Sunspots - Thursday November 28th

 Solar flux is 214 and the SSN 141. A=8and K=1

Visiting Cambridge - NOT amateur radio

Being a resident of a nearby village, I often take Cambridge for granted. Some people travel across the planet to see places I can see for free at any time. There are many videos about the city on YouTube. This is just one.

17m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

My 17m QRP FT8 (about 4W) was turned on at about 1618z.  Within a few minutes, I was spotted by 33 stations, See map.

15m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

At about 1545z I QSYed to QRP 15m FT8 with the IC705. So far, 50 spots of me in 4 continents. It's too darn easy!  Someone called me so I had a quick QSO.

UPDATE 1556z: 63 spots of me. See map.

FT8 versus WSPR

It is hard to compare these two as I run 500mW on WSPR and about 5W on FT8 from the IC-705. However FT8 is about 10dB less sensitive than WSPR. My feeling is there is far more activity on FT8 than WSPR. Certainly I get far more spots with FT8.

Starting out, I believe FT8 is better. It also allows 2-way QSOs.

Old bookshop - NOT amateur radio

The photo shows Trinity Street in Cambridge, UK. In the right foreground is a bookshop that has been a bookshop for centuries.

10m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

With about 5W from the IC-705 I went on 10m FT8. So far, 152 stations across the planet have spotted my QRP.

6m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

For a short while, I tried 6m QRP FT8 using the IC-705 at about 5W. 12 stations in England spotted me in the short time I was on.

UPDATE 1528z:  22 UK stations have spotted my QRP 6m FT8 today. No real DX.

IC-705 working with FT8

This morning I got my IC-705 working with FT8. Up to now I had been using different rigs for FT8.  I had to install the ICOM USB drivers and adjust the USB TX modulation levels to the rig.

10m QRP WSPR (Wednesday)

My 500mW 10m WSPR TX beacon was turned on about 1015z. At 1030z 10 stations had spotted me, by what looks like F2 propagation.

UPDATE 1153z: 13 stations spotted me before I went on FT8.

Sunspots - Wednesday November 27th

 Solar flux is 222 and the SSN 163. A=7 and K=0.

FT8 with the IC-705

Tomorrow, I plan to try FT8 with my IC-705. Up to now I have used other rigs. I did do this with the first IC-705 I owned. As I recall there was a noise problem with the USB cable connected, but I overcome that with a better, choked cable.

Salcombe, Devon, UK - NOT amateur radio

As a child, I was brought up in Salcombe, Devon.  It is very beautiful and unspoilt, although it is very expensive nowadays! 

My views on visitors are changing. It is interesting to compare Salcombe, Dartmouth and Kingsbridge in Devon. Those that have attracted "up market" visitors seem to be thriving, whereas nearby Kingsbridge seemed a bit run-down further up the town. I hope I caught Kingsbridge on a bad day as it deserves to do well.

It is very important that these places do not lose the character people come to experience. Change always happens, but I hope it is still as beautiful for years to come.

One of the best YouTube videos on Salcombe I have found is attached.

Cambridge proctors - NOT amateur radio

These are like college policemen, keeping order in the Cambridge University colleges like this one outside Trinity College, that I think was founded by King Henry VIII many centuries ago. 

Proctors wear bowler hats and are a familiar sight in Cambridge.

Trade tariffs - NOT amateur radio

 Allegedly, the incoming US president wants to impose trade tariffs as soon as he comes into office. The danger is they impose trade tariffs in return and we get a trade war.

In the 21st century a tariff war benefits nobody. We need free trade with everyone playing on a level field. 

One thing is likely to happen is inflation will rise in the USA. Making things in the USA is likely to put up wage costs.

Like it or not, the world is shrinking.

Quantum mechanics - NOT amateur radio

Every Monday, I go on the bus to Cambridge for my University of the Third Age courses. One of my courses is on "Great Physicists" and Cambridge has its fair share!

What I find fascinating is how little we know. Quantum mechanics has only really been known for the last century and it is clear we only have a tiny grasp of things.  In another 100 years I can well believe we will look back with amazement at how ignorant we were.

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

See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Many-worlds_interpretation .

All we can conclude is we really know very little!

6m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

My gear was turned on at 0908z. 

At 0944z I was spotted by 12 stations in England.

UPDATE 2135z: 25 stations have spotted me. See map.Now QRT.

10m QRP WSPR (Tuesday)

My 500mW 10m WSPR beacon was turned on at 0902z.

UPDATE 2140z: 49 stations have spotted me. See table. Now QRT

Cambridge centre - NOT amateur radio

This is Great St Mary's church in central Cambridge. It is the university church and some famous people have preached here. 

In the foreground is Cambridge market and the statue to Snowy Farr MBE who was a well known local fundraiser.

See https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/snowy-farr-sculpture .

Tuesday plans

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

Sunspots - Tuesday November 26th

 Solar flux is 220 and the SSN 140. A=11 and K=2.

Cambridge Today - NOT amateur radio

One of the pleasures of Cambridge is gliding along the back of the colleges on a punt on the river Cam. 

Many prefer others to do the punting whilst  you just relax. Some punts even serve drinks to help you relax even more!  This was the River Cam earlier today.

10m 500mW WSPR ( Monday)

 16 stations have spotted me at 1116z.

UPDATE 2104z:  63 stations have spotted me today.

6m QRP FT8 (Monday)

 26 stations have spotted me at 1114z.

UPDATE  2055z:  64 stations have spotted me today.

Sunspots - Monday November 25th

 Solar flux is 203 and the SSN 164. A=7 and K=2.

Birthday girl - NOT amateur radio

 

Today is my wife's birthday. 

Before you ask, NO I am not pregnant and don't you be so darn cheeky! 😀😀

Faroes - NOT amateur radio

One of the things I like about 365project is seeing things and places from right across the world. 

Some places are much hotter whereas some (like the photo posted by a friend in the Faroe Is) are much colder. 

There was snow on the hills and temperatures of 4 degrees C in September! I expect they see the northern lights far more often up there. 

Exceptional E-W F2 MUF

In the last few weeks the F2 MUF has exceeded 50MHz "across the pond" on a few occasions. I would expect this at times at the height of a good(ish) solar cycle. It would reach 8m far more often. Indeed my 8m 2.5W FT8 to a dipole was regularly spotted in Canada, the USA and Caribbean in autumn 2023 as well as this autumn. 

In my view this is where 8m FT8 could score. Just occasionally for a short period, the MUF will be high enough. These openings are far less likely to be spotted on CW or SSB, whereas with 8m FT8 and PSKreporter it is far more likely these brief openings will be noticed.

As the sunspots decline the N-S MUF may support 8m FT8 to South Africa more often than we might think.

70cm activity contest

It is a dead certainty that I have never even come close to winning the AL section of this contest! Why? 10W to a 2m big-wheel omni antenna and well less than an hour of operating.

The results were published earlier and I remain 51st out of 92 stations in the low power (AL) section. I am certain that if my voice allowed me to stop on longer, a much better score would be possible. I only really take part because of the activity. It is also good for my voice.

6m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

 My QMX+ has been on since about 1035z. So far, 5 English  stations have spotted me. The QMX+ initialised after a few minutes!

UPDATE 1145z:  10 stations have spotted me (all English).

UPDATE 1644z:  17 stations spotting me (see photo). I wonder if the more distant stations are F2 backscatter?

10m QRP WSPR (Sunday)

My 500mW WSPR has been on since about 1015z. So far spotted by 10 stations. 

UPDATE 1706z:  37 stations have spotted me with the furthermost ND7M (8568km).

Sunspots - Sunday November 24th

 Solar flux is 200 and the SSN 156. A=8 and K=1.

Climate change - NOT amateur radio

It is a very odd person (probably living on Planet Zog) that cannot see that our climate is changing. We may argue if this is cyclical or as a result of man, but changing it is.

In some countries it is of minor significance, whereas for some it is becoming an existential crisis. In some places there have been devastating floods, or droughts or very powerful hurricanes. If sea levels rise whole nations could disappear beneath the waves.

A fact of life is that poor countries suffer the most. Many of these we depend on for food.  In the long run we will all suffer if we are selfish as nations.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c8jykpdgr08t .

Digital modes compared

This is a link I came across when looking at videos about LongChat (see previous post). I think it was done before FT8 appeared. I think FT8 works down to about -21dB S/N although I have had some decodes at -24dB S/N.

See https://www.pa3fwm.nl/technotes/tn09b.html .

LongChat

This is a mode of message transmission I had not heard about before. It is claimed messages can be sent using extremely low power using chirped signals. I am no expert at all on digital communications!

Sneezing and speed - NOT amateur radio

Two things I have put down to my 2013 stroke may seem bizarre to others. They are my perception of speed (as mentioned before) and sneezing.

For some time I have been aware that my perception of speed is "different" in that I feel I am going 20mph faster than I am. I was not aware of this in a coach until this week. On the way to London in a coach we seemed to be going very fast. In a car this is noticeable when I think I am going over 60mph and look at the speedometer and see I am doing less than 50mph and there is a queue of cars behind me!

The second thing seems trivial, but when I feel a sneeze coming on I always sneeze. I am sure this is different.

These are only mentioned as they are subtle artefacts I think of my stroke. Probably others affected by strokes have noticed other things affecting them.

London sights - NOT amateur radio

London, the capital of England, is a fine city with a mix of old and new buildings. 

Some of the old buildings are known the world over. 

We went there on Thursday with our village theatre group by coach.

6m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

Once my QMX+ initiates, I intend to try 6m QRP FT8 again. Yet again, it has not yet initiated. I hope there is a fix for this in later software or hardware as I am suffering this bug most times I switch the transceiver on. It otherwise is a very good rig that I enjoy using. On early production, I suppose this is to be expected.

UPDATE 1006z: The QMX+ has initiated, but I do not know how long it took. So far just 4 English stations have spotted me.

UPDATE 1347z:  Spotted by 21 stations including 1 in Germany.

UPDATE 1645z: Spotted by 25 stations (in Europe) and on RX VO1AW (3801km) spotted.

10m 500mW WSPR (Saturday)

 Since about 0945z I have been on 10m QRP WSPR TX with my beacon. No spots yet.

UPDATE 1009z:  Just 2 Finnish stations spotting me.

UPDATE 2039z:   23 stations have spotted me. QRT shortly.

The Shard: London - NOT amateur radio

This is (I think) the tallest building in London. It certainly can be seen for miles!  

The photo shows a view from outside Southwark Cathedral last Thursday.