Sunspots - Sunday August 11th

Solar  flux is 291 and the SSN 234. A=6 and K=2.

Solar activity "explosion"

In the last few weeks solar activity has gone mad with very high numbers. See the chart on my favourite site for solar data. See https://www.solen.info/solar/ . I highly recommend the data on this website.

10m 2.5W FT8 (Saturday)

At 1534z I decided to QSY to 10m QRP FT8.  Although I spotted a PY station immediately, nothing has yet appeared on PSKreporter. Maybe they have a delay?  I re-synced to internet time before I QSYed.

UPDATE 1700z:  Spotted by 18 stations with the furthermost A65MR (5475km).

UPDATE 2031z:  spotted by 135 stations with the furthermost PU5FLP (10086km). Now QRT.

6m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

Although, at 0835z, my 2.5W 6m FT8 has only been on about 10 minutes, already 10 spots of me with several being from Scandinavia. 

UPDATE 1044z:  40 stations have spotted me this morning.

UPDATE 1355z:  54 stations have spotted me today.

10m 500mW WSPR TX (Saturday)

My beacon was turned on at about 0825z. No spots yet.

UPDATE 1005z: 6 stations have spotted me - all German. A patch of Es?

After death - NOT amateur radio

As mentioned a few days ago one of my wife’s closest friends is dying of cancer . She is expected to die within days. 

As well as being very sad for all concerned it makes you think about what lies beyond. 

Most world religions talk of some sort of afterlife. Perhaps we just die and that is it? Somehow I can’t believe that is it. With our limited human brains it is hard to envision such a state much as someone who only knows two dimensions cannot imagine three dimensions .

Perseids Meteor Shower

This peaks early next week and it can lead to enhanced VHF conditions with signals reflected off ionised meteor trails. The peak is August 12/13th.

See https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/perseid-meteor-shower-guide-uk-when-where-to-see .

Oscar 100 Satellite

Every few weeks I try to assess the activity on the narrowband transponder of this satellite. The last time I looked was about 1845z on Friday, which is mid evening in Europe. 

Activity is still disappointing.

See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/ 

Village cottage - NOT amateur radio

This cottage in our village has had its rendering removed to reveal its clunch (a kind of chalk) walls. Clunch was widely used locally.

European Es

As the year progresses, we will move out of the Es season and, hopefully, see some F2 openings. Last autumn I was spotted in the Caribbean on most days on 8m despite using 2.5W FT8 to a low dipole. 

If things progress as we can expect, there will be fewer Es openings.  Es does not "drop off a cliff", but openings will become smaller and less frequent. There will still be good days, but these will be less often.

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

Sunspots - Saturday August 10th

Solar flux is 306 and the SSN 382.  A=7 and K=2.

10m 500mW WSPR TX (Friday)

My 500mW 10m WSPR beacon was turned on at about 0740z. So far, 6 spots of my QRP beacon. These look like Es and F2. 

The furthermost is EA8BFK (2880km), which I think is F2.

UPDATE 0902z:  Spotted by 12 stations (see table).

UPDATE 1055z:  Spotted by 14 stations.

6m QRP FT8 (Friday)

My 6m QRP FT8 was turned on at about 0740z. So far, 5 spots of me including a couple that look like Es.

UPDATE 0907z:  Spotted by 16 stations 

UPDATE 1242z:  42 stations have spotted me  today.

UPDATE 1845z:  53 stations have spotted me (see map).

UPDATE  2016z:  56 stations have spotted my 6m QRP FT8 in the last day. Now QRT.

Earth-mode tests in 2011

One of my Facebook memories was an experiment in 2011 at a distance of 6km on 1095Hz using 5W.  Later I achieved even better results.

See https://sites.google.com/site/sub9khz/vlf-using-earth-mode .

Pre-dinner drinks - NOT amateur radio

Last evening our son came around for a meal. He cooked a duck in his oven that we shared. The photo shows us having a glass of wine 🍷 beforehand.

Sunspots - Friday August 9th

  Solar flux is 336 and the SSN 337. A=7 and K=1.

10m 500mW WSPR (Thursday)

My QRP WSPR beacon has been on this afternoon. So far, at 1614z, 5 spots with the furthermost EA8BFK (2880km).

6m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

My 2.5W 6m FT8 has been on all afternoon. So far, 6 stations have spotted me is CT1EOD (1688km). 15 stations have been spotted on RX all in Europe.

Rally this weekend

 The following has been notified to me. Check before going if travelling any reasonable distance.

Sunday Aug 11th - Flight Refuelling ARC Hamfest, Merley near Wimbourne, BH21 3DS.  Contact tbaker@tiscali.co.uk .

Solar activity

There is no doubt that we have seen some very high solar activity of late. 

Both solar flux and sunspot numbers have been high. As the peak of the solar cycle is an average, it will be many months after the event that we will know when the peak actually occurred. The good news is solar conditions will be good for several years yet.

See https://www.solen.info/solar/ .

OFCOM consultation

Apparently OFCOM is consulting about applying code powers to LF Holdco 2 Ltd. 

Don't even ask what the hell this means!! I am sure it must be very important!  😄

As you know, I am not a great fan of OFCOM, although I suppose this keeps these people in a job.

G3XBM shack

As you may know, most of my fun is seeing how far I get with low power. 

Some years ago I made a page about my shack. Although I tend not to change gear often, the photo shows the shack as it was a few years ago.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/other-amateur-radio/shack .

Dying of cancer - NOT amateur radio

One of my wife's friends is dying of cancer. She was told she had perhaps 5 years to live, but she has lived with it for about 7 years.

She is now in the very last stages and has days or weeks to live. She was in hospital, but has come home to die.

It must be incredibly difficult for her, her husband and all their family. It is so hard to know what to do for the best. 

It brings our own limited time on this planet into focus. I am reminded of the famous poem "Spring and Fall' by Gerard Manley Hopkins.

See https://poets.org/poem/spring-and-fall .

East Anglian Church blog - NOT amateur radio

After a very long break I have updated my churches visited blog. On Tuesday we visited 3 Suffolk churches. So far I have added just one (Hessett) but intend to add the other ones too.

See https://eachurches.blogspot.com/ . 

2m FT8 UKAC activity contest

Last night was the 2m FT8 activity contest. This clearly illustrates the popularity of FT8 with 66 stations spotted here as the map shows.

Sunspots - Thursday August 8th

 Solar flux is 303 and the SSN 242. A=7 and K=1.

DX Explorer video

This site is great. He always tries new things. I like that he is a true experimenter.

Hawkedon, Suffolk, UK - NOT amateur radio

Within a short distance of us are some delightful Suffolk villages such as Hawkedon shown in the photo. The Suffolk border is about 300m from us!

Ancient wall painting - NOT amateur radio

This wall painting, in Hassett church in Suffolk shown in the photo, was painted in the 1300s at a time when most people could not read or write. It shows the seven deadly sins. 

We visited 3 churches in West Suffolk yesterday. All had some amazing things.

Most English churches are extremely old.

For centuries it was covered behind whitewash.

10m 500mW WSPR (Wednesday)

So far today, at 0905z, my little 10m WSPR beacon has been spotted by 2 stations with the furthermost EA8BFK (2880km).

I am wondering how many are now using other modes instead of WSPR like FSW4? Sadly I can only do WSPR with my beacon TX.

UPDATE 1734z:  Spotted by 14 stations. See table.

6m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

My 2.5W FT8 was turned on about 0840z. I immediately was called by EI3GG/P on the west coast of Ireland. (IO43).  We had a QSO.

UPDATE 1730z:  So far, spotted by 45 stations. See map. I am intrigued that Scandinavian stations seem more common later in the season. I have speculated about this before.

What is good about the UK - NOT amateur radio

 In the press in the last few days we have seen a lot about a few thugs but little about what makes the UK such a desirable place to live. We are, on the whole, a very tolerant and welcoming country and wish everyone well .

This photo is doing the rounds and better reflects how the VAST majority of UK people are.

Plans for Wednesday

I expect to be on 10m QRP WSPR and QRP 6m FT8 later.

8m QRP yesterday

 Yesterday I was on 8m FT8 for several hours . Although I spotted an EA, nobody spotted me.

Sunspots - Wednesday August 7th

 Solar flux is 270 and the SSN is 222. A=6 and K=1.

Ukraine, Gaza and BBC News - NOT amateur radio

The Middle East is on the brink of all-out war and the Ukraine conflict goes on. Yet on the BBC news headline pages neither is mentioned! Instead, they concentrate on the thugs rioting in the UK.

I am used to the news in the USA seemingly worrying about what happens in their own state at the expense of the next state and the world, but I am appalled by this from the BBC.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news .

Grandson - NOT amateur radio

Grandsons have their uses!  

In the last few days one of our grandsons has trimmed a hedge and creosoted (safe substitute!) our garden shed. 

Both were harder than we first thought.

8m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

 At the moment I am on 40.680 MHz QRP FT8. No spots.

UPDATE 1215z:  No spots of me, but 19 stations monitoring, which is good. Just EA3HDZ (1213km) spotted so far.

Microvert antenna

A lot of people are interested in this tiny antenna. 

It is well suited to those frequently on the move or who have antenna restrictions. As with all compact antennas do not expect miracles, but it is not so far down on a dipole that it is not capable of working some decent DX, especially with digital modes. 

It is supposed to be only 1-2 S points down on a dipole. The photo from the PDF shows how compact it is.

See https://www.dc4fs.de/microvert.pdf .

10m QRP WSPR TX (Tuesday)

Already my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon has been spotted by 7 stations in the last hour alone.  

UPDATE 0830z:  So far today, my 500mW WSPR has been spotted by 9 stations across Europe.

UPDATE 1019z:   18 stations have spotted me this morning. See table. Now need the antenna for 8m!