Baby crocodile - NOT amateur radio

 

When I saw this twig on our walk yesterday, I immediately thought of a baby crocodile. 

I know it is not, but it is funny how the mind works.

Solar peak - cycle 25

My favourite site for solar data is now showing the smoothed peak of cycle 25 as this October at 162.8. At one time they were showing a much smaller peak last November. 

This suggests good F2 conditions this autumn and spring.

10m 500mW WSPR TX (Thursday)

My beacon was turned on at about 0800z. 

UPDATE 1525z:  No spots. I suspect fewer people use WSPR now preferring FT8. Perhaps I should try 10m FT8 tomorrow?

6m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

My QRP 6m FT8 was turned on about 0800z.  

UPDATE 1046z:  10 English stations have spotted me See map.

UPDATE 1255z:   11 stations spotting me.

UPDATE 1518z:  12 stations have spotted me. See map.

Websites and dates

This really annoys me. It would be really helpful if people put dates when webpages were updated. I can’t tell you how often I have seen data only to see it was created some years ago and the data is out of date!! 

As an example CQWW contest website. Dates are shown for 2024, but were these written last year? The last blog update was April. 

This has happened so many times. All it needs is a footer saying when the webpage was last updated.

Sunspots - Thursday August 22nd

 Solar flux is 239 and the SSN 176. A=8 and K=2.

Brandon Country Park - NOT amateur radio

This is about 30km from us. 

It has a series of lovely woodland walks with plenty of heather in bloom on the heath as the photo shows.  

As you would expect with a large quantity of trees, many are felled or fall down naturally.

10m 500mW WSPR (Wednesday)

Whilst on 6m, I keep forgetting the 10m antenna is available, so I can use my 10m WSPR TX beacon.

UPDATE  0952z:  No spots of me.

UPDATE 1715z:  Spotted by 6 stations.

6m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

My 2.5W 6m FT8 was turned on about 0800z. 

UPDATE 0843z:  Spotted by 9 English stations. It makes you think how useful 6m FT8 could be inter-G when the band is not "open". Also many of those spotting me so far are probably cross polarised and using horizontal antennas. Just one G spotted on RX.

UPDATE 1721z:  20 stations spotted.  One might be Es.

CQWW contests?

As I recall, CQ magazine has stopped. At one time the CQWW contests were perhaps the most popular in the world. Even without submitting an entry, it was a way to contact new countries. When my voice was good I used to fill pages in the logbook. In later years, it has become too hard for me.

With the demise of CQ, I wonder what is happening with these contests?

Sunspots - Wednesday August 21st

 Solar flux is 244 and the SSN 200. A=7 and K=3.

8m or 6m?

In recent times, I have not been on 8m much, even though I have a UK T&I permit to TX on the 8m band. 

The main reason is I know what the band can do with Es. It is possible to span the European continent with just a few milliwatts of FT8 on 8m. 

The 8m band, being between 10m and 6m, comes into its own when the F2 MUF just exceeds 47MHz. 

With the sunspot count being good recently, it has exceeded 50MHz, especially on N-S paths.  Activity on 6m is much higher, so getting spots is easier than on 8m currently. 

As the F2 MUF goes down, I expect 8m will be more useful showing how the F2 MUF can reach 8m, but not 6m. I shall probably try again on 8m this autumn It would be great if more PTTs allowed amateur access. 

I hope the FCC, OFCOM and the RSGB are listening!

Moulton flowers - NOT amateur radio

As mentioned before, Moulton (near us) is a delightful village to walk around, with an old packhorse bridge, the church, river, thatched cottages and flowers.

6m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

My QRP 6m FT8 was turned on after breakfast.

UPDATE 0824z:  12 stations have spotted me. I think there is some Es.

UPDATE 0901z:  IS0AWZ (1598km) has spotted me. See map.

UPDATE 1521z: 24 Europeans plus one CN8 have spotted me so far today. See map.

Changing images on my blog - NOT amateur radio

Quite often I need to change an image on my blogspot blog. I find this very "hit and miss". Sometimes I can do it easily and other times I struggle.  I can't help thinking I am missing a trick and there must be a better way. 

Does anybody know a method that just works please?

6m super DX

As well as being spotted in Namibia 🇳🇦 yesterday with 2.5W FT8 to the V2000 vertical omni antenna a PY way down in Brazil 🇧🇷 (Sao Paulo) was spotted on 6m FT8 yesterday. See map.

Sunspots - Tuesday August 20th

 Solar flux is 239 and the SSN 213. A=10 and K=1.

FETer transceiver (2008)

This was another of my attempts to get something for nothing! 

It worked remarkably well, but I struggled with netting the RX onto the TX frequency so I was afraid of clobbering someone else. It was an adaption of a circuit for 40m by W2UW but made even simpler. It appeared in SPRAT some years ago. 

Some have duplicated it and achieved some remarkable DX.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/80m-feter-transceiver .

Crickey - 2008! I must be old  HI 😀

Over the horizon on 481THz (optical)

Before my 2013 stroke I enjoyed experimenting at optical frequencies and was amazed that I could decode my QRSS CW well over the horizon with no clouds in the sky. Sadly, my stroke put an end to this. The circuit diagram shows the beacon I used. As you can see it is simple.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/optical-nanowaves/over-the-horizon .

Winter in Brisbane, Australia - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday our son sent us this photo showing Brisbane in winter. Even in winter it was 30 deg C! 

The Internet

We all take instant global communications for granted. 

As an example yesterday we had a (free) video call from our son who is staying with his Australian in-laws in Brisbane. The quality was excellent. It was almost as if he was in the next room. 

It has not always been easy. I was surprised to read how extensive the telegraph network already was in the mid 1800s. Before that, news was very slow depending on boats, pigeons and dispatch riders. Just imagine life now without the internet. We have grown dependent on it in so many ways.

Just for chatting, we no longer need amateur radio.

Pathfinders - NOT amateur radio

I have just finished reading a book about the RAF Pathfinders. My dad was one in WW2. I had no idea how brave they were. On every mission they must have been terrified. No wonder my dad did not want to talk about his wartime that much.

My dad died in 1987. I think his wartime experiences haunted him. Overall, he was a peace loving man who enjoyed his quiet life. What a pity he died before I really understood. RIP dad.

The book by Will Iredale is available on Amazon and I expect it may be ordered by most bookshops.

Most wars serve no good.

6m QRP FT8 (Monday)

My 2.5W FT8 has been on most of the morning.

UPDATE  1032z:  So far, spotted by 14 stations mostly in England. The spots in Southern Eire and Norway could be Es.

UPDATE 1336z: Spotted by 19 stations. 

UPDATE 1814z:   28 stations have spotted me today including V51MA (8460km) in Namibia.  6m TEP? See map.

Sunspots - Monday August 19th

 Solar flux is 231 and the SSN 170 . A-=12 and K=2.

Most from the least?

One of the things I like is seeing how much I can get from something not costing much. 

There are plenty of designs for regenerative receivers around, but I was pleased with this one. I am sure it may be improved.

See  https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/80m-or-40m-regen-rx .

Cottage in Moulton earlier - NOT amateur radio

 

Earlier today. Moulton is not far from us.

6m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

 My 6m 2.5W FT8 has been on most of the morning.

UPDATE 1117z:  Spotted by 29 stations mainly in the UK and northern Europe. 13 stations spotted here.

Stations spotting me

UPDATE 1810z:  44 stations have spotted me and I have spotted 13 stations. See map for stations spotting me.

Sunspots - Sunday August 18th

 Solar flux is 230 and the SSN 170. A=30 and K=2.

Anglesey Abbey walk - NOT amateur radio

This is a National Trust property with extensive grounds not far from us by car. We went there yesterday (early) for a walk. 

This is a collage my wife made. 

The bottom photo is two old friends we bumped into with the same idea!

10m FT8 RX on the cheap

With 10m in such good shape, perhaps it is time to remind readers of my very simple receiver for 10m FT8. It works remarkably well and could be built and cased for the cost a few coffees out. It frees up "the big rig" for something else. It was in RadCom not long ago.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/10ft8r-rx

Old age changes? - NOT amateur radio

At the moment my wife and I are lucky. As far as we know (!) , we have nothing much wrong with us. I still have a few things that are longer term after effects from my 2013 stroke, but compared with many I have been lucky I know. Most of me still works!

As we age, several of our friends have died or now have serious illnesses. My interest in sex has dropped off and the death of others no longer seems so odd. I recall a doctor once asking me (probably 10 years ago) "if it was all too much" and I retorted "no". If he asked me now I am less sure.

Although I find so much to be interested in, I get exhausted more easily and I am tired of being giddy most of the time. Life is harder than it was.

Garden yesterday - NOT amateur radio

So far, we have had a nice warm and sunny August on the whole. Up to very recently it was very dull and wet and we were beginning to think this summer was a wash-out. 

My wife puts a tick on the kitchen calendar when we have had a decent day. So far we have had 9 ticks, which is pretty good. Our grass is just starting to turn brown and will look bad in about a week unless we have a good downpour.

The photo shows our garden yesterday.

10m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

 In a few moments I shall (hopefully!) turn on my 2.5W 10m  FT8.

UPDATE 1054z:  Turned on about 1000z. 22 stations have spotted my QRP and I have spotted 65 stations here.

UPDATE 1127z:  31 stations have spotted me so far. 

UPDATE 1236z:  So far
today,164 stations spotted here and 52 people have spotted me.

Stations spotting me

UPDATE 1822z:  101 stations have spotted my 10m QRP and 478 stations have been spotted here. See maps.

UPDATE 2057z:   129 stations have spotted me today. 595 stations spotted here. Now QRT. I noticed DL stations working ZLs as I closed down.

Stations I have spotted

Sunspots- Saturday August 17th

 Solar flux is 225 and the SSN 169. A=8 and K=1.

VLF Earth Mode

Before my 2013 stroke, I enjoyed experimenting with VLF earth-mode, which anyone can enjoy. 

In the UK OFCOM is not interested in licencing this (and taking your money!), so anyone may make an earth-mode beacon. 

For the TX PA a low cost audio IC was used. It produced 4-5W.

Years ago I kept a blog of my exploits. I hope you can get some ideas here.

See https://sites.google.com/site/sub9khz/vlf-using-earth-mode/g3xbm-earth-mode-blog .

10m QRP FT8 (Friday)

Stations spotting my
10m QRP this morning

I have been on 10m FT8 with my 2.5W for about 2 hours. So far (at 1104z) I have been spotted by 195 stations and here I have spotted 280 stations with the furthermost Western Australia.

Antarctica

UPDATE 1153z:  Spotted VK0DS (14844km) in Antarctica. 314 stations spotted here and I have been spotted by 216 stations.

UPDATE 1821z:  Spotted by 229 stations and I have spotted 503 stations here today (see map of stations spotted here). 10m FT8 seems to be coming in from everywhere, even though it is still August. May the good times continue!

UPDATE 1948z: 239 spots of me and 543 spots of others.

Tunwell Court, Cambridge - NOT amateur radio

Having lived in the Cambridge area for 54 years I have never noticed this cottage opposite the Fitzwilliam Museum! 

It dates back to the 1500s and is currently owned by Peterhouse College. 

Message to self,"keep your eyes open in future".

Rallies this Sunday

 The following have been notified to me. The usual caveats apply: always check before going any distance.

• Sunday August 18th - Rugby Amateur Transmitting Society Annual Radio Rally, Rugby, CV23 9PY. Contact rally@rugbyats.co.uk .
• Sunday August 18th - West Manchester Radio Club Red Rose Summer Rally, Leigh, WN7 2PJ. Contact rally@wmrc.co.uk .

Antennas and amateur radio

My latest RadCom arrived yesterday.

One major dealer is advertising widely (the RSGB must really value this income) and I could not help noticing a major antenna manufacturer selling antennas (on the centre pages) via this dealer for £3899.99 and £4199.99!

If this major UK dealer decided to "hang up his boots" and leave the amateur market then RadCom would have to radically change. It would probably have to shrink and come out less often.  The only amateur radio magazine remaining on newsagent's stands would really struggle.

Now, I am not able, nor wish, to say how you spend your money. However, for me, these antennas are not amateur radio. A fan dipole covering all the higher HF bands could probably be made for the cost of a few coffees out. So you might be a few dBs down on a big tower with one of these antennas on the top, but you will probably save a 4 figure sum in the process.

In the end, we have to understand what our hobby is really about.  To me, there are 2 major sorts of radio amateur: (a) those who just get out their credit card and (b) those that experiment. I prefer the latter.

In my view, the writing is already on the wall. I personally see a battle looming between the credit card operators and experimenters.  In my view credit card operators will merge with CB. Experimenters?

Australian treats - NOT amateur radio

Our son and family are spending a few weeks in Brisbane, Australia with his in-laws. I see our grandson has found some treats!

They are currently at the Sunshine Coast, although the weather looks better here! 😊