, today is even worse than yesterday on 6m FT8! I shall stick with it for now. The problems are poorer conditions and fewer stations. I am quite surprised not to have been spotted by some Gs.
UPDATE 1430z: 2 stations spotted on RX with G4FKA (207km) the furthermost. Nobody has spotted me.
UPDATE 1620z: 2 Gs have spotted me today on 6m FT8.
Every few weeks I give an update on narrow-band activity through this geosynchronous satellite. I listened last night and this morning.
When I listened there were between 5 and 7 QSOs only on SSB, so plenty of room. I am sure the lack of easy commercial gear is stopping more people getting on. I guess compared with an SDR HF rig, the quantities are just not there. Also, there is the risk: if a part fails and the satellite just stops working the whole market just goes.
In all, 6 stations were worked with 10W and the 2m (not 70cm!) big-wheel omni antenna. The contacts are shown on the map. This is a friendly contest.
In this contest I worked just 3 locals when active. I was quite close to the bottom in the results.
The last time I seriously entered this contest (30-40 years ago?) I was using 1W AM and ran a large parabeam antenna /P from a good QTH.
This time we could not operate /P and only from home. My antenna is just the big-wheel omni antenna.
Unless I am mistaken, this evening, starting at 2000z, is the 70cm activity contest organised by the RSGB. I use 10W and the 2m big-wheel. As yet, I have not seen an email reminder. I usually stay on for less than 1 hour, although the contest lasts 2.5 hours.
UPDATE 1815z: Guess what? The reminder email has just arrived.
At 1433z, I QSYed to 2m (FT-817ND) FT8 with 2.5W to the big-wheel omni antenna. At 1445z, 3 stations had spotted me with the furthermost being G7RAU (461km) on the Lizard in Cornwall. So far today, just 1 station spotted and that was G8VDP (182km).
UPDATE 1520z: A quick look at G0LRD's grabber showed my QRP signal a little down on normal, so I have increased the ERP just a little by adjusting the SignaLink USB. See http://82.71.9.63:8080/cap/ . Now being spotted by 7 stations in 3 countries with the furthermost being EI2FG (565km). Also spotted by GI6ATZ (479km). If I got these ranges on 2m SSB with QRP I would be totally amazed. On 2m FT8 this is daily.
UPDATE 1800z: 18 spots of me so far today.
OK, I must like white noise!
For a change today I am on 6m FT8 QRP with 2.5W and the V2000 vertical omni. It would not surprise me at all if the whole day passes without any spots. Outside of the Es season people often leave the band. With FT8, there is some chance.
UPDATE 0945z: Well, I have already been spotted by G0PQO (50km) at -21dB S/N. This was almost immediate. So much for the whole day without spots!
UPDATE 1035z: I have been spotted by a second station! M1ABK (70km) at -18dB S/N. I suspect this is ordinary tropo i.e. these stations, if active, would spot me most of the time.
UPDATE 1430z: 1 station has spotted me and I have only been spotted by the 2 G stations earlier. I think I shall QSY to 2m FT8 shortly.
This is a special Belgian call that I spotted this evening on 2m FT8. At first I wondered if it was a pirate!
At about 1645z I QSYed to 2m FT8. So far (it is now 1652z) 6 stations in 3 countries have spotted my 2.5W to the big-wheel omni antenna. On RX no-one yet spotted.
UPDATE 1757z: 9 stations in 5 countries have spotted me so far on 2m FT8 today with the furthermost being GI6ATZ (479km). On RX 3 Gs spotted so far.
UPDATE 2055z: 18 stations have spotted me and I have spotted 8 stations.
This afternoon, I tried in vain, to mend my "better" 10m loop antenna. I failed.
Before, there was a distinct peak when tuned and the SWR dipped significantly on resonance. Sadly, just a few minutes of soldering work left me totally exhausted and giddy. I shall have to try again another day. After about 10 minutes of physical or mental work I am just knackered. Whether this is my stroke or just old age I do not know.
At the moment I am still on 15m FT8 on the "poorer" loop.
There is news today of a Covid-19 vaccine. Already the stock markets have reacted positively. Hopefully this will be the first vaccine of many. 2020 has been a nightmare year. Let's hope 2021 is better.
I have been involved in amateur radio for over 50 years and in that time quite a few things have changed. On my main website there is a potted history of G3XBM in amateur radio.
It is now 0916z and I have been on 15m FT8 for about an hour with 2.5W and the tiny indoor loop antenna on the shack windowsill. So far, just 1 station spotted on RX and no-one has spotted me.
UPDATE 0950z: 12 stations spotted on 15m FT8 RX and nobody has spotted me yet.
UPDATE 1040z: 1 station in Germany near the Danish border DJ3LE (666km) has spotted my QRP and I have spotted 21 stations so far today on 15m FT8.
UPDATE 1235z: 3 stations have spotted me so far today.
UPDATE 1340z: So far today, 81 stations spotted on RX and 4 stations have spotted me with the furthermost being UA3D (2519km). With QRP and the tiny tiny loop indoors I am amazed that anyone spots me!
UPDATE 1512z: 4 stations have spotted me and I have spotted 107 stations today on 15m FT8 RX.
Ever wondered if you are related to royalty? Well, certainly in Europe, you probably are.
I can trace my father's line back to the 1500s. Everybody has 2 parents, 4 grandparents, 8 great-grandparents and so on. Going back to the 1500s that means I needed over 8000 people to marry and have children. Going back just 10 more generations, way after Magna Carta, and I have over 16M ancestors, which is far greater than the whole UK population at that time!
Now I am sure some of my ancestors married distant relatives, so the number will be a bit less, but you get my point: if you go back far enough we are connected. If we go back to the time the Romans came to England certainly one of those is in my family tree.
This is humbling. Just think, we are only here now because those people had children. If just one had not, we would not be here now.
Solar flux is 90 and the SSN 40. A=5 and K=0.
Humming again! Not sure what the latest forecasts for cycle 25 are, but we are off to a promising start.
All those that fought in those dreadful WW1 trenches are now dust. How futile this slaughter was.
One of my wife's relatives (see photo) fought and survived WW1, although the experiences haunted him all his life.
Since 1900z I have been on 2m FT8 QRP with 2.5W and the big-wheel omni antenna. So far just 2 stations have spotted me with furthermost PA2M (311km). On RX nothing yet spotted.
UPDATE 2034z: Just 1 station spotted on RX this evening F4HRD (182km), whereas 10 stations have spotted me with the furthermost being G7RAU (461km) in Cornwall many times.
In the last century, our views of physics were radically changed by Einstein and then quantum physics. Things we had believed in for centuries required new ways of thinking. One wonders what our world view will be like in the next century. You can almost hear them saying,"did they really believe that?".
I wonder about time and memory. In our minds we wake up each day with our understanding of the passage of time and the assumption that our (fading) memories are as old as us. It is entirely possible that this is an illusion and each day is unique and the memories we think we have are illusions too. I have already discussed the mystery of human consciousness.
No, in 100 years' time our whole world view could be totally different.
At about 1515z, I switched to 15m FT8 using 2.5W and the poorer indoor loop. Several USA stations already spotted, although they did not appear on PSKreporter for some reason.
UPDATE 1548z: 1 station has spotted me and I have spotted 4 so far with the furthermost being KB8BIP (6266km) in West Virginia.
Several times I have noticed a bug with WSJT-X with FT8.
When I use my Windows 10 machine, it seems not to recognise my SignaLink USB interface until a few minutes after I have switched on. After a while it recognises it and starts to decode OK. Before then, signals on the waterfall look smeared and there are no decodes.
At first I thought it was RF feedback, but it seems to be any band and any antenna. I have still to try the new release candidate version 2.3 to see if this has been corrected.
When I was working, I managed to scan some of my early logbooks. These are available as files on my main website.
One of my winter projects is to join Logbook of the World (LOTW). Another is to update my eQSL entries.
Since 0922z I have been on 10m FT8 with 2.5W and the poorer indoor loop. I must mend the better loop! No spots yet.
UPDATE 1023z: Just a single spot on RX of G0PQO (50km).
UPDATE 1508z: Several stations in southern Spain spotted. Nobody has yet spotted me today.
Solar flux is 90 and the SSN 37. A=5 and K=1 We are definitely climbing out of the solar minimum.
At VLF, LF and MF I have used this at 2 QTHs with great success. My own theory is this acts as a loop in the ground which gets bigger with rising skin depth i.e. as frequency is reduced. I am sure a full sized antenna would be better, but this works way beyond expectations.
See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/antennas/earth-electrode-antennas
One blog reader very kindly sent me a great gift in the post. This was a total surprise and very much appreciated. To avoid embarrassing him, I won't name him, but the parcel arrived safely - thank you so much.
There are some very kind people in this world, certainly far more good people than bad.
It is now 1525z on Saturday days after the US election and still they have not finished counting!! You would think one of the biggest economies in the world could organise this better. Perhaps this goes with the territory and the country that can only find old men to govern them can only find a pathetic system to count votes.
UPDATE 2246z: QRT.
Solar flux is 94 and the SSN 35. A=8 and K=1.
Things are improving fast.
For about 20 minutes I have been on 2m FT8 QRP. So far 22 stations in 6 countries have spotted me with the furthermost being EI2FG (565km).
UPDATE 1825z: 36 stations have spotted me today. G0LRD has a 2m grabber that I find useful (see photo).
UPDATE 2220z: 1 QSO today. Now QRT.
Southgate News has piece about using drones that stay up for 9 days to act as 5G base stations. I guess this could be less expensive than 5G microwave base stations every few hundred metres. It could also offer 5G in rural areas, which otherwise could lose out.
On the way to the Co-op food shop in the village, I spotted this postman. I asked his permission to take this photo. Very festive!
