4m - underused

Yesterday I went on 4m for the activity contest and on FT8.

My conclusion is 4m is underused, at least outside the Es season. If you are thinking about getting on 4m you might be disappointed. 

Sunspots - Friday May 19th 2023

Solar flux is 151 and the SSN 121. A=3 and K=0.

6m FT8 (Thursday)

Quite late (1945z) I QSYed to 6m FT8.  Just 5 Gs spotting me. 

Stations spotting me on
6m FT8 this evening

UPDATE 2045z:  15 Gs have spotted me so far this evening. I am using the V2000 vertical omni antenna. It is interesting that these stations across England can spot my 20W to the vertical V2000 omni antenna. I guess this is  the normal range that can be expected.

4m FT8 (Thursday)

Whilst waiting for the 4m activity contest to start I went on 4m FT8. G3WCS (223km) spotted me pretty well. even though I was using the low 8m dipole via the auto-ATU in the rig.

After proving the rig/antenna worked OK on 4m SSB, I have returned to 4m FT8. At the moment just G3WCS is copying me.

UPDATE 1951z:  When I checked back on SSB activity later, I could copy few stations, so I went back to 4m FT8. Just G3WCS spotting me, so I QSYed to 6m FT8.

8m QRP WSPR (Thursday)

At about 1550z, I changed to 8m WSPR. I am running 2W on 40.680 MHz (20% RX, DF about 1550 Hz in the WSPR window). Already spotted by HC02 (1808km) in S.Portugal quite well. Nobody spotted on RX. I shall probably be on until about 1845z.

UPDATE 1724z:  8 spots so far from HC02. Getting weaker now.

Rallies

The following rallies are due this weekend. I always advise checking before going far.

Sunday May 21st - RetrotechUK. Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Coventry, CV8 3FL. Contact jezzer3@hotmail.com

Sunday May 21st - Dunstable Downs Radio Club Annual Rally, Luton (No postcode or contact details given).

4m UKAC tonight

 As you can tell, I seem to back losers!! A reminder that the 4m activity contest is on tonight starting at 1900z (8pm UK clock time). I hope to come on and maybe work someone. 

Oh look, there goes another flying pig! 😁

10m QRP WSPR TX (Thursday)

 On 10m QRP (500mW) WSPR TX. Spots look like local and F2 so far.

UPDATE 1058z:   Still 5 unique station spots of my QRP. Let's hope for some Es soon.

See https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/radio-propagation-maps/europe-sporadic-e/ .

UPDATE 1537z:    It looks like we are seeing (at last) a widespread Es opening in Europe.

8m FT8 (Thursday)

At about 0805z, my QRP FT8 was turned on (40.680 TX first, DF about 1950 Hz). Some Es around, so a bit hopeful. See https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/radio-propagation-maps/europe-sporadic-e/ .

UPDATE 1101z:   No spots.

See also: https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/radio-propagation-maps/8m-40mhz-spot-band/ for 8m spots.

UPDATE 1543z: At last, HC02 (1808km) is spotting my QRP 8m FT8. This is my first report for several days. We have decent Es propagation at last. Nobody else is spotting me sadly.

Kite (bird) seen again

20 years ago seeing a red kite from the kitchen window in East Anglia would have been unheard of. Then they were reintroduced around the country and they are a common sight near busy roads. Yesterday at breakfast we were treated looking out the window - a kite flying over nearby allotment gardens.

Look for the forked tail.

See https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/red-kite/ .

European Es

Early indications suggest Es might be better today. 

See https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/radio-propagation-maps/europe-sporadic-e/ .

My plan is to go on 8m FT8 (40.680 TX first, DF about 1950 Hz) again, as well as 10m WSPR QRP TX.

I hope to get some 8m spots again after a quiet spell!

Sunspots - Thursday May 18th 2023

 Solar flux is 138 and the SSN 106. A=4 and K=1.

10m 500mW WSPR TX (Wednesday)

My W5OLF 10m WSPR beacon was turned on about 0905z. So far (at 0915z) no spots.

UPDATE 1541z:  Most of my spots today look like locals or via F2, with an absence of Es.

UPDATE 1600z: Some signs (at last!) of some Es.

UPDATE 1645z:  I am tempted to try with a much smaller ERP. I might try 10mW ERP and see what reports result. I need to make an external attenuator for the FT817ND. Maybe tomorrow. I cannot use my 10m WSPR beacon as it is pre-loaded with 0.5W and cannot be changed.

UPDATE 2120z:  QRT on a day when we did not see Es here. Well, maybe one Italian was briefly Es. In all, 8 unique station spots today.

8m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

Not quite sure why, but I have a better feeling about today. 

My QRP 8m FT8 was turned on 40.680 MHz at about 0905z. DF is about 1950 Hz as usual and I am on TX in the first period.

UPDATE 1310z:  Still no 8m FT8 spots. Es has been poor and I was expecting better.

UPDATE 1804z:  Still no spots for days on 8m FT8. This is dire. It looks if my "better feeling" was a bit premature!

UPDATE 2121z:  QRT after another disappointing day.

Goldfinches - NOT amateur radio

These small birds seem to be the most common small bird around here. They can often be seen or heard nearby. They happen to be very colourful too. At a guess, they are the most colourful garden bird in the UK.

See https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/goldfinch/ .

4m activity contest (UKAC)

Unless I have my dates mixed up, the RSGB organised 4m activity contest is this Thursday evening. Last month I forgot! It starts at 1900z (8pm UK clock time).

So far, I have been disappointed by activity levels on 4m, so I hope it is better  for the UKAC. Maybe more people pop up in the Es season. I live in hope.

Assuming I remember (must put alarm on, HI) I shall give it a go.

Norwich Market - NOT amateur radio

This was Norwich Market on Monday. They had interesting mushrooms and tomatoes on sale. 

Wednesday plans

My current plan is to go on 10m WSPR QRP TX and 8m QRP FT8. I am hoping the Es improves!! 

Devon lunch 2016 - NOT amateur radio

This was our lunch in 2016. Ivor Dewdney made the best pasties. I think they survived the pandemic. I can taste them now! 

What is reality? - NOT amateur radio

Several times in the last few months I have had very vivid dreams. These dreams were so vivid that I managed to confuse dreams and reality. The latest was of a hedge trimmer. In the dream, I could not remember getting it. Yesterday afternoon I looked in the garage to try to find it! Of course, it was not there.

Sporadic-E (Es)

So far, this has been a disappointing Es season. Things hopefully will change, but 8m has been very disappointing so far. By now, I was hoping for openings most days. 

UPDATE 1732z:  At the moment there seems to be a good Es opening in Eastern Europe. See https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/radio-propagation-maps/europe-sporadic-e/ for G7IZU's excellent website.

Sunspots - Wednesday May 17th 2023

Solar flux is 134 and the SSN 106. A=8 and K=1.

Distant Konik ponies - NOT amateur radio

We saw these in the distance on our a walk to Wicken Fen at the weekend. They are used to keep the grass short, naturally.

Cow parsley - NOT amateur radio

This field in Burwell is full of cow parsley at those time of year. 

Eddystone EC10 receivers

From time to time these still appear on auction sits like eBay, commanding ridiculous prices. As a young person these were highly coveted. In reality they were unbelievably poor. These days a low cost SDR dongle offers far superior performance for far less than the 1968 new price!

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/commercial-rigs/eddystone-ec10 .

Keeping an eye on Es in Europe

Following Hugh's (HC02) suggestion, I am now looking at this map of 8m Es in Europe.

See https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/radio-propagation-maps/8m-40mhz-spot-band/

On the same site is this map showing live Es data for other bands. I get the feeling 8m Es could be promising later.

See https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/radio-propagation-maps/europe-sporadic-e/ .

10m 500mW WSPR TX (Tuesday)

My beacon was turned on at about 0820z. 

UPDATE 0924z:   So far just local spots.

UPDATE 1326z:  3 unique spots so far with the furthermost being deep in the Indian Ocean.

UPDATE 1903z:   7 unique spots today. I do not think there was any Es today.

UPDATE 2040z:  QRT.

Royal Gloucester Bell - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday we went to the exhibition at Norwich Castle Museum of the Royal Gloucester ship. This is the ship's bell. 

8m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

As I was not on the air yesterday, I intend to go on 8m FT8 later. As the 10m antenna is available I will be on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW too. 

UPDATE 0927z:  Gear turned on about 0820z. No spots on RX or TX.

UPDATE 2044z:   QRT. It is now some days since I have had any spots on 8m FT8. Es seems to have been poor so far this season.

Sunspots - Tuesday May 16th 2023

Solar flux is 135 and the SSN 103. A=6 and K=1.  Numbers look back to normal.

No amateur radio today

Today we went on the train to Norwich where we met my wife's brother and his wife. We treated them to high tea as it was their 50th wedding anniversary. We also went to Norwich Castle to see a special exhibition on HMS Gloucester which sank off the Norfolk coast in the 1600s. 

So, no amateur radio today!! It is a tough life, but someone had to eat it 😉😋

Where I come from in South Devon - NOT amateur radio

The photo shows where I come from in South Devon. It was a Facebook memory from a few days ago. 

12 years ago on 137 kHz

 

This was my 50uW LF signal 12 years ago. 

Sunspots - Monday May 15th 2023

Solar flux is 140 and the SSN 109. A=8 and K=1.

Leaving 8m?

Never thought I would say this, but I am seriously thinking of quitting 8m. 

I thought this would be the year when lots of stations would come on 8m. This could either be at very low power under ISM rules without a licence or by gaining temporary permission from a national authority, perhaps for the Es season or until the next solar peak has passed. At the moment (I may be wrong) it looks like just the old faces are active with few new people.

This next week is critical. Unless I see many more coming on to 8m TX, I think my experiment has to close for now, sadly. My only "new" thing will be working more stations or getting FT8 reports.

If I leave 8m, I shall concentrate on 10m FT8 QRP.  I may also try FT8 on 4m during the Es season.

10m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

At about 1300z I QSYed to 10m FT8 with 2.5W. 8m seemed hopeless. My QRP has been spotted by a local and I have spotted 3 stations so far. 

UPDATE 1542z:   As there was a little bit (I think) of 10m Es, I have gone QRT on 10m and QSYed to 8m QRP FT8 ever hopeful. Several spots on RX and on TX (2.5W) 3 spots including a couple of Italians.

Yesterday's walk - NOT amateur radio

 

Yesterday we walked to Wicken Fen passing this boat.

BBC Weather - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday, the cloud was meant to burn back to reveal the sun and light clouds according to the BBC weather app. It was cloudy all day. 

Today (according to the BBC), the cloud should have again burnt back to reveal the sun by now. Of course, it is still cloudy. 

Sorry, but as a forecast it is hopeless!! 

OK the UK weather is complicated, I know, but if you are unable to make an accurate forecast, just don't bother and I shall just look out of the window.

BBC =  better by cod (i.e. with a wet fish).

UPDATE 1046z:  Sun has appeared!

10m WSPR TX with 500mW

At 0630z my QRP 10m TX beacon was turned on.

UPDATE 1040z:  No spots. 

UPDATE 1633z:   On 10m QRP WSPR again, but just spots by local G4KPX (14km).

UPDATE 1905z:   DX today (actually the ONLY station spotting me!) was G4KPX (14km). All in all, a really awful day. Tomorrow has to be better!

UPDATE 2045z: QRT.

8m early start

At 0629z my QRP 8m FT8 was turned on. This is far earlier than normal.

UPDATE 1047z:  No spots.  It is now days since I have copied anyone or anyone has copied me on 8m FT8!  By now, I was expecting daily, good, Es. Conditions have been disturbed, but I was hoping for better. At the moment, 2023 is less promising than 2022. I shall stick with it a bit longer.

UPDATE 1150z:  Still no spots. Unless I get some spots by 1300z, I propose to QSY to 10m QRP FT8.

UPDATE 1540z:  As there was (I think) a bit of Es on 10m, I have gone back on 8m FT8 QRP, ever hopeful. No spots.

UPDATE 1625z:  Disappointed. Been on 8m FT8 much of the day, but with no success on RX or TX. I shall stick with it until dark, but seriously poor. What disappoints me most is the apparent lack of interest by Gs to, what could be, a really interesting part of the spectrum. Unless things seriously improve, I suspect I can learn little more. I was hoping for lots of interest this spring/summer. It would appear people prefer talking about fish tanks on 40m with commercial rigs than real research👎👎

UPDATE 2050z:  QRT.