10m 500mW WSPR (Wednesday)

My QRP beacon was turned on just before breakfast. So far, just spots by EA8BFK (2880km) in the Canary Is..

UPDATE 1335z:  22 stations have spotted me with the furthermost F61695 (9729km)  in the Indian Ocean.

6m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

 My gear was turned on just before breakfast. So far, I have been spotted by 21 stations.

UPDATE 1330z:  56 stations have spotted me, all in Europe.

UPDATE 1516z: K1TOL has been spotted on 6m FT8 RX although I know Lofty has a big station with huge antennas on 6m. I recall working him on 6m QRP CW many years ago. I think this was Es.

Foula, Shetland- NOT amateur radio

 Foula is a very isolated inhabited island in the Shetland Islands. It has no ferry or air links. The community is very cut off.

2m activity contest UKAC

 Every month I take part in the 2m activity contest with my 10W and big-wheel omni antenna. Because of my poor voice I rarely stop on very long, but I enjoy the SSB activity. Last evening I worked just 4 stations, but one was in Wales.

Full flower - NOT amateur radio

One of our 4 amaryllis plants is now fully in flower. Another week and it will look past its best. 

Hopefully one of the others will soon be as glorious.

Sunspots - Wednesday December 4th

 Solar flux is 185 and the SSN 126. A=12 and K=1..

More Christmas cheer - NOT amateur radio

This was in a Cambridge department store earlier. 

Now it is December, I am happy. Earlier, I am not!

Orchids

The photo shows our orchids. The tiny black dot was our last remaining wild  blackberry that I was hoping would ripen on the windowsill. Alas!!

Singing reindeer - NOT amateur radio

The kids love this!  

The Grand Arcade in Cambridge is gearing up for the Christmas season. As we grow older, we become cynical, but to young ones it is magic. 

Whatever your religious views this is a time for love, peace and joy. 

I still do not understand why there is so much hate and greed in the world. We never seem to learn from history. Why can't we live at peace and just accept that we are all different and have basic human rights?

10m 500mW WSPR TX (Tuesday)

My beacon was turned on at about  0720z. 

UPDATE 1900z: 57 stations have spotted me. The furthermost is F61695 (9729km) in the Indian Ocean. QRT soon.

6m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

 My gear was turned on at about 0720z. So far 10 English stations have spotted me.

UPDATE 0946z:  27 stations have spotted me with the furthermost UN3G (5538km) in Kazakhstan.

UPDATE 1431z:  69 spots of me today on 6m QRP FT8 including VO1SIX (3933km). See map with bars.

UPDATE 1453z:   64 stations spotted here today on 6m FT8. See map with dots.

UPDATE 1901z:   78 stations have spotted me. QRT soon.

Sunspots - Tuesday December 3rd

 Solar flux is 185 and the SSN 111. A=6 and K=3.

Christmas in Cambridge - NOT amateur radio

Now it is December, I have no worries about Christmas decorations or Christmas promotions. 

The photo shows the Grand Arcade in Cambridge. 

10m QRP WSPR (Monday)

My 500mW WSPR beacon has been on since about 0915z.  4 stations spotting me at 0935z.

UPDATE 1945z:  44 stations have spotted me. Now QRT.

6m QRP FT8 (Monday)

My 6m FT8 has been on since about 0915z. 21 spots of me at 0932z.

UPDATE 1945z:  59 stations have spotted me with the furthermost VK6ZLX (13742km). Now QRT.

Father Christmas - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday the local museum and windmill held a Father Christmas Day with Father Christmas in the windmill. The little ones loved it and, despite the drizzle, it was a real success and a very happy day.

Sunspots - Monday December 2nd

Solar  flux is 186 and the SSN 83. A=7 and K=2.

Tempus fugit - NOT amateur radio

At the start of each month there is just one photo of mine for the month on 365project.org . After, what seems, a blink the month is full.  Tempus fugit. 

Solar cycle peak

People often want to know when this occurs. My best place for solar data is the Solan website, but you may have your own. 

It often varies depending on the period averaged, but my site thinks it was October 2024. Conditions remain good for some years yet.

6m FT8 QRP with the IC-705 (Sunday)

 My gear was turned on at about 0925z. So far, spotted by 10 stations with the furthermost F1PBZ (696km).

UPDATE 2006z:  QRT. 62 stations have spotted me.

10m 500mW WSPR (Sunday)

 This morning, I turned on my beacon at about 0925z.  Before you ask, yes I did turn on the PSU as well this time!  

UPDATE  2009z: Spotted by 50 stations. 

Amaryliss - NOT amateur radio

 

We enjoy growing these house plants from bulbs at this time of year. 

We try to stagger them so they flower at different times. 

The first (shown in the photo) is now in flower and looks great.

Japanese Sixbox

Some years ago, I was asked if a Japanese magazine could use my Sixbox in an article. I said "yes" although I have no idea what it says!

Sunspots - Sunday December 1st

 Solar flux is 204 and the SSN 103. A=11 and K=1.

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..