The world after the end of the Covid-19 pandemic may be very different.
Many would like things to go back to as it was, but this is unlikely.
People will be nervous of big crowds, but I suspect far greater structural changes will occur. Some things may only change slowly, but I suspect we will look back on these days as catalysts.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/non-amateur-radio/covid-19-aftermath .
Quite often I report that a rally has been cancelled or postponed, so it is good to report on rallies that are on for a change.
Yesterday I had an email suggesting the Kings Lynn Rally and Wiltshire Radio and Car Boot Sale are taking place this Sunday August 1st.
I suggest you ensure this is correct before setting out.
I got mine second hand in 1979. It was a 10W SSB and CW rig covering all bands from 80-10m (no WARC bands then!), but with limited 10m coverage. With it, and wire dipoles, I worked DXCC QRP SSB on 10m. It ranks as one of the very best radios I have ever owned.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/commercial-rigs/yaesu-ft7 .
After a very brief period with 2.5W TX (3 G spots), I am again on 6m FT8 RX with the V2000 vertical omni antenna. So far, nobody spotted on RX.
UPDATE 0901z: 3 RX spots so far with the furthermost DK8NE (702km).
UPDATE 1202z: 62 stations spotted so far, all in Europe and Africa, probably Es.
UPDATE 1412z: 74 stations spotted on RX today. As far as 6m is concerned, there is still Es about, but there seems to be less of it.
UPDATE 2107z: 124 stations spotted on 6m FT8 today with the furthermost KP4EIT (6834km) in Puerto Rico. I am convinced this is E layer, but not multi-hop Es. We have some other E layer propagation that we do not yet understand. Now QRT.
Since about 0818z, I have been on 10m WSPR TX with my 500mW W5OLF TX beacon. No spots of me yet today.
UPDATE 1155z: 4 unique stations have spotted me, with many multiple times.
UPDATE 1323z: 7 unique stations spotted. Yesterday, FY5KE (7110km) in South America spotted me an incredible 78 times! What I find amazing is just how strong signals can be. For example DL2JA (919km) was getting my 500mW at +2dB S/N. This suggests he could have copied my if I was running less than 1uW.
UPDATE 1801z: 12 unique stations have spotted me.
UPDATE 1939z: 29 stations have spotted my 500mW with an incredible +15dB S/N from DK6UG.
UPDATE 2024z: 30 stations have spotted me with the furthermost FY5KE (7110km). QRT soon.
They do pasties by post - very tempting. However, this service is currently unavailable probably as a result of the pandemic.
Pasties were the food of miners in Cornwall. One half was savoury and the other half sweet. The format allowed miners to hold their whole meal in their hands.
Lovely!
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/non-amateur-radio/pasties .
These days, I prefer to look at FT8 and WSPR activity, but some still prefer to monitor beacons.
This link was on John EI7GL's blog. It shows 10m beacons as well as other HF and MF beacons.
Most of the morning I've been on 6m FT8 RX with the V2000 vertical omni antenna. So far today 54 stations spotted at 1245z with the furthermost HZ1SK (4759km) in Saudi Arabia.
UPDATE 1742z: 271 stations spotted here so far. Mostly EUs via Es.
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| Spots of me at 1732z |
UPDATE 1416z: 21 stations across Europe have spotted me.
UPDATE 1732z: 40 stations have spotted me so far. one South American has spotted me 10 times!
It worked remarkably well and worked some impressive DX.
For several months it was the only rig I used, out of choice. Every QSO was so satisfying. It appeared in GQRP SPRAT. It was in the days before schematic drawing packages, so the schematic was hand-drawn. I used Neosid toroids as these were at hand, although I am sure Amidon ones would be suitable with turns adjusted.
Values are on my webpage. As with all my designs, please use this as a starting point for your own ideas and do not be afraid to change things if this makes the design better! The SBL1 mixer can certainly be replaced by similar double balanced mixers or a homebrew version.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/15m-qrp-cw-pipit .
After the Liner-2 made 2m SSB popular in the early 1970s, the IC202 was introduced by ICOM. This had less power, but was cleaner. It had a wide coverage VXO, but it behaved like a VFO.
To this day, the IC202 and its successors are used to drive transverters. In the past I had the IC202 (2m) and the IC402 (70cm). There were later S versions with a number of improvements. These were nice simple rigs with no frills. They had no memories or sythesisers.
I used my 2m IC202 with a homemade transverter on 10m. With 1W pep SSB and a low wire dipole the world was worked.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/vhfuhf-commercial-rigs/icom-ic-202 .
We appear to have the best of the Es season behind us in the northern hemisphere. However, Es can occur at any time, so it is worth monitoring 10m FT8 and WSPR if you can. With lots of people active, it would not surprise if we see some Es propagation on 10m most days. Of course F2 openings will become more frequent as cycle 25 gathers pace.
For the last few hours I have been on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW. So far, just 3 spots from Germany. Yesterday, there were several spots by FY5KE (7110km) in South America. Maybe later?
UPDATE 1335z: Spots by 12 different stations on 10m WSPR TX so far today, many multiple times.
UPDATE 2035z: 16 different stations have spotted my beacon so far today. The furthermost was again FY5KE (7110km).
After a very brief period on TX with 2.5W and the V2000 vertical omni I am on 6m FT8 RX only. It is now 1058z and just 6 G stations spotted. No Es evident here yet.
UPDATE 1444z: 42 stations spotted so far with the furthermost K4PI (6802km) in Georgia, USA.
My dad, who died in 1987, had some colourful language. One phrase he used was "they could not organise a piss up in a brewery". He would probably have said this now over the pingdemic, which is seeing many key workers having to self isolate.
I am sure intentions are good, but like much English government policy in the last 18 months this seems reactive rather than proactive and made up on the go.
Most of the morning I've been on 10m WSPR TX using 500mW. As of 1015z 6 stations have spotted me.
UPDATE 1117z: Still 6 unique stations have spotted me with the furthermost EA8BFK (2880km).
After a very brief TX period (2.5W) I am on 6m FT8 RX only with the V2000 omni antenna. It is now 0812z and 3 stations spotted with the furthermost EA7L (1739km). Early Es which is promising. My brief TX period resulted in 5 UK spots.
UPDATE 1113z: 35 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX.
It is now 1555z and I have been on 10m WSPR TX for about 30 minutes with my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon TX. Nobody has spotted me yet.
UPDATE 1747z: 5 stations have spotted me with the furthermost FY5KE (7110m) in South America.
Apart from a very brief period on TX with 2.5W and the V2000 vertical omni (spotted by 4 Gs) I have been on 6m FT8 RX. Very quiet with nobody spotted. I have not been on too long.
In the last few years I have noticed some changes. I am unsure if this is just old age or an after-effect of my stroke some years ago.
When I drive (or am driven) I seem to go slower than before: 50mph feels like 70mph. Also, I am constantly aware of potential issues and dangers. It is if my brain is all the time aware of potential dangers on the roads. I am totally unable to relax. In fact I hate being driven or driving these days. This seems similar to how autistic people must feel.
Any medics here have any views?
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/other-amateur-radio/shack .
OFCOM has proposed new licences to support broadband internet from low orbit satellites. See the OFCOM website for details.
For about 15 minutes, I have been on 6m FT8 RX with the V2000 vertical omni antenna. It is now 0910z and so far today 13 stations spotted.
It is not long since I turned on my 500mW 10m WSPR TX beacon, but I have already had 10 unique stations spotting me.
It looks a promising day on 10m Es.
The UK has suffered badly with high percentages due to the more infectious delta variant.
However, the UK has seen a very high proportion of its adult population vaccinated. Also, many have antibodies as a result of previous infections. For several days case rates have been falling. We are far from "out of the woods" on this pandemic, but there are a few glimmers.
For yourselves and for others please get a vaccine. Wear masks in crowds.
There are some ridiculous "fake news" stories around like with the vaccine they can read you bank account. This and other stories are plain stupid. If you want factual data, look at Dr John Campbell on YouTube. He is totally independent and often critical of governments. He is a reputable medical expert with over 1 million subscribers. He is often interviewed in the international media.
The vaccinations are painless, take a few seconds and any side effects likely to be mild and very short lived. Both my wife and I had no side effects with either jab.
The risks of getting ill with getting Covid-19 far outway the very small risks with the vaccines.
Get vaccinated!!!
I have not ventured into our loft since 2013 and I have lots of amateur gear up there!
The final design was in QST some years ago and is on my website. It is also in an RSGB book.
Our local museum next door had a summer fete which was successful. The photo shows the sea-shanty singers in action. They were very good.
Near normal?
Late this afternoon, I disconnected everything as we had the threat of thunder and lightning. This meant prematurely going QRT on 10m and 6m. All being well, I shall be on again on Monday morning.
As it happened, the storms missed us. We heard distant thunder, but I suspect the actual storms were many miles away.
Well, the days of unbelievable Es seem to be diminishing. There will still be openings, but not so often. They do not call it "the magic band" for nothing! 6m has a habit of producing the totally unexpected, such as the Europe to Australia openings more than once of late. This is where FT8 or WSPR can be so useful as there can be lots of people monitoring on specific slots so even fleeting openings are noticed. This is much harder on CW or SSB.
This morning, I am again monitoring 6m FT8 RX, It is now 0857z and, so far this morning, 6 Gs spotted. I was very briefly on TX with 2.5W and the V2000 omni, but just spots by G stations.
No signs of Es here yet today on 6m.
UPDATE 1043z: 13 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX with the furthermost F5PSR
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| Stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX to 1417z |
As I have said many times before, if one of the big manufacturers was offering a "black box" solution, I expect activity would be far greater. As it is, getting on the satellite is too hard for most who are cheque-book amateurs rather than true experimenters.
What would a total solution cost? I suspect much less than £2k with everything needed including, rig, dish, feed, LNA, etc.. Remember, no towers, no beams, neighbour friendly, DX at any time, no QSB. In fact once set up, just chat!! I can see this appealing to many "black box" operators.
What seems to happen is the true experimenters like the challenge of getting going: building the kit, aiming the dish(es), sorting out the feed etc. Once this is done, many lose interest.
See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/ .
As usual when I am monitoring 6m FT8 RX, I am on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW. The TX is 100% but changes frequency every slot to avoid being clobbered by a strong station.
So far (at 0820z) just G2XV (18km) spotting me. No sign of Es here yet.
UPDATE 0900z: DK6UG (633km) has also spotted me. This could have been Es or off aircraft.
UPDATE 1507z: Just 3 different stations spotting me today. Unless things change, today looks disappointing.
