As the Hepburn tropo forecast looks poor, I have decided not to go on 70cm FT8 this evening. I may try 160m FT8 instead.
20 Jan 2022
Punts - NOT amateur radio
Cambridge UK is famous for its colleges and punts on the R.Cam. The photo shows a punt outside King's College. The world famous King's College Chapel is about 200m away.
10m FT8 grabber
If you want to see the stations being copied here try this link. If your browser stops embedded pages try the link given instead.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/10m-ft8-grabber .
Or try https://pskreporter.info/pskmap.html?preset&callsign=g3xbm&txrx=rx&band=27999999-31000000&timerange=86400&mapCenter=16.191222112538867,36.66666666666666,2.925736525647676 which should be the direct permalink.
Just occasionally, the grabber may be looking at something else, although mostly it will be on 10m FT8.
More Bronze Age finds - NOT amateur radio
The fact that people were living in communities just 300m from us 3000 years ago is pretty humbling.
10m FT8 QRP (Thursday)
From 0945z, I have been on 10m FT8 . So far, 6 stations spotted.
UPDATE 1430z: 73 stations spotted so far with the furthermost ZS6AF (9156km).
UPDATE 1628z: 76 stations spotted today.
3000 years old pin - NOT amateur radio
This pin is 3000 years old. It was on an extensive Bronze Age settlement.
Oscar 100 activity
Every few weeks I look at the webSDR at Goonhilly in Cornwall to judge activity on the narrowband transponder of this geosynchronous satellite. The last look was at 1845z on January 19th.
Compared with the last time I looked it seems busier, but it is still very quiet. At this time, in a European evening, I would expect activity to be highest.
19 Jan 2022
70cm FT8 QRP (Wednesday)
At about 1830z, I went on 70cm FT8 with 2.5W and the V2000 vertical. So far (at 1837z) no spots given or received.
UPDATE 2244z: No spots at all. Hopeless. QRT.
70cm FT8 yesterday - disappointing
As the tropo forecast looked promising yesterday, I went on 70cm FT8 QRP. It was a great disappointment with only G stations spotted. With average conditions, I'm probably many dBs down on a "proper" 70cm station with the correct polarisation, a decent beam and decent coax, so I probably miss a lot on tropo but less on scatter. I may try again later.
18 Jan 2022
G4PJ's QTH
No wonder I could copy his 160m AM signals 4 miles away on a crystal set!
That 8m NoV application to OFCOM
It is now over a week since I asked OFCOM for a progress update. What have I heard? Apart from those computer generated auto-responses saying my question has been received, absolutely nothing!! I get the distinct impression they are either (a) totally incompetent, or (b) they have lost it and are too embarrassed to say. Another week and then they get phone calls.
I am puzzled why a totally genuine request for a time limited, low power NoV requiring 50Hz of spectrum is so hard. This at a time when they can doll out 2MHz of VHF spectrum for DATV research beggars belief! My original NoV went in in October.
10m QRP WSPR (Tuesday)
As the antenna is available, I am again on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW from the W5OLF beacon. So far (at 0923z) just spots from G4KPX (14km).
UPDATE 1705z: 7 stations have spotted me today. QRT soon.
Best ever QSO?
Way back in 2007, I achieved what I had thought impossible - a real QRP 6m QSO across the Atlantic. The antenna at the far end must have helped, but Lofty must have had good ears! My antenna? Just the V2000 vertical omni fed with CB coax. My power? 1W ERP.
70cm QRP FT8 (Tuesday)
After breakfast I hope to be on 70cm FT8 QRP with 2.5W and the V2000 vertical omni antenna. Activity and conditions may not be good until this evening. Nonetheless it will be interesting to keep eyes and ears open. It may also indicate what I can expect all the time with scatter.
UPDATE 0924z: No spots on RX so far. I have not tried TX. The gear was turned on at 0824z.
UPDATE 1244z: Just a single 70cm FT8 spot so far today M7RSG (88km).
UPDATE 1416z: A brief TX period just now resulted in nobody spotting me. No further spots on RX.
UPDATE 1840z: At the moment, 70cm FT8 has been disappointing. 1 local G6KWA (22km) has been spotted and I have been spotted by G6OUA (63km). No DX, well yet anyway. According to the Hepburn Tropo Forecast, I was expecting better.
17 Jan 2022
Time's arrow - NOT amateur radio
Often, new discoveries in science are counter-intuitive and they do not sit comfortably with our experiences.
One of these is quantum mechanics, where everything can be described as a wave that exits in all space and all time. OK, the experience now is the most probable.
Time may be a bit like this. In our everyday experience, time flows from the past into the future. However, the future and the past may be always there. In the future we may find out that time is an illusion.
Think of Schrodinger's cat: we cannot know if it is alive or dead until we open the box. Various interpretations have been put forward.
All I am saying is time is a mystery and one day our understanding of it could be totally different.
OFCOM and aircraft licences
OFCOM is proposing some changes in the wording of aircraft licences. See the OFCOM website for more details. I guess this does not require thinking or an understanding of RF.
It would be good if they gave me an update on my 8m NoV application submitted in October! I chased last week many times, but after a week I have still heard absolutely nothing apart from their computer generated reply confirming receipt! Really, it is hard to be impressed. I think they have lost it and are too embarrassed to tell me.
10m QRP WSPR TX (Monday)
As my 10m antenna is available, I am on 10m WSPR TX using the W5OLF 500mW TX beacon. As of 1127z, I have been spotted by 3 stations with the furthermost EA8BFK (2880km) in the Canary Is..
UPDATE 1530z: Plenty of spots by G4KPX (14km), but no new stations in addition to those shown above.
70cm FT8 (Monday)
Although it probably won't be good before tonight, I shall be going on 70cm shortly. During the day I shall call CQ occasionally on FT8 with 2.5W and the V2000 vertical omni antenna.
UPDATE 1125z: A brief QRP TX session was spotted by nobody. On 70cm FT8 RX 2 stations (both Gs) have been spotted.
UPDATE 1342z: Although this could be tropo, I think scatter is more likely. GI6ATZ (479km) and a GW have been copied on 70cm FT8 RX with just the vertical omni antenna. My brief TX transmission just now was spotted by nobody. In all, 4 stations spotted on 70cm FT8 RX.
16 Jan 2022
St Ives (Cambs) - NOT amateur radio
As mentioned before, a nice bus ride from Cambridge is along the guided busway to St Ives.
Guided busways are a novel idea: in some parts of Cambridge buses run on ordinary roads. Then the bus runs on guided tracks with no other traffic using the path of a long closed railway.
The route is past lakes and takes about 20 minutes. On the guided part, the bus can go pretty fast and the driver can take his or her hands off the steering wheel. St Ives is an historic place on the banks of the river Great Ouse. The town is associated with Oliver Cromwell.
Tropo forecasts
Usually, I just randomly see if VHF/UHF conditions are "up". These days there are some forecasts which can give you a little warning of when conditions could be promising. One of these is the Hepburn Tropo Forecast.
From this, it looks like conditions could be promising in the UK on Tuesday to the east. I shall certainly try 70cm FT8 again on RX (and maybe QRP TX) on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Clicking on the map steps the forecast forwards 3 hours for the next few days. Further out, it appears to step forward every 6 hours.
Big brother is watching - NOT amateur radio
They must all work on algorithms, but it always seems creepy when all the emails I get from Amazon recommending new things always relate to past purchases: for example I bought an Airfix kit for a grandson, so I get recommended another. We celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary last year, so we get further 50th wedding anniversary stuff!
I don't mind, but I have never bought from these recommendations. My usual course is to delete these.
G3XBM history page updated
The G3XBM history page has recently been updated.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/other-amateur-radio/g3xbm-history .
6m FT8 (Sunday)
A brief period with 2.5W TX to the V2000 vertical omni resulted in no spots. On RX, at 1006z, just 2 spots so far with the furthermost EA4LO (1334km). This could be winter Es or perhaps aircraft reflection.
UPDATE 1105z: 8 spots on 6m FT8 RX. Many of these look like winter Es.
UPDATE 1444z: 18 stations spotted.
10m WSPR TX (Sunday)
My 500mW W5OLF beacon has been on for about 20 minutes (it is now 1004z). So far, 3 spots by EA8BFK (2880km).
UPDATE 1130z: 24 spots of my 500mW WSPR beacon by 2 stations in the Canary Is so far on 10m WSPR.
UPDATE 1445z: 3 unique stations spotted with the furthermost FY5KE (7110km).
160 years ago - NOT amateur radio
This is a plate from a book published in 1861. It shows Kingsbridge, Devon where I lived for part of my childhood.
70cm opening over for now?
In the last 12 hours only 3 Gs spotted on 70cm FT8 RX suggesting the opening is over for now. Looking at the weather forecast, it could yet be good again.
Later, I shall try 10m WSPR and 6m FT8.
15 Jan 2022
70cm FT8 QRP (Saturday)
Once again, I am on 70cm QRP FT8 with 2.5W and the V2000 vertical omni antenna. After a brief TX period with 3 spots of me with the furthermost G8VHI (127km), I am RX only. 3 stations have been spotted on RX with the furthermost, GI6ATZ (479km).
UPDATE 1805z: 9 stations spotted on RX including 2 in the Netherlands and 1 in N.Ireland. Some must be tropo, but I wonder if some are scatter?
10FT8R 10m FT8 RX
Back in the summer, the RSGB printed an article of mine on a very simple and low cost RX for 10m FT8 called the 10FT8R. It is also on my website.
Since then, I discovered a low cost source of 14.037MHz crystals, making the schematic even simpler as the inductor next to the crystal is not needed. With a PCB this would make a great club project in the years ahead in solar cycle 25.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/10ft8r-rx .
10m FT8 (Saturday)
When I QSYed from 70cm FT8, there were still stations on and the band was still "up".
UPDATE 1325z: 124 stations spotted on RX.
DXing with a twist
Although you are most likely to hear broadcast stations, you may also copy amateurs. These days it is harder as most speech is on SSB, so you can only copy the muffled sound of envelope detection, but I have copied AM amateurs on 160m. For envelope detection, you may need a "proper" RX to identify the signal.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/crystal-set-dxing .
Promise - NOT amateur radio
There are already promises of better weather to come as this picture from yesterday shows.
Jay at Anglesey Abbey - NOT amateur radio
70cm FT8 in the last day
In the last day I have stuck with FT8. In all, 43 stations spotted with the furthermost being F8DLE (735km).
Remember this is with a vertical omni antenna! It is also 70cm!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
