Sunspots - Sunday January 15th 2023

Solar flux is 228 and the SSN 170. A=11 and K=4.

Shetland storm - NOT amateur radio

 

This photo was posted recently by a friend on 365project. It shows a storm on the Shetland Isles.

QDX - soon

Around Christmas I ordered a QDX digital transceiver from QRP Labs. Mine covers 10m and was ordered ready built. When ordered I was told the wait was about a month. Most days I check where I am on the list.  When I started, I was way down the list. At this rate I should get mine in February.

Exhaustion - NOT amateur radio

There is world of difference (I have found out the hard way) between tiredness and exhaustion. With tiredness, you feel you need sleep to feel better. With exhaustion, you feel totally drained even though you may have had a good sleep. This may just be old age or a result of my 2013 stroke. I tend to feel exhausted now far more than I did.

If someone, e.g. with MS, tells you they feel exhausted, they are not just tired; they are EXHAUSTED.

Triffid? - NOT amateur radio

At this time of year (dull January) we get great pleasure seeing amaryllis grow from bulbs to huge plants with splendid flowers.

8m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

 I have been on 2.5W FT8 on 40.680 MHz USB dial for about an hour. No spots.

UPDATE 1427z:   Just G0HVQ (181km)  has spotted me today on 8m FT8.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Saturday)

At the moment I am on 10m WSPR with my 500mW beacon. So far today (it is now 1125z) , 4 unique stations have spotted me. There is some evidence of winter Es. 

UPDATE 1145z:  Still the same 4 stations spotting me.

Stations spotting me today

UPDATE 1529z:  16 unique stations spotting me today on 10m QRP WSPR TX  (see table).

Plans for today (Saturday)

Later this morning I expect to go on 10m WSPR QRP TX and 8m QRP FT8. This is still the mid winter Es season so there is a chance of being copied in Europe on 8m FT8 despite the low power. 

VLF earth-mode

This photo was taken in 2011 and shows where my VLF beacon could be received locally. The TX was 5W. 

Oscar 100 - worst yet?

It has never seemed this bad. The photo shows the narrowband transponder on a European weekend morning. Where is everyone? 

Stations on Oscar 100 at 1010z

UPDATE 1012z: A little better, but still very under-used.

Oscar 100 wideband transponder spectrum

UPDATE 1020z: There appears to be better use of the wideband transponder on Oscar 100. Although there is a spectrum display (see photo), I am not aware of a site with DATV streams. If so, I do not know of it.

See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/ .

Apparently (this was news to me) there is a weekly TV net on Oscar 100 on Thursday nights at 2000z. 

See https://batc.org.uk/live/oscar100net . This link streams the results. I must check this out.

Sunspots - Saturday January 14th 2023

Solar flux is 209 and the SSN 181. A=12 and K=3.

20m FT8 RX (Friday)

For the last hour or so, I have been on 20m FT8 RX using the 8m dipole, which is way off tune. At 1858z, 35 stations spotted with the furthermost N1HMT (5245km).

Where I come from - NOT amateur radio

 

This is where I come from in South Devon. This unspoilt area is known as the South Hams.

Solar cycle peak this year?

The 11 year solar cycle is an average with some cycles shorter than this and some longer. 

I am most definitely not an expert on this area, but note my favourite site for solar data is still forecasting the peak in November this year. Whatever, solar conditions are good at the moment. 10m (my favourite HF band) is in great shape and could be for several years. Even in the depths of the last solar minimum some spectacular DX was spotted on FT8.

Sepura - NOT amateur radio

The company I once worked for has been sold again, I understand. 

I retired in 2008. It originated as part of the Pye empire as Pye Telecom. A few years ago it was part of Hytera, but I gather it has been sold again, I think to an asset management company. 

These companies usually grow a business, then sell it again. Such companies are usually not interested in the business as such just increasing its value. To them, it is just a way of making (more) money. I hope it does OK. I am well removed from it these days, but as a once proud RF company, I still have my heart in it.

See https://www.sepura.com/ .

First signs? - NOT amateur radio

First we have snowdrops and aconites, then daffodils. Mind you, we have to get through winter first. 

There are already signs of new life.

8m QRP FT8 (Friday)

For about 15 minutes, I have been on 8m FT8 on 40.680 with 2.5W to the dipole. 

UPDATE 1443z: No spots all day. It looks like I need a much higher ERP to be really successful on 8m outside the main Es season. Yes, I manage the occasional report, but with just 2.5W and dipole, I am having a hard time.  Should I spend £50 for a renewal of my T&I permit for 8m?

UPDATE 1844z: G0HVQ (181km) has spotted me. After a period on TX, the power drops. My estimate is my power was about 1.8W when I was spotted.

Telly addict? - NOT amateur radio

 

One of my son's cats yesterday watching the TV.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Friday)

 At about 1020z, the 500mW 10m WSPR beacon was turned on. No spots.

UPDATE 1040z:  Spotted several times on Crete. This could be winter Es, but more probably F2 propagation.

UPDATE 1405z: 12 stations have spotted me so far today (see table).

Sunspots - Friday January 13th 2023

 Solar flux is 212 and the SSN 151. A=9 and K=2. 

8m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

 At the moment, I am on 40.680 MHz QRP FT8 . No spots. I am pretty sure that with 2.5W and the low dipole, I miss out on quite a bit, although this was my experiment. 

G9PUV must have a much greater ERP and must be the most successful UK station on 8m. I estimate Paul's ERP must be at least 10dB better than mine. It would not surprise me if his ERP was 20dB up, which is a huge difference. Despite this and despite the few monitors on the band, it has already proved to me how useful 8m could be.

As mentioned before, I am pretty sure that anyone could legally use the 8m ISM band for beacons in the UK without a licence as long as the technical requirements and IR 2030 are met. In the UK this means 10mW ERP. With WSPR this would span 1500km at times. This is not amateur radio.  Not being a legal expert, you have to decide. In the UK, I am pretty sure OFCOM would not come knocking - in 50 years I have not once been inspected. The last time was when repeater GB3PI was first operational. All the man really wanted was a cup of tea!

UPDATE 1200z:  No spots.

Bridge Street, Cambridge - NOT amateur radio

This was Bridge Street, Cambridge yesterday before the rain came! 

10m QRP WSPR TX (Thursday)

As usual, I am again on 10m QRP (500mW) TX The beacon was turned on about 0905z. Several spots already. 

UPDATE 1208z:   6 stations have spotted my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon today.

Prince Harry - NOT amateur radio

Prince Harry has released his memoirs. 

There is a lot wrong with the British Royal Family and it needs to change soon or it will be gone in 20 years, but I do not think this book helps at all. 

He has put has own life and that of his family in grave danger and definitely alienated him from his brother and father as well as many others.

At one time, he was arguably the most popular British royal. Not any more.

What came over him?

FT8 or SSB?

Amateur radio is changing.

As mentioned a few days ago, it seems far more are now turning to FT8 instead of SSB. This means the bands seem quieter. Although to say so is considered wrong by many, arguably on many, many, bands this means we really do not need the allocations we have. 

In 1 SSB channel at least 25 stations using FT8 can be fitted. FT8 only needs about 50 Hz of spectrum. There is little need to use amateur radio for chatting (the Internet is free and covers the world), and many now chase DX with FT8 instead. FT8 is far more effective than SSB although it is most definitely not a chatting mode. JS8call (which I have not used) is a free form mode of FT8 that does allow chatting. Some like to push the boundaries with things like EME and DATV. Others like to explore radio propagation.

The mantra seems to be to hang on to the bands we have. Personally, I would prefer more, but narrower, bands to encourage experimentation with some wider allocations (probably at VHF or UHF) to encourage experiments such things as DATV and spread spectrum. The military in many countries wants priority access, but rarely uses much of the spectrum.

Whatever the bands, callsigns and locations should be mandated and the basis should be strictly non- interference. Many allocations could be shared or secondary. Heretical? Probably.

Sunspots - Thursday January 11th 2023

Solar flux is 195 and the SSN 183. A=9 and K=1.

70cm FT8 activity contest (Wednesday evening)

This evening, the 70cm FT8 activity contest organised by the RSGB starts at 1900z. I believe this coincides with a European 70cm FT8 contest that starts earlier. Activity is surprisingly good.

See https://www.rsgbcc.org/cgi-bin/contest_rules.pl?contest=70cmsgmac .

Stations spotted on 70cm FT8 RX....with the 2m omni antenna!

On the way to Cambridge through the bus window indow - NOT amateur radio

 This was the view on the way to Cambridge through the bus window.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Wednesday)

 At the moment (0848z), I am on 10m WSPR TX using 500mW.

UPDATE 0852z:  Spots by a local and SV9KI (2639km) already.

UPDATE 1940z:  QRT soon. 19 stations have spotted me today.

Stations that spotted me running 500mW 10m WSPR today

Sunspots - Wednesday January 11th 2023

 Solar flux is 193 and the SSN 201 (amazingly high). A=6 and K=2.

40m FT8 RX

Just for a change, I went on 40m FT8 RX using my 8m dipole which of course is very non-resonant. 

After 50 minutes, 104 stations spotted (see map).

70cm activity contest (UKAC)

Tonight is the 70cm leg of the 70cm activity contest organised by the RSGB. It starts at 2000z.  I usually go on SSB for about 45 minutes with 10W to the 2m big-wheel omni antenna. As it sounds rough outside, I expect conditions to be flat. 

UPDATE 2038z:  Just one station worked! It is my view that there are now fewer stations on SSB. After about 15 minutes I gave up as there were so few stations active. Maybe tomorrow in the FT8 UKAC there will be more.

70cm FT8 RX

At the moment I am on 70cm FT8 RX.  Tomorrow is the 70cm activity contest, so tonight I expect to copy none, or at best, very few stations.

UPDATE 1941z:   No spots.

Shetland winter - NOT amateur radio

This photo was posted recently on 365project. It shows the Shetland Is (Scotland) in winter. This far north, days are very short.

Because of the wind, there are very few trees.

Practical Wireless article

In the February 2023 issue of Practical Wireless is my article about 8m. Practical Wireless now incorporates Radio User.  

The latter used to be a magazine mainly for SWLs. I hope the ending of Radio User is not the start of many magazine closures.

Wall map - NOT amateur radio

This wall map is in our small bedroom where our grandsons sleep. Occasionally it falls down and is a right pain to put back. It fell off a few days ago and was put back yesterday.

8m FT8 QRP (Tuesday)

For several hours, I have been on 8m QRP FT8. At 1335z, no spots today. 

10m QRP WSPR TX (Tuesday)

Yet again, I am on 10m WSPR TX with my 500mW W5OLF beacon. Already 4 unique stations spotting me at 1030z after a very short time. No surprises.

Stations spotting my 500mW 10m WSPR at 1030z today

UPDATE 1310z:  No further stations, but more spots.

Stations spotting my 500mW 10m WSPR to 1505z

UPDATE 1505z:   11 unique stations have so far spotted my 500mW 10m WSPR (see table).

UPDATE 1615z:  14 unique stations have spotted me.

Oscar 100 activity - terrible!

Every few weeks I give an update on activity levels on the narrow-band transponder of this geosynchronous satellite. It is very low! 

The only activity seems to be from Germany and these are just "59" exchanges. As far as I can tell, this is a total failure. The satellite works well, but people do not like talking through this "repeater in the sky".

See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/.

Sunspots - Tuesday January 10th 2023

Solar flux is 191 and the SSN 142.  A=5 and K=1.