2016

This photo was taken in 2016 and shows my wife and my brother outside a local cottage. 

Plans for Monday

My current plan is to go on 8m QRP (2.5W) FT8 on 40.680 MHz and 10m WSPR TX with my 500mW beacon. I shall probably turn things on about 1120z. Usually, my regular 10m WSPR spots are from the Canary Isles.

Dutch breakfast - NOT amateur radio

This was my breakfast in Amsterdam back in September. It was about half the price of breakfast in the hotel. 

We thought it was worth walking 300m.

Devon walk - NOT amateur radio

Back in the summer I walked from my brother's house to Salcombe, about 3 miles. It was along what is known as "the old coach road". Perhaps it was the road taken by coaches a long time ago.

G3XBM on the DLARC

It is pleasing that my PDF book is accessible from the digital library of amateur radio and communication documents available via the Wayback Machine. My video channel is also available there although I don't know about my main website.

See https://archive.org/details/dlarc .

How simple can a rig be?

This was a challenge I wanted to have a go at. This is probably one of the simplest transceivers one can make. My inspiration came from a 40m rig by W2UW who is now sadly a silent key. My wish was to make it even simpler. My main issue was netting. The RX worked well. This appeared in GQRP SPRAT, although I cannot remember when.

There is a video on the website.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/80m-feter-transceiver .

DMR and network radios

Many people have no DMR radios, but have Android phones. This was the case with me. I had a network radio that was hardly used.  I found an app called Droidstar that enabled me to access the DMR network and thus worldwide contacts with a handheld. It has not been used often, but at least I can use DMR if I want to. I have found it more interesting just to listen.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/other-amateur-radio/network-radio . 

Sunspots - Monday December 5th 2022

Solar flux is 144 and the SSN 93. A=16 and K=2.

Birthday - NOT amateur radio

 

About 10 days ago was my wife's birthday.  These were some of her cards.

17m FT8 RX (Sunday)

Without changing from the 8m dipole, I have swapped to 17m FT8 RX. Within a few minutes 39 stations were spotted as shown on the map.

UPDATE 2000z:  So far on 17m FT8 RX this afternoon 159 stations spotted. QRT very soon.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Sunday)

For the last several hours, I have been on 10m WSPR TX with my 500mW W5OLF 10m WSPR beacon. So far today, 7 stations have spotted me.

These follows a distinct pattern.  Early, I usually get spotted in the Canaries with the USA and Canada in the early afternoon. Just occasionally there are others. The impression i get is that many have moved over to FT8 instead of WSPR.

UPDATE 1705z:  11 unique stations have spotted me today,

8m FT8 QRP (Sunday)

 Although I have been on 8m most of the morning, no spots although in the last few days I have been spotted by EI9KP (649km) and G4FFC (47km).

UPDATE 1707z:   No spots all day.

Card tricks - NOT amateur radio

This was one of our grandchildren doing card tricks last night. She baffled me and would not tell me how she did it. 

Sunspots - Sunday December 4th 2022

 Solar flux is 134 and SSN 68.  A=10 and K=2.

220 MHz band

As far as I know, we have never had the 220 MHz amateur band this side of the Atlantic. Maybe we did before WW2. Perhaps someone can tell me.

Every week I get Amateur Radio Weekly in my email and this mentioned that this allocation is little used outside of the big US cities. If other VHF allocations are anything to go by, I am not surprised. 2m and 70cm are generally quiet here.

At one time handhelds were made for this band. I guess there are few nowadays if not many get sold.

I can imagine this could be an interesting band if activity was high. Frequently on 70cm tropo is better than 2m. At a time when activity was higher, it was not uncommon to have frequent, very localised tropo openings. With 4W and an old TV antenna, it was possible to work FM DX on 70cms quite often.

See https://www.onallbands.com/222-mhz-is-anybody-there/ .

See https://hamweekly.com/ .

MF transverter

This photo from 2012 was found earlier. I cannot remember if this was the original 500 kHz transverter or the one for I did for 472 kHz. The 472 kHz one has been used most autumns and winters with my earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground on WSPR. Even though the ERP is very low, it is regularly gets spotted in Norway. The transverter produces 10W, but the ERP is about 10mW. 

Salcombe harbour, Devon - NOT amateur radio

This photo of Salcombe was taken yesterday I think .  As an earlier post today indicated, this was where I spent my childhood. 

On our primary school classroom ceiling, we could see the reflection of sunshine on the water reflecting on the ceiling. Funny how I can remember this and seeing the harbour from the playground. We just took it all for granted, not appreciating how lucky we were.  

Just 10 years before some of the landing craft in the Normandy landings of WW2 went from here. It must have been so different then.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Saturday)

For about an hour, I have been on 10m QRP TX running 500mW from my W5OLF beacon. So far, 3 unique stations have spotted me. It is now 1205z.

8m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

It is now 1120z. I have been on 8m QRP FT8 on 40.680 MHz for about 20 minutes. So far,  1 spot on TX by G4FFC (47km), On RX, no spots. On 8m FT8 I Use 2.5W and a low wire dipole.

UPDATE 1502z:  Nothing back from the RSGB about my email suggesting a 5 kHz wide 8m amateur band, narrow digital only. Am I surprised? Not really. No further stations spotting me today and I have spotted nobody.

UPDATE 1518z: In the UK my understanding is we can use equipment without a certificate of conformity or type approval at 8m as long as it meets the technical requirement and the interface requirements as detailed in IR 2030. This is because we have no intention of putting anything on the market.  This means 10mW ERP and we are responsible for compliance. From my own tests and tests by M0NYW, 10mW ERP certainly covers the local area with WSPR and might well work on FT8 over some paths, especially with proper 8m antennas at both ends. My own tests were with a low wire 8m dipole, whereas most locals receiving me were using a variety of (non 8m) antennas. In better Es openings I would expect 10mW ERP to reach Europe. This means many more UK stations could legally operate 8m WSPR beacons.

Salcombe 1960s? - NOT amateur radio

Salcombe is where I lived as a young child. This photo probably dates from the early 1960s or even late 1950s. It shows the waterfront in Salcombe. 

Plans for the day (Saturday)

 Later, I expect to be on 8m QRP FT8 and 10m QRP WSPR TX.

Sunspots - Saturday December 3rd 2022

 Solar flux  is 124 and the SSN 66.  A=16 and K=2.

OFCOM Updates

Every week, OFCOM updates the figures it holds on us and publishes these. Check the OFCOM website for their latest figures.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Friday)

 Nearly forgot again that when I am on 8m FT8, I can also go on 10m QRP WSPR with my stand-alone W5OLF beacon. The beacon was turned on at about 1130z. At 1305z, my 500mW beacon had been spotted by 7 unique stations.

This little beacon has given me good service for many years.

8m QRP FT8 (Friday)

 At about 1130z I turned on my 2.5W QRP 8m FT8 (TX first and RX) on 40.680 MHz.  At 1257z, no spots.

Plans for today (Friday)

After shopping in a minute I think I shall immediately go on 8m QRP FT8 on 40.680 MHz. This will be around 1100z.

So far this autumn my 2.5W has only made it to the USA once on 8m. 

23cm update

As regular blog readers will know, I now have a 2W 23cm transverter. I have yet to use it as I have been busy with other things. I still have to get some leads. My plan is to do some tests locally with the supplied test antenna and do some portable operating with a better antenna in the activity contests next year. So, if you are local, stand by!! 

Sunspots - Friday December 2nd 2022

Solar flux is 119 and the SSN 49. A=28 and K=3.

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).