As 500uW 10m WSPR was proving impossible, I turned on the beacon PA, so the output was 500mW. 7 stations have spotted me! It is so much easier at 500mW!
UPDATE 1105z: 13 stations have spotted me at 500mW.
UPDATE 1112z: 14 stations have now spotted my 500mW WSPR. 500uW seems too low unless conditions are exceptional, whereas 10mW seems far better. 500mW seems like really high power!
The following rally has been notified to me. Sorry but I do not have any contact details and always adise contacting before travelling far.
Sunday February 11th - MIDCARS Radioactive Rally, Nantwich, CW5 5DG
Yet again, I am on 10m WSPR with just 500uW (0.5mW). I am not really expecting spots again, as conditions have to be exceptionally good for this to work .... but you never know!!
UPDATE 1720z: No spots all day.
My 2.5W to the V2000 vertical omni antenna is turned on. After about an hour 2 stations have spotted me on FT8.
For us, it is a free guided bus ride from Cambridge of about 20 minutes. The guided bus uses the route of the old Cambridge-St Ives branch railway. The buses run quite fast on special concrete tracks in quiet countryside with no traffic.
This evening, I heard that Mr Netanyahu had rejected the truce proposals in Gaza. I am no expert on the history of the Middle East, but I am sure his response to the appalling events on October 7th will win him and Israel no friends. Until there is a fair and lasting settlement there can be no peace.
In the meantime innocents are killed or maimed. Sadness goes on. Surely the only fair outcome cannot be won by bullets and weapons.
What I find puzzling is why the USA and UK seem so pro Israel and passive about the people of Gaza. Surely the USA and UK should be working overtime to seek a just peace, or Israel never ever gets support in the future. Recognising Palestine would be a start.
At 1900z, the RSGB 2m FT8 activity contest is being held. Already, there is a contest on in Europe, so the 2m FT8 segment is already busy.
UPDATE 2042z: Over 50 stations in 6 countries spotted and several QSOs made.
As my 10m beacon is sending 500uW, my 2m big-wheel, FT817ND and PC are free, so I am on 2m QRP FT8 with 2.5W. G0LRD has a very useful on line grabber so I can see if my signal is clean.
As the solar conditions seem quite promising, I shall probably try 10m WSPR TX with my beacon PA turned off. I like a challenge! My first thing is to remove my attenuator soldered in line for 22m QRPP tests with the FT817ND.
UPDATE 1000z: My 10m WSPR TX beacon with the PA off was resynced to internet time at 0958z.
UPDATE 1810z: No spots. It would appear conditions have to be very good for this QRPP to work. It is far easier at 10mW!! As for 500mW - well that's QRO, HI.
Whatever views you hold on royalty, the announcement yesterday that the UK king has cancer was a shock. Hopefully it has been caught early and it can be cured with treatment. For many now this happens (it is cured) far more times than in the past when cancer felt like a death sentence.
One thing it reminds us all of is that life is finite. Whatever your views are on life after we die, our time on Earth is limited. In every moment there are things around us we have never noticed to be enjoyed. We are all reminded that there is beauty all around us if we look.
One of my Facebook memories reminds me of some of the STUPID language used by Google in its communication.
I quote:
Once again, I am trying my luck with low milliwatts WSPR on 13.5539MHz in the HiFer band using ISM restrictions. For the last 2 days I have been spotted in Europe, but not in the USA. Always hopeful!!
UPDATE 0944z: Spots by OE9GHV/Q (871km).
It’s some years since I did experiments at VLF. This was my first DX on 8.97kHz VLF.
Apart from a half-hearted attempt at decoding a SSTV (slow scan TV) picture on my smart phone many years ago, I have not really tried this mode. It sounds fun to try.
The best software looks like YONIQ which is a derivative of MMSSTV. I shall install this software unless anyone suggests anything better.
The maximum power I can run is 10W pep. I am not sure if I need more.
UPDATE 0842z: I have seen the comment yesterday by Bas about digital SSTV. I must investigate!
UPDATE 0955z: Before running, try walking! It looks like the first "baby steps" with SSTV should be trying to receive some images, both analogue and digitally. My first few days will be downloading suitable software and having a play.
My 10mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground was turned on at 2130z.
Again I am trying my luck on the HiFer band. No luck with being spotted in the USA although both OE and DC have spotted my QRPP.
As many know, I enjoy experimenting. In recent years, my health has not been too great, so I have been looking at things I can do from home rather than going out and about. In the past I have tried VLF and over the horizon ((NLOS) optical tests, both with great success.
My problem is I am running out of new things to try!
I have tried 500uW WSPR on 10m (best DX USA) , got to the Caribbean, USA, Canada and South Africa with 2.5W and a dipole on 8m FT8, 630m QRP WSPR (got to Finland) and have tried the 22m and 8m ISM bands with QRPP WSPR.
If you have any ideas, I'd like to hear from you. These are the criteria:
I am sure there must be things to have a go with. What I would really like is something "meaty" that needs doing. With plenty of time on my hands, things can spread over many months.
Some of the things I might try:
In a few moments I intend to have another go on 22m (HiFer band) with ISM power using WSPR. This evening my plan is to QSY to 630m QRP WSPR.
We must be simple beings as both are among the cheapest wines at our local supermarket!! The red wine is liked by both my sons too.
All this proves expensive wines are wasted on us!
My 10mW ERP WSPR from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground was turned on about 2036z. So far, the usual suspects have spotted me.
It seems to me that, when conditions are good, very little power is needed to be spotted on WSPR. I tried 10m WSPR with 500uW and was spotted in the USA. I tried running legal ISM powers on 22m and, again was spotted widely.
What's next?
From time to time I ask myself ultimate questions. As a teenager, I had quite a strong (if unconventional) Christian faith. These days I am far less sure. To me, I cannot square up the Christian faith with a vast universe. Life on Earth seems so tiny. Christianity seems so narrow.
I also cannot square that here on Earth what we believe seems to be an accident of where I live. If I was born in Saudi Arabia I might well have ended up a devout Muslim. If I was born in Israel, I would probably be Jewish. If born in Siberia, I would probably have no faith at all!
There are some mysteries than our human brains just cannot ever understand. My philosophy is try to leave this life making it a little better than we found it and do to others as you would have them do to you. Be kind to everyone.
Everyone is different and they must be free to believe as they want.
