RSP1B SDR RX

SDRs is one area of our hobby not really explored. A few days ago I purchased the SDRplay RSP1B. 

It was connected up briefly yesterday after downloading the software, which was very straightforward. It is good being able to cover 1kHz to 2GHz with the SDR. 

I think there may be some noise from the PC getting into the RX, so I may add some ferrite chokes to the USB cable later. Watch this space!

UPDATE 1142z:   I am surprised by the number of artifacts. Adding chokes made no difference to LF/MF noise floor, so noise must be external.  I tried several antennas. Next thing to try is a sensitivity test on various bands using the FT817ND and the same antenna each time.

UPDATE 1232z:  Tested 70cm sensitivity comparing the strength of the Leicester beacon. On my 2m big-wheel omni antenna this is just on the noise level on the FT817ND. It was much the same on the RSP1B with the same antenna. This suggests the 70cm sensitivity is similar. Next is to try the Kent beacon on the two rigs on 2m.

UPDATE 1550z: Still learning, but 6m, 2m and 70cm beacons copied OK. Nice seeing whole bands at a time.

UPDATE 1812z:  Would I recommend it? It is great to see the whole way from 1kHz to 2GHz and to be able to just click on a signal.  If you do not have a general coverage RX, probably yes. Otherwise I am not sure. I need to learn more!!

10m QRPP WSPR again (Saturday and Sunday)

After success on Friday, my 500uW (0.5mW) beacon is on again with the PA turned off. It was also on Saturday with no spots all day.

UPDATE 1825z:   No spots. I think another day has passed with no spots.

Sunspots - Sunday February 25th

 Solar flux is 179 and the SSN 106. A=7 and K=3.

630m QRP WSPR overnight

 

In the last 12 hours 27 stations have spotted my 10mW ERP including some useful DX (see table).

Our amaryllis plants - NOT amateur radio

 Over the dreary winter months these help to brighten things up. Even better with a blue sky!

UK amateur license changes

Whilst I understand recent OFCOM changes to the UK amateur radio licenses, I am disappointed that power levels have been increased. Having worked all over the world with 10W pep SSB many years ago and now with even better modes like FT8 available, why do we need more power? 1kW linears are VERY expensive, re-enforcing the message that amateur radio needs deep pockets for rigs, linears, towers and beams. 

As I hope I have shown, deep pockets and high power are definitely NOT needed to have fun or work the world. I hope more stick with foundation licenses!! You can work the world, and have far more fun, for the cost of a few pints of beer or a good night out.  

You definitely do not need to spend much money or run loads of power!!

Sunspots -Saturday February 24th

 Solar flux is 173 and SSN 116. A=3 and K=0.

630m QRP WSPR (Friday)

 

In the last 12 hours (see table) 22 stations have spotted my 10mW ERP WSPR.

Patience pays off -10m QRPP WSPR

After several days with no 500uW (0.5mW) 10m WSPR spots of me, today I was spotted 4 times. I was not expecting this. My beacon is pre-programmed to report 500mW even though with the PA off it is 500uW (0.5mW).

What do modes sound like?

Someone on the Cambridge Club (CDARC) email list posted this useful link.

See https://www.sigidwiki.com/wiki/Category:Amateur_Radio .

630m QRP WSPR overnight

 

In the last day and overnight, 20 stations have spotted my 10mW ERP 630m WSPR.

Gaza-Israel conflict - NOT amateur radio

This conflict continues to trouble me. 

It would seem that Israel is dead set against journalists going into Gaza to see things for themselves. They continue to drive the people of Gaza (including women and children) to hunger and thirst using the horrific events of October 7th by Hamas as their reason.

I only wish peace and mutual respect. This requires compromise on both sides.  

Both Hamas and Israel have done things wrong. Both will be judged by history.

Sunday Rallies

 The following have been notified to me. Usual caveats apply about checking before going far.

Sunday February 25th - British Vintage Wireless Society , Biggleswade, SG18 8JH. Contact secretary@bvws.org.uk .

Sunday February 25th - Red Rose Winter Rally, Leigh, WN7 2PJ. Contact lesjackson@ntlworld.com .

What is reality? - NOT amateur radio

This term I am attending (via Zoom) a series of lectures on the formation of the brain. Once we thought of our eyes like cameras and the brain interprets reality. It turns out this is totally wrong. This led me to a TED talk. It is quite short, but fascinating. I commend it to you.

‘The space-time continuum is a construct’

Sunspots - Friday February 23rd

 Solar flux is 173 and the SSN just 46.  A=6 and K=0

630m QRP WSPR (Thursday)

My 10mW ERP WSPR from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground is turned on. So far, 8 stations have spotted me.

UPDATE 2018z:  One of the advantages of WSPR is it will decode whether the signal is strong or weak as long as the S/N ratio is good enough. With a "decent " antenna and ground system, the S/N may be better, but a weaker signal will decode as long as the S/N is sufficient. 10 stations have spotted me so far this evening.

UPDATE 2145z: Spotted by 11 stations this evening.

Propagation today

 The MUF in some parts of the world is high. It "feels" as if we are at the start of the long decline to sunspot minimum, although there is sometimes a second peak.

See https://prop.kc2g.com/ .

Seen on Facebook - NOT amateur radio

 This was on Facebook earlier.

Cambridge Radio Club (CDARC) talk

About a year ago, I gave a talk at CDARC. Because of my poor voice these days actually I produced the slides and someone else did the talking!  Ovearll, it was quite successful.

See https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/16QLftIhUmeL-0y6VytIvgnhbiM9GX2Nz/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=104978760719971510470&rtpof=true&sd=true.

Good and evil - NOT amateur radio

When I was younger I believed everyone was basically good and the evil they had was a result of upbringing or genes. These days I am not so sure.  That evil exists is not in doubt. In this world that we share there are plenty of signs.

It is my view that we are all capable of evil. That is what frightens me.  We all have to do our best to replace evil with good.

SETI (the search for intelligent live in the universe) - NOT amateur radio

To the best of my knowledge this has been going on since the mid 1960s at least, without success. 

Now AI has been brought in to help data processing. According to the BBC there are potentially 10-50 billion places where intelligent life could exist just in this galaxy alone. 

There are so many variables like where do you look in the electromagnetic spectrum. Indeed, is this the best place to look? 

If we found signs of intelligent life, it could have profound effects on this small blue dot.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68346015 .

10m 500uW (0.5mW) WSPR (Thursday)

With the sunspot number being so low compared with a few months ago, I think it is very unlikely I shall be spotted today with this tiny power. As a sucker for punishment though my 10m WSPR beacon is again on without the PA.

UPDATE 1710z:  No spots all day. Am I surprised? No.

2200m transverter

Last night I gave the latest version of Google's AI tool (now called Gemini) a try. I tried various family names, without being impressed. Basically, compared with ChatGPT4, it was hopeless. They have a long way to go to catch up in my view.

I then tried G3XBM and it came up with a French site that had a copy of my 137kHz transverter from 2011. I think it was a prototype (no RX preamp) and I cannot even remember producing the circuit. The schematic is the best I have. It shows the loop antenna that I used. Zooming in on the schematic makes it a bit clearer. As I recall, the furthermost I got was the Netherlands on QRSS3.

630m WSPR overnight

 

23 stations spotted my 10mW ERP 630m WSPR overnight.

Unsafe? - NOT amateur radio

On Monday there were no punts visible on the River Cam. I wonder if they were banned as it was unsafe?

Sunspots - Thursday February 22nd

Solar flux is 170 and the SSN just 45. Pretty sure this is the lowest for many years. A=4 and K=0. I seem to recall at the peak of the last cycle there were days with very few sunspots.

630m QRP WSPR (Wednesday)

My 10mW ERP WSPR from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground has been on since about 2130z. So far, I have been spotted by 8 stations with the furthermost LA3EQ (769km).

UPDATE 2313z:   16 stations have spotted me this evening.

Gaza- Israel conflict - NOT amateur radio

Enough is enough.  

The fighting has to stop as too many innocent people are being killed, traumatised, injured or made homeless. Whilst I think it is entirely right for Israel to defend itself from Hamas, one could be forgiven for thinking this is now genocide.

I understand that Israel wants to prevent future incursions and massacres like October 7th, but is the fighting in Gaza the way to forge long-term peace? We now have generations that will grow up hating Israel.  OK, Hamas might be weakened, but the cycle of violence will go on.

As I have said before, my friends include Jews and Muslims. We need a just peace.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-middle-east-68358053

6m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

My 2.5W FT8 to the V2000 vertical omni was turned on at about 1340z. So far, just one UK spot received.

UPDATE  1428z:  6 English stations have spotted me today so far.

New UK amateur radio conditions

From today, new UK amateur radio licence conditions come into effect.

See https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0029/278345/amateur-radio-general-notice-decision.pdf

Brain injury - NOT amateur radio

On the news yesterday was a piece about brain injury research at Addenbrookes hospital in Cambridge. Two things stuck out to me. 

One was brain overload which I experience especially when driving: it seems everything needs processing and this causes my brain to be overloaded. All the time whilst driving I am looking for possible hazards and it is really exhausting. 

The second thing is profound tiredness or exhaustion. I want to sleep in the daytime far more.

My stroke was in 2013 and it is hard now to know what is old age (I am 75) and what was my stroke. My constant giddiness all my waking hours is exhausting and is a result of my stroke.

Weather - NOT amateur radio

 We usually do housework every week on Mondays. My wife has a U3A course on Mondays. We decided to do it today instead as the weather is so foul!

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.