Afghanistan - NOT amateur radio

In the end, I hope the political situation there settles down and everyone is treated respectfully. 

For almost 200 years external forces have tried to "sort the country out".  In the short-term this may have appeared to work. In the long term it has not.

Personally, I am very conflicted: I find the apparent treatment of women and gay people as poor by our standards. However, after almost 200 years and billions of pounds I think we should leave them to it.

I think the evacuation of those wanting to leave is shambolic and could have be done so much better.

Swifts on the move - NOT amateur radio

Swifts are a common sight in the UK skies in spring and early summer. They are often heard screaming in feeding parties on the wing before being seen.

It is some days since I last saw any. I think they are migrating south. The odd straggler may be about, but most will be gone from the UK until next spring.

See https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/swift/ .

10m FT8 QRP (Monday)

Shortly, I shall go on 10m FT8.  Usually I TX at 2.5W for a few minutes and then go RX only for much of the day. Even as the Es season is winding down, I am still copying many stations. 

10m FT8 is ideal as it works with weak, fleeting, signals. Even stations coming through for just 12-15 seconds can be spotted. Although I have not tried it, FT4, although less sensitive, needs just half the time. 

There must be several times when the MUF just peaks at far higher than average.

UPDATE 1040z:  After a very brief period on 2.5W TX (spotted by 4 in Europe and one "near miss" QSO) I am now 10m FT8 RX only. 22 stations spotted, all in Europe by what seems to be Es.

UPDATE 1544z:  30 stations spotted today so far. All EU.

10FT8R

This DSB 10m FT8 RX was in a recent RadCom and is on the g3xbm.co.uk website. It's a very simple circuit but works well and frees up the "big rig". 

Sunspots - Monday August 23rd 2021

 Solar flux is 77 and the SSN 16. A=3 and K=0.

2m FT8 QRP (Sunday)

 After a brief QRP TX period (2.5W, 8 spots of me, but no QSOs), I am now RX only.  So far, 3 stations spotted.

UPDATE 2104z:  QRT shortly. So far this evening 22 stations have been spotted on 2m FT8 RX. See map.

Bells back - NOT amateur radio

We have had a strange year and it was so good to hear the bells ringing out again this morning at our local church. We are still some way from the "new normal", but this is a step on the way. My grandson made this video.

6m - "the magic band"

If you wonder why they call this "the magic band" take a look at this. This is the Australian winter yet still signals were spotted in Europe on 6m!! Remember this is still close to sunspot minimum and this is a VHF band! Most springs and summers very modestly equipped stations can work 1500km or so. 

Doctor's comment - NOT amateur radio

Some years ago (after my 2013 stroke) my doctor said to me, "is it all too much?".  I replied, "of course not". I guess he asks this quite often of old people. 

I guess if I had replied, "yes, it is all too much" he would have interpreted my answer as looking to palliative care rather than seeking a cure in the event of serious illness. Many years later, I get tired easily. Life is more of a struggle. 

If he asked me now though, I would still give the same answer. I guess as you get older you have to adapt and accept that some things you once could do you cannot.

Transatlantic super DX on 2m

John EI7GL reports on some amazing DX on 2m across the Atlantic from the Canary Is to the Caribbean.  Yet again, FT8 was mainly used although there was some SSB too.

See https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/2021/08/day-2-of-trans-atlantic-opening-on-144.html .

Dahlias - NOT amateur radio

Our neighbour always grows some spectacular dahlias in his front garden. This year is no exception. 

Covid-19 facts - NOT amateur radio

There is a lot of rubbish and misinformation about this out there. Ignore it!!!

Some time ago I was pointed to the talks (usually updated daily) by Dr John Campbell. His videos are usually between 20-30 minutes long. He works with published facts and always shows the original source. I often look at these. He is frequently interviewed internationally. His YouTube channel has over a million subscribers. The video below came out yesterday.

Another good source of accurate data is the ZOE app and the weekly updates by Professor Tim Spector.

Above all, get vaccinated. 

You are far safer with 2 doses than with no vaccines. The vaccines work, are safe and help protect you and others. It is quick and painless. Do it, please.

Liverpool skyline - NOT amateur radio

We have just got back from a few days with our best man who lives on the Wirral near Liverpool. This is a photo showing the Liverpool skyline from Birkenhead. We had a good time. 

10m FT8 and thunder

We were supposed to have thunderstorms here, so I avoided connecting things. It looks like the storms are further east, so I shall go on 10m FT8 shortly. 

UPDATE 0817z:  Earlier I was briefly on TX with 2.5W for a few minutes. Nobody spotted me and no QSOs. On 10m FT8 RX 2 stations spotted so far, by what seems to be Es.

UPDATE 1445z:  36 stations spotted and 1 UW5 /MM station worked.

UPDATE 1638z: Now 40 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX including 1 in South America.

Soar Mill Cove - NOT amateur radio

This is where I come from in South Devon. It is on a walk from Hope Cove to Salcombe and is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Mind you I am biased! 

Sunspots - Sunday August 22nd 2021

 Solar flux is 77 and the SSN 25.  A=3 and K=1. 

History of SSB

Southgate News has a piece on the history of SSB.

See Southgatearc.org/news/2021/august/the-history-of-single-sideband.htm#.YSEdbfLYrrc  .

Retreat from Kabul 1842 - NOT amateur radio

Apparently we retreated from Kabul in 1842 as the photo of the picture shows. We never learn from history.

Note the date!!!

See www.historic-uk.com  . 

10m Tenbox QRP transceiver

Because of my poor health, progress on this project stopped. It would make an ideal winter project. It is designed as a local natter box, ideal for local nets. It is not intended for DX.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/10m-am-tenbox  .

10m FT8 RX

Now I am back home, I am on 10m FT8 RX again. 64 stations spotted with the furthermost 4Z5LX (3633km) in Israel.

UPDATE 1314z:  181 stations spotted today on 10m FT8 RX including 2 in Newfoundland, probably Es.

UPDATE 1955z:  QRT soon. In all, 237 stations spotted today on 10m FT8 RX (see map).

UPDATE 2008z:  Now QRT with 240 stations spotted today including LU1HW (11230km) in Corduba, Argentina.  He was very strong, but too late to be shown on the map. This was the best DX today. When I went QRT there were still South Americans coming in.

Rally and BATC ATV Convention

In the last few days I have been reminded of the following:

• On this Saturday August 21st is the BATV Convention. You may recall the date has changed. One person missing will be Ian G3KKD who died earlier this year.  He was a keen ATV man.
• On Sunday August 22nd is the Grand Field Day Out at Willesborough  Windmill, near ashford in Kent. 

As usual, I'd made sure these are on before setting out.

Sunspots - Saturday August 21st 2021

 Solar flux is 78 and the SSN 14.  A=5 and K=0.

10m FT8 QRP (Friday)

 As you may have gathered, I was away for a few days. 

As soon I got home I turned on 10m FT8 TX with 2.5W and had a QSO with an OK station. In all, I was spotted by 6 stations on TX and have spotted 25 stations on RX.

UPDATE 2125z:  32 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX.  QRT soon.

UPDATE 2225z :  QRT. Still Es coming in. Ex

6m Sixbox

Some years ago I had a need for a simple local natter box for 6m so the Sixbox was born. This was not designed as a DX rig but just for local chatting. You may get some ideas from it. It is on my www.g3xbm.co.uk website. 

Well, it made me laugh - NOT amateur radio

 

This cartoon appeared on Facebook yesterday. 

It first appeared some time ago. 

Blackberry picking - NOT amateur radio

The photo shows me blackberry picking last summer. There are blackberries here this year but fewer as we had a frosty spring and wet summer. 

Sunspots - Friday August 20th 2021

 Solar flux is 75 and the SSN 25. A=4 and K=0. 

Chester Clock

This clock in Chester is reported to be the second most photographed clock in England after Big Ben . 

ICOM IC-703

Before foolishly selling this to a friend, I owned this QRP radio some years ago. It had a very good internal auto ATU and ran 10W SSB. 

It is on my www.g3xbm.co.uk website. If you see one on the second hand market I can recommend it as a good QRP radio. 

Where I come from - NOT amateur radio

As regular blog readers will know, I originally came from South Devon. The photo shows where I come from. It shows the Kingsbridge Estuary. 

Sunspots - Thursday August 19th 2021

 Solar flux is 75 and the SSN 16.  A=6 and K=0. 

Repeaters quiet

As I am away from home for a few days, I was taking a peak at repeaters via Echolink. 

What amazes me is just how quiet repeaters are these days. After trying several around the world, I gave up. 

Family history - NOT amateur radio

The photo shows the place where my ancestors lived the year after my father was born. 

However, we can trace our family history without break to the mid 1500s in this Devon village. In all probability my ancestors lived here thousands of years ago too. 

Mizuho MX2

 This is a 2m SSB handheld that I have owned for years. I am pretty sure you can no longer buy them new. There are more details on a my main www.g3xbm.co.uk web page. 

Bird table - NOT amateur radio

These days most birds here are the larger ones, but we occasionally see smaller ones like these long tailed tits. They usually flit from tree to tree in flocks. They are often heard before being seen. 

Sunspots - Wednesday August 18th 2021

Solar flux is 73 and the SSN 13. A=5 and K=2. 

DST100 RX

My first commercial RX was a DST100 receiver that I think was an ex WW2 tank receiver by Murphy. It cost my dad £7 from a local garage. It was built like a tank and was VERY heavy!! At first it was deaf but G3CHN gave it a service and it came back sensitive. It served me well for several years when I was a teenager. It was so heavy that it took two people to lift it. There are more details on my www.g3xbm.co.uk website. 

What a view! - NOT amateur radio

My grandson went up to the very top of the Anglican Cathedral in Liverpool today. The view from the top is spectacular. The photo shows the Catholic Cathedral at the far end of Hope Street. 

Grandson - NOT amateur radio

 

A photo of our elder grandson yesterday. 

VLF Earth-mode

 Amateur VLF is different. As antennas for TX are usually large and powers high to get a signal radiated, very stable and long signals are needed that are often integrated over hours or days in very narrow bandwidths. For RX only tiny E-field probe antennas can be very effective. 

On my website www.g3xbm.co.uk you will find links to my earth-mode blog which gives details of my experiments below 10kHz with 5W and simple gear up to 6km. Big antennas are NOT needed for this. Signals are visible on a PC screen in seconds.  This is a very accessible way of getting on amateur VLF.