More AI crappery - NOT amateur radio

As an experiment just now I asked Chat GPT4 about my son, who is a professional jazz pianist. I tried about 7 times. The answers were all correct in parts, but every one was totally wrong on when and where he was born and many other details. 

My worry is people will believe that AI always is factually correct, when it isn't. 

Yes, I am sure a great deal of good can come from AI, but also it could result in a lot of incorrect data being assumed as correct.

At the moment, Chat GPT4 gets about 3/10 from me and "must try harder".

Artificial intelligence (AI) is coming, but it still has some way to go. I wonder what AI will be capable of in 10 or 20 years' time.

10m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

Stations spotting my 10m QRP FT8 late today

We have been away for a few days in Salisbury, so no amateur radio operation for a few days. We returned about 1515z today. I have been on 10m QRP FT8 and, so far, 60 stations on 4 continents have spotted me and I have spotted 119 stations on 5  continents. I am using the QDX transceiver. It runs less than 5W.

481 THz testing

The photo shows me testing my optical kit. It was recently tested locally. I want to do some over the horizon tests with G4HJW. 

Sunspots - Thursday April 20th 2023

Solar flux is 147 and the SSN 113. A=12 and K=1. 

The Knowledge - NOT amateur radio

Every day I get "The Knowledge " by email. It is a few minutes read summary of the news from various sources. It is free and produced by the makers of "The Week". As far as I can tell it is neutral, neither left or right politically. I find it excellent, especially if you have not too much time.

Today there was a piece about AI. Be afraid, be very afraid.

Doom painting - NOT amateur radio

This painting is in a local church in Salisbury. It was painted when most people could not read or write. It was white washed over in the Reformation (vandalism in my view) and rediscovered in the 1800s. Why do people believe they always know best? It is part of history. 

QRZ.com

This is a very useful site. Many use it in mid QSO to find out a bit more about the QSO partner. It is also useful for address and location details. 

See www.qrz.com. 

Facebook memory

 This was a Facebook memory from 2012. 

Sunspots - Wednesday April 19th 2023

Solar flux is 147 and the SSN 140. A=17 and K=1. 

Oscar 100

Activity on the geosynchronous Oscar 100 remains low. I look at the web SDR at Goonhilly Down. Last time I looked was on a weekday evening in Europe. Activity has always been lower than I expected. 

Salisbury cathedral - NOT amateur radio

 

This is the highest cathedral spire in the UK at over 100m tall. 

Salisbury Market - NOT amateur radio

 

Tuesday is market day in Salisbury, 

Sunspots - Tuesday April 18th 2023

Solar flux is 167 and the SSN 162 A=6 and K=3.

Loop antennas

Loops work remarkably well. They can be quite small. Their main drawback is they are narrowband so have to be retuned if moving too far in frequency. If using WSPR or FT8 this does not matter. For good efficiency, the inductor is usually made from copper pipe or coax cable. 

Sunspots - Monday April 17th 2023

 Solar flux is 178 and the SSN 155.  A=4 and K=1.

Anglesey Abbey this morning - NOT amateur radio

 

We go here every month. It is not very far by car. The photo shows some of the flowers out.

FT-710 webpage now ready

In the last hour, I have added the FT-710 page to my website. Over time, I hope to expand this.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/commercial-rigs/yaesu-ft-710 .

10m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

For about 30 minutes (it is now 1021z) I have been on 10m QRP FT8. So far this morning 7 spots of my QRP.

Stations spotting my QRP 10m FT8 today

UPDATE  1906z:  82 stations have spotted my 10m QRP FT8 with the QDX (see map). Interesting, that North America was spotting me whereas not yesterday.

UPDATE 2024z:  88 stations have my 10m QRP FT8 today.

New page on my website - NOT amateur radio

A few moments ago I added a new page on my website about our local museum and windmill.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/non-amateur-radio/burwell-museum .

In the near future I need to add a page on the FT-710 transceiver.

Dayton Hamvention

Mid may sees the Dayton Hamvention in the USA. This is probably the biggest amateur radio gathering on the planet. Often, the big manufacturers use it to announce new products, even if they are still in development.

I really hope Yaesu announces a real successor to the FT817/818, both of which are no longer in production because of component shortages. This is their very last chance. Otherwise I fear they will leave the amateur market. The impression you get is of a floundering market strategy in which they cannot tell their a*e from their elbow. 

What do we want?

• SDR based RX
• Better battery pack
• Auto ATU
• More bands
• Speech processor
• etc.

None of this is rocket science. Yaesu - pull your finger out!! Do it NOW!

UK licence changes?

OFCOM is looking at licences to improve efficiency. I have no idea what the changes will be. OFCOM is seeking opinions. Look on the OFCOM website for details.

Sunspots - Sunday April 16th 2023

Solar flux is 176 and the SSN 151. A=9 and K=1.

Not me guv, honest!! - NOT amateur radio

The lawns were cut.... then we had hail and thunder! 

10m QRP FT8

Just now I looked on 4m FT8 spots in the last 12 hours and decided it was not worth the effort. Instead, I am on 10m QRP FT8 with the tiny QDX transceiver.

So far, on RX spots from all over the world and 11 spots of me on TX with the furthermost 3C3CA (5482km) in Equatorial Guinea. At the moment 10m really is good.

UPDATE 1502z: As we had hail and thunder, I went QRT. Up to then (about 20 minutes ago) I have had reports from 35 stations despite the QRP.

Stations spotting my
10m QRP FT8 so far today

UPDATE 1744z:  Storms have passed and the QDX turned on again. 57 stations have spotted my 10m QRP FT8 so far. It seems amazing that such a tiny, multi-band, QRP transceiver works so very well.

UPDATE  1754z:  Although no USA stations have spotted me yet, I hope they do so before the propagation closes. This was quite late on 12m yesterday. On 10m, we can expect the band to close earlier. Currently 58 spots of me today. 

Saturday plans

Yesterday, I tried 12m QRP FT8 as an experiment. It was not as busy as 10m, but I was still spotted widely. More stations spotted me than I expected especially with QRP. 

Today I may give 4m FT8 another go. At some point I must install SPECTRAN on my PC and sort out the optical interface. 

Want a laugh? - NOT amateur radio

I saw this yesterday but I have no idea where it originated. 

Sunspots - Saturday April 15th 2023

 Solar flux is 171 and the SSN 157. A=7 and K=1.

Kindness

To avoid embarrassing him, I shall not reveal name or callsign. 

Completely out of the blue, someone sent me a 3 element PCB antenna for 23cm. It was a TOTAL surprise!  Thank you so much.  The antenna will get well used.

In my experience, radio amateurs are a kind, thoughtful and warm-hearted bunch. The spirit of amateur radio is alive and well.   If you can make somebody happy by an act of random kindness, please do so. This is what life is truly about.  In my time I have been at the receiving end of such kindness several times and it means so very much.

Thank you again!

In my experience there are far more kind people in the world than bad ones, it is just that kindness is not newsworthy!

Our village museum - NOT amateur radio

OK, I am biased! 

We live next door to one of the best local museums in the UK. It is vast and there is a huge variety of things to explore over many buildings including our 200 year old, fully restored, windmill which is just a tiny bit of it.

See https://burwellmuseum.org.uk/ .

12m QRP FT8 with the tiny QDX (Friday)

You can tell that this band is far less busy than 10m. 

I have been on for about 30 minutes. Although I have copied stations as far away as China, it is far less busy than 10m. Just one local station has spotted me.

UPDATE 0910z: 4 spots of my QRP as far away as Asiatic Russia. Definitely a lack of activity and not propagation. 

UPDATE 1100z:  So far today 12 stations have spotted my QRP 12m FT8 and I have spotted 46. I am wondering if one of the factors is fewer people have beams on the WARC bands? On 10m, several people use low cost CB yagi antennas.

Stations spotted on 12m FT8 RX to 1310z

UPDATE 1310z:   28 stations have spotted my 12m QRP FT8 TX and I have spotted 99 stations on RX. So far, just one USA station has starting to appear (see map).

UPDATE 1848z:  216 stations have been spotted on RX and 71 stations have spotted my 12m QRP FT8 TX from the QDX with the furthermost YE6YE (10260km) on Java.

Stations spotting my 12m QRP FT8 today

UPDATE  2129z:   138 stations have spotted me on 12m QRP FT8 TX and 248 stations spotted here on the QDX.

Rallies this weekend

The following rallies have been notified to me. As I have no control over these emails, I always advise checking the data is correct before travelling any distance.

• Saturday April 15th - 37th QRP convention, Sherborne, DT9 3AA.  Contact qrp@yeovil-arc.com
• Sunday April 16th  Cambridge Computer Group Rally. Foxton nr Cambridge.CB22 6RN. Contact rally2023@cambridgerepeaters.net
• Sunday April 16th - Holsworthy Spring Rally and Boot Sale, EX22 7FA.   Contact m0omc@m0omc.co.uk

OFCOM updates

A reminder that OFCOM updates the details held on licences etc every week. Check the OFCOM website for more details. 

Historic Plaques - NOT amateur radio

Around our village we have a number of plaques to commemorate well known people or places. There is a copy of these in our superb village museum. 

4m UKAC next Thursday

I must remember to this! 

So far I have been disappointed by the lack of activity on this band outside of the Es season. Hopefully things will be better in the activity contest. 

As I recall things from many years ago, it was a good band for inter G QSOs. Since then (1970s) VHF activity has nosedived. 

Friday plans

Almost certainly I shall be on the air with the tiny QDX, although I am not sure what band. Maybe I should try 12m for a change? 

I tend to operate as a beacon and rarely chase others. To me, seeing who receives me is enough. DXCC chasing no longer appeals. 

Sunspots - Friday April 14th 2023

Solar flux is 160 and the SSN 154. A=6 and K=2.

Why I don't like lightning - NOT amateur radio

My brother just sent me some photos of a lightning strike on a house about 200m from them. My brother has no broadband and the electricity is being provided from a generator supplied by the electricity supplier. 

It can do serious damage!

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

Not on 8m currently

Until the Es season, I have decided to give 8m a miss. 

With higher ERPs I know some remarkable DX becomes possible, but up to now my experiment has been to find out what would be possible with very low ERP. It would appear that with QRP FT8, some remarkable distances are possible in the right conditions. As the sunspot number climbs still further, we could see some remarkable reports next autumn on 8m. 

Already  the beacon ZS6WAB on 40.675 MHz has been copied in Western Australia.

Acceptance? - NOT amateur radio

Although in many ways I still feel like a teenager inside, I know I am an old man sadly. Some things that would have been easy 50 years ago are now very hard or impossible. Perhaps we all have to accept the person we are now and learn to accept that some things are now not possible - harder said than done!

10m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

Since before breakfast I have been on 10m QRP FT8 with the tiny QDX rig. So far at 0808z, I have been spotted by 17 stations, mostly in the Middle East.  The tiny QDX never fails to amaze me.

See https://qrp-labs.com/qdx.html .

UPDATE 0830z:  95 stations have been spotted on RX and I have been spotted by 20 stations.

UPDATE 1737z:  So far today, 107 stations have spotted my 10m QRP FT8 today (see map).

UPDATE 1747z:  QRT.