Red-legged partridge - NOT amateur radio

It is now some years since I last saw one of these birds in our garden. They were introduced many years ago and can be quite tame. At one time they were a common visitor here. Perhaps somebody is regularly feeding them!

Oscar 100 ground station

The trouble with getting active on the geosynchronous satellite Oscar 100 is that it requires building your own gear. Sometimes this requires connecting modules together, and sometimes rolling your own gear. Black-box operators (the majority?) are not (in general) catered for, but see my post yesterday about DXPatrol.

It was refreshing to see someone who got active by creating his own ground station.

See https://m0aws.co.uk/?p=3105 .

Sunspots - Sunday June 9th

 Solar flux is 190 and the SSN 143.  A=14 and K=1.

Swifts: live webcam - NOT amateur radio

These migrant birds fascinate me. They are only here for a few short months to breed, but seeing them come gladdens my heart.

They feed and sleep on the wing and usually only land to breed. Years ago I found one alive on the ground. After a night's rest, it flew off. I guess the number of people that have been privileged to hold a swift is quite small.

Garden roses - NOT amateur radio

In the last few days, all the roses in our garden seem to be out. Most have a second flush, but they look grand at the moment. A heavy pruning helps.

The lazy way

 One of the advantages of FT8 is being able to see where you are being spotted on another PC in the lounge. 

The photo shows the 273 spots of my 2.5W 6m FT8 today as shown on PSKreporter. I can be in the shack in a few seconds if need be.

These days I am more interested in seeing where my signal reaches than chatting. This is in part due to my poor voice, but it also reflects that I really don't need to chase DX any more having achieved QRP DXCC decades ago.

Israel and Hamas - NOT amateur radio

This week we are remembering the dreadful events of D-Day in June 1944. I cannot imagine the sheer terror of those brave solders landing in Normandy. Many must have feared they would be dead in the following few minutes.

This makes the events in Ukraine and the Middle East even sadder.  None of the waste of human life is needed. Why can't people live in peace with each other? It would seem that aggression of this kind is sadly part of the human condition and we seem incapable of learning from history.

What Hamas did on October 7th 2023 was evil, but so are deaths of over 36000 Palestinian people.

All I wish is that people can live at peace with their neighbours. Nobody is ever perfect. Let's just accept our differences and failings.

Oscar 100

In my view, Oscar 100 (QO-100) has suffered from the lack of ready built solutions. 

On the face of it, it offers DX over a good proportion of the planet, without fading, linears, beams or towers. Antennas are small, can be low and are fixed. 

DXpatrol (also available via Wimo) is offering a black box solution, which is probably the best we are going to get. My thanks to Steve G1KQH for the link.

I very much doubt the Japanese big manufacturers will do anything as the satellite footprint does not cover Japan or the USA.

11m operation

It is many years since I did any CB operation. I think the last time was testing a couple of single channel hand portables. I guess that was in the 1990s. 

I see on this week's Amateur Radio Weekly that there is a field day for "freeband" enthusiasts at 11m. The legality of this is not known although there is an ISM band around here. 

How much power can legally be used will depend on where you are. In the UK, it looks like the limit is 100mW ERP according to IR2030.

YouTube videos about amateur radio

There are lots of videos on YouTube about amateur radio. You can easily spend (waste?) a few hours watching these.  The one shown is just an example.

500uW 10m WSPR (Saturday)

Although I get a few spots a week with this tiny power, I get very few spots overall. Maybe there are fewer people using 10m WSPR?

My conclusion is this is just too little power. It is surprising to me as I was expecting to be spotted more often on Es, as signals can be very strong. I suspect that much of the time I am below the noise floor with many stations.  For now, I shall stick with this power on 10m WSPR.

UPDATE  1209z:  No spots. Next week, I may try 10mW on 10m WSPR to see if that is better.

UPDATE 1616z: Just a single spot by OZ7IT (853km).

UPDATE 2018z:  Like buses, none then 3 come along!! 3 stations managed to spot my 500uW (0.5mW) today. Propagation must have been good today on QRPP 10m WSPR. GM, PA and OZ spotted me.

6m success

I decided to stay on 6m QRP FT8 overnight. In all, 386 people spotted my 2.5W 6m FT8 to the V2000 vertical omni antenna. The band did not open (for me) to the USA, which I was hoping for. Almost all of these spots were Es.

UPDATE 1021z:  121 stations have already spotted my QRP 6m FT8 signal this morning. There seems to be plenty of Es about.  

UPDATE 1356z: 201 spots of me today.

UPDATE  1626z: In the last day, 398 stations have spotted my 6m QRP FT8.  Most seem to be via Es. See map.

UPDATE 1800z: 440 stations have spotted my 6m QRP FT8 in the last day.

Sunspots - Saturday June 8th

 Solar flux is 184 and the SSN 150. A=28 and K=3.

BOFS?

In the last few minutes I looked on the CDARC website to see when the next Zoom session is. I am unwilling to travel in to Cambridge in the evenings now and prefer to watch presentations on Zoom.

It was hard to avoid the impression that most attendees are boring old farts (BOFS) which are mainly old white males. This does not bode well.

See https://www.cdarc.org.uk/index.php?page=events .

European Es (Friday)

 Although today has been my best day this season on 6m, the Es map (see below link) would suggest otherwise.

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

UPDATE 1106z: It has just suddenly changed!

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

 My 10m WSPR beacon was re-synced to internet time just after breakfast. No spots.

6m QRP FT8 (Friday)

Just 14 spots of my 2.5W 6m FT8 so far, all in the UK.

UPDATE 1056z:  134 spots of me so far. Strong Es is now evident. 

UPDATE 1220z:  187 stations have spotted me.

UPDATE 1433z: 207 stations have spotted my 2.5W 6m FT8 today with the furthermost EA8/DF4UE (2876km).

UPDATE  1656z:  303 stations have spotted me with the furthermost EA8RCP (3022km). See map for stations that have spotted my 6m 2.5W FT8 today.

UPDATE 1915z:  325 stations have spotted me today.

630m QRP WSPR overnight

Just 3 stations spotted me overnight.  I shall carry on a little longer, although I suspect the season is drawing to a close, especially with my 10mW ERP. 

Sunspots - Friday June 7th

 Solar flux is 191 and the SSN 149.  A=6 and K=1.

500uW 10m WSPR versus 2.5W 6m FT8

At the moment I am doing two experiments. 

Firstly, my 500uW (0.5mW) 10m WSPR beacon is on. 

Secondly, I am trying 2.5W FT8 on 6m. 

Every day I get Es spots from Europe with my 6m QRP FT8. 10m WSPR at 500uW is proving far harder with just a few spots a week being average. 

In theory WSPR works with signals having a far worse S/N than FT8. However, WSPR needs almost 120 seconds for a TX burst whereas FT8 needs just under 15 seconds.

I suspect that the longer time to successfully decode a WSPR signal and the fact that a 500uW signal is probably buried in noise is working against me.

Micro80 transceiver

Looking through some old photos yesterday, I chanced upon this one of my Micro80. I guess this must be about 20 years old. The Micro80 was the for-runner to famous Pixie transceiver.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/8040m-pixie-and-micro80-transceivers .

630m QRP WSPR (Thursday)

 My 10mW ERP 630m WSPR was turned on at about 2145z . So far just spotted by a single station.

Buddleja - NOT amateur radio

This is known as the butterfly bush, as it attracts butterflies, This morning I bought one and this afternoon I planted it. Let's hope it takes and grows and attracts butterflies.

See https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/buddleja .

USA politics - NOT amateur radio

In no way can (or should) I express views on how the people of the USA should vote for their president in November. They will rightly vote for the person they choose. But I am puzzled. Let me explain.

1. Firstly, I am surprised that their choice is really between two very old men. In a country as vast as the USA, surely they could have found candidates that were younger and sharper.  At 75 (as I am now) there is no way I'd want such high office.
2. Secondly, about half of the USA supports Mr Trump. Whatever your views I have yet to find anyone outside the USA who likes him. I really do mean anyone. Not one person has said a positive word. I have spoken with lots of people from the USA in the last few years.
3. Thirdly, I am puzzled that so many people want to be led by a billionaire who seems to want to be all powerful.

No, the USA puzzles me.

Rallies at the weekend

The following have been notified to me. Always check if travelling a long way.

    Sunday June 9th -  Junction 28 Radio Rally, Alfreton, DE55 7BD. Contact j28rally@snadarc.com .

    Sunday June 9th - Mendips Rally, Farrington Gurney, BS39 6UA. Contact mendipsrally@hotmail.com .

Amazon - NOT amateur radio

Amazon, the online delivery service, is like a UK wheat spread in that some hate it and some love it. Over the years we must have ordered hundreds of items. Only once has a delivery ever gone wrong, and that was just to an address a few doors away.

I recall my wife trying to buy some very ordinary nail scissors from our local chemist. She was told they had none and would be getting none in. She went on Amazon and got them delivered next day to the door at a lower price.

Yes, shopping patterns are changing, with many people preferring the convenience of home delivery.  Many retailers will close or adapt.

Today I wanted some wood filler, forgetting I had given my last to our son. I went on Amazon and two tubes will be delivered to my door tomorrow for less cost than 1 tube at our local DIY store. Delivery is free.

10m 500uW (0.5mW) WSPR

 Yet again, my 500uW 10m WSPR is turned on.

UPDATE 2020z: No spots all day today.

6m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

Stations spotting my
2.5W 6m FT8 today

My 2.5W 6m FT8 to the V2000 vertical omni antenna is on and, so far, 18 stations have spotted me.

UPDATE 1103z:  30 spots of me today, mostly Es.

UPDATE 2000z:   52 spots of me today.

European Es (Thursday)

 At the moment the Es does not look to great, yet my QRP 6m FT8 has been spotted by 17 stations already!

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

Ship Queen Anne leaving Liverpool - NOT amateur radio

This was the new cruise ship 🛳️ Queen Anne leaving Liverpool on Monday after being named earlier in the day.

630m QRP WSPR overnight

 

5 stations spotted my 10mW ERP on 630m WSPR overnight. No great DX, although it is June.

Sunspots - Thursday June 6th

 Solar flux is 195 and the SSN is 193. A=7 and K=1.

630m QRP WSPR (Wednesday)

 My 10mW ERP 630m WSPR is on and will remain on overnight. At 2145z 2 stations have spotted me.

UK General Election, July 4th - NOT amateur radio

Last night was the first TV debate between the leaders of the 2 main political parties.   If you can imagine what 2 cats fighting over a dead bird is like, that was it. Sad, pathetic.

All parties make promises in the run-up to a General Election. Come the election all these will be forgotten, or there will not enough money. What is certain is that whichever party governs, tough times are ahead. Either taxes have to rise, or public services will be cut, or both. Saying either of these things is a vote loser.

Come the General Election I shall be tactically voting for the least worst party. My heart says Green,but I know they have no chance in our constituency. 

My prediction?  Labour will be the governing party, but the majority will be smaller than expected. The minor parties may well hold the balance of power. I also expect closer ties with Europe since BREXIT has turned (as some expected) into a dreadful mistake. I am sure some expected a UK like the 1950s forgetting just how inter connected the world now is.

Liverpool reunion - NOT amateur radio

As many know, I was in Liverpool for a reunion of old university friends. 

The photo shows me after my train arrived. 

I was taking a photo of my train.

European Es (Wednesday)

Es looks promising in the east of Europe, but I have not yet seen evidence here.

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

UPDATE 1501z:  Plenty of 6m Es evident in western Europe.

6m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

My 2.5W 6m FT8 to the V2000 vertical omni antenna is turned on. So far just 5 G stations.

UPDATE 1046z:  22 stations have spotted me including 2 in Hungary and one Scandinavian that I assume are by Es.

UPDATE 1545z:  57 stations have spotted me today.

Garden wildlife - NOT amateur radio

This Muntjac deer was in our front garden yesterday. It stared at me, then carried on as if I was stupid and not there. They are quite common around here. 

Frankly, they are a darn pest eating many flower heads. Last year we had loads of tulips, but most were eaten.

They are about the size of a large dog.

630m QRP WSPR overnight

In all, 8 stations spotted my 10mW ERP 630m WSPR, which is the most for some time. Furthest was a station in Germany 🇩🇪. Not a bad session.

Sunspots - Wednesday June 5th

 Solar flux is 192 and the SSN 224. A=8 and K=1.