Sunspots - Tuesday November 19th

 Solar flux is 165 and the SSN 118.  A=4 and K=1.

Gifts - NOT amateur radio

It is getting closer to the season when, in many cultures, gifts are exchanged. This was in the Grand Arcade, Cambridge earlier today.

6m QRP FT8 (Monday)

My QRP FT8 has been on 50.313MHz with my QMX+ since just before breakfast. 14 stations have spotted me.  See map.

UPDATE 2004z:   QRT.  55 stations have spotted my QRP 6m FT8  today.  See map.

10m 500mW WSPR TX (Monday)

My QRP beacon has been on since just before breakfast. So far, just 25 spots by EA8BFK (2880km).

UPDATE 1933z:  Now QRT after 40 stations spotted my QRP today.

6m MSK144 - total failure

 Overnight I monitored 50.280MHz MS144, which was supposed to be the best place to lurk for 6m MS in the Leonid meteor shower that was due to peak November 17th. In total, I spotted precisely nothing at all! It was a total failure. 

I was wondering if my internet connection had failed but there was nothing on my screen either, suggesting nothing had been received. Perhaps people have moved to a different mode or it was  a poor shower?

Sunspots - Monday November 18th

 Solar flux is 146 and the SSN 117.  A=8 and K=2.

Vandalism - NOT amateur radio

Back in the 1500s in the Reformation many statues were destroyed as being "idols". Looking back, this was pure vandalism. 

The example shown in the photo is the Lady Chapel in Ely Cathedral.  

We are still doing this in the world! These are part of our history. We may not agree with our forefathers but we have absolutely no right to destroy it.

6m MSK144 (Sunday)

Having confirmed that most 6m MS activity is around 50.280MHz in Europe, I am again monitoring this overnight.

10m DX in 2012

One of my Facebook memories today was of a report from the USA 🇺🇸 when I was using my ultra-simple CW transceiver on 10m.

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

OFCOM news

OFCOM is to auction off chunks of mm wave spectrum near 25GHz and 40GHz. It also updates the information it holds on licences etc.. See the OFCOM website.

Awareness of speed - NOT amateur radio

For many years, I have been aware that my perception of speed is "different". When I drive (locally only) it is as if I am doing 20 mph faster than I am. I glance down at my speedometer and it feels like I am doing about 65mph whereas I am doing about 45mph only and there is a stream of traffic behind me! 

Earlier in the week I was a passenger in a car with a friend. He seemed to be going fast, but was only doing about 50mph.

In the past I put this down to my 2013 stroke, but perhaps it is old age. It is getting worse.

6m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

My QRP 6m FT8 has been on since just after breakfast. So far, spotted by 20 stations. See map.

UPDATE  1417z:   24 stations (all in Europe) have spotted me.

10m 500mW WSPR (Sunday)

 My QRP beacon has been on most of the morning. So far, 13 stations have spotted me. 

UPDATE 1420z:  26 stations have spotted me.

Unusual view - NOT amateur radio

 The windmill next door has been on the blog many times but this is an unusual view over the allotment gardens .

Leonid meteor shower

This peaks on November 17th. 

Usually meteor showers result in VHF reflections. Although some manage QSOs with random meteors, the duration of reflections is usually longer in showers, so QSOs tend to be easier. 

Pings tend to be strong, but of short duration. MSK144 is a popular mode.

UPDATE 0942z:  No spots overnight. I hope I am on the correct frequency.

Very clever people

Thanks to Amateur Radio Weekly, I have been watching a video showing how someone uses a microcontroller as a TX and RX just by writing code. These chips are not intended to do this at all. To me this is magic! 

I would not know where to start, HI.

Sunspots - Sunday November 17th

 Solar flux is 140 and the SSN 71. A=8 and K=3.

6m MSK144 RX (Saturday)

Overnight I am monitoring 50.280MHz MSK144, hoping to catch some MS pings in the Leonid meteor shower. I think this is the most used frequency for this mode in Europe.

UPDATE 2100z:  No spots.

Inclusivity - NOT amateur radio

In a modern society everyone deserves an equal chance irrespective of race, colour, ethnicity, sexuality or disability. Who they are simply does not matter.

However, have you noticed that nearly every advert on TV now tries really hard to be seen as "inclusive" by including anyone who might be considered "outside"? Perhaps the person is obese, black, disabled or whatever. How often have you noticed someone mentions, in passing, about their husband or wife (of the same sex) on TV?

Now, I am not saying this is wrong, far from it, yet in many ways society has become less tolerant.

I hope that we can all be "inclusive" without becoming total prudes.

10m 500mW WSPR (Saturday)

 

So far this morning 6 stations have spotted me.

UPDATE 1426z: 25 stations have spotted my 500mW 10m WSPR today. Some USA stations are now spotting me.

Ely Cathedral - NOT amateur radio

 

This is Ely Cathedral from the nearby meadow.

Near Ely Cathedral - NOT amateur radio

Ely is unusual in having a park with delightful views of the cathedral nearby. This is about 300m from the cathedral and is a delightful walk.

6m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

For some unknown reason my QMX+ initialised this morning, so I am on 6m QRP FT8 again. So far, I have been spotted by 5 English stations, although I see some better equipped stations are working India on 6m FT8.

UPDATE 1408z: Spotted by 30 stations today with the furthermost 4X1UF (3513km).

UPDATE 1745z:  32 spots of my QRP 6m FT8 today.

Spectrumview audio spectrum analyser

When I got my iPhone SE about a year ago, I was quite surprised to see that an app was still available for Spectrumview from Oxford Scientific. 

This is available in iOS but I don't think it is available for Android. Many years ago it was useful for VLF and lightbeam work when I needed an audio spectrum analyser. It was also going to be used at 137kHz until I blew up my beacon earlier this year! By changing the sample rate you can adjust the time shown on the screen.

It is the best audio spectrum analyser I found. It is a free app.

Sunspots - Saturday November 16th

Solar flux is 149 and the SSN 71.   A=13 and K=2. 

Sepura SCL3 - NOT amateur radio

In my professional life before I retired in 2008 I worked for Sepura as a design manager. In those days we led the way in TETRA radios. 

These days it seems emergency services are migrating to 4G/5G services and Sepura is producing a hand portable to allow this migration. It has a TETRA module.

QMX+

When working, this is a great radio covering up to 6m, with SSB promised in a software update. 

Most times it boots up fine, but not always. 

I get a screen that is dim with the top line as shown in the photo. Without unplugging it, I cannot turn it off. It is as if it is not initialised.

In most ways it is a really good QRP radio, but I find this annoying. I hope it is corrected in a later software release as well as the QMX+ USB port not being recognised with Windows 10 without several reboots of the QMX+.

FT710 Field

 One well known UK dealer is selling the Yaesu FT710 Field for £814.99 after the Yaesu cashback.

Ely Cathedral - NOT amateur radio

This is called "The Ship of the Fens". It is on top of a hill and can be seen for miles, much like Chartres in France. 

The photo shows the view from the Almonry that has been serving meals since the 1200s.

Ely, Bishop’s Palace - NOT amateur radio

During WW2 my dad was a Pathfinder flying night raids in Lancaster bombers over Germany. 

Before joining flying crew he had to have his appendix removed here. It is now part of the Kings School.

I am sure he hated war.

10m 500mW WSPR ( Friday)

My QRP beacon was turned on about 0910z. No spots yet.

UPDATE 1538z:  Lots of spots today including many from "across the pond". So far today,  17 stations have spotted me.

Sunspots - Friday November 15th

Solar flux is 147 and the SSN 96. A=11 and K=2.

Roses - NOT amateur radio

 

My wife loves her flowers and these do cheer up dreary November days! These roses certainly fit the bill.

Kierkegaard quote - NOT amateur radio

Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards” ~ Kierkegaard

This is a famous quote that rings true with me. When you reflect on things you see them in a fresh light.

10m QRP WSPR (Thursday)

My 500mW 10m WSPR beacon was turned on at breakfast time. So far, I have been spotted by 12 stations, I think by F2 propagation. 

6m QRP FT8 again (Thursday)

 Once again, I am trying 6m as the F2 propagation sometimes goes this high. So far (at 0920z) spotted by 14 English stations.

UPDATE 1333z:  43 stations have spotted my QRP 6m FT8 today. Nobody outside Europe has spotted me today.

UPDATE 1712z:  53 spots of me today on 6m QRP FT8.

Black Friday "deals" - NOT amateur radio

One large PC manufacturer just told me by email that they were doing Black Friday deals early and that there were some amazing bargains.So, I took a look.

As far as I can see, these "bargains" are as high as they have ever been.

I expect if I looked very hard I might find an old model that is a bit less expensive, so they can clear the shelves for 2025 models.

What me a cynic? Surely not !! 😃

The moral? Treat Black Friday "deals" with caution. Some amazing bargains are definitely not.

Sunspots - Wednesday November 14th

 Solar flux is 150 and the SSN 109. A=7 and K=3.

SSTV from the International Space Station (ISS)

 During this week is a chance to get slow scan TV from the ISS. This video may help. SSTV is not something I have done seriously.

Autumn - NOT amateur radio

A few weeks the trees were mostly in leaf. Now most leaves have fallen. It all seems to have happened very quickly. The photo shows a close in our village yesterday.