SPAM - NOT amateur radio

My mail provider does a pretty good job of filtering SPAM messages out. Just occasionally (maybe 1 in 1000) it puts things in the SPAM folder that is not SPAM, so I try to check before deleting SPAM for good. If I have not replied to an email, it went in SPAM and I missed it. Do not be afraid to send it again! Usually I respond within 24 hours.

Recently, my most common SPAM is "unable to deliver package" or similar. If you just confirm your details we can send you the package (and no doubt send you a nasty virus as a free bonus!!). Thankfully, SPAM is not an issue.

8m QRP FT8 (Monday)

Es looks promising. 

My 8m FT8 gear (2.5W) was turned at about 0755z. So far, at 0813z, no spots.

UPDATE 1053z: Spots received from HC02 (1808km) and IU8CNE (1626km).

UPDATE 1921z: 3 stations spotted my 2.5W 8m QRP FT8 today.  On the whole, I am still being spotted by the same stations. Where is everyone? I was hoping many more would be on this Es season. Sadly, with a few exceptions, this is not the case.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Monday)

My 500mW WSPR beacon was turned on at about 0755z. So far, just spots from local G4KPX (14km).

UPDATE 1321z: 35 unique stations have spotted my 10m WSPR QRP so far today.

UPDATE 1344z: It is amazing just how strong signals via Es can be. Today, for example, one German station reported my 500mW at +5dB S/N. If his background noise was low, he would probably have received me at 0.5mW. My antenna is nothing special. Raising it a bit higher and with a CB beam I could probably raise my signal by 10dB. So he would probably have spotted me if I was using just 50uW!

UPDATE 1902z:  37 unique stations have spotted me today.

UPDATE 2002z:  38 stations have spotted me today on QRP 10m WSPR.

Sunspots - Monday June 19th 2023

Solar flux is 164 and the SSN 133.  A=10 and K=2.

8m disappointment

Compared with last summer, there would seem to be fewer stations transmitting on 8m. Many who are active know they can be spotted across Europe and far further by F2. It is also true that many may legally operate at 8m without a licence as long as applicable ISM rules are met. In the UK this means 10mW ERP. If this continues (low TX activity) I may go QRT on 8m until the autumn. 

Father's Day - NOT amateur radio

Today was Father's Day in the UK. I was bought a nice bottle of wine by one of my son's as the photo shows. 

8m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

Although I have been active since this morning, nothing has appeared on PSKreporter. HC02 (1808km) in Portugal says he has spotted me for over 10 minutes.

UPDATE 1658z: Just HC02 (1808km) spotting me today.

10m QRP WSPR (Sunday)

Stations spotting me to 1415z Sunday

Yesterday 10m was dreadful with no spots at all. 

Today is much better with 14 unique stations spotting my 500mW QRP WSPR beacon.  Several of these have copied me very strongly.

UPDATE 1656z: 17 spots so far. The Es seems to have diminished, but I am being spotted by F2.

Sunspots - Sunday June 18th 2023

 Solar flux is 158 and the SSN 110. A=8 and K =2.

Old friend - NOT amateur radio

We have just returned home from near Hereford where we stayed with an old school friend of my wife. The photo shows my wife with one of our hosts.

10m WSPR QRP TX (Saturday)

Since returning home mid afternoon, I have been on 10m QRP WSPR TX. So far, no spots which surprises me. 

Return to 8m FT8 QRP (Saturday)

As you may have realised, I have been away for a few days. 

On my return I have been on 8m FT8 TX on 40.680 with my 2.5W and a low wire dipole. A couple of spots from Spain. I shall go QRT at bedtime. 

Sunspots - Saturday June 17th 2023

Solar flux is 157 and the SSN 120. A=38 and K=2.

Hay on Wye - NOT amateur radio

Hay is right on the boundary between Wales and England. It is famous for its bookshops. The last time I was in Hay was at least 12 years ago. Happily despite the pandemic, it seems much the same. 

Rallies this weekend

The following rallies are due to take place this weekend. As always I advice contacting the organisers to check details.

Sunday June 18th - Bangor and District ARS. Contact MI0OBR. 

Sunday June 18th - East Suffolk Wireless Revival, Ipswich, IP10 0PW. Contact Kevin 07710 046846. 

Sunspots - Friday June 16th 2023

 Solar flux is 153 and the SSN 112. A=24 and K=5.

Museum visitors - NOT amateur radio

As I have mentioned before we live right next door to a fully restored windmill. Seven years ago a party arrived by charabang

Sunspots - Thursday June 15th 2023

 Solar flux is 144 and the SSN 107. A=5 and K

Sibling reunion: 20th time - NOT amateur radio

Amazingly, my wife has met up with her brothers and their wives on 20 occasions over 22 years. Until a couple of years ago we took it in turns to host but now we meet up in hotels. This year we met in Hereford. 

8m Q65 tests

 Yesterday I tried some slow Q65 modes with G0KTN. Sadly these too were unsuccessful. 

Oscar 100 - worst yet?

A few days ago I monitored Oscar 100 at European breakfast time and there was ZERO activity!! OK this may be a poor time but nobody at all? I was shocked. 

Sunspots - Wednesday June 14th 2023

 Solar flux is 146 and the SSN 98.  A=6 and K=2. 

Hereford Cathedral - NOT amateur radio

 

This is a photo of Hereford Cathedral. 

8m Q65 experiment failure

My overnight Q65 8m 30A tests overnight with G0KTN failed. I may try another test at a longer TX mode with higher weak signal ability. This will be of a shorter duration overall. 

Sunspots - Tuesday June 13th 2023

 Solar flux is 146 and the SSN 116. A=6 and K=1. 

8m Q65 30A tests overnight

This is a mode I have never tried. Overnight I am doing some tests with G0KTN.  Q65 takes fragments of messages and uses these to build up the message. For these tests the power will be 2.5W. I have no idea if it will work.

UPDATE 2115z: No spots. 

European Es (Monday)

At the moment, Es in Europe is mainly in the east. Things can change quite quickly, so we will see how the day develops.

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

UPDATE 1836z: Things are looking more promising with widespread Es on 6m. Currently I am doing some 8m WSPR QRPP tests at 10mW with HC02 (1808km) in Portugal.  No spots all day.

Blacksmith - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday, our local museum had a free open day.  One of the things was a blacksmith working in the forge. The photo shows some of the things he has made.

6m super DX

At this time of year 6m opens regularly from Europe to the Far East. For a VHF band, this is a very long way. The propagation seems to be linked with the formation of noctilucent clouds in the mesosphere. The best times are in the early morning. As far as I know, this path opens regularly at the end of June into July.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/super-dx

More Google rubbish - NOT amateur radio

This morning I received a second email about Google Adsense. I am none the wiser!! Why can't they write in plain English instead of  crappery? 

8m ISM WSPR tests

Assuming the Es looks promising, I hope to try 8m WSPR using 10mW ERP to replicate those who may beacon legally in the ISM band in the UK without a licence as long as the rules are met. 

Probably I will use a different callsign for these tests that will get reported to WSPRnet. If you can monitor, please do so.

UPDATE 0742z:  On QRPP 8m WSPR at 10mW ERP. 

UPDATE 0950z:  No spots.

Sunspots - Monday June 12th 2023

Solar flux is 154 and the SSN 116. A=9 and K=2.

8m QRPP WSPR (Sunday)

Having got decent results from Portugal on 8m FT8, I have just switched to 8m WSPR with 5mW. You never know.  Probably I shall also be on 8m 5mW WSPR tomorrow. If anyone at all spots me, I expect to be weak!  If 5mW makes it, 10mW ERP, the ISM limit in the UK without a licence will definitely make it. The main issue on 8m is there are too few RX stations widely spread. Also the 120 seconds for WSPR is quite a long time when conditions are up and down.

Remember, these are ISM research beacons and not the Amateur Radio Service. The experiment is to find out how far away ISM beacons can be spotted, not 2-way communications. This is an interesting experiment.

Even if  you do not have an 8m antenna, have a go with whatever antenna you have.

UPDATE 1940z: 2 WSPR spots by HC02 (1808km) of my 5mW 8m WSPR. Hugh was wrongly reporting this as 6m to WSPRnet. If 5mW WSPR can make it, then 3dB more without a licence can definitely make it!

Too late! - NOT amateur radio

This collared dove was having a welcome drink from our bird bath. Just as I was getting my camera ready, it flew away!

8m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

At the moment I am on 8m  FT8 using 2.5W and a dipole. G9EFE is active with 10mW FT8 from IO91 square. Not spotted yet.

UPDATE 1655z: No spots on TX or RX.

UPDATE 1756z: Just spotted by HC02 (1808km) in Portugal. Now trying 5mW 8m WSPR.

10m QRPP FT8 (Sunday)

After starting out with 5mW and getting 6 spots quickly, I am now using 1mW FT8 on 10m as an experiment. I'll check spots at 1mW later. If this is too easy, I shall try QRPP on 8m WSPR.

UPDATE 0900z: No spots so far on 10m FT8 at 1mW. I suspect this is really too low on FT8. For most stations this is below the noise floor or below the decode threshold.

UPDATE 1417z: Much to my amazement, just 1mW of 10m FT8 has resulted in 2 spots this morning from France and Spain.  QRPP rocks!! 

Plans for today (Sunday)

My current plan is to try 10m FT8 with 5mW. Based on the 10m QRPP WSPR I might get some spots.

Two-way or one-way?

In the past, many got into amateur radio because it allowed social contact with like minded people anywhere in the world. To some, this is still the most important aspect of our hobby. However, to others it is not important to have two-way contacts. What matters is the propagation and FT8 or WSPR are perfectly fine. 

What is clearly the case is fewer enter the hobby these days for the social aspect as there are many free and better ways to talk across the planet with people of like minds using the internet. 

I have no idea of the future, but the magic that got most of us interested is different today.

Our hobby is changing. 

Sunspots - Sunday June 11th 2023

Solar flux is 161 and the SSN 116. A=5 and K=2.

Church Fête - NOT amateur radio

We have not had a church fete since 2019 because of Covid. Today we had one in glorious sunshine. It is was a real village affair and well attended.