Dramatic scene - NOT amateur radio

 

This photo was posted on 365project a few weeks ago by a friend. It shows a village in the Shetland Isles.

Picket line - NOT amateur radio

It seems like many in the UK are after a pay rise to help pay the high prices we have at the moment. This was a picket line for Cambridge lecturers who have not had a decent pay rise in a long time. I do not know the answer, but the gap between rich and poor is too great and getting greater. This is not healthy.  

Whilst, I think some people need decent pay rises, there is a danger their public support will wane.

2m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

As the fog is descending and conditions might be "up", I have decided to switch from 8m FT8 to 2m FT8 with the antenna my 2m big-wheel omni. 

So far, 11 stations have spotted me at 1648z with the furthermost G7RAU (461km) in Cornwall. 

Still using 2.5W FT8 to the omni antenna.

UPDATE 1914z: 14 stations have spotted my 2.5W with the furthermost F5EGD (472km). 17 stations spotted on RX so far. 

UPDATE 2210z: 17 stations have spotted my 2.5W FT8 and I have spotted 27 here. A very useful (local) tool is the 2m FT8 grabber at http://g0lrd.vs.mythic-beasts.com/cap/ . This allows me to see if I am getting out and if the signal is clean. David's grabber is about 25km from me. The stations that spotted me at 2108z are shown on the map.

RSGB 8m letter

This was sent to the RSGB's General Manager yesterday, with a request to forward it to the VHF manager. I am awaiting a reply. Any reply will be posted here. 

I thought just 5 kHz was the minimum. I hope OFCOM sees fit to allocate far more. Mind you, exactly what is our hobby about?  Discussing gardens with commercial gear on 80m? 😁😩

As someone who really wants to see self-training and radio science progress, I feel deeply that the RSGB and OFCOM are miles off target on this!!

Please contact the RSGB with your views.

"Dear Sir/Madam

Please would you clarify the position of the RSGB on a possible amateur band at 8m?  

It would appear both the RSGB and OFCOM are against this. Instead, true experimenters (like me) keen on self training have had to apply for, and pay £50 annually, to be able to do this.

As a retired senior manager in the communications industry, I am only too aware of the shortage in the UK of decent RF engineers, so I would have expected both the RSGB and OFCOM to support this.

The oft used phrase is "not more of the same".

These are my proposals:

• 40.680-40.685 MHz (just 5 kHz wide band)
• narrow digital modes only (no speech)
• available by NoV only
• power restricted
• strictly non interference
• secondary allocation.

If the RSGB actively supported this, it would certainly advance radio science and self training, in a way that discussing allotments on 80m with commercial gear cannot. Not only that, OFCOM has released 2000 kHz of VHF spectrum for amateur DATV experiments, which is great. This 8m band would be just 5 kHz wide for serious research and self training, which is what our hobby is surely about. 

With no commercial gear available except by modification and with no speech, only true experimenters are likely to apply for 8m NoVs.

With 2.5W and a low wire dipole I have reached 3 continents and 16 countries on 8m FT8 with my 8m T&I permit. It would be good to have a tiny amateur band at 8m to advance self training and radio science.

Your response is eagerly awaited. This would most definitely NOT be "more of the same". 8m is at the very boundary where HF meets VHF and is therefore ripe for research.

73s

Roger Lapthorn G3XBM"

Updated solar data

At the start of the month Solan updates its data on solar conditions. The latest update was this morning. It still shows the latest solar cycle peaking late next year. This is very early.

Personally, I find this data very interesting.

See https://www.solen.info/solar/ .

8m 2.5W FT8 (Thursday)

Since breakfast, I have been on 8m QRP FT8 on 40.680 MHz, but with no spots.

UPDATE 1405z:   No spots. Soon to go QRT on 8m.

10m 500mW WSPR TX

Since breakfast time I have been on 10m QRP WSPR TX with the W5OLF beacon. So far, just the usual spots from the Canary Isles.

UPDATE 1220z:  3 unique stations spotting me so far today: EA8 and LZ.

UPDATE 1609z:  14 unique stations have spotted my 500mW 10m WSPR today (see table).

Sunspots - Thursday December 1st 2022

 Solar flux is 111 and the SSN just 12.  A=24 and K=4.

Are we a nanny state? -- NOT amateur radio

Recently a Buckingham Palace official repeatedly asked someone who had black skin where she was originally from. Apparently she (stupidly) asked her many times. This was totally wrong and she should have known better.

What is at the heart of this is, "is the royal family institutionally racist?".  From this incident it is hard to know. One thing is certain. This official was very wrong and did the royal family no favours at all. 

What I question is whether or not we overreact generally.

In my view, racism has no place. Whether you are black, white, grey or green, or gay, lesbian, transgender absolutely matters not at all. What matters is are the people happy?

Years ago, a friend at work went on holiday as a man. Several weeks later she came back as a women. What was the reaction? Nothing!  People were more concerned about her happiness and was she able to do her work OK. In my view this is the only thing that matters - is the person happy?

There is a danger that we take things too seriously, but we have to treat everyone with respect. If the royal family does not get this, they are in real danger.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-63810468 .

Cambridge Market - NOT amateur radio

Right in the middle of Cambridge is a very good market. Sadly, there are now fewer stalls, but it is still a good place to find bargains, 

8m FT8 (Wednesday)

 At the moment, I am on QRP on 40.680 MHz FT8. No spots. It is now 1019z.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Wednesday)

 It is now 1015z. A few minutes ago I turned on my W5OLF 500mW beacon. No spots yet.

UPDATE 1528z:  8 unique stations have spotted me today (see table).

Sunspots - Wednesday November 30th 2022

 Solar flux is 108 and the SSN 25. A=25 and K=2.

Singing reindeer - NOT amateur radio

This is in the Grand Arcade in Cambridge. I am sure the children will love it.

Cosmology Lectures - NOT amateur radio

Most of this autumn I have been going to U3A lectures in Cambridge on cosmology. One of the advantages in Cambridge is we are surrounded by very learned people. On this course, there are many people who worked in the university.

One member of the audience had a Cambridge University professor as a friend. When he said he was attending a course on cosmology he retorted, "ah metaphysics".  Perhaps he is right!

10m QRP WSPR TX (Tuesday)

At the moment I am again on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW since about 1210z. No spots. I suspect something is wrong with my beacon. I shall have to try 10m WSPR with a different rig to confirm this. I think there is power and time sync is good.

UPDATE 1220z: Spotted by EA8BFK (2880km), so perhaps all is well after all!

UPDATE 1227z:   2 stations have spotted me in the Canary Isles already. I wonder if I was being clobbered by CQWW CW stations over the weekend?

UPDATE 1406z: Spotted by 3 unique stations. Furthermost is TA4/G8SCU (3010km).

UPDATE 1812z: 4 unique stations have spotted me with the furthermost WD4ELG (6287km). Now QRT.

8m FT8 QRP (Tuesday)

Since about 1200z I have been on 8m FT8 QRP (TX first and RX) on 40.680 MHz. No spots.

UPDATE 1811z:   No spots all day. Now QRT.

Sunspots - Tuesday November 29th 2022

Solar flux is 107 and the SSN 52. A=24 and K=3.

Daffodils in November 2015!

 

This was on this date in 2015 at nearby Anglesey Abbey. 

10m FT8 RX

 On all morning until 1130z. 

8m FT8 QRP TX and RX

Been on 8m FT8 QRP since 1130z on 40.680 MHz. 

UPDATE 1706z:  Now QRT. No spots at all!!

Plans for the day (Monday)

The current plan is to go on 10m FT8 initially and swap to 8m FT8 if conditions look promising. 

With the grandson NOT amateur radio

This was me with one of our grandchildren yesterday. I am the handsome one!! 😁😉

Sunspots - Monday November 28th 2022

Solar flux is 107 and the SSN 56. A=15 and K=5.

Black Friday "deals" - NOT amateur radio

Perhaps I am odd, but I am very distrustful of Black Friday deals. 

This started in the USA I believe as a way of getting us to spend over a longer period. 

OK there are some good deals to be had, but this is really another way to get us to part with our money. As soon as I see the words "Black Friday" like the latest email from a major UK retailer, I delete it. 

10m QRP transceiver

It is hard to think this is 10 years old! It seems like only yesterday. Maybe you can get some ideas from it. It was called the "Lesser Chirpy" as the original version chirped badly.

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

Birthday lunch - NOT amateur radio

As my wife had her birthday last week, we ate lunch out with our son, who lives locally, at the Cote Brasserie in Cambridge. The photo shows my wife's desert. The candle was a total surprise to us all and a nice touch.

See https://www.cote.co.uk/restaurant/cambridge/ .

8m FT8 QRP (Sunday)

 Although I have been in for about 40 minutes at 1420z, no spots.

UPDATE 1806z:  No spots. QRT.

Internet Archive

If you have not come across this before it is worth a look. The idea is to archive webpages, magazines and books, often well after the actual pages have long gone from the internet. Using this some time ago, I was able to see one of my long gone websites from the 1990s!

Today I uploaded my Issue 2 G3XBM Project Scrapbook. Really I want to add this to the Digital Library of Amateur Radio & Communications. Once I find out how, I shall do this, so it is there long after I am pushing up daisies! 

For now, search texts for G3XBM should bring it up.

See https://archive.org/ .

UPDATE 2019z:  Both Issues 1 and 2 of my G3XBM Project Scrapbook are now on the Digital Library of Amateur Radio ad Communications. Searching for G3XBM should find it. My earliest website on the Wayback Machine seems to be in 1996 http: /www.lapr.demon.co.uk. If you search for this URL on the Wayback Macine you should find some captures. This was a very long time ago!!

Thoughts on infinity - NOT amateur radio

We live in a universe that is huge. Some think there may be a number of universes.

Just for a moment ponder these thoughts:

• What if there is an infinite number of universes? 
• What if everything actually happened?  What I mean is that you decided to go on a certain path in life, but there were other choices you could have taken,
• What if in reality all choices made really were made? What I mean is did all paths really get followed, but we are only aware of one?
• What if time is totally an illusion? Maybe we think of us on a path from past into the future, but perhaps every experience is really "now".

We do not have the answers, but we know that we can know so very little. I have the feeling reality is quite different from what we think today.

We find infinities hard to accept.

10m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

Stations spotted to 1008z

At the moment, I am on 10m FT8 with 5W. It is now 0950z and I have been on for about 5 minutes. So far,  16 stations have spotted me and I have spotted 29 stations.

UPDATE 1012z: So far today, 89 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX.

Sunspots - Sunday November 27th 2022

Solar flux is 107 and the SSN 60. A=16 and K=3.

May I operate 8m beacons legally in the UK without a licence?

Since receiving an email from OFCOM in the UK, I have reread the essential requirements shown in https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2017/1206/pdfs/uksi_20171206_en.pdf written in 2017. 

"Nothing in these Regulations prevents the putting into service and use of radio equipment in the United Kingdom which is in conformity with these Regulations when the radio equipment is properly installed, maintained and used for its intended purpose."

Although if anyone intends to put a product on the market later, there are some onerous requirements including on record keeping, I can see nothing that prevents beacon operation at 10mW ERP without a licence in the UK as long as the essential requirements in the above document and interface requirement IR 2030 are met.   Now, I am no legal expert, but if it is there at all, I can personally see nothing at all that prevents us in the UK using the 8m ISM band without a licence at 10mW ERP for beacons.   Clearly with QRPP beacons we have no intention of putting a product on the market later.

My own personal view is I very much doubt OFCOM really cares!!

As always, I stand to be corrected.

CQWW CW contest

This weekend is the CW leg of the CQWW contest. This is all weekend and we can expect the HF bands to be very busy.

10m 500mW WSPR TX (Saturday)

Something is wrong. I got no spots yesterday and none today so far on 10m WSPR TX. I checked timing sync and there is power out. Something is amiss.

8m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

 At the moment I am on 40.680 MHz QRP FT8 with 2.5W.  No spots on TX or RX.

472 kHz RX last evening

Once again I was on 472 kHz WSPR RX last evening using the coax to my 2m big-wheel via a ferrite rod ATU as the antenna. 5 unique stations spotted including Norway and Germany. 

Sunny day - NOT amateur radio

This photo  of the windmill next door was taken in 2016 on a November day much like yesterday when the sun was shining. 

Sunspots - Saturday November 26th 2022

Solar flux is 109 and the SSN 55. A=20 and K=3.

UK fuel prices - NOT amateur radio

In the last month the exchange rate of the UK pound against the USA dollar has improved by about 10%. The wholesale price of a barrel of oil has fallen by about 10%. 

This should mean the proportion of the price of fuel due to barrel prices (excluding tax, delivery etc.) should have improved by about 20% resulting in a drop in fuel prices at garages.

What has happened in the real world? Prices have hardly changed.