This was me having a snack lunch in Peterborough yesterday.
5 Mar 2023
Dalham - NOT amateur radio
We like to do a circular walk around the village of Dalham near Newmarket. This is the lane back to the village. Delightful.
Ferrite rod TX antennas
Ferrite rods are commonly used as RX antennas on MW and LW. They are compact and efficient for their intended purpose. Their use as TX antennas is almost non-existent.
As long as the ferrite is suitable for the frequency and as long as the ferrite is not in saturation, they may be used on TX. This implies very low power, but we know on WSPR and possibly FT8, long distances may be spanned with very low power indeed. Certainly great ranges have been covered with milliwatts and microwatts.
Some years ago, I did some TX tests with ferrite rods and the results surprised me.
In absolute terms, I have little idea about their loss compared with, say, a dipole. At 630m and 160m, antenna efficiencies are often -30dBd or worse, so they could be far better than we might expect. They certainly are small! Some people have bundled several rods together. I have not tried this.
This is yet another area in which radio amateurs can carry out useful research. Be careful that the ferrite rod alone is doing the work and you are not coupling into a bigger antenna nearby.
In my view ferrite rods "compress space" within the rod. As such, they could be used as magnetic or loading in E-field antennas.Remeber to keep power very low.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/antennas/ferrite-rod-tx-antennas .
8m QRP FT8 (Sunday)
At 0925z, my 8m QRP FT8 was turned on. For a change, I am TXing 2nd. So far, no spots.
UPDATE 1100z: SP5NOF (1406km) and G9PUV (158km) spotted, but nobody has spotted my 8m FT8 QRP. I hope SP5NOF is legal.
UPDATE 1801z: No further spots all day. QRT soon.
Spring? - NOT amateur radio
The birds in our churchyard are getting ready to nest by repairing old nests as the photo shows. Next week could be much colder. They are in for a shock!
10m QRP WSPR TX (Sunday)
At 0925z, my 500mW 10m WSPR was turned on. So far, no spots.
UPDATE 1021z: 13 spots of me from the Canary Is.. Some reports have 22dB in hand, suggesting I could have been copied with just 5mW (or lower) if the RX noise floor was low enough. On previous days, signals have been even stronger at times!
UPDATE 1150z: LA3SP (1049km) has spotted me many times with up to 25dB in hand!! 3 unique stations have spotted me so far today.
Wisdom - NOT amateur radio
Many years ago I read somewhere that there is a great deal of difference between being clever and being wise. My Auntie Kitty was definitely not clever, but she was wise.
This quote was in "The Knowledge" yesterday.
At the 1937 Soviet writers’ congress, Boris Pasternak, author of Doctor Zhivago, faced a terrible dilemma: to speak or not to speak. This was at the height of Stalin’s purges; writers who deviated an iota from the regime’s view risked being “disappeared”. On the final day, more than six feet tall and “incredibly beautiful”, Pasternak went to the lectern. The silence, it was said, could be heard “all the way to Vladivostok”. When he finally spoke, he began with just one word: the number “30”, denoting Shakespeare’s famous sonnet. “When to the sessions of sweet silent thought / I summon up remembrance of things past…” All 2,000 people in the hall rose to their feet and recited the rest of the poem by heart. The sonnet “said everything” – you can’t touch what we hold in our heads.
4 Mar 2023
Sub 9 kHz DX
Some years ago, I was quite keen on amateur radio below 9 kHz. I well remember people saying it was a waste of time and nobody would get beyond the garden fence. How wrong they were!! Some quite remarkable distances have been spanned.
Although for radiated DX below 9 kHz very big antennas are needed for TX, on RX some tiny antennas can work perfectly well such as an E field probe which is tiny. What is needed is very high stability and very narrow bandwidths, usually achieved by locking to a VLF MSK signal or GPS. Some years ago DJ8WX was spotted by locking to a VLF MSK signal (see photo). All this was possible with free software. Sometimes it is necessary for signals to be integrated for hours or even days.
It is some years since I have experimented at real VLF.
8m QRP FT8 (Saturday)
It is now 1625z and I have been on 8m QRP FT8 for about 30 minutes. So far, no spots.
UPDATE 2025z: QRT now. No spots all day.
10m QRP WSPR (Saturday)
When we got back from Peterborough (at about 1550z), I turned on my 500mW WSPR beacon. So far, at 1620z, 5 spots from the Canary Is..
UPDATE 1745z: 6 unique stations have spotted my 500mW WSPR today.
UPDATE 2026z: 11 spots of me today with 9 transatlantics.
Peterborough - NOT amateur radio
Today we went on the train from Ely to Peterborough. This is a nice day out. The train takes about 35 minutes. Peterborough has a fine cathedral with some famous royal burials. Mary, Queen of Scots is buried there and Katherine of Aragon was buried there before being moved.
3 Mar 2023
The rise of FT8
Looking on John's blog I see the recent Bouvet Island DXpedition did not use SSB on some of the major bands, concentrating on FT8 instead.
No wonder some bands appear quiet. Because of my poor voice, I use FT8 quite a bit. However, in the long run, I can see few coming into the hobby by just chancing upon radio amateurs. FT8 needs special (free) software. If our hobby is to be there in 20 years' time, we need something else to attract and keep people.
In truth, far smaller amateur bands could accommodate us in future. I know to say this is heresy, but is it true? Personally, I would prefer more, smaller, bands throughout the spectrum for the Amateur Radio Service. In 20 years'time I can see many differences coming.
ICOM's IC-905 microwave transceiver price
MLS has just announced the expected price of the ICOM microwave transceiver , the IC-905. It is expected to be £3549.95. It covers 2m,70cm, 23cm, 13cm and 6cm. 3cm needs another transverter.
At this price, I really cannot see huge sales. Remember the GPS receiver and a 10 GHz transverter are extras on top. I cannot see change from £4000. This sort of price is only for the well off. Also, microwave antennas are on top as well!
No, I predict this will flop and be withdrawn within 2 years.
ICOM make some very good products and I really hope I am wrong. Sadly these manufacturers and dealers are, ultimately, in business to made profits. I just cannot see how this will make them money. They will sell a few to the well off, but I cannot see this ever becoming a mass seller.
See https://www.hamradio.co.uk/icom-ic-905-vhf-uhf-shf-transceiver-deposit-only .
Rose pruning - NOT amateur radio
Just realised that the roses must be pruned! They will soon be growing.
UPDATE 1547z: Front roses pruned.
OFCOM updates
A reminder that OFCOM updates the data it holds every week. Check the OFCOM website for the latest.
Spectran V2
8m QRP FT8 (Friday)
At the moment I am on 40.680 MHz QRP FT8.
UPDATE 1258z: No spots. Just switched to second period TX.
UPDATE 1333z: Still no spots today.
UPDATE 1940z: Just G9PUV (158km) spotted today. QRT.
Talk ....without the talking
Next Friday, I am giving a "talk" at the Cambridge Radio Club (CDARC). This is a bit of an experiment as I have prepared the slides and someone else is doing the talking. These days, my voice is pathetic!!
CDARC is experimenting with hybrid talks so those of us unable to attend can watch on Zoom. Let's hope there are not too many questions! The talk is entitled, " Fun in Amateur Radio". I have been blessed with over 60 years of fun in the hobby and my greatest wish is that others can have as much fun. We all enjoy our hobby in different ways and that is one of the things that make it great.
10m QRP WSPR (Friday)
As the 10m antenna is available, I am again on 10m WSPR with my 500mW TX beacon. At 0935z, just a single spot from EA8/DF4UE (2876km).
UPDATE 1237z: 3 unique stations spotting the 10m QRP WSPR today.
UPDATE 1535z: 5 unique stations spotting me today.
UPDATE 1920z: QRT. 6 unique stations spotted my QRP today. Quite a poor day.
481THz tests
These days I am just too wobbly to do optical tests "out in the field". However Bernie G4HJW has offered to put up an optical beacon so I can see if I can copy it "over the horizon" 10 miles away at my QTH. It is many years since I did optical experiments and this will be a challenge on many levels.
VLF tests
Years ago I did some drive around tests in my car with an E-field probe on the roof. I was trying to see where my 5W signal could be received. This map shows where it was possible.
2 Mar 2023
United Eire? - NOT amateur radio
In the end I can see Eire becoming one nation again. I doubt this will be in my lifetime however.
The DUP (the Unionists) appear very much in the minority and this will go down further in the years ahead. No, Northern Ireland was a convenient political outcome in the last century and I can see a united Ireland this century. Clearly the DUP need appeasing, but this is the 21st century not a long time ago.
10m QRP WSPR TX
Since mid afternoon, I have been on 10m WSPR with my 500mW beacon. So far, 5 stations have spotted me. I forgot that when on 8m, the 10m antenna is free so that I can use the 10m WSPR TX beacon.
Rallies
The following rallies have been notified to me. Please check that this information is correct.
* Saturday March 4th - Lagan Valley ARS. No contact details.* Sunday March 5th - Exeter Radio and Electronics Rally. No contact details.
As I have no contact details, please check on a search engine.
8m QRP FT8 (Thursday)
At 1325z, my 8m QRP FT8 was turned on. No spots yet.
UPDATE 1505z: Still no spots.
UPDATE 1540z: ZS6OB (9099km) spotted strongly on 8m FT8, but no spots of me sadly.
UPDATE 1649z: No spots of me and no further spots on RX.
15m
Back in the mid 1970s I designed the QRP Pipit CW transceiver. For many months it was the only rig used. It worked really well with just a low dipole.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/15m-qrp-cw-pipit.
More Dalham - NOT amateur radio
This collage shows more of the village of Dalham not far from us. As you can see, it is very attractive.
Yaesu FT7
Later, they brought out a 50W version (the FT7B) that covered all of 10m in 4 switched bands. Synthesizers and memories were in the future, so it had an analogue VFO. The RX was very quiet. It was one of the best rigs I have ever owned.
Several Yaesu rigs have been owned and I like Yaesu products, but feel they lost their way in recent years. Let's really hope they survive.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/commercial-rigs/yaesu-ft7 .
Re-thatching - NOT amateur radio
Thatched cottages need new roofs from time-to-time. They keep houses warm, but new thatch cannot come cheaply. We saw this a few days ago.
10m QRP FT8 (Thursday)
 |
| Spots of my QRP 10m FT8 to 1035z today |
UPDATE 1035z: 166 stations spotted by me and I have been spotted by 22 stations.
UPDATE 1335z: 561 spots of others and 106 spots of me, plus a few QSOs, although I have not called others.
1 Mar 2023
Those royals - NOT amateur radio
Allegedly, according to unconfirmed reports, Harry and Megan have been served an eviction notice on their 10 bedroomed cottage on the Windsor estate. This has been offered to Prince Andrew who lives in a 31 bedroomed house. How hard life must be!!! Just think of the heating costs and the dusting. 😉😉
Solar data updated
My favourite site for solar data has been updated. It still expects solar maximum November this year. If correct, this is very early.
First car memories - NOT amateur radio
10m QRP WSPR TX (Wednesday)
At the moment, I am on 10m WSPR TX with my 500mW beacon. Just 3 stations spotting me. Openings to the USA seem to have dropped off of late.
UPDATE 1535z: Still just those 3 stations spotting me today on 10m WSPR.
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