My tiny QDX has been on 10m FT8 today. In the last hour 59 stations have spotted me. On RX, I have lost count of the stations spotted.
11 Mar 2023
QDX on 10m FT8 TX
My tiny QDX has been on 10m FT8 today. In the last hour 59 stations have spotted me. On RX, I have lost count of the stations spotted.
Still no luck with the FT-710 on FT8
My other Windows PC came back yesterday and works fine with my tiny QDX. It has already been spotted all over the place and works fine on RX too.
Sadly I have still not got my Yaesu FT-710 to work on FT8. I cannot get the CAT to communicate with the rig. I have downloaded the drivers, adjusted the settings for the driver speed as they say, selected the correct port and all settings and still no joy. This is so frustrating.
After lots of trying, I just cannot see what I am doing wrong. If this is "finger trouble" at my end I just do not understand. I shall give it another try or it will have to go back. It is a pity, as this is a good rig.
OFCOM updates
Just a reminder that OFCOM updates the details held on licences etc. every week. Check the OFCOM website for more information.
Sunspots - Saturday March 11th 2023
Solar flux is 171 and the SSN 135.
My favourite website for daily solar data is after funding. See www.solarham.net.
At the moment I cannot see the A and K index figures on the new site.
10 Mar 2023
Effective 10m antenna
At the moment 10m is in great shape.
On this band, worldwide DX is possible most days by F2. We are also approaching the Es season in the northern hemisphere bringing good propagation out to about 1500km, occasionally much further.
You may be after a simple, but effective, 10m antenna so I would like to remind you of my Homebase-10 antenna that was in Practical Wireless many years ago. It is very low cost and most of the parts can be bought at your local hardware store. It might make a nice weekend project.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/antennas/homebase10-10m-halo .
2nd Windows PC returned - FT8 test later
My second Asus Windows PC has been returned from repair under warranty. This was very fast. Later I hope to try this on FT8 with my FT-710. At the moment I am too giddy.
UPDATE 1335z: At first I tried to sync to internet time. Of course, I forgot that it did not recognise the connection! All sorted now and synchronised. Still to try with the FT-710. Need to install a driver first and WSJT-X.
Talk tonight
For the first time since before my stroke in 2013, I am giving a talk to the Cambridge Radio Club (CDARC). The talk is by Zoom only in view of the bad weather. I have prepared the slides and someone else is voicing my notes.
The talk is entitled" Fun With Amateur Radio". It is quite wide ranging. I am pretty sure visitors to the Zoom talk would be welcomed. Talks usually start at 2000z.
The usual style is people mute (apart from the speaker) and unmute if they have questions, or use the Zoom chat facility.
Most club talks are also via Zoom, so you could join CDARC even if you live in Australia! Annual subscriptions are very reasonable. In the past we have had speakers and viewers from many parts of the planet.
10m QRP WSPR (Friday)
At about 1024z, I turned on my 500mW WSPR TX beacon. So far, no spots.
UPDATE 1100z: 4 spots of me from the Canary Is so far.
UPDATE 1731z: 29 stations have spotted me.
Real winter - NOT amateur radio
This winter we have had more frosts and snow on the ground than for a long time. Years ago, we had snow on the ground every winter, whereas now to get any snow is the exception. This winter has been more like the winters in the 1950s. As I write there is snow falling and snow on the ground, even though it is officially spring according to the UK Mat Office!
Although I quite like the look of snow, I prefer milder sunnier weather. Roll on spring.
8m QRP FT8 (Friday)
Later today, I hope to go on 8m QRP FT8 again on 40.680 MHz. Although EI2IP and G4APB were both copied yesterday, I suspect my low ERP only gets spotted if conditions are exceptionally good via F2. Both these stations have probably got far greater ERP than I have. This is my choice to see what can be achieved on 8m with very simple gear. I suspect for reliable F2, I need at least another 10dB.
9 Mar 2023
8m QRP FT8 (Thursday)
It is now 1515z. My 8m FT8 QRP was turned on at about 1500z. So far, no spots at 1522z.
10m QRP WSPR (Thursday)
At about 1500z, my 500mW 10m WSPR TX beacon was turned on. So far, no spots today.
Rallies this weekends
The following rallies have been notified to me. If travelling far, it is always worth checking the information is correct before setting out.
- Saturday March 11th - South Kesteven ARS Junk Sale, Gantham, NG31 7AU. Comtact s.mason@skars.co.uk .
- Sunday March 12th - British Vintage Wireless Society Meet, Biggleswade, SG18 8JH. Contact jesser3@hotmail.com .
- Sunday March 12th - Dover ARC HAMZ, Ashford, Kent, TN24 9QX. Contact club@darc.online .
Fancy a job? - NOT amateur radio
It is now nearly 15 years that I have been retired. Local companies are still looking for good RF engineers. At my age and with my poor voice, I think I shall just stick to amateur radio and the odd article writing!
481 THz optical experiments
It is many years since I used my optical gear. As mentioned previously, I want to check it all works, download Spectran 2 and do some local tests initially. Our local church is about 300m away, so perhaps I can do some QRSS tests bouncing off this?
It the local tests work, I would like to do some over the horizon tests with G4HJW who is about 10km away. Sadly, there is a lot of clutter locally, so perhaps I would have a better chance with Bernie using cloudbounce, rather than clear air scattering? He might have to point to higher in the sky. With passing clouds, I might well copy him.
Being far more wobbly these days, this will be far harder for me now.
All my 100mm gear is still in the shack, but it all needs putting together and testing.
Spring? - NOT amateur radio
With snow on the ground it is hard to think of spring! We had snow overnight, which stopped this morning. My wife took these photos earlier this week and made the collage. A few more weeks?
Birthday boy - NOT amateur radio
Today is our elder son's birthday. We went out with him for lunch yesterday in Cambridge.
Faulty PC repaired - NOT amateur radio
Yesterday I had an email to say my PC had been repaired and checked and Asus was awaiting collection by the courier.
This was under warranty and was done very fast. I expect they just swapped the motherboard. They have contacted me at every stage. I hope it is OK now.
When it arrives back I must check it and see if FT8 works with the FT-710.
70cm FT8 activity contest
Yesterday evening was the 70cm FT8 activity contest (UKAC). I can only use 2.5W to my 2m big-wheel omni antenna, yet stations as far away as Germany were copied (see map) and 2 locals worked. I was not on very long as we have a regular 2m FM net.
8 Mar 2023
Windows PC
Currently I have 2 Windows PCs. Both run Windows 10 and were made by Asus. One I have had for years and is the main shack PC. The other failed under warranty and is currently being fixed.
Despite trying everything, I have still not got the FT-710 to work on FT8. I have downloaded the drivers, checked the settings are correct many, many times. This includes watching several YouTube videos. Until the other PC returns from repair, I cannot check the FT-710 with the other Windows PC.
Looking in Device Manager, all is there, but I cannot get CAT to work and there is no TX audio.
Of course, the FT-710 could be faulty, but I suspect the shack PC.
8m WSPR (Wednesday)
For a change, I am on 8m WSPR today. As the TX is on for longer periods, I am TXing at 1W instead for 20% if the time.
7 Mar 2023
FT-710 and FT8
This afternoon, I shall have a go at getting FT8 working on the Yaesu FT-710AESS. It requires some drivers downloading first. There are several YouTube videos which should help.
Anglesey Abbey earlier - NOT amateur radio
This was the mill and leat at Anglesey Abbey this morning.
Good looking fellow? - NOT amateur radio
This photo shows me when I was young. Not much change on the top!! I have been bald since my early 20s. It did not last long!
E-field probes (EFP)
These are very small RX antennas that can be very effective at VLF, LF and MF. As you move HF, they get less effective. The main issue is that at lower frequencies external noise dominates.
There are several designs around. Important factors are dynamic range (they can be hit with some very strong signals) and positioning away from buildings to minimise noise pick-up.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/antennas/e-field-probe-efp .
80m FETer transceiver
One of the challenges in amateur radio is how simple can you make a rig that really communicates? Some years ago I designed and built this unit for 80m CW that appeared in GQRP SPRAT. It is one of the simplest transceivers you can make. It really works!
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/80m-feter-transceiver .
6 Mar 2023
446 radios - NOT amateur radio
How do they makes profits?
Too small - NOT amateur radio
For many years I was a Christian. These days I am perhaps better described as agnostic. I am not sure what I believe.
Christianity seems too small for me in a world of many faiths. Then you have the probable existence of trillions of planets in the universe. There are probably billions of planets in our galaxy alone and billions of galaxies!!
My view currently is that all religions are hints towards the truth. Christianity seems too parochial these days. I cannot believe that all the religions in the world other than Christianity are wrong.
My own view is that we are all capable of evil given the right triggers. We would rather this was not true, but history proves us wrong. Just shortly before I was born, millions were put to death in gas chambers by the people of a civilised country. I can imagine us being just as evil had circumstances been different.
Throughout history, religions of all sorts have been the trigger for evil against fellow men.
In many ways I envy people with strong religious beliefs, but to me, this is not enough.
I am a strong believer of the existence of good and evil. There is clearly evil in the world, but often (always?) this has its roots in evil done to the perpetrator. It is my firm belief that there is far more good in the world than evil. Sadly, good deeds are rarely newsworthy.
All we can hope is we leave this world having worked for some good within it.
10m QRP WSPR (Monday)
As Monday morning is housework time here, I might put my WSPR 500mW W5OLF beacon on for a while.
Upcoming optical tests on 481 THz
It is years since I did optical experiments. My current plan is to do some local tests with QRSS bouncing off buildings. If these are successful, I want to try an "over the horizon" test with G4HJW.
My first task will be to install Spectran 2 software as this will be needed to decode QRSS and to check the signal margins.
Muntjac deer poo - NOT amateur radio
Bet you never expected this!
In recent weeks we have had a lot of these small deer in our garden. They have eaten some plants. When I cut the grass for the first time this year recently I noticed they left me a small "gift".
Club 72?
Some years ago there was a Russian QRP club that was quite active on 20m CW.
At the moment Russia is not in our good books over Ukraine, but I personally have no issues with the Russian people. Indeed, at the height of the "cold war" many Russians were worked and, via the medium of amateur radio, barriers were broken down. All were human beings just like us!
In my view we have to keep politics out of amateur radio. One of the great things about our hobby is we are all equal whether we come for Russia, the USA, Ghana or wherever. If will be a sad day if barriers are ever erected.
Does Club-72 still exist?
Mizuho MX2
This was an SSB/CW 2m 200mW handheld. I think it dates from the 1980s. In its time I worked some great SSB DX with mine when out portable. I still have one, but it has not been used for years. By modern standards it was not too small. As I recall, it was let down by poor battery life.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/vhfuhf-commercial-rigs/mizuho-mx2.
FT8 on the FT-710AESS
One of my aims this week is to try FT8 on my FT-710. As a keen QRPer, I usually run low power and this will be no exception. In the end I overcame my issues with noise on FT8 RX with the IC-705. I hope this is not an issue on the FT-710. If it is, I shall add ferrite chokes on the USB cable between the rig and PC.
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