Sunspots - Saturday January 11th

 Solar flux is 157 and the SSN 105.  A=12 and K=0.

Canada 11th province? - NOT amateur radio

 This made me laugh earlier. Makes you think.

QMX+ QRP on 8m FT8

 My QMX+ should work on 8m TX just by adding a band configuration using PuTTY. 

I successfully altered a parameter with this PC and PuTTY, so I must be experiencing "finger trouble" with PuTTY at the moment as I cannot (yet) get it to work in terminal mode. My trouble is I cannot remember what I did!

I should be able to use the 6m TX LPF and make no internal changes. RX is a different matter, as I would need to create a new BPF, something which is now beyond my fine motor skills. So I shall have to accept that my 8m RX will be deaf.

UPDATE 1220z:  Indeed it was finger trouble!  My QMX+ is TXing about 2W on 40.68MHz FT8.

UPDATE 1528z: Already spotted on 8m FT8 in the USA, Greenland, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico with the QMX+. It works!!

UPDATE 1610z: This once again shows that the MUF reaches 40.680 MHz far more often than 6m, once again showing a very small amateur band at 8m worldwide would be so useful for propagation research. As I have said very many times even a 5 kHz, digital only, low power allocation would be of use.

LA fires - NOT amateur radio

The wildfires in Los Angeles look horrendous. It is so sad when whole districts are destroyed like this. On the whole, this was a natural disaster. 

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cg7z9zjv90jt .

It makes me furious when Man causes destruction through wars that just aren't necessary such as in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan. Surely, by now, you would think that we would have learnt from history. Obviously not.  Sadly, I can only conclude that Man really can be basically evil.

All we can do is to try is try to make the world a kinder and more compassionate place a step at a time.

Brrrr- NOT amateur radio

Today is the coldest day in the UK this winter. 

We have a hard frost and it is bitterly cold and icy, but we missed the snow.

Check the facts - NOT amateur radio

 It would appear if you have billions you can say almost anything, whether true or not, and get away with  it.

A plea - before opening mouth please, everyone, check what you say is factually correct.  People with even smaller brains may assume it is correct. This is how riots and wars often start.

10m 500mW WSPR TX (Friday)

My beacon was turned on at about 0942z. 

UPDATE 1515z:  So far, spotted by 31 stations.

6m QRP FT8 (Friday)

My gear was turned on at about 0942z.  I am running just under 3W from the QMX+ to the V2000 vertical omni antenna.

UPDATE 1020z:  So far, spotted by 7 English stations.

Sunspots - Friday January 10th

 Solar flux is 162 and the SSN 126.  A=10 and K=1.

10m QRP WSPR (Thursday)

 As my 10m antenna will be free, I intend later to turn on my 500mW stand-alone WSPR beacon later. Most USA stations start to spot me early afternoon.

UPDATE 1100z:   Turned on at about 1056z:  No spots at 1101z.

UPDATE 1219z:  Spotted by 11 stations.

Cambridge art gallery - NOT amateur radio

 

This was in a window yesterday.

6m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

Yesterday , my QRP 6m FT8 from the QMX+ was spotted in Canada for the first time in 2025, so I shall try again today.

UPDATE 1100z:   Turned on at about 1056z.  4 English spots of me so far this morning.

UPDATE 1643z:    15 spots of my 6m QRP FT8 today.  Nothing "across the pond" today! QRT soon.

Sunspots - Thursday January 9th

 Solar flux is 160 and the SSN 113. A=8 and K=2.

10m 500mW WSPR (Wednesday)

 My QRP beacon was turned on at about 0915z. No spots of me yet at 0929z.

UPDATE 1710z:  Spotted by 25 stations.

6m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

 My gear was turned on at about 0915z. At 0926z, 3 English spots.

Sunrise- NOT amateur radio

 

This was the sunrise in our close yesterday.

Sunspots - Wednesday January 8th

 Solar flux is 168 and the SSN 113. A=12 and K=2.

10m QRP WSPR (Tuesday)

 Whilst on the 2m activity contest, I turned on the 10m QRP WSPR beacon. At 2047z, no stations had spotted me. I suspect I came on too late.

Magnetic North Pole - NOT amateur radio

 

This was posted earlier and I presume it is correct. It certainly shows how this moves.

Yaesu FTX-1F video

 As mentioned before, the Yaesu FTX-1F (due "early 2025") is meant to be the competitor to the ICOM IC-705 and the successor to the FT817/818 QRP radios. I have not yet heard any more details of specs or price. With the stiff competition, it has to be keenly priced.

I came across this video earlier. Many are trying to show what it can do, but without full specs there are lots of guesses!

A  quick check at  Ham Radio Japan (all in Japanese!) had no more details. I wonder if Yaesu was "testing the waters" to judge interest?  It would not surprise me if Yaesu decided the competition is just too fierce to make any money and drop it even before it is launched. Do you have any more details?

I cannot imagine the IC-905 sells many and makes ICOM any profits.

Amazon algorithms - NOT amateur radio

This has been discussed before I continue to be amazed at how stupid Amazon is with its algorithms and how easy it would be for them to change.

Regularly I get suggestions about what to buy. Here is the thing. These suggestions are almost always based on what I've just bought, meaning it is highly improbable I will want something similar soon. How daft is that!  

Surely the algorithm could be changed to exclude items similar to those recently bought. This is not rocket science!

10m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

My QMX+ was turned on at about 0900z. So far, 37 spots of me at 0929z.

UPDATE 1209z: 316 stations spotted with the furthermost VK6APK (14532km) in Western Australia. My own 10m FT8 QRP has been spotted by 216 stations.

UPDATE 1856z: 580 stations have spotted my 10m QRP FT8 today. Basically, a few watts of 10m FT8 gets all around the planet. 

QRT soon.

"Our" windmill - NOT amateur radio

 

This was "our" windmill next door yesterday.

Sunspots - Tuesday January 7th

Solar  flux is 172 and the SSN 154.  A=15 and K=2.

Signs of better weather - NOT amateur radio

 

There are definite signs of better times ahead.

10m QRP FT8 (Monday)

At about 1400z, I QSYed to 10m QRP FT8. Immediately my QMX+ was spotted by 80 stations with many in North America. At a guess, I was radiating a few watts.

UPDATE 1426z: Spotted by 164 stations with the furthermost ZD7GB (7606km) on St Helena, South Atlantic.

UPDATE 1900z:  354 spots of me with the furthernost K6RO (8711km). See map.

10m QRP WSPR (Monday)

 My 500mW beacon was turned on at about 0920z.  So far, just one spot of me from an SV.

UPDATE 1220z:  6 spots of me so far today.

The USA and UK - NOT amateur radio

Every, and I really do mean every, person I have ever dealt with in the USA has been kind and generous. Whenever I have been there they strike me as a kind and generous people.

What puzzles me is the image they create outside of the USA is of a brash people (I remember being pleasantly surprised how good the driving was when I first went there!) only interested in themselves and making money. Perhaps this is why so many voted for Mr Trump? Perhaps he, along with Elon Musk, represent what many aspire to? 

In many ways I like the American people, but I wish Mr Musk would keep out of UK politics. He may be the richest man in the world, but seems uninformed about some things.

In my view, if we have a choice, we would be better turning more towards Europe than the USA.

6m QRP FT8 (Monday)

 My gear was turned on at about 0920z.  So far, just 3 English stations spotting me.

UPDATE 1353z:   10 English stations spotting me today.

KH1 v KX2 for portable use

In the UK, Elecraft radios are very expensive. I don't think that is the case in the USA. Also, I do not think the KH1 is available outside of the USA. 

K4SWL has done a video comparing these radios. Elecraft make some good products, but I wish they were less expensive. The conclusion is it depends on how you intend to use the product. 

One thing it does do is tell us just how effective a small HF handheld can be if used with a whip, counterpoise and ATU.

Sunspots - Monday January 6th

Solar flux is 169 and the SSN 178.   A=20 and K=3.

Doctor reveals what you'll see when you die - according to science - NOT amateur radio

 This video was see on YouTube earlier. I had a cardiac arrest in 2013. Many with a religious faith will expect some kind of life after death.

10m QRP WSPR (Sunday)

My 500mW beacon was turned on at about 0915z. So far, 2 stations spotting me. 

UPDATE 1205z:   15 stations have spotted me. The maps is from WSPRrocks by Phil VK7JJ.

UPDATE 1920z:  40 stations have spotted me today. See table.

UPDATE 2014z:  QRT.

6m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

My QMX+ was turned on at about 0915z. A 0925z  just 2 English stations spotted.

UPDATE 1042z:  7 English stations have spotted me.

UPDATE  1927z:  17 stations have spotted me today. See map.

UPDATE 2014z:  QRT.

Amateur radio in the 1950s

After WW2 many people used surplus military equipment as this was plentiful . These were the days when many built their own gear and there were no Japanese transceivers. Most people used AM.

23cm beacons

My nearest 23cm beacon is (I think) GB3DUN (66km) on Dunstable Downs. 

From home in the shack I can only use a 6ele PCB antenna firing out of the shack window. With the leaves off the trees, now is probably a good time to see if I can receive it.

It is very much an obstructed path.

This is a useful distance and bearing calculator if you know the Maidenhead 6 figure grid for both the TX and RX. See https://www.chris.org/cgi-bin/showdis .

Chocolate box village - NOT amateur radio

This is the village of Dalham not far from us. It is filled with "chocolate box" thatched cottages that must be worth a fortune today.  

At one time they were probably worker's hovels. How times change.

Wet string antennas

Yesterday I mentioned using the coax to my 2m big-wheel antenna on 80m. It worked remarkably well. 

I came across this video on YouTube showing someone using a coat hanger antenna on 10m. As long as the antenna is properly matched to the rig with an ATU, you may be surprised.

If you do not have an antenna for a certain band do not give up. I am sure such compromise antennas would be down on a "proper" antenna, but do not be too surprised if it works quite effectively.

Some have used wires in their plastic guttering down-pipe or a flagpole. You may be amazed just how well such hidden antennas work.

Sunspots - Sunday January 5th

 Solar flux is 209 and the SSN 193.  A=32 and K=2.

Faroe Is - NOT amateur radio

One of the pleasures of 365project, as I have said before, is having a "window on the world" as in this photo recently posted by a friend who lives in the Faroe Islands. I can imagine that it is often cold, wet and windy.

See https://365project.org/mubbur/365/2024-12-29.