Oscar 100 activity this evening

This evening, the activity on the narrowband transponder was higher than I have ever seen. I suspect this is as the vast majority of users are in Europe and they are at home for the weekend.

See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/

2m FT8 QRP (Friday)

At 1700z, I QSYed to 2m with 2.5W and the big-wheel omni antenna.  So far, after about 5 minutes, nothing copied on RX, but 2 stations in 2 countries have spotted me.

UPDATE 1920z: 9 stations in 3 countries have spotted my QRP on 2m FT8 TX with the best DX a spot by GI6ATZ (479km).  On RX, 7 stations in 4 countries spotted.

Stations that spotted my
QRP FT8 this evening

UPDATE 2215z: QRT soon.

Indoor loops

One of the great advantages of QRP is in the design of loop antennas for TX. With 100W, the voltage at the high impedance part of the loop can be very high, so that special capacitors are needed with low loss and a very high breakdown voltage. 

With QRP powers, ordinary capacitors may be used. Most times I use an old Wonder Wand Loop for 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m and 10m. My 10m loop, homemade with copper pipe, is sharper and more efficient, but harder to tune.

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

More muddy walk - NOT amateur radio

 

Yesterday I put a photo of my wife on our muddy walk. The photo shows me.

Posted on CDARC website

This might appeal to the geeks here!! It was first posted on the Cambridge Radio Club's FaceBook page.

My maths is so rusty, so I am unsure if this is correct. I think it is.

Very clever.  I guess the originator started with the answer, then worked back.

OFCOM

OFCOM has an announcement on its website about an upcoming spectrum auction for 700MHz and 3.6GHz spectrum.

See the OFCOM website for more information. 

Israel via Oscar 100

This morning there were 2 Israeli stations heard via the Oscar 100 geosynchronous satellite. One called CQ for ages with no responses (4X4N special event station). Only 4 stations active in the narrowband section.

See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/.

6m FT8 QRP (Friday)

At about 0920z, I switched on my 6m FT8 QRP (2.5W to the V2000 vertical). It is now 0930z.  Already 1 station has spotted me - G0PQO (50km) on TX and 1 station spotted on RX - G4FKA (207km).

UPDATE 1330z: No others yet.

UPDATE 1457z: Now 2 Gs spotted on RX. Turned up the audio drive from the SignaLink USB, but ALC still not active.

What is this? - NOT amateur radio

On our walk yesterday we saw this. It looks like sheep's wool but isn't.  It was on a muddy path.  Is it some sort of fungus? This was in the UK (East Anglia).

How do they do it?

 

On Amazon Prime I noticed this UHF (446MHz?) transceiver for £11.95.  Included are a charger and earpiece /mic. 

Another supplier has a pair for just £16.99 a pair.

When I worked at Pye Telecom we would struggle to make the charger for this price! Things have changed a lot in the last 20 years. It must be sheer hell being a UK PMR manufacturer these days. I am sure there are even cheaper ones if you look.

Assuming they ship across the world and make a profit, just how do they do it?

Sunspots - Friday December 18th 2020

Solar flux is 82 and the SSN 12.  A=2 and K=0.  

Horse feeding - NOT amateur radio

 

This horse seems to have taken a fancy to me, probably because I fed it grass! It followed me for some time.

Muddy walk - NOT amateur radio

The sun was shining so we did a walk around the village of Reach. It was very muddy! The photo shows my wife. 

Next time we'll take our hiking poles to help us stop falling. It is good to walk when the sun is so great. At this time of year the trees are bare, which helps us see further. 

Back in the spring it was dry under foot. We have now done this walk in every season. We even saw a few snowdrops out.  

Personally, I preferred walking when there was more evident life. Back in the autumn we picked apples and blackberries.

6m FT8 QRP (Thursday)

At 0930z, my 2.5W to the V2000 vertical was turned on. Just 1 spot of me by G0PQO (50km) so far today.

UPDATE 2125z: Just 1 G spotted me and I have spotted 1 G on RX. Poor. Now QRT.

First real radio

In the early 1960s my dad bought a DST100 (ex tank radio from) a local garage. It was deaf and weighed a ton. We took it to a local amateur G3CHN who worked his magic on it and it was my main SWL receiver for several years. 

Looking back, it copied some impressive DX. It was so heavy that my dad made a special shelf for it. I could not lift it on my own. These days a tiny SDR dongle is probably better!

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/dst100.

Windmill view - NOT amateur radio

The restored windmill right next door is shown in the photo. 

We can see the windmill from the breakfast table and, as in this view, from the lounge window. 

Every day, just about, someone wants a picture of the windmill! This photo was taken yesterday morning.

52 years ago - NOT amateur radio

52 years ago I met my wife in Liverpool cathedral. I got sent this photo earlier.  This is the Anglican cathedral. When we were in Liverpool it was still being built. The catholic cathedral, at the other end of Hope Street, is also a fine building with wonderful light. Liverpool is a fine city with people with a warm heart. We very much enjoyed our time there.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liverpool.

Beginners' licence?

For some time in the UK a couple of ideas have been considered. 

One is an exam (a bit like the old RAE) that would allow people to get a full licence with just one exam. the second is a beginners' licence to allow newcomers into the hobby easily. Some can use licence free gear, e.g. 446MHz gear in the UK without any licence, so the argument is why not a simple transition into amateur radio, perhaps only allowing use of ready built commercial gear on VHF or UHF only? 

I have mixed feelings over the latter. Yes,we badly need new blood, but are we happy to dumb down our hobby? This is a hard one.

All these were discussed at a recent RSGB board meeting. You have to be an RSGB member to read these I believe.

See https://thersgb.org/members/publications/board/5900.php

Sunspots - Thursday December 17th 2020

 Solar flux is 82 and the SSN 12. A=2 and K=0.

60m (5MHz) operation

Although many countries have allocated the full WRC band to amateurs, the UK has not. Instead, the UK has more allocations, some of which include parts of the WRC allocation. 

Personally, I would settle for the full WRC shared band and lower power with fewer other slots in the UK.

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

Optical Communications

It is many years since I tried any optical communications, because of my poor health:  I have been too giddy for field work.  

Hopefully, the next few weeks will allow me to do some local tests from home.

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

At Anglesey Abbey - NOT amateur radio

This was me yesterday at Anglesey Abbey. They have erected a Christmas wreath in front of the house that is owned by the National Trust. 

The gardens are open, but not the house at present.

Bottle Boys Christmas - NOT amateur radio

 A friend recently sent me a Bottle Boys video. I later found them on YouTube. Never heard of them before.

6m FT8 QRP

It is now 0940z. For about an hour I have been on 6m FT8 QRP with 2.5W and the V2000 vertical omni. No stations yet spotted on RX. My own QRP has been spotted again by G0PQO (50km) on 6m FT8 TX.

UPDATE 1020z:  G4FKA (207km) spotted on RX.

UPDATE 1125z:  F6HGB (985km) spotted. This could be Es.

UPDATE 1211z:  3 stations spotted so far on 6m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1852z:  In the end 2 G stations spotted me. QRT soon.

South Hams - NOT amateur radio

Pretty sure this photo has been on before. It shows where I come from in South Devon. 

Sunspots - Wednesday December 16th 2020

Solar flux is 83 and the SSN 25.  A=3 and K=1.

No 23cm in Finland?

According to a piece in Southgate News, amateurs in Finland lost the 23cm band (apart from temporary access by special permit) back in April. They are seeking alternative spectrum, possibly the 220-225MHz band that is allocated in the USA. The prime driver is amateur television.

The authorities are concerned about future interference with Galileo navigation satellites. It is a pity they could not have retained access to 23cms, perhaps with a much reduced ERP on a "non interference" basis. 

As far as I am aware there are no similar plans across Europe for 23cms. If the Finns get access to the 220MHz band, I think this would be the first in Region 1. 

Personally I would have tried for low band 1, possibly including the 8m band, say 40-45MHz. The bottom could be narrowband and the rest for DATV on a secondary basis. Even if they only allocated 2MHz, this would be useful in under-used spectrum.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/december/finland-radio-hams-ask-for-1240--1300-mhz-replacement.htm#.X9kP9miTLrc

6m FT8

At about 0930z, I went on 6m FT8. Although I briefly went on TX (2.5W and the V2000 vertical), I am mostly RX only. It would be great to spot anyone!

UPDATE 0950z:  Remarkably, G0PQO (50km) spotted my brief 6m FT8 CQ earlier. Nothing spotted on RX.

UPDATE 1332z: 1 G station spotted.

UPDATE 1845z: 3 G stations spotted. 

UPDATE 2052z: At 1915z I returned to QRP TX. Nobody has spotted me this evening.

6m E layer super DX

The blog of John EI7GL reports on some astounding DX on 50MHz (6m). Although reported as multi-hop Es, I have my doubts. This is like the super DX seen every June between Europe and the Far East. 

My theory is this is E layer propagation but, importantly, not sporadic E. In my view, at least some of these very long paths are the result of some sort of chordal hop E layer propagation. The EU to Far East June 6m openings are at the time when mesospheric clouds are often seen. I wonder if this was the same in the southern hemisphere? Any thoughts?

See https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/2020/12/remarkable-13000-km-opening-on-6-metres.html

Winter, late afternoon - NOT amateur radio

 

This delightful photo was taken by our sons a few days ago. It shows the setting sun and one of our granddaughters.

Sunspots - December 15th 2020

Solar flux is 83 and the SSN 25. A=3 and K=0. 

2m FT8 QRP (Monday)

At about 1910z, I QSYed to 2m FT8 using 2.5W and the big-wheel omni antenna. So far this evening just 1 spot of me and nobody yet on RX and no QSOs.

Marconi

You can almost imagine him thinking, "if only someone invented a microprocessor or an SDR receiver". 

Calendars - NOT amateur radio

Every year about now we make calendars for the next year.  These are examples. 

Amateur cartoon

Steve G1KQH shared this. Not sure where it originated. 

15m FT8 RX

At about 0810z, I turned on the 15m FT8 RX system with the FT817ND and the tiny indoor loop antenna. It is now 0836z and 11 stations spotted so far.

UPDATE 1104z:  181 stations spotted with the furthermost UN7GBX (5566km) in Kazakhstan.

UPDATE 1527z:  229 spots today so far on 15m FT8 RX. 

UPDATE 1603z:  234 stations spotted today so far on 15m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1855z:  247 stations spotted. QRT soon.

80m FT8 overnight

 With 967 stations spotted overnight on 80m FT8 RX, it was quite rewarding on the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. Best DX spotted was NR5R (8276km) near the Mexican border in Texas, usa.

Homemade mince pies and Christmas cake - NOT amateur radio

 t

Every year, my wife makes homemade mince pies and Christmas cake at this time of year. The mince pies don't last long! 

Although I am biased, the mince pies are far better than shop ones. The secret is making the pastry as thin as possible.

Sunspots - Monday December 14th 2020

 Solar flux is 81 and the SSN 14.  A=4 and K=0.

80m FT8 RX

For a total change, I am on 80m FT8 RX with the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. So far this evening, 71 stations across Europe have been spotted.

UPDATE 2038z: 231 stations spotted. Apart from 2 in North Africa, all are in Europe, I think.  I shall leave the RX on overnight to see what is spotted.