Since 0915z, I have been on 10m QRP FT8 with the QDX transceiver. Poor conditions? At 0928z, just 2 stations spotted and just one local has spotted me so far.
UPDATE 1208z: 15 stations have spotted my 10m QRP FT8 today.
28 Apr 2023
30m FT8 RX in the last day using the 20-10m QDX
As stated yesterday, my QDX covering 20-10m is used with a 10m end-fed antenna. As an experiment I wanted to try it on 30m FT8 RX. I am amazed. Having been on since last evening only, with a totally non-resonant antenna, 654 stations have been spotted!!
Sunspots - Friday April 28th 2023
Solar flux is 150 and the SSN 136. A=21 and K=3. Conditions seem poor.
27 Apr 2023
30m FT8 RX with the 20-10m QDX (Thursday)
My 10m band end-fed antenna is way off tune on 30m. As an experiment, I tried my QDX for 20-10m on 30m FT8 RX this evening. I have no idea how sensitive it is on 10.136 MHz. So far, 384 stations have been spotted at 2131z. The map shows the stations spotted here by 1935z.
15m QRP FT8 with the QDX (Thursday)
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| Stations spotting my QRP FT8 on 15m today |
As 10m FT8 is so poor, I have QSYed to 15m. So far, I have been spotted by 14 stations with the furthermost WA4MIT (7015km) and I have spotted 21 stations.
UPDATE 1643z: 45 stations spotted and I have been spotted by 41 stations.
Adder snakes - NOT amateur radio
At 74 years old, I just realised I have never once seen an adder snake in the wild!
I believe they bask in the sun, but they cannot be that common. They are most often seen on heathlands and woodlands. They are the only venomous snake in the UK. They are also known as vipers. Their venom is rarely harmful to humans although medical treatment is advised. The photo is attributed to Benny Trapp on Wikipedia.
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vipera_berus .
See https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/reptiles/adder .
Ely yesterday - NOT amateur radio
This was Ely yesterday by the River Great Ouse. Ely is a nice place with a cathedral on the hill and an attractive waterfront. The railway station seems always to be busy.
Rally at the weekend
The following has been notified to me. As this is an automatic email, it is advisable to check it is on and the information is correct.
Sunday April 30th - Ripon Radio Rally, Ripon, HG4 2PT. Contact https://www.g4sjm.co.uk/contact-us .
Low key? - NOT amateur radio
On Saturday week, our new King Charles III is crowned. At the moment things feel very muted. For example, John Lewis in Cambridge, a major department store nationally, has nothing for the coronation, that I could see, on display. I guess they are worried about excess stock on their hands in hard times. This small display was at the back of a pub in Ely yesterday.
It is a very long time since Queen Elizabeth II was crowned and this was shortly after WW2 when there was a national support for the monarchy. These days, many younger people are not in favour of a monarchy and do not like wealth and privilege just because people inherited it. The problem is who would be president?
Personally, I think (just) I am in favour of a symbolic monarchy as long as it is considerably slimmed down.
Worked all Cambridge(shire)
The Cambridge club (CDARC) is launching a scheme like a mini WAB scheme called "Worked all Cambridge (or is it Cambridgeshire?)". The object is to work stations in all the Ordnance Survey 10km squares in the county. For example, I am in TL56 square. I think it runs for a year, but as I do not have details yet, I have no idea how many squares there are. I can imagine some in the Fens are quite hard. What a fun scheme for a club.
10m FT8 QRP with the QDX (Thursday)
Shortly, I intend to try 10m QRP FT8 with the tiny QDX transceiver.
UPDATE 1110z: 80 reports of my QRP 10m FT8 TX. Now RX only. Panic at first when my SWR bridge showed no power and a high SWR. It turned out it was the lead to the SWR bridge, not the QDX! Stations across the planet spotted on 10m FT8 RX.
UPDATE 1248z: 220 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX.
UPDATE 1319z: Briefly on 10m QRP FT8 TX with 13 stations spotting me in the last.15 minutes. Now back on 10m FT8 RX only with 261 stations spotted so far today.
UPDATE 1544z: 376 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX. 106 stations have spotted my QRP 10m FT8 today. I am operating as a beacon and not really after QSOs.
26 Apr 2023
8m WSPR for anyone, without a licence
Correspondence with OFCOM in the UK has convinced me that anyone may TX with a WSPR, FT8 or QRSS beacon in the ISM segment of 40.66 - 40.70 MHz without the need for any licence as long as the technical requirements and IR2030 are met. In the UK this means 10mW ERP.
This is NOT the Amateur Radio Service.
Today, on 10m WSPR many stations (with a quiet noise floor) would have copied me with 5mW ERP, so I am convinced that at 8m, such signals could be widely copied. In Australia we know that 5mW of 8m WSPR has spanned 5000km.
What I am advocating is stations check the ISM rules in their country and set up a network of 8m WSPR beacons. If possible, randomise frequencies to avoid interference and stick within the WSPR window 40.680 MHz + DF 1400-1600 Hz. This will give us all maximum chances of being copied on 8m.
In the UK, callsigns for ISM beacons are optional, but I suggest something that WSPRnet can report and QTH locators are essential. This is an experiment and the more people taking part the better.
The Es season has arrived
Judging by the results on 10m WSPR, the Es season has arrived. I must give 8m another go and 4m. As the season gets underway we can expect widespread openings from the UK to Europe and similar distances in North America. On 8m, the main issue will be too few people monitoring.
My free PDF G3XBM Project Scrapbook
In my life in the amateur radio hobby, I have been very fortunate. If others can have as much fun as I have, it will please me greatly. My website has a link to the latest version of this book. It is totally free and money is not expected. Just have fun!
You can just browse it, download the lot or just the bits that take your fancy. As I always say, I am sure my projects may be improved, so treat these as starting points.
At some point, I must update it as there have been a few changes of late.
Peacocks in Ely - NOT amateur radio
This was where we had lunch today: Peacocks in Ely, Cambs.. It is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. We tried to take a friend there on a Tuesday, but found it closed!
Behind King's College Cambridge - NOT amateur radio
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| Behind King's Cambridge |
The field behind King's College has been cut in half so one part is cut and the other left as a wild flower meadow. At the moment it is ablaze with cowslips. Not visible in the photo (just in front of the cows) is the River Cam beloved by punters.
10m QRP WSPR TX (Wednesday)
Just before breakfast, I turned on my 500mW W5OLF 10m WSPR beacon. At 0836z, no spots received.
Does anyone know if Jay, W5OLF is still around? If you know, please let me know. I have used his beacon (excellent) since before the last sunspot peak. No PC needed. Just sync time initially. It is about the size of a pack of cards.
UPDATE 1408z: 11 spots of me today so far. Es?
UPDATE 1841z: 15 spots of me today. I am convinced many were by Es.
25 Apr 2023
Getting more information
Just to remind you that I have a main website and video channel that have more information about my projects. As I always advise, treat my projects as starting points. You can probably improve most of the things I have done!
For most "one off" projects, my own view is a PCB is a waste of time. Me Pads and Me Squares or similar can make very neat solutions.
You can also find a link to the free PDF G3XBM Project Scrapbook there as well.
Overall, have fun.
As someone once said, "the journey is better than the destination". This reminds me of our younger son as a child. He always wanted to get to wherever we were going, but as soon as he got there he wanted to come home!
See www.g3xbm.co.uk .
Screaming swifts - NOT amateur radio
To my mind, the screaming of swifts feeding on the wing is a sign of English late spring and summer. In this part of the UK they usually arrive in mid-May, although in some parts they are seen earlier. Often they are heard before they are seen. Usually they are heard screaming, one looks up and there are the swifts! The sight of these in the sky warms my heart. By mid-August most have flown south.
Cambridge church cafe - NOT amateur radio
A number of churches now have cafes. I guess they raise funds for the church as well as providing a useful function for visitors and locals. In Cambridge, one such is Michelhouse in Trinity Street. When we popped in this morning it was busy.
10m QRP WSPR TX (Tuesday)
My 10m 500mW beacon was turned at about 1330z. Time was set using an atomic sync'ed clock.
UPDATE 1403z: No spots.
UPDATE 1438z: Just local G4KPX (14km) has spotted me.
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| Spots on my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon today |
UPDATE 1827z: A better day than I was expecting with 5 unique stations spotting my 500mW 10m WSPR TX today.
UPDATE 1922z: 6 unique stations have spotted my 500mW 10m WSPR today (see map).
Local 481THz QRSS tests
This was going to be last night, but I was too exhausted. Maybe this evening?
Ephemeral - NOT amateur radio
The photo shows the ornamental cherry tree in our garden. The blossom lasts a few weeks then is gone.
24 Apr 2023
Six metres
6m is sometimes called "the magic band" as it can open when least expected to incredible distances. In early July I have often copied Japan on 6m. This is a very long way for a VHF band. There have been some even further distances covered. With the Es season a few watts (or less) can work DX to at least 1500km.
It is also a useful band for local chats and that inspired my Sixbox. This is not suitable for DX working, but is ideal for local natters.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/homebrew/sixbox .
No photos please - NOT amateur radio
One of our granddaughters does not like her photo being taken, as you can see!
Plans for Monday
My 481 THz test software and lead are my priority. When I did the optical tests way back more than 10 years ago PCs had separate mic and headphone jacks. All my PCs now have combined jacks!
So, I have to interface my optical RX and the PC in a new way. With soldering skills very hard these days, this requires some thought. Years ago I would just have bought a new jack socket (with mic input) and just changed the plug! I think years ago I just used a lead with standard 3.5mm plugs at each end.
I may put the 10m WSPR beacon on too.
UPDATE 1038z: 10m WSPR beacon is ON and my audio setup (interface from 481 THz RX to the PC) is working with Spectran. At G1KQH's suggestion I used a USB sound card I already had and it worked first time. Thanks for the suggestion Steve.
UPDATE 1144z: No 10m WSPR spots of my 500mW beacon. I suspect things are very disturbed. I checked all was well on another RX.
UPDATE 1515z: 4 stations have spotted me today so far on 10m WSPR. My 481 THz TX beacon and RX work with QRSS and Spectran.
Sunspots - Monday April 24th 2023
Solar flux is 135 and the SSN 86. A=66 and K=3. Things seem pretty disturbed.
23 Apr 2023
Spectroid app
My lounge PC and smart phone have Android apps including a free one called Spectroid. This might be suitable for my 481 THz tests. It is available on the Play Store. It is a powerful audio spectrum analyser (see screenshot).
Robins - NOT amateur radio
Of all our garden birds, the humble robin is probably the most endearing. They can be very tame. Actually, as shown in David Lack's famous 1947 book "The Life of the Robin", it is a far more complex bird than it at first appears. By the way, the book has been reprinted many times and the latest version is available online.
See https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/robin/ .
Salisbury - NOT amateur radio
I do not think I posted this photo of Salisbury last week. If I did, put it down to old age!
10m QRP FT8 (Sunday)
Since about 0945z, I have been in 10m FT8. Plenty of spots.
UPDATE 1426z: 149 stations have spotted my 10m FT8 QRP today.
UPDATE 2030z: 245 stations have spotted my 10m FT8 QRP today. QRT soon. No spots from N.America.
UPDATE 1426z: 149 stations have spotted my 10m FT8 QRP today.
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| QRP 10m FT8 spots of me today |
UPDATE 2030z: 245 stations have spotted my 10m FT8 QRP today. QRT soon. No spots from N.America.
Endings - NOT amateur radio
Endings do not work for me. When things end, I can find things hard. As I get older, and friends around me die, it is sometimes harder to make sense of things. Many years ago some things were very important to me whereas now they are less so. Impulses that were strong long ago are less so now.
As I have said many times, most religions seem to be too Earth-centred for me. I still think it must be great to have a strong faith, but I cannot be true to myself. As a youth I tried to be "saved", but never was.
My philosophy has been to be as honest and open as I can be and kind to others. I am not perfect, but I know this.
80m QRP FT8 using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground
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| 80m FT8 spots of my QRP using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground |
As I managed to match the FT-710 to the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground, I was on 80m QRP FT8 early last evening and again now. So far, 60 stations have spotted me. It certainly works!
Later, I may try calling into the CDARC (Cambridge) 80m net.
UPDATE 1000z: I tried to go on the CDARC 80m net, but heard nobody. Noise level was S9, so I QSYed to 10m FT8 instead on the FT-710 at QRP level. Plenty of spots on TX and RX.
160m QRP FT8 with the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground
Last evening and overnight I was on 160m QRP FT8 using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. Even my XYL cannot see it!
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| 6 hours 160m FT8 TX at 3W using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground |
Results were remarkable with 53 spots of me right across Europe. As an experiment, I left it on overnight at just 3W. 23 stations spotted me as the map shows in the last 6 hours alone! It certainly works. Furthermost was a spot by YO3APJ (2082km).
22 Apr 2023
Chromebooks - NOT amateur radio
For about 2.5 years I have owned and used a Chromebook rather than a Windows PC. When I first got it, I wondered whether I had made the right decision. It uses Chrome OS rather than Windows 10 or 11.
It was the right decision, definitely.
It starts very fast, does updates painlessly in the background, and does everything I need for my lounge PC. I have not found anything I want to do with it that I cannot do. Also, it was far less expensive than a Windows PC and came with a 3 year "at home" warranty. It is pretty rugged too. It runs Linux apps too, although I have never needed to. It can also be used as a touch screen tablet.
I have been extremely pleased with it. Next year I shall probably buy another one!
80m FT8 tonight?
Just might try 80m FT8 TX this evening after dark when 10m is no good. It means matching the FT-710 to the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground and setting WSJT-X for use with the FT-710. For the last few days I have been using the QDX.
UPDATE 1606z: As 10m does not exactly look great, I might swap to 80m FT8 quite soon.
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