Sucker for punishment? 10m QRPP WSPR (Wednesday)

 Yet again I am on 10m WSPR with 500uW (0.5mW). 

UPDATE 1431z:  No spots. At the moment, I get spotted on this tiny power a few times a week.

USA puzzle - NOT amateur radio

The USA puzzles me. It looks likely that the biggest democratic country will be led for 4 more years by two very old men (both are years older than me!). 

What puzzles me is why can't the USA find a younger set of candidates? Surely, in the USA there are some charismatic younger potential leaders. 

This must say a lot about the people of the USA. Individually, every American I have met has been kind, warm and generous.

King's Parade, Cambridge - NOT amateur radio

Occasionally the sun does shine in an English winter, although we have had far more rain than normal. Please don't say we have a hosepipe ban this summer!  

The photo shows King's Parade on Monday when the sun was shining. King's College is out of shot on the left and the church is Great St Mary's, the university church.

630m QRP WSPR overnight

 

23 stations spotted my 10mW ERP 630m WSPR in the last day and overnight (see map from wspr.rocks by VK7JJ) with the furthermost again OH1LSQ (1733km).

Sunspots- Wednesday February 21st

 Solar flux is 153 and the SSN 50. A=6 and K=0.

Mild, wet winter? - NOT amateur radio

In this part of the UK we are on track for a very wet and mild winter. Things can change. Daffodils are out early. Unless things dramatically alter, we are unlikely to see snow. Perhaps as the world warms this is how it is going to be?

22m ISM band WSPR receive - the so called hifer band (Tuesday)

It is my view following emails with OFCOM that in the UK we are all free to experiment on the ISM bands without a licence or callsign as long IR2030 and any other rules are followed. We have to cause no undue interference and must accept any interference. 

In the UK, this band is mainly used for RFID tags and short ranges. In the UK on this band the power limit is 10mW ERP. Clearly it helps if you use a unique callsign that WSPRnet can use so you can see where your QRPP signal is being received.

On 10m, I have gone QRT and moved to the hifer ISM band at 22m, RX only.  I am monitoring 13.5539MHz WSPR, as always hopefully. 

Pretty sure than those that can transmit are limited to mW powers.

I am not sure what time is optimum to spot USA station on this band.

500uW 10m WSPR (Tuesday)

Yet again, my beacon is on with the PA off.  The output is 500uW (0.5mW).  No spots today, but I shall stick with it and see what today brings. 

In the last few weeks I have only been spotted by 2 stations at this tiny power.

Above politics - NOT amateur radio

When I was first on HF, I recall talking to many stations in the old USSR. Their background and politics were very different, but it did not matter: we were all united by our interest in radio. 

That is one of the things that I like about our hobby.  We can rise above politics. All systems of living have faults - capitalism is meant to encourage people to be resilient. Communism is meant to share wealth equally.

In the end, we are all just humans, with weaknesses. Not one of us is perfect.

Whatever our views on politics and religion, we must all do to others as we would wish them to do to us. Kindness and fairness.

It is very easy to think we are always right and others are wrong. In reality, we are usually all wrong!

6m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

My 2.5W FT8 to the V2000 vertical omni antenna is on. I was surprised to be called by 7S2A. We were unable to complete the QSO as he faded out.

Bookshops - NOT amateur radio

We live near Cambridge which used to have lots of bookshops when I first came in 1970.  These days most people buy books online: these are usually less expensive as there is no need to have a physical shop. Habits are changing and most of us are guilty. 

I miss just thumbing through a book, then deciding whether to buy or not. Bookshops must be struggling, like most retailers.

Many second hand book shops have turned to online. 

SDRplay SDRs

SDRplay has just introduced a replacement for the RSP1A called the RSP1B. This is in a metal case and is supposed to have a number of improvements. 

The older version was in a metallised plastic case and had rave reviews on eHam.com. It covers 1kHz to 2GHz and uses a 14 bit receiver.

SDRs do most of the signal processing in software. If you have a PC, these easily out-perform receivers of years ago. Being software defined, this can simplify the hardware design. Rigs with SDR receivers are usually less expensive and complex with much of the "hard stuff" done in software.

630m QRP WSPR overnight

 

In the last 12 hours, 23 stations have spotted my 10mW ERP WSPR on 630m. Nobody was over 1000km.

Sunspots - Tuesday February 20th

 Solar flux is 152 and the SSN 64.  A=3 and K=2.

6m QRP FT8 (Monday)

 A few moments ago (at about 1554z) my QRP 6m FT8 (2.5W and a V2000 vertical omni) was turned on. So far (at 1605z) spotted by just 1 G.

UPDATE  1738z:  Spotted by 4 Gs.

500uW 10m WSPR success again

 My 500uW (0.5mW) 10m WSPR TX was spotted by EA8BFK (2880km) this afternoon,

Turing statue - NOT amateur radio

This statue in honour of WW2 code breaker Alan Turing is in King’s College in Cambridge. 

It is in a really obscure place and should be moved so visitors can appreciate it. I only took it by walking in areas the general public cannot access. Why not put it where people walk?

Granddaughter's photo - NOT amateur radio

 

This photo was taken by one of our granddaughter's last week.

It gets better and better on 630m WSPR!

In the last day and overnight, 33 stations have spotted my 10mW ERP WSPR from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground, with spots from Finland yet again. This was even better than yesterday.

Sunspots - Monday February 19th

 Solar flux is 157 and the SSN 84. A=6 and K=1.

630m QRP WSPR (Sunday)

My 630m 10mW ERP WSPR from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground has been on since 1930z. So far, spotted by 11 stations (see table). Furthermost is EI0CF (602km).

UPDATE  2036z: In the last 2 weeks 50 stations have spotted me.

Yaesu: multi-band, multi-mode, portables - gone?

Just now, I took another look at the Yaesu, Japan website. The FT818 has gone and is no longer shown. Many have been waiting for years and years for a decent successor to the FT817. It never came.

There can be several reasons:

• Yaesu is of the view there is too little profit as the competition is now high.
• They are working on a successor.
• They are thinking (...zzz), but have not decided what to do.

In my view, there is a market gagging for a decent product. Yaesu has the skills to make a good product. They have shown this with the FT710. 

We are on the downward slope (probably) of the solar cycle. This really is their last chance.

Yaesu - wake up!!

10m QRPP WSPR (Sunday)

Yes, I know - don't say it!! Yet again I am trying 500uW (0.5mW) 10m WSPR.  Conditions are probably not good enough.

UPDATE 2030z:  No spots all day. I tried!

6m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

This morning, I am on QRP 6m FT8 with 2.5W and the V2000 vertical omni antenna. One QSO with G0PQO (90km).

UPDATE 1132z:   9 English stations have spotted me this morning.

UPDATE 1444z:   13 English stations have spotted me. No DX noticed here today.

Best QRP 630m WSPR session

 

39 stations spotted me including Norway and Finland.

Sunspots - Sunday February 18th

 Solar flux is 170 and the SSN 100.  A=4 and K=2.

SpectrumView app -137kHz QRSS3?

Many years ago I downloaded this free app on my Apple Touch. I see it is available for the iPhone too, so I have downloaded it. It is a spectrum analyser for audio frequencies and you can record up to about 150 seconds of audio on a spectrogram depending on the settings. 

I was thinking of trying this on QRSS3 with my 137kHz beacon locally. It would take the audio from the FT817 and produce an audio spectrogram. I am not quite sure how I shall do this yet.

 

The app is created by Oxford Wave Research Ltd. It is a most useful app and highly rated. I last used an earlier version in 2013, so I have to re-learn it and see any changes made. 

I was quite surprised to still find it, wondering if the company had long gone. The app is still free.

See the Apple app store for details.

It is not available as an Android app as far as I can tell.

Weekend treat - NOT amateur radio

At the weekends, I have a cooked breakfast as shown in the photo.

10m QRPP WSPR (Saturday)

 My 500uW (0.5mW) WSPR beacon is on again, but no spots this morning.

UPDATE 1815z:   No spots all day.

What are these? - NOT amateur radio

We saw these at Hare Park, Chippenham, near Cambridge. They are wooden, not stone, objects. They are about 3m from the tree. If they are part of the tree roots, they are odd.

630m QRP WSPR overnight

The last day and overnight was the best this season with my 10mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. 24 stations spotted me including 3 spots by OH1LSQ (1733km). Earlier it was 29 spots!

Sunspots - Saturday February 17th

 Solar flux is 169 and the SSN 97. A=4 and K=0.

630m QRP WSPR (Friday)

Today, I am sticking with 10mW ERP 630m WSPR. Surprisngly, 5 English stations have spotted me in just the last hour.

UPDATE 2140z:  17 stations have spotted me.

UPDATE  2148z:  22 stations have spotted me with the furthermost a station in Germany.

500uW 10m WSPR (Friday)

 Yet again, I am trying my luck with 500uW (0.5mW) 10m WSPR. In the last week, just 2 spots!

UPDATE 1137z: I guess the moral is don't give up! I was just about to give up with 500uW when I was spotted by OH6BG (1718km). So, I shall stick with 500uW 10m WSPR for the rest of the day.

UPDATE 1602z:  No further spots.

Proud granddad - NOT amateur radio

Earlier in the week, we visited nearby Anglesey Abbey with one of our granddaughters. The snowdrops are a picture, but they are now past their best. Next it will be daffodils.

Metal plate photo - NOT amateur radio

When clearing my mum’s home after she died some years ago, we came across this hand tinted metal plate that I had never seen before. It probably dates from the 1800s and may show one of my ancestors.

630m QRP WSPR overnight

 

This was my best night this season with 27 stations spotting my 10mW ERP from the earth-electrode “antenna” in the ground in the last day. No great DX but a good session.

Sunspots- Friday February 16th

 Solar flux is 178 and the SSN 151. A=4 and K=0.

Gaza-Israel conflict - NOT amateur radio

Whilst I fully understand the feelings of disbelief over the events of October 7th, I am dismayed by Israel's response in Gaza and the West Bank.

As an outsider, it is hard to think Israel's actions are not war crimes.  Countless innocent women and children have been killed or maimed and made homeless. Tell me, surely this will make many people hate Israel for decades to come?

In my view, the only fair and enduring peace has to be based on justice for all and mutual recognition. I have friends who are Jewish and friends who are Muslim.

Peace..... for the sake of ordinary people, please.

6m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

My 2.5W to the V2000 vertical omni antenna has been on 6m FT8 for a couple of hours. So far, 4 spots of me by English stations.

UPDATE 1725z:  Still just 4 stations spotting me. QSYing to 630m QRP WSPR soon.