UK football season already

It amazes me that we are already in the UK football season.  

The teams I follow are Plymouth Argyle (recently demoted to League Division 1) and Cambridge United (in League Division 2).  

I wish both teams luck this season.

UPDATE 1533z: Plymouth were losing 1:2 and Cambridge winning 1:0.

MLS and the FTX-1

With great fanfare the UK dealer MLS has announced that soon people who pre-ordered the rig will get deliveries after the first UK unit arrived.

I fail to see what the attraction is: it is £400 more than the ICOM IC-705 and, as far as I can see, offers less than the ICOM rig apart from 4m in European versions and the larger battery.  The IC-705 is now several years old .

When I saw what was on offer I was seriously underwhelmed. In my view at under £1000 they might have stood a chance.  At £1599, no chance. 

People who must have a shiny new radio, maybe, but the vast majority will give it a miss at this stupid price. 

If ICOM next make a true mutlimode, multiband portable, they could make a killing. In my view Yaesu has seriously "lost the plot"..... and the market.

Buddlia bush

A few years we had a small tree that had been disturbed by the wind, so we replaced it with a small buddlia. 

It has flowered for the first time. 

Buddlia flowers are supposed to attract butterflies.

10m 2W FT8 (Saturday)

Today, I am trying 10m FT8 with 2W FT8. It was turned on at about  0855z.

UPDATE 0930z:   Already 79 Es spots of me. Even with very low power I get spotted by many stations on FT8. Who needs kilowatts?

UPDATE 1740z:  221 stations have spotted my 2W QRP 10m FT8. On RX 317 stations spotted here with the furthest the Falklands. Still plenty of Es about. 

Anglesey Abbey

We went for a walk here earlier this week avoiding the rain. 

As it is summer holidays for schools they are gearing up for kids as they have crazy golf. 

The scissors ✂️ are for a fashion exhibition.

Loop antennas

 These can be surprisingly effective, especially if the loop is made with really low loss material. What surprised me was how well they did with QRP and normal wire .

This photo dates from August 2013 in the garden at the old QTH.

Sunspots - Saturday August 2nd

 Solar flux is 146 and the SSN 129. A=13 and K=3.

Tree trunk flowers

On the Causeway (a tree lined road in our village) they had to cut down a tree.  I am so pleased they have made a feature of it by planting some flowers in the old tree trunk base.

First ones

 

Every year I like to grow a few tomatoes 🍅 at home. I am sure they would be cheaper from a supermarket but you miss the smell and the fun. Today I picked the first ones.

10m 500mW WSPR (Friday)

My QRP beacon has been on most of the morning. As the Es is good today, I have been spotted by lots of stations already.

UPDATE 0954z:  26 spots of me already with the furthest EA8BFK (2880km).

UPDATE 1901z: 51 stations have spotted me with the furthest V51RS (8481km). QRT.

6m QRP FT8 (Friday)

My IC705 to the V2000 vertical omni was turned on just before 0800z.  It was good to see so much Es.

UPDATE 1051z:  Spotted by 435 stations. Amazing Es.

6m FT8 RX to 1330z

UPDATE 1332z: 657 stations have spotted my 1W FT8 to the V2000 vertical omni including VO1CH (3737km). On RX several stations spotted in the USA. In my view this is one of the best days on 6m FT8 this Es season. The map shows the stations received on 6m FT8 today on the V2000  vertical omni until 1330z.

UPDATE 1900z: 698 stations have spotted my 1W 6m FT8 today. QRT.

Sunspot numbers

My favourite site for solar data usually publishes an updated forecast of solar data at the start of a new month. 

See https://www.solen.info/solar/ .

Friday plans

 At present I plan to go on 10m QRP WSPR and 6m QRP FT8.

Nature miscellany

 This was at Anglesey Abbey, near Cambridge, UK yesterday.

Sunspots - Friday August 1st

 Solar flux is 145 and the SSN 138. A=11 and K=1.

10m 1W FT8 (Thursday)

 My 1W FT8 was turned on just after tea.

UPDATE 1916z:   104 stations have spotted my 1W including several in the USA.  I suspect these are E layer either chordal hop or multi hop Es.

UPDATE 2055z: Spotted by 169 stations.  Now QRT.

10m 500mW WSPR (Thursday)

My QRP beacon was turned on a shot while ago.

UPDATE 1156z: Spotted by 13 stations, presumably most by Es.

UPDATE 1546z:  42 stations have spotted me. Es almost certainly for most. At the end of July, Es is still going strong!

2m 5W FT8 (Thursday)

 My 2m FT8 was turned on a few minutes ago.

 

UPDATE 1151z: 12 stations have spotted me. I am convinced this is some sort of scatter.

UPDATE 1541z:  25 stations in 5 countries have spotted me. See map. I would have never achieved this with 5W CW or SSB to an omni antenna!

Thursday plans

 Nothing decided yet, but I might try 2m QRP FT8 for a change later. If I go on 2m I shall go on 10m WSPR with my beacon.

Sunspots - Thursday July 31st

 Solar flux is 149 and the SSN 131. A=8 and K=2.

10m 1W FT8 (Wednesday)

 When we got back from my son's I went on 10m QRP FT8 at 1430z.

UPDATE 1453z:  8 spots of me and 7 spots here. Furthest with my 1W FT8 is Chile
CA6SNT (12447km). 

UPDATE 1532z:  So far, spotted by 23 stations today.

UPDATE 2054z: 212 stations have spotted my 1W 10m FT8. See map shows stations spotting me today with this power.

Lightning?

Earlier, although not forecast, I thought I saw a flash of lightning. 

As we are going out for a while, I have gone QRT and disconnected antennas and PSUs. If the are no storms when I get back, I may reconnect things. Maybe 10m QRP FT8?

See https://www.lightningmaps.org/#m=oss;t=3;s=0;o=0;b=;ts=0;tsc=1;

King's College Chapel

People travel across the world to see this. 

It is made famous by the Christmas Carol Concert that is broadcast to millions around the planet. 

It is many centuries old. I believe it started construction in the 1400s.

Pet chicken

 

As a young child I had a pet bantam hen called Margaret. My grandson has two.

10m QRP WSPR (Wednesday)

My 500mW beacon was turned on after breakfast.

UPDATE 1251z: 11 stations have spotted me. QRT.

6m 5W FT8 (Wednesday)

My 6m FT8  was turned on after breakfast.

UPDATE  1252z:  So far,  161 spots of me. Mostly Es I think. QRT.

House Martins at King’s, Cambridge, UK

 

These housemartins were nesting in the roof of the entrance. Most visitors were probably unaware being focused on the chapel ahead.

Sunspots - Wednesday July 30th

 Solar flux is 149 and the SSN 112. A=11 and K=2.

10m 500mW WSPR (Tuesday)

My beacon was turned on about teatime.

UPDATE 1844z:  Spotted by 2 stations in Europe.

Brunch

When we shop in Cambridge I usually have brunch in one of the big retailers. 

Here I am tucking into my sausage and egg brioche.

Broken bike in Cambridge

 

This was in Cambridge earlier. It looks like this bike has been abandoned.

10m 1W FT8 (Tuesday)

My IC-705 was turned on at 1245z.

UPDATE 1541z:  14 spots of me around Europe. I think the Es season is drawing to a close, so we can expect fewer openings now.

The cup that cheers

 

It is true that people in England treat a cup of tea as the answer to everything! 

Just think how often have you seen in films the heroine being told, "just have a cup of tea. You'll feel better".

This was our afternoon tea a few days ago.

10m 500mW WSPR (Tuesday)

My beacon was turned on at 0638z.

UPDATE  0743z:   No spots.

More history

Whilst sorting my bookshelf I came across these magazines. Clearly the late 1940s and early 1950s were a golden age in our hobby. 

Most people made their own gear or adapted war surplus gear. No credit cards and Japanese transceivers back then. An amateur radio licence really meant something.

If I remember  correctly these magazines were bought at Hay-on-Wye some years ago. I used to stop there when I went to stay with my mother in Devon. At a guess I bought them in the late 1990s.

10m FT8 at 1W yesterday

 Late in the afternoon I tried 10m FT8 at 1W. It was still spotted all over Europe and as far as South America. I was really trying to run the IC-705 well within its ratings .

History - ZN414 book

 

Whilst trying to find something else I came across this A5 booklet. It must date from the mid 1970s?

The ZN414 was a 3 pinned TRF receiver designed to make a very simple LW or MW broadcast receiver. I think it worked to about 3 MHz. 

I think it is still available from other manufacturers in a plastic case. At one time the equivalent was available via GQRP sales. I am not sure if it is still stocked.

As I recall it was used to make a couple of MW receivers for my boys.

Sunspots - Tuesday July 29th

 Solar flux is 145 and the SSN 126. A=7 and K=2.

10m 5W FT8 (Monday)

 My gear was turned on mid-morning.

UPDATE 1040z:  67 stations have spotted me with the furthest 9K2WA (4657km) and I have spotted 44 here.

UPDATE 1641z:  190 stations have spotted me with the furthest FR4OO (9722km). On RX 204 stations have been spotted.

UPDATE 1755z:  About 40 minutes ago I decided to reduce power yet again. Since about 1715z it has been at 1W FT8. 19 spots of my 1W 10m FT8.

Memories

The photo shows my grandson way back in 2011 chasing a piglet. 

He is now almost an adult and as tall as his dad.  They grow up all too fast.