6m QRP FT8 (Friday)

 My IC-705 was turned on at 6W just before 0800z.  At 0920z spotted by 9 stations in the UK and Eire.

UPDATE 2112z:  18 stations have spotted me. No continental Europe and no exotic DX. In fact, a pretty lousy day. QRT.

10m QRP WSPR (Friday)

My 500mW beacon was turned on at 0754z. 3 stations spotting me at 0938z.

UPDATE 2110z:  Spotted by 30 stations. Spots from the USA started just before 1200z. QRT

Friday plans

10m QRP WSPR and 6m QRP FT8 seem appropriate like yesterday.

Quasheng video

This handheld dual band transceiver is available at a bargain price. It may be modified to receive on a wide range and in many modes.

Grass cutting - NOT amateur radio

 

Yesterday definitely felt springlike, so I cut the rear lawn.  We enjoyed our first cup of tea outside.

Sunspots - Friday March 21st

 Solar flux is 170 and the SSN 191. A=6 and K=3.

Rallies this weekend

 You can tell it is spring as I am being notified of several rallies. All these are on Sunday March 23rd. As usual, it is always advisable to check details before going far.

• Biggleswade Swapmeet (BVWS), Biggleswade, SG18 8JH. Contact secretary@bvws.org.uk
• Callington Radio and Electronice Rally,  Callington, PL17 7BD.  Contact alastair.kerr@btinternet.com
• Dover Amateur Radio Club 2025 Rally, Dover, CT17 0HL. See darc.online/rally

6m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

 My IC-705 at 6W was turned on at about 0900z. So far, 7 stations have spotted me, all UK.

UPDATE 1200z:  21 stations have spotted my QRP. 

UPDATE 1600z:  41 stations have spotted me today on 6m FT8 QRP.  See map.

10m QRP WSPR (Thursday)

My 500mW stand-alone beacon was turned on about 0900z.  So far 9 spots by EA8BFK (2880km).

UPDATE 1629z: 23 stations have spotted me. No North American spots, suggesting 8m and 6m would be very unlikely.

FT102

This was a classic 1970s radio. It was a hybrid design with a 6146 PA.

Sunspots - Thursday March 20th

 Solar flux is 180 and the SSN 190. A=23 and K=2.

New video to be created: QMX+ on 8m

 Although my voice is poor I think I need to produce a new video showing how the QMX+ can be put on 8m. Perhaps I can intersperse photos with printed words to avoid talking?

In the meantime my video channel is on YouTube. See https://www.youtube.com/@G3XBM/videos .

Covid lab leak? - NOT amateur radio

Five years on it is amazing the impact Covid-19 had on our lives. Looking back it sticks in our memories. 

One theory was that it started with a lab leak in China, but we lacked the Chinese data. Now a recent German language investigative journalist report says this is an 80-90% certainty. It looks like an accident rather than a biological weapon. If it was a lab leak, the Chinese would not want to lose face by admitting so.

ELF video - NOT amateur radio

For a long time, I have been fascinated by VLF/ELF radio communications. 

As you go lower in frequency, radio waves penetrate further through water and rock. For this reason, the military in many countries have explored these frequencies to communicate with deeply submerged submarines, although data rates at ELF are very slow and antennas very long. I know the Russians have a system at 80Hz (it has been copied in the UK), but I am not sure about the USA and China.

10m 500mW WSPR (Wednesday)

 My beacon was turned on just before 0900z.  6 spots of me so far by EA8BFK (2880km).

UPDATE 1635z: Just 3 stations spotting me today and nothing in the USA with the furthermost ZD7GB (7607km),

6m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

 My IC-705 was turned on at 6W at about 0900z. So far,  5 spots including one in Poland.

UPDATE 1713z:  20 stations have spotted me, all in Europe. See map.

View from my junior school - NOT amateur radio

This was the view from my junior school in Salcombe, Devon, UK. We just took it for granted and only realised years later just how special it was. It took me years to realise the odd patterns on the classroom ceiling on a sunny day were the sun being reflected on the water!

Wymondham, Norfolk,UK - NOT amateur radio

 

This was few years ago when we ate at a small independent cafe. My wife had the crumpets on the left.

Sunspots - Wednesday March 19th

Solar  flux is 184 and the SSN 191. A=12 and K=4.

10m 500mW WSPR (Tuesday)

 My little QRP W5OLF beacon was turned on at 0900z.   No spots yet.

UPDATE 1005z: 4 spots of me by TA4SCU (3010km).

UPDATE 1743z:  Spotted by 26 stations today. See table.

6m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

My IC-705 at 6W was turned on at 0900z.  

UPDATE 1009z:  9 stations including 1 in Portugal have spotted me.

Tuesday plans

 Shortly I expect to go on 10m QRP WSPR and 6m QRP FT8.

PSKreporter alternatives?

Occasionally, it would appear PSKreporter is unable to work. I am wondering if there is an alternative?

Sunspots - Tuesday March 18th

Solar  flux is 204 and the SSN 189. A=16 and K=3..

Free speech? - NOT amateur radio

It would seem the administration of President Trump has deported a Palestinian man called Mahmoud Kahlil because of his pro-Palestine activity. Now, I do not know the full facts, but this seems to fly in the face of a country where free speech is meant to be important.

6m QRP FT8 (Monday)

 As 10m was so good, I QSYed to 6m with my 6W FT8.

UPDATE 1457z:  So far, just 4 English spots of me.

Magpies - NOT amateur radio

 

For nearly 40 years I travelled about 10 miles into Cambridge for work. 

In all that time I never saw a magpie. 

Now they’re very common. I believe they raid birds nests to eat chicks or eggs.

8m experiments

In many ways I am extremely disappointed with the RSGB, OFCOM and the FCC for the very negative attitude to real propagation research at 8m. 

My experiment (which I had to pay for!) was to see what would be possible with really low ERP. With Es we know all of Europe would be in range, but around sunspot maximum the MUF might reach 8m, but not 6m.

What we have been dealt is a wall of reasons why radio amateurs cannot have even a very tiny 8m allocation.

I give up!!

Collective memory - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday I mentioned that we had been re-watching "Quatermass and the Pit", which was first shown as a TV series on BBC TV in 1957. Some programmes look very dated, but this did not.

One of the themes explored was of racial memory, deep within us. This got me thinking.

Just as a bird knows how to migrate or build a nest, what do we have as humans deep within us? What unknown features do we possess that we are totally unaware about? Do we all have an evil streak deep within us, perhaps triggered by something? Maybe it is something else, more benign, that somehow binds all humanity?

The truth is we are aware of so little about ourselves. Maybe over time we will learn more about ourselves. Really we know so little.

10m QRP FT8 (Monday)

My IC-705 was turned on at 6W at about 0715z on 10m FT8.

UPDATE 1050z:  137 stations have spotted me with the furthermost India and the Seychelles. On RX 275 stations were spotted with the furthermost Indonesia. 

UPDATE 1452z:  410 spots of my QRP today and 755 stations spotted here on 10m FT8. The map shows the stations spotting me.

Nature reserve this weekend - NOT amateur radio

This was Kingfisher Bridge nature reserve, near Ely UK, this weekend. 

As well as many birds (including marsh harriers) we saw Konik ponies (used to keep the grass short) plus water buffalo and daffodils with Ely Cathedral on the horizon.

EI7GL blog

A reminder that one of the best amateur radio blogs I have come across is the one by John Desmond EI7GL.   Whenever I look it is a goldmine of information.

See https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/ .

Time synchronisation

All this with Windows 10. I have no idea what happens in Windows 11.

For years I used an internet time service to ensure my PC time was accurate. A few months ago Steve G1KQH pointed out that internet time sync is built in to Windows 10 and I assume Windows 11. 

Just right click on the date and time in the bottom right of your screen. Choose "adjust date/time" from the menu that appears. 

A box appears and select "sync now". When the tick appears you know your PC is synced to internet time. 

I am not sure how long this syncs for, but on my PC I have had absolutely no issues for a whole day at all using modes in WSJT-X making additional programs for time sync unnecessary. 

Although I am unsure how often you should re-sync, I do this whenever I turn on my PC i.e once a day.

Sunspots - Monday March 17th

 Solar flux is 186 and the SSN 185.  A=10 and K=3.

Quatermass and the Pit - NOT amateur radio

When this was first broadcast as a series on BBC TV in 1957, I recall being terrified. 

It was produced as a DVD and we are watching it again. 

It still is pretty good even now. It raises the possibility of a racial memory that is deeply buried within us all, perhaps for millions of years.

Best SDR transeivers

This is a Chinese video (I think) promoting Chinese SDR transceivers. Many (including me) are still a bit concerned about Chinese quality and reliability in amateur radio products.

They have definitely "got there" in many consumer products with most goods bought these days having a "Made in China" label. We are addicted to low costs with labour costs in China (at the moment) much lower than in Europe or the USA.

When it comes to SDR transceivers, the Chinese offerings are much lower cost than the Japanese offerings. In the future this is the competition. 

As labour costs in China go up, I can see people scanning the world to see where labour costs are lower, or adopting more automation to compete.

6m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

 My IC-705 at 6W  has been on since breakfast.  11 spots (G, and GW) so far at 1036z.

UPDATE 1632z:  18 stations spotting me.  All G and GW.

10m 500mW WSPR (Sunday)

 My beacon has been on since breakfast. Plenty of European spots of me. 

UPDATE 2113z:  42 stations have spotted me with the furthermost Brazil.

Sunspots - Sunday March 16th

 Solar flux is 178 and the SSN 187. A=18 and K=3.

The (UK) Times newspaper - NOT amateur radio

One of the many sources from which I get news is The Times, which is a UK newspaper, also available online. I also listen to Times Radio.

This weekend you can download or share anything on their site.

See https://www.thetimes.com/