16 Jan 2023
PF8 Manual - NOT amateur radio
Magdelene College, Cambridge - NOT amateur radio
Cambridge has many fine buildings.
10m QRP WSPR TX (Monday)
So far, I have been on 10m QRP (500mW) TX with my W5OLF beacon. 2 unique stations spotting me.
UPDATE 1845z: Now QRT. Today my 500mW 10m WSPR was spotted by 9 stations.
8m QRP FT8 (Monday)
For about 30 minutes, I have been on 40.680 MHz (TX first) QRP FT8. No spots.
UPDATE 1850z: No spots. Now QRT. An absolutely disappointing day.
15 Jan 2023
DATV via Oscar 100
As mentioned yesterday there is a live stream of the (D?)ATV net on Oscar 100 starting at 2000z Thursdays. I must try to remember this as I have never seen live ATV via this geosynchronous satellite.
10m Simple Sideband
Before my 2013 stroke, I was working on a simple rig for 10m. At the time I was thinking of a dead simple DSB transceiver, but these days a better approach might be an SSB transceiver based around an SI5351 or similar synthesiser.
Whatever the approach, I had in mind a very simple, low cost rig on a single PCB.
10m is very good again and should be good for several years. It is good for Es most summers even in sunspot minimum years. It is also good for local natters. Antennas are small and CB verticals work well.
Such a simple design would make a low cost club project. When built, such a rig could be very useful especially if made as a synthesised SSB rig.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/10m-simple-sideband.
6m F2?
It would appear that better stations are working into Africa by F2 on 6m. F2 is usually better on N-S paths than E-W. I know of at least 1 serious 6m operator that has 4 x 6 elements on 6m. That is seriously keen!
The sunspot number and solar flux are usually high most days, so the N-S MUF probably goes above 50 MHz briefly.
Want a laugh? - NOT amateur radio
This cartoon was sent to me yesterday. I have no idea where it originated. It made me laugh.
10m QRP WSPR TX (Sunday)
At 0946z, my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon by W5OLF was turned on. No spots yet.
UPDATE 1006z: Good spots of me from Crete.
UPDATE 1120z: 7 stations spotting my 500mW. Some Es?
UPDATE 1436z: 14 stations have spotted me today.
UPDATE 1735z: 21 stations have spotted my 10m QRP WSPR today.
8m QRP FT8 (Sunday)
At 0947z, my 8m FT8 was turned on. I am on 40.680 MHz (TX first) with 2.5W to a low wire dipole. The audio offset is about 1950 Hz.
UPDATE 1121z: No spots.
UPDATE 1222z: G4FFC (47km) in Bedford has spotted me.
UPDATE 1742z: Spotted in Puerto Rico and Canada on 8m FT8 QRP. My power is probably about 1.7W!! Altogether 5 stations have spotted me and 4 were "across the pond". Best day yet on 8m.
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| Stations spotting my 8m QRP FT8 today |
Later today (Sunday)
A listener in Florida, USA got some bursts around 2000 Hz audio offset (probably of an FT8 transmission on 40.680 MHz) yesterday. He has copied me in the past and I usually send around this offset when on 8m FT8. So I shall definitely try 8m FT8 later, even though only QRP.
If on 8m, I shall also go on 10m QRP WSPR TX with my beacon.
At the moment, I cannot get to the shack as I have to walk through another bedroom first, and my 11 year old granddaughter is in there ....asleep!
Burwell church - NOT amateur radio
This photo was taken a few days ago in dull January. There are a few signs of new life, but things will be much better in a few weeks when the daffodils are in flower.
Our grandson rings the bells here when in Burwell.
14 Jan 2023
QDX - soon
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
8m QRP FT8 (Saturday)
I have been on 2.5W FT8 on 40.680 MHz USB dial for about an hour. No spots.
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.
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| 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?
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| Stations on Oscar 100 at 1010z |
UPDATE 1012z: A little better, but still very under-used.
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| 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.
13 Jan 2023
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
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.
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).
12 Jan 2023
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
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
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.
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