Tree root - NOT amateur radio

 

This was a tree root seen a few days ago.

8m activity level

It is fascinating to see how interest in 40.680MHz FT8 has increased. Whereas this was a band hardly monitored, quite a few stations are monitoring it nowadays. 

It is a great pity that so many PTTs cannot see fit to allocate a few kilohertz to the amateur service to allow genuine research to be progressed. Instead, many PTTs seem brain dead. 

The map shows the stations monitoring this afternoon. There are probably more as I don't think PSKreporter shows spotters unless they have recently received something or just come on.

10m QRP WSPR (Sunday)

 In a few moments I expect to turn on my 500mW W5OLF 10m WSPR beacon.

UPDATE 1008z:  My beacon was turned on about 1000z. Just EA8BFK (2880km) spotting me so far.

UPDATE 1639z:  25 stations have spotted me today. Plenty of spotters in the USA.

8m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

Very shortly, I hope to go on 40.680MHz FT8.

UPDATE 1004z:  My 8m gear was turned on at about 1000z.

UPDATE 1638z: No spots.

And the sun appeared - NOT amateur radio

Sometimes you strike lucky as I was a few days ago when the sun briefly appeared. For some reason, just this clump of snowdrops was illuminated and I managed to catch it. 

This photo is totally untouched and this is exactly as it was.

Sunspots - Sunday February 16th

 Solar flux is 184 and the SSN 153. A=28 and K=3.

The sun (briefly) - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday. the sun appeared in the afternoon. Today it is dull and wet again. The photo shows the sun yesterday at nearby Anglesey Abbey.

Anglesey Abbey yesterday - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday, we had a brief  glimpse of the sun when we went to Anglesey Abbey.

My wife took this photo. It was bright, but very cold.

10m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

Once I had resolved my "finger trouble", I went on 10m QRP FT8 with my tiny QDX transceiver. Lots of RX spots and 5 spots on TX, although I think I am being clobbered by a strong station. I had better QSY!

UPDATE 1825z:  15 stations have spotted me.

Finger trouble resolved

I keep forgetting that when the audio is muted it also mutes the audio coming in on the USB port! Once mute was turned off, RX audio was received.

8m QRP FT8 issues (Saturday)

Although everything was working on TX, the PC was seeing no audio despite the correct source being selected. It is probably finger trouble, but I have gone QRT for now.

10m QRP WSPR (Saturday)

 My 500mW beacon was turned on just after 1000z.

UPDATE 1020z:  Just spots of me by EA8BFK (2880km).

UPDATE 1802z:  16 stations spotted me before I went on 10m QRP FT8.

The Old Ways - NOT amateur radio

My son gave me a book to read called "The Old Ways". 

It is about walks made by the author on paths that have been trod for thousands of years.  These tracks talk of history. 

Some of the language used was beyond me using some words I had never heard of! 

Sunspots- Saturday February 15th

 Solar flux is 179 and the SSN 111. A=27 and K=3.

The wonder of sunlight - NOT amateur radio

Back in the autumn my wife planted some hyacinth bulbs. She put these in a black sack in the garage  .... and forgot about them!  

When she remembered they were brought into the kitchen where they have thrived.

6m QRP FT8 (Friday)

My IC-705 set at 7W was turned on at 0933z.

UPDATE 0950z:  Spotted by 6 English stations so far.  As I am using the V2000 vertical, I am probably cross-polarized to most serious 6m operators. I imagine if I was using a 6m halo or similar, I could be 20dB stronger on UK stations. I doubt it matters with real 6m DX.

UPDATE 1638z:  Spotted by 21 stations including several Europeans -  Es?

10m QRP WSPR (Friday)

My 500mW beacon was turned on at 0932z.

Map by WSPRrocks Phil VK7JJ

UPDATE 1700z:  Spotted by 25 stations.

Sunspots - Friday February 14th

 Solar flux is 173 and the SSN 112. A=23 and K=3.

Koltur, Faroes - NOT amateur radio

As mentioned before, one of my friends on 365project lives in the Faroe Islands. He takes some great shots of this isolated island group. This is the uninhabited island of Koltur.

Nearly forgot! - 70cms activity contest (February)

Usually I submit my (pathetic!) entry for this activity contest the next day.  My score is always near the bottom as I run low power to a 2m omni antenna and only stop on for about 30 minutes because of my poor voice. I remembered just now. 

I get the feeling interest is waning. 

The map shows the stations worked - all two of them!

Signs of life - NOT amateur radio

The photo shows the path from King's College, Cambridge over the River Cam. It was taken on January 29th. There were already signs of the earth waking up. 

Yesterday, I noticed rooks repairing their nests - soon be spring.

10m 500mW WSPR TX (Thursday)

My W5OLF WSPR beacon has been on since just after breakfast. 

UPDATE 1723z:  27 stations spotting me.

6m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

My IC-705 at reduced power (7W) was turned on just after breakfast. So far, at 1000z, 8 English spots of  me.

UPDATE 1730z:  15 English stations spotting me. QRT.

Sunspots - Thursday February 13th

 Solar flux is 166 and the SSN 88. A=16 and K=3.

Quieter than normal? - NOT amateur radio

 

Central Cambridge seemed quieter than normal. 

Perhaps it is our dull weather keeping people away!

6m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

 

My 5W from the IC-705 has been on since just before breakfast. 15 stations have spotted me by 1336z.

10m 500mW WSPR TX (Wednesday)

My QRP beacon was turned on just before breakfast. 15 stations have spotted me by 1333z.  

Sunspots - Wednesday February 12th

 Solar flux is 153 and the SSN 91. A=17 and K=4.

Practical Wireless thinner?

Maybe I have not noticed recently, but Practical Wireless, the UK magazine, seems to be thinner this month. My March 2025 edition came via the post today.

Getting thinner can imply it is trying to ride the storm, but is in trouble. I hope it survives.

8m licence free?

It is definitely worth checking what licence free options exist in your country to TX on 8m. These may be ISM, Part 15 or other. In many places you can legally TX on 8m without a licence. Definitely worth checking.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Tuesday)

My stand-alone 10m 500mW WSPR beacon is on.

UPDATE 1048z: 2 stations have spotted me with the furthermost EA8BFK (2880km).

UPDATE 1916z:  27 stations have spotted me with many in the USA .  QRT soon.

6m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

My FT817ND is on 6m FT8. So far spotted by 4 stations in England and N.Ireland.

UPDATE 1338z:  Now 8 stations spotting me.

UPDATE 1359z:   I am intrigued by the spots regularly over 450km on 6m FT8.  I am wondering if this is troposcatter or random aircraft reflection somewhere over the paths. One only has to have a single aircraft somewhere on the path at the right spot for 15 seconds. In reality, with military and civil aircraft, this is highly probable in several hours.

UPDATE 1457z:  11 stations have spotted me with the furthermost OZ9QV (861km).

UPDATE 1912:. QRT soon.  12 stations have spotted me today.

8m TX permit turned down in Canada

I despair. 

It would seem that many in PTTs across the planet are totally ignorant of why we want a permit to TX on 8m. Time and again I hear accounts of people applying for a licence to TX on 8m and being refused. It would seem that many in PTTs know absolutely nothing about RF or radio propagation!! All they are interested in is how much money will be generated.

Also, it is my view that PTTs will realise no money will ever be made from amateur radio (just hassle) and it will become a free-for-all with no PTT involvement.

It would seem they no longer know in PTTs what the words "experimentation" and "research" mean.

Sunspots - Tuesday February 11th

 Solar flux is 159 and the SSN 104. A=24 and K=3.

10m QRP WSPR (Monday)

As I was on 8m FT8, my 10m antenna was available, so I am on 10m QRP WSPR with my 500mW beacon So far 3 stations have spotted me.

UPDATE 1835z: Now QRT. 12 stations have spotted me today.

8m QRP FT8 (Monday)

My 8m QRP was turned on at about 1415z.

UPDATE 1838z: No spots. Now QRT.

Website dates - NOT amateur radio

One thing that really infuriates me are websites that have something on them that is time sensitive that are not updated or have a "date created". 

Today I looked on the Cambridge University weather page inviting me to meet them in September, except this was September last year!  I cannot tell you how often I have read a webpage only to find it is years out of date.

So, the very least they could do is put a date saying when the page was created. Better, still update the webpage!

Sunspot minimum

Probably I am one of the few people looking forward to the next solar minimum! We are currently close to the sunspot maximum and HF (even 6m) conditions can be very good.

This is the first time (just about) when we will have had widespread use of weak signal modes like FT8.  If people stick with the higher HF bands as conditions decline we might well find the higher bands are good far more often than we think. 

Especially on N-S paths it would not surprise me at all if there are widespread openings even in years with low sunspot numbers.

In many ways the next 11 years will give us plenty of chances to really experiment.

10m QRP FT8 with the IC-705

Stations spotting me today on 10m QRP FT8

My gear was turned on about 1015z.

UPDATE 1506z: When I QSYed to 8m, 270 stations had spotted me on 10m QRP FT8 today. See map. 10W FT8 gets everywhere.

Village "centre" - NOT amateur radio

At least in this part of the UK, it has seemed a long, dull winter as this photo shows. Our village of Burwell has a couple of  main centres for shops. 

I expect this goes back a long time when there were really two villages. 

Our local cafe is called the "Village Green" even though we don't really have one!