Sunspots - Thursday August 29th

 Solar flux is 212 and the SSN 163. A=26 and K=2.

Flightradar24 - NOT amateur radio

Our younger son is returning from a few weeks with his in-laws who live in Australia. They had a few nights in Dubai to break the journey otherwise it is a very long way! 

We can track the trip with Flightradar24 which is a free app paid for by adverts. With a paid subscription you can get extra features.

See https://www.flightradar24.com .  There are a number of very similar named apps. Be sure to get the correct one! 

10m 500mW WSPR TX (Wednesday)

Although my QRP beacon has been on most of the morning, no spots. I suspect there’s a problem with WSPRnet. Someone mentioned a radio blackout today. if correct, this might have been the reason?

UPDATE 1953z:  4 stations spotted me in the end today. See table.

Old School Lane, Cambridge -NOT amateur radio

This is Old School Lane in Cambridge, home of the of the original Cavendish Laboratory where many Nobel prizes were won.

Sunspots - Wednesday August 28th

 Solar flux is 212 and the SSN 170. A=28 and K=2.

4m on the Yaesu FTX-1F

According to something I was sent by Steve G1KQH and the MLS pages, it looks like this new radio will ship with 4m.This must be a good USP along with 2m and 70cm.

UPDATE 1442z: Steve has pointed out that Bangood sell the MCHF radio for £264.52.  I think this is made in China. Pretty sure this is a clone.....but the price! I am always nervous about Chinese quality control, but they will get there and really frighten the Japanese. We already buy most of our consumer goods from China.

See https://www.hamradio.co.uk/ftx-1f. 

Kings College Chapel, Cambridge NOT amateur radio

 

This is King’s College Chapel from an unusual angle.  

We go here most weeks.

6m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

My 2.5W 6m FT8 was turned on at about 1245z. It looks like I caught a small patch of Es to Portugal. 

UPDATE 1826z:  Spotted VE1SKY (4730km) on 6m FT8 with the V2000 vertical omni antenna. Not sure if this was F2 or a brief patch of Es.  15 stations have spotted me today.

10m 500mW WSPR TX (Tuesday)

 

My beacon was turned on at about 1245z. So far, spotted by 3 stations.

UPDATE 1822z: Spotted by 4 stations today. I think these were mostly F2.

Lego dolphin - NOT amateur radio

In the Grand Arcade in Cambridge is a series of animals made from Lego.

Pulls Ferry - NOT amateur radio

 Last month we visited Norwich. Pulls Ferry is where the stones to build Norwich Cathedral came through from Caen in France 🇫🇷.

Tuesday plans

 My current plans are the same as yesterday with QRP 6m FT8 and 10m QRP WSPR TX with my 500mW beacon.

Sunspots - Tuesday August 27th

 Solar flux is 232 and the SSN 202. A=5 and K=1.

More Google crappery - NOT amateur radio

Just now I got another email from Google. It was entitled "Moving the policies for video inventory to the Google Publisher Restrictions". Having read it several times, I am none the wiser! 

Why do they bother?

Classic Car Day - NOT amateur radio

Every year the museum next door holds a Classic Car Day. It is always very popular with loads of classic cars and motor bikes.

Although biased, it probably ranks as one of the very best local museums in the UK. It is vast.

See https://burwellmuseum.org.uk/ .

6m QRP FT8 (Monday)

Most of the morning I have been on 6m FT8 with my 2.5W QRP. Lots of Es (I think!).

UPDATE 1037z: 36 stations have spotted me. See map.

UPDATE 2127z: Spotted by 105 stations today.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Monday)

My 500mW  beacon has been on most of the morning. Spotted by 30 stations. See table.

UPDATE 1617z:   66 stations have spotted me today. I think this is a mixture of Es and F2 propagation.

WISPY 2012

 

Many years ago I designed and built this circuit for 10m WSPR. It was later adapted for 10m FT8. It works really well.

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

Monday plans

Today I shall stick with 6m QRP FT8 but unlike yesterday (I forgot!) I shall also be on 10m QRP WSPR with my 500mW beacon.

Sunspots - Monday August 26th

 Solar flux is 233 and the SSN 178. A=7 and K=2.

70cm Moxon antenna

A reminder that 70cm antennas do not have to be expensive. 

This is a Moxon made from an old coat hanger. It took me about 30 minutes to assemble and worked some useful DX when out portable on QRP SSB. 

Antennas do not have to be pretty to work!

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/antennas/70cm-moxon .

Classic Car Day - NOT amateur radio

This day at our museum next door is always popular with stacks of classic cars. The windmill sails are turning on a glorious morning.

6m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

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

UPDATE 09510z:  14 stations have spotted me. 10 stations spotted on RX including several from southern Europe.

UPDATE 1934z:   39 stations have spotted my QRP  6m FT8 today. See map. QRT soon.

Sunspots- Sunday August 25th

 Solar flux is 232 and the SSN 172. A=10 and K=2.

Bird roosters - NOT amateur radio

We get fewer small birds in the garden than we did some years ago. In the hope of helping more small birds to survive the winter I have bought some raffia roosters to sleep in overnight.

I hope they get used to these and use them.  These are mainly placed in the tree nearest the bird feeders.

10m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

Stations spotting my 2.5W
10m FT8 up to about 1120z

10m FT8  is "humming" with plenty of stations spotted with the furthermost VK3WK (16832km). In all, my 2.5W FT8 has already been spotted by 161 stations. The map shows the stations spotting me until about 15 minutes ago.

Stations spotted here
on 10m FT8 today

UPDATE 2052z:   So far today, I have spotted 565 stations on 10m FT8 and 346 stations have spotted my 2.5W 10m FT8 today. QRT shortly.

Sunspots - Saturday August 24th

 Solar flux is 242 and the SSN 180. A=7 and K=3.

OFCOM updates

OFCOM regularly updates the information it holds on licence numbers etc.. Please see the OFCOM website for the latest.

365project - NOT amateur radio

One of the things I like about 365project is seeing a "window on the world". 

The idea is to post a photo a day. At $19.99 you can have more albums and privacy, but otherwise it is totally free. It has no connection whatsoever with Microsoft.

This photo was taken in the Faroe Islands and recently posted. This is a place I am very unlikely to visit.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faroe_Islands .

OSCAR 100 activity

Every few weeks I like to give an update on the narrow-band transponder of this geosynchronous satellite. It has been in orbit now for several years. 

Apart from those keen to assemble a ground station (fixed, small antenna, no tower, much of the world in range day and night, no QSB etc.) it has been under-used. 

The last peek was a Friday evening in Europe. Once again it was sadly quiet. 

It has never appealed to me, but I was quite surprised it was not more popular. Based on this satellite, I can't see another for some time.

By now, I was expecting it to be busy. It is not.

See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb .

Homegrown tomatoes - NOT amateur radio

For some reason, tomatoes grown yourself always taste better! 

With the tomato bags, feed etc, I am sure they cost more than at the local supermarket, but they smell and taste great. These are some of the first this year.

Yaesu competitor to ICOM IC-705?

Although not available until next year MLS has announced a Yaesu competitor to the ICOM IC-705. At the moment I don’t know the price, but it has to be well below £1k to compete with the Chinese . This HAS to sell well for Yaesu's sake. Expect the IC-705 to drop in price!

The exchange rate against the Yen has improved a lot in the last few months.

I wonder if Yaesu has considered designing in Japan but manufacturing in a low cost area?

See https://www.hamradio.co.uk/ftx-1f .

More something for nothing

 

Many years ago I experimented with this QRP transceiver circuit on 80m CW. It is hard to find anything much simpler!

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/80m-xbm80-2

Granddaughter - NOT amateur radio

 

This was one of my granddaughters yesterday at our home.

My dad over 100 years ago - NOT amateur radio

 

This was my dad over 100 years ago at Infants School. He is in the back row 4th from the right.

10m QRP (Friday)

Currently on 10m FT8 with my 2.5W. 

UPDATE 0929z:  Spotted by 62 stations already this morning and on RX the furthermost (115 spotted!) is VK6RK (14469km). 

Stations spotted here in the last day on 10m FT8

UPDATE  2024z:  132 stations have spotted me today on 10m QRP FT8. 705 stations spotted here in the last day (see map).

Sunspots- Friday August 23rd

 Solar flux is 231 and the SSN 175. A=10 and K=2.

10m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

 About an hour ago, I decided to go on 10m FT8 instead of WSPR. 

UPDATE 1715z:  43 stations have been spotted and 4 stations have spotted me. See map for the stations spotted here today.

UPDATE 1905z:  Spotted by 9 stations with the furthermost ZS1TX (9753km). 69 stations spotted here on RX.

Rallies this weekend

For many in the UK, Monday is a public holiday, so Monday is also a rally day. As always, check the details are correct before going on a long drive.

• Sunday August 25th - Milton Keynes ARS Rally, Milton Keynes, MK8 9AA. Contact rally@mkars.org.uk .
• Sunday  August 25th - Torbay Annual Communications Fair, Newton Abbot , TQ12 3SF. Contact rally@tars.org.uk .
• Monday August 26th - Huntingdonshire ARS Rally, St Neots, PE19 2SH . Contact henry_hirst@hotmail.com .

Tenner - QRP CW on 10m

This rig is many years old. It is simple, but it worked lots of DX. 

As I recall, it produced about 500mW of CW.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/10m-tenner-qrp-cw .