We are just entering the Es season in the northern hemisphere. DX out to about 1500km with low power is common on the lower VHF bands. The photo shows my V2000 omni in 2020. On 6m even QRP SSB is enough to work DX.
4 May 2023
Sporadic E (Es)
We are just entering the Es season in the northern hemisphere. DX out to about 1500km with low power is common on the lower VHF bands. The photo shows my V2000 omni in 2020. On 6m even QRP SSB is enough to work DX.
3 May 2023
160m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)
It is not dark here for about 90 minutes, but my 2.5W to the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground has been spotted on 2 SDR's in the west country the furthermost WESSEXSDR (265km).
UPDATE 2108z: 11 stations have spotted my 2.5W to the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground on 160m FT8.
Still waiting - NOT amateur radio
Today, for only the second time, we had a cup of tea in the garden. Despite looking (and listening) for about a hour, no swifts seen or heard. This is a bit early. Hopefully within a few weeks we will hear the screams, look up and see some. Numbers are meant to be down, although locally they seemed as numerous.
8m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)
For the last couple of hours I have been on 8m QRP FT8 again on 40.680 MHz. No spots.
UPDATE 1641z: No spots.
Plans for today (Wednesday)
After returning from shopping, I plan to return to tests on 40.680 MHz FT8.
Later this summer, I want to give 8m WSPR a go, probably at 1W. I am hopeful that more Europeans will give 8m WSPR a go using ISM rules. In many countries a licence is not needed under ISM rules.
On 8m FT8 and WSPR at the same time I can only go on if I am RX only on FT8 at the time.
2 May 2023
10m inter-G?
Many years ago, the RSGB organised some 10m activity contests in the evenings. This must have been 40 years ago at a guess.
Despite using 10W pep and a dipole, I could work stations 150km away consistently. With more power and a small beam, even better results would be possible. These days we have digital modes that can work with very weak signals indeed, so spanning such distances with very simple antennas like dipoles and CB whips should be even easier.
At the moment 10m is a great DX band, but at sunspot minimum, people often desert it, sadly. What I am advocating is that more of us should stick with it in the quieter years when it behaves more like a VHF band.
As a final reminder, Es is good in the Es season at any point in the solar cycle. DX has been worked from the UK by F2 N-S with QRP SSB even when the sunspot count was zero at solar minimum. People often desert it when it is a lack of activity and not poor conditions. I hope FT8 will help at such times.
10m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)
Since about 0800z, I have been on 10m QRP FT8 with the tiny QDX. Just 3 inter-G spots of me so far. It is a bit early.
UPDATE 0859z: TA9J (3463km) has also spotted me by what I think is F2 propagation. Now 5 Gs have spotted me. No Es apparent.
UPDATE 1510z: 29 spots of me today with the furthermost FR4NB/QRP (9722km) on Reunion Is in the Indian Ocean.
2m activity contest (UKAC)
The May leg of the RSGB organised activity contest on 2m is tonight starting at 1900z. Activity levels are usually good with portables on hilltops.
It lasts (I think) for 2.5 hours although with my QRP, omni antenna and poor voice I am usually on less than an hour.
This really does not feel like a contest. It is more a way to stimulate activity and work squares.
Lichfield - NOT amateur radio
This is where my brother-in-law lives. It is classed as a city but feels more like a town. It has a fine cathedral and mill pond.
1 May 2023
Local UK elections - NOT amateur radio
This Thursday, many in the UK vote in local elections.
Admittedly, some enter politics for selfish reasons, but I would like to believe that most do so from a wish that they can do some good. For the first time, voter ID is needed. This may put off some less affluent voters.
Whatever your political affiliation please use your vote. I have known some good and honest people in all political colours. Use your democratic right.
8m band experiments
Later this week I expect to resume 8m experiments.
After about 3 weeks I am still awaiting a response from OFCOM about changes to power levels. This is after several chases too. They obviously treat this as a really high priority!!
Perhaps I should just run 10kW and a 10 el yagi??
OFCOM = OFfice for Comatose Old Men?
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/8m-band.
Solar Maximum - cycle 25
The site below was updated yesterday. The forecast peak of solar cycle 25 has now been pushed back a month to December this year. We can expect conditions to be good for a few years.
Stubborn - NOT amateur radio
This plant was dead, so I thought I would just dig it up. Two days later, yes two days, I eventually got it up. Whenever I thought I was there, I found yet more deep thick roots! I have never, ever struggled so hard.
10m FT8 QRP (Monday)
Shortly, I shall turn on my QRP FT8 using the QDX transceiver.
UPDATE 1058z: 9 spots of my QRP FT8 today.
UPDATE 1739z: 20 stations have spotted me today.
Reach Fair - NOT amateur radio
There has been a fair here since the 1200s when King John gave it a charter. It will have changed a bit over the centuries, but it is great to think people have walked to it for centuries. It is on today and traditionally opened by the Mayor of Cambridge.
30 Apr 2023
10m FT8 simple receiver
This has been on before, so this is just a timely reminder.
10m FT8 is becoming very popular and this receiver allows 10m FT8 reception without tying up the main rig. It is simple, very low cost and works really well.
I could probably convert it into a full FT8 transceiver!
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/10ft8r-rx .
"London" grandchildren - NOT amateur radio
Two of our grandchildren are half French. On May 2nd their French grandfather has his birthday, so we took a photo in our back garden to send.
10m (28 MHz)
At various times of the solar cycle our largest HF allocation enjoys most propagation modes. At all parts of the solar cycle it experiences Es openings in spring and summer. It is often open when people desert it. This is where FT8 could prove useful in the quieter years.
It is also good for local chats. At one time modified CB rigs were very popular. With these and a CB vertical ranges of about 30km locally were common.
At the moment, it is a great DX band. It is usually better in the daytime, although when it is really good, it is often open for DX in the evenings.
It is wide enough for all modes. Even digital TV has been tried above 29 MHz.
It remains my favourite HF band.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/10m-operation .
Spring - NOT amateur radio
These flowers were in a garden in a nearby village. For the last couple of days it has felt like spring at last.
Getting ready - NOT amateur radio
Our grandson has rung in 109 towers now including this one at Isleham where they seem prepared for the coronation next weekend.
In general, the whole preparation for the coronation feels very low key. I am old enough to remember the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II!! I guess we were still getting over WW2 and this was a bit of light relief.
I remember going to watch the coronation on a neighbour's tiny TV screen in black and white. We did not have a TV until 1957 and that was just one channel and back and white. At the time we thought it was amazing. Before then, we used to watch a snowy TV picture whilst sitting on the floor a a local radio/TV shop. At that time we were about 150km from the nearest TV transmitter.
10m QRP FT8 with the QDX
UPDATE 1340z: 80 stations have spotted my QRP.
Crabapple - NOT amateur radio
We only have one crabapple tree. It seems to be good every other year, so we are hoping for a good crop this year and some good crabapple jelly, as last year was poor.
29 Apr 2023
Multiband antennas
Quite a good multi-band antenna is the end-fed via a 9:1 balun. At the end of the wire it presents a high impedance and the 9:1 balun drops the impedance to a low SWR, certainly less than 3:1 that can be tuned via the auto-ATU in many modern rigs. On many radios an ATU will not be needed at all. With QRP, RF on the coax is not usually an issue. With high power, more care or a counterpoise may be needed.
At the moment I am using an end-fed antenna. I have not found a counterpoise necessary.
Commercial versions are available (e.g. from Moonraker), although many make their own.
Amateur Radio Weekly
Thus comes to me as an email on Saturdays. It is a precis of amateur radio news and very good it is. There are links to the originating articles.
See https://hamweekly.com/ .
8m tests to restart
This next week, I hope to restart my QRP tests on 40.680 MHz FT8. I have been off for a few weeks.
The Es season is just getting under way. This season, I may try WSPR sometime probably in the WSPR window at 40.680 MHz (DF 1400-1600 Hz).
It would be good if lots of countries came on 8m FT8 or WSPR this season, ideally TX, but RX if nothing else.
I am convinced that just 10mW ERP WSPR will be copied across Europe on 8m at times. In the UK anybody would be able to TX 10mW ERP WSPR in the 8m ISM band without a licence as long as the technical requirements and IR2030 are met. This is not the Amateur Radio Service. It is an experiment under ISM rules.
Breakfast time? - NOT amateur radio
This thrush was hunting for worms and insects when we were on our walk earlier. Must be breakfast time!
10m QRP FT8 with the QDX
UPDATE 1824z: 65 stations have spotted me so far today (see map).
28 Apr 2023
QDX
Just would like to put on record how amazing the tiny 20-10m QDX digital transceiver is from QRP Labs.
It works extremely well on TX and, as I have found out in the last day, works extremely well on RX down to at least 40m. It will probably go even lower!
If you have no other rig, this tiny transceiver is a real winner. It can be used with WSJT-X on all modes I think. So far, I have used FT8 and WSPR. It is nominally a 5W rig, but my QRP signal is daily copied all over the world.
It is incredible how something this tiny works so very well.
40m FT8 RX (Friday)
It is intriguing to see how low I can RX on my tiny 20-10m QDX transceiver. At the moment I am on 40m FT8 RX with the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground, which seems to work better at 40m than my end-fed 10m antenna. It would probably work on TX too but the low pass filter is probably ineffective.
Nothing has appeared on PSKreporter, although I can see many stations locally on my screen. Perhaps there is a delay or a reset is needed?
UPDATE 1310z: WSJT-X reset. Still no PSKreporter spots on 40m FT8 RX. Just looked on the "all bands" view and I can see my 40m RX spots - odd.
UPDATE 1401z: 51 stations spotted on 40m FT8 RX on the 20-10m QDX RX with the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground.
OFCOM updates
Just a reminder that OFCOM updates the information it holds every week. There is also a list of its publications. See the OFCOM website.
Dayton Hamvention - reminder
This is mid-May in Ohio USA. It is one of the biggest amateur radio gatherings in the world. It is often the place where major manufacturers announce new products, even if they are still some way off. I have never been. Let's hope Yaesu do not miss the boat again, or I fear curtains.
See https://hamvention.org/ .
Progress report
Some weeks ago, these were my aims. Some have been achieved.
Done
- Put Spectran software on the shack PC.
- Been on 80m and 160m with the earth-electrode "antenna".
- Local 481 THz tests.
Not done
- QRSS tests on 136 kHz.
- 481 THz QRSS tests with Spectran.
- Yet to restart 8m tests.
Trinity flowers - NOT amateur radio
These were the flowers on the path to Trinity College, Cambridge earlier this week. Last year we were too late.
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