UK politics - NOT amateur radio

The assumption is that the Labour party will win the next General Election and that the ruling Conservative party will be ousted. At the moment Labour enjoys a commanding lead.

In my view (often wrong!!) is it will be much closer in the end. Labour could even lose. It would not surprise me if the outcome is a hung parliament. Some years ago we all assumed the Labour party of Neil Kinnock would win. It did not.

12 months is a very long time in politics. The political landscape could rapidly change.

The leader of the Labour party, Sir Keir Starmer, seems an honest man, but lacking in charisma. Maybe the UK public is looking for a man with integrity? What is really needed is an honest leader, with integrity and charisma. These are qualities that seem in short supply, not only in the UK.

QDX reviews

The place to look for reviews of amateur gear is eham.net. I was quite surprised to see that the QRP labs QDX, which is a tiny 5W digital transceiver was only 4.2 out of 5. In my estimation, it is a 5 out of 5. It is truly tiny and if FT8 or WSPR are your "thing", you really need nothing else. I must write a review.

Some people have had trouble with PAs blowing. In my case I have 5 3A diodes to drop the voltage and always use it with an antenna with a low SWR.  I can see a problem with auto-ATUs which may present a bad match during tuning.

A 6m, 8m and 10m version would be good.

See https://www.eham.net/reviews/view-product?id=15155 .

UPDATE 0615z Monday:  Review written. 

Suffolk - NOT amateur radio

The Suffolk countryside is gentle and rolling.   It may lack some of the hills and coastlines of some counties, but I like it.

"Life's a bitch and then you die" - NOT amateur radio

Not sure where this phrase originated. It must be good to have a strong faith.

Recently my cousin died of jaw cancer having lost his only daughter in the last year. His wife was so upset that she told nobody of the funeral and there were only 3 people there (her sister, niece and herself). She must feel so alone and bereft. 

Nothing I can say will be able to make things better. Talk of a loving God and life everlasting seem hollow.

6m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

It is now 1105z and I have been on for about an hour.  So far, my 2.5W to the V2000 vertical omni has been spotted by  26 stations.

UPDATE 1340z: 29 stations have spotted me and I have spotted 28 stations with the furthermost EA8DBM (3016km). The Es would seem to be in the direction of Iberia (Spain and Portugal).

UPDATE 1600z: My signal has been spotted by 30 stations and I have spotted 33 here on RX.

European Es yesterday

Much of yesterday I was on 6m FT8. There was plenty of Es from all parts of the continent. 

The peak months are May, June and July, although Es can occur at any time of the year. 

With FT8, I suspect we will find out that many more openings occur than we were expecting.  Only a 15 second TX burst is needed for the station to appear on PSKreporter. Also FT8 works with signals weaker  than CW, so much weaker signals can be decoded. This alone is a good reason to stick with 6m outside the Es season.

Radio archive

Apparently the digital archive of all things radio has now archived 75000 items.

See https://blog.archive.org/2023/05/03/dlarc-75000/

Sunspots - Sunday July 16th 2023

 Solar flux is 179 and the SSN 96. A=8 and K=0.

Super DX on VHF and above

About now, JA and other Far East stations are worked from Western Europe on 6m. This is linked to noctilucent clouds that form at this time of year. It is pretty regular. 

Indications suggest the path could work on higher frequencies too. I have not been checking 6m FT8 until yesterday.

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

Lightning risks

At the moment in the UK, the lightning seems to be in Wales and the north of England according to the lightning map. Of course, things can change quite quickly. If the risk increases, everything gets disconnected.

6m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

My 2.5W to the vertical omni V2000 was turned on at 0830z. 3 UK spots so far. No RX spots yet.

UPDATE 0844z:  6 UK stations have spotted me. No Es here.

UPDATE 1040z: 21 stations have spotted me. There is Es about. Several stations now spotted on 6m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1720z: 84 spots of my 2.5W FT8 from all over Europe. 

Time to update the rig?

Wondering about upgrading my rig, but can't get on with these new fangled things, HI. 

Back in 2012

This was a few years before my stroke. It shows me working on a new 472kHz transverter in the back of the garage in our old house. 

Sunspots - Saturday July 15th 2023

Solar flux is 181 and the SSN 141. A=20 and K=2.

G3XBM Project Scrapbook - Issue 5

My free PDF "G3XBM Project Scrapbook"  is now at issue 5.  I hope to update all links to it.

If you spot errors, please tell me soon.

Pass it on - NOT amateur radio

This was one of my FaceBook memories from 2021. It means a lot to me. We are here for just a short time really.

6m QRP FT8 (Friday)

As my 8m antenna system is faulty, I am on 6m FT8 with 2.5W and the vertical omni V2000 antenna. The gear was turned on at 0850z.  Already spotted by CT1IUA (1814km) in S.Portugal so there is some Es about.

UPDATE 0916z:  Plenty of Es spots of my QRP from Portugal and Spain. Nothing yet on RX, which is surprising.

UPDATE 0939z: Still the same 10 stations spotting my 2.5W on TX and just G3RIK (224km) spotted on RX. Disappointing on RX.

UPDATE 1045z:  5 UK stations spotted on RX and I have been spotted by 14 stations (G, CT and EA).

UPDATE 1321z:  Still 14 stations spotting my 2.5W QRP FT8 and I have spotted 11 stations on RX. All these on RX were in the UK.

UPDATE 2026z:  24 stations have spotted me on 6m QRP FT8 today. Now QRT.

Old work colleagues - NOT amateur radio

 

Every month some old work colleagues meet up for a meal at a different place in the area. Last night, we met up in Ely.

Sunspots - Friday July 14th 2023

 Solar flux is 203 and the SSN 146  A=7 and K=3.

10m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

Stations spotting
my 2.5W FT8
at 1610z

It is now 1620z. I have been on 10m FT8 since before lunch. So far, 82 stations have spotted my 2.5W  including Brazil and Namibia. Just now I was spotted in Argentina.

Rally on Sunday

The following has been notified to me. I always advise checking first.

Sunday July 16th - McMichael Radio Rally. No postcode given. Contact  rally@radarc.org  .

Sunspots - Thursday July 13th 2023

Solar flux is 193 and the SSN 219. A=6 and K=1. 

10m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

So far today (I have only been on for about 45 minutes) 21 unique stations have spotted me according to PSKreporter.

UPDATE 1550z:  25 stations have spotted me. This looks like Es. On RX I have spotted 35 stations.

Amused - NOT amateur radio

This cartoon from many years ago amused me. It still does! 

Sunspots - Wednesday July 12th 2023

 Solar flux is 214 and the SSN 227 (high). A=8 and K=2. Pretty sure this is the highest this cycle. 

Swifts still here - NOT amateur radio

Certainly yesterday, most swifts (birds) were still here. Sometime soon, we will realise they have gone south until next spring. Au revoir.

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

My scrapbook must be updated

It is some time since I updated my G3XBM Project Scrapbook. This is available as a free PDF download. 

My last update was back in January. This page should always link to the latest available version. At the moment it is at Issue 4.

8m QRP FT8

It looks like I need to re-do the antenna and coax for 8m. Someone suggested, (Paul I think) that I might have water in the coax. If this is the case, the minimum would be to redo the coax. Not being great at all on ladders (!) this is easier said than done!

For now, I shall have to remain QRT on 8m, although I must get back on again before the autumn F2 season.

10m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

So far today, (at 1100z) my 2.5W has been spotted by 47 unique stations with the furthermost FR1GZ (9719km).

Stations spotting me at 1504z

UPDATE  1120z:  53 stations have spotted me.

UPDATE 1245z:  60 stations have spotted me.

UPDATE 1636z:  131 stations have spotted my 10m FT8 2.5W QRP.

Our garden in summer - NOT amateur radio

Usually, our grass turns brown about now. At the moment, it is still largely green as we have had a few useful showers. Our borders are mainly perennials with a few bedding plants to add colour. We are not keen gardeners. I usually cut the grass each week and water when needed.

Coax plug on V2000 vertical fixed

 Following Paul's suggestion, I ordered a PL259 plug and BNC adaptor. This seems to have been correctly fitted with a very low SWR on 6m, 2m and 70cm. All being well, I shall be on the CDARC 2m FM net on Wednesday evening at 8pm.

Sunspots - Tuesday July 11th 2023

Solar flux is 191 and the SSN 181.  A=5 and K=2.

Wild flowers - NOT amateur radio

These wild flowers are about 5m from our house. They are by the path to our local museum and windmill next door.

See https://burwellmuseum.org.uk/ .

10m QRP FT8 (Monday)

It is now 0806z. I have been on 10m QRP for about 15 minutes and already I have been spotted by 15 Europeans by what looks like Es. Nothing outside Europe spotted on 10m FT8 RX. My power is 2.5W.

UPDATE 1026z:  My QRP has been spotted by 74 unique stations around Europe. I have been spotted more times than I have spotted others! Es on 10m looks good.

Stations spotting my 2.5W
10m FT8 today to 1411z

UPDATED 1411z: 121 unique stations have spotted my 2.5W 10m FT8 today. Most look like Es.

Repairing the BNC on the coax to my V2000 vertical

Following Paul's suggestion I have ordered a 50 ohm PL259 plug and adapter to BNC. The soldering on the PL259 looks easier than the BNC plug. Parts are due Wednesday (I hope).

I think the 8m dipole and coax want replacing. I quite fancy trying a vertical halfwave.

UPDATE 0810z:  I have found an angled BNC plug. If my plug does not arrive by Wednesday, I shall try to fit this. I think it is a 50 ohm one.

Sunspots - Monday July 10th 2023.

Solar flux is 181 and the SSN 183. A=8 and K=1.

German postboxes? - NOT amateur radio

We were in Berlin for a week and had a great time. We posted just one physical postcard from the hotel sending our other friends a digital postcard with a collage picture we hoped they would enjoy.

In all our time there we did not see one postbox. 

I know they are yellow. If they were there, they were not obvious! I don't mind as it probably saved me many Euros in postage and postcards. Also, from abroad some postcards take ages. By email, they got them very quickly.

St Ninian's Isle, Shetland - NOT amateur radio

 

One of the people I follow posted this photo on 365project today. 

Shetland is the most northerly point in the British Isles. It is often subject to gales and colder weather than places further south.

2m Es (Sunday)

Stations spotted on 2m FT8 RX today 

My 2.5W FT8 to the big-wheel omni antenna was spotted by 2 stations in Italy, although no QSOs were managed. On RX, the furthermost was SV8PEX (2039km) on Corfu. A useful 2m Es opening. The station in Greece was very strong at +11dB S/N. 

40s day at local museum - NOT amateur radio

Today, our local museum had a "40s day". Many people dressed up in 40s clothes for the occasion. It was really well attended with lots of stalls, music and dancing.