ARRL VHF Manual

Yesterday, when my old work colleague visited he brought out a copy of this ARRL book that had my name with the date December 1971 inside. I must have given it away sometime in the 1970s. 

I spent some time last night trying to find an article about a very old 70cm AM portable super regen transceiver. It was not there, so must have been in an earlier edition.

If anyone knows what I am talking about I would not mind a photocopy of the article by email for old times sake. 

Many trying to build it could have been being very disappointed unless it was exactly copied. From bitter experience at 70cm inductors and capacitors can be very different from their marked values and RF grounding can be critical.

Are we really going mad? - NOT amateur radio

 This quote appeared in The Knowledge today:

Villain 

The Sly Old Fox, a pub in Birmingham which is being asked to change its name because it is “derogatory”, “inaccurate” and “unfair” to foxes. The animal rights group Peta says the word “sly” should be replaced with “clever”, to reflect society’s “ever-evolving empathy for animals”.

As much as I like foxes, I don't think they will care.😀

Nearly Christmas - NOT amateur radio

This was outside a village shop earlier today.  Not long now. 

I prefer when everything returns to normal and the evenings start to get lighter again. Ba humbug!

10m 500mW WSPR TX (Saturday)

Funny, but I keep forgetting that I can go on 10m WSPR TX with my stand-alone beacon whilst I am on 6m FT8 with the IC-705 and the PC as the antenna is different.  Around 1130z my 10m QRP WSPR TX was turned on.   No spots yet.

UPDATE 1812z:  It helps if the beacon is powered!  Since turning the power on (doh!!) 9 stations have spotted me.

UPDATE  2154z:  Now QRT. 13 stations spotted my 500mW 10m WSPR. See table.

Old Practical Wireless

An old work colleague popped out yesterday. It was great to see him.  I had not seen him for perhaps 30 years. He very kindly brought some Practical Wireless magazines mostly from the early 1980s. For those that don't know PW is a UK radio magazine you can buy in shops.

What struck me was the very high number of advertisers, which is not the case today. Clearly radio was very healthy back then. These days, the majority of adverts are from just one company. If they stopped then PW would probably be in deep, deep trouble.

6m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

Once again, I am on 6m QRP FT8 with the IC-705.  I have been on since about 0910z. So far, just 9 English stations spotting me.

UPDATE 1155z:  34 stations have spotted me with the furthermost D4L (4518km) in the Cape Verde Is..

UPDATE 1513z: With 77 stations spotting my 6m FT8 QRP today, there is little doubt that 6m behaves more like an HF band at the peak of the solar cycle. Today I have been spotted in both North and South America. See map with bars.

UPDATE 1750z:  130 stations spotted here on 6m FT8. See map with dots.

UPDATE 2147z:  Now QRT. 83 stations my 6m QRP FT8 today.

Sunspots - Saturday November 30th

 Solar flux is 220 and the SSN 162. A=8 and K=3.

More Cambridge - NOT amateur radio

These are some more images of Cambridge. 

The top picture is of the round church of which there are very few in the UK. 

When I first came to Cambridge in 1970 it was an active church. Now it is a brass rubbing centre.
 

6m QRP FT8 (Friday)

My QRP 6m FT8 from the IC-705 was turned on just before breakfast.  So far 6 spots of me, all English.

UPDATE 0953z: 23 spots of me, all in Europe.

UPDATE 1554z:   95 spots of me with many in N.America. See map.

UPDATE 1744z:   103 stations have spotted me.

Sunspots - Friday November 29th

 Solar flux is 214 and the SSN 149. A=4 and K=2.

Rally this Sunday

 The  following rally has been notified. I always recommend checking before going far

Sunday December 1st - Wiltshire Radio Winter Rally, Kington Langley, SN15 5NJ. Contact Chairman@Chippenhamradio.club .

6m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

 So far this morning 12 stations have spotted me with the furthermost 3W9T (9944km) in Vietnam. It seems when the MUF goes this high my vertical V2000 omni antenna is fine.

UPDATE 1152z:12 stations have spotted my 6m QRP FT8 including VK.

UPDATE 1712z: 52 stations have spotted my QRP 6m FT8 today with the furthermost VK6NH (13739km). Remember this is VHF with QRP and an omni antenna!

10m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

 After a brief session on 10m QRP FT8 with about 5W with 86 stations spotting me with the furthermost JA5AFW (9330km), I have QSYed to 6m FT8.

Thursday plans

 At various times I expect to try 6m and 10m QRP FT8 with the IC705.

Archetypal Cambridge - NOT amateur radio

This is archetypal Cambridge. King’s College chapel on an autumn afternoon with bikes on King’s Parade.

There are fewer visitors at this time of the year.

US prefixes

At one time if you heard a W7 you could be sure he was on the west side of the USA. Yesterday, I was copied by an N4  .... who was on the west side of the continent. 

If, like me, you are in Europe it is much harder than it once was. I presume this saves the FCC a few dollars in admin..

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.