10m FT8 QRP (Sunday)

Since about 1814z, I have been on 10m FT8 with 2.5W QRP. 

On RX, 21 stations were spotted and I have been spotted by 7 stations on TX. This looks like Es. Judging by activity levels it looks like many have assumed the Es season is over. 

This is where FT8 could be really worth monitoring.  Es openings may be less frequent, but when they occur they can be as good as in the peak Es season.  Having an FT8 (or WSPR) monitor on all the time could allow fleeting openings to be spotted.

Burwell Lode - NOT amateur radio

Burwell Lode runs from the River Cam to the village. They are man-made a bit like canals. The Lode to nearby Reach was built by the Romans about 2000 years ago. Reach was once an important port.  At one time they carried commercial traffic like coal, although these days it is mostly leisure traffic like canoes and narrowboats with hardly any commercial traffic.

10 years ago on 1.095kHz at 6km

Ten years ago I was on 1.095kHz earth-mode.

10m FT8 RX

Yesterday, in the early evening, I was on 10m FT8 RX. 36 stations were spotted including 1 South American. 

Sunspots - Sunday August 8th 2021

 Solar flux is 74 and the SSN 0. A=11 and K=2.

10FT8R PCB

Jason Woodman M0NYW has been working on a PCB for the 10FT8R. I have still to check the layout, but it looks easy to make. If you can find a low cost source of 14.037MHz crystals then the inductor to pull the crystal is probably not needed. As soon as I have checked the layout I shall share it here. 

Visitor - NOT amateur radio

When watering the garden just now, this cricket appeared. 

Day off?

As there was a risk of storms today, I decided (for now at least) not to go on the air. At the moment, storms are still a long way away.

See https://www.lightningmaps.org/#m=oss;t=3;s=0;o=0;b=0.00;ts=0; .

4m (70MHz)

It is some years since I have been on 4m. There are now far more countries on the band many within Es range. The last time I was on the band I used a homemade transverter.  This design was in GQRP SPRAT.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/homebrew/4m-transverter .

Sunspots - Saturday August 6th 2021

 Solar flux is 74 and the SSN 0.  A=7 and K=3.

How not to park! - NOT amateur radio

This car was parked here for at least 20 minutes. In the UK it is wrong to park on a double yellow line and on a pavement (sidewalk).

A pushchair or a wheelchair user has to go on the road.  As a result of my stroke nearly 8 year's ago, I feel nearly always giddy and this annoyed me greatly. 

2m/70cm handhelds

Beofeng handhelds seem to be very popular and inexpensive, although the quality control seems poor: some are fine, whereas others seem "flaky".  

Although hardly ever used, I have Yaesu ( not Trio!! Thank you Keith) VX1 and VX2 dual band handhelds. These we considerably more expensive, but are very small and reliable. Many have found longer antennas are useful. I guess it depends what they are used for.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/vhfuhf-commercial-rigs/yaesu-vx2  .

Rally cancelled

 The Flight Refuelling ARS rally on Sunday (August 8th) has been cancelled.

10m FT8 QRP mostly RX (Friday)

Apart from a very brief period on TX with 2.5W, I am on 10m FT8 RX for a change. 1 person in southern Portugal spotted me on TX and at 0900z I have spotted 7 stations on RX. 

UPDATE 1112z:  46 stations spotted so far today. Furthermost is 5T5PA (3791km). Most look like Es propagation.

UPDATE 2014z:  Now QRT. 120 stations spotted today with the furthermost PU2TXZ (9579km) in Brazil.

UK August - NOT amateur radio

This is the month when the corn is mostly cut. Combined harvesters are busy. 

Sunspots - Friday August 6th 2021

 Solar flux is 74 and the SSN 36. A=2 and K=1. 

Kitten sitting - NOT amateur radio

Our son is away so we are feeding his kitten. Very playful as the photo shows!

2m UKAC activity contest (Tuesday evening)

As usual I took part in the RSGB organised activity contest on Tuesday evening. Because of my poor voice I only stayed on for 46 minutes. With the IC-705 and the big-wheel omni antenna, 8 QSOs were made - see map.

Later I realised I was only on battery power with 5W QRP! So all the contacts were with 5W! JO03 square worked for the first time this year on 2m I think.

Considering the time on, the power, and the antenna I am quite pleased.

Main G3XBM website and YouTube channel

A reminder that my main G3XBM website has far more details of my projects and interests. Also, my YouTube video channel often has useful project information. Most data predates my stroke.

See www.g3xbm.co.uk .

See https://www.youtube.com/user/G3XBM

10m QRP WSPR TX (Thursday)

 As usual, I am running my 500mW WSPR TX beacon on 10m.  7 unique spots already! Quite a few have spotted me many times. Es is promising on 10m today.

UPDATE 1236z: 18 stations have spotted me including FY5KE (7110km) in South America.

UPDATE 2020z:  25 unique stations have spotted me today.  FY5KE has spotted me 37 times! QRT soon.

UPDATE 2030z:  QRT.

Swifts on the move? - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday we went  for a nice walk around the sleepy village of Reach, near Cambridge. Although there were swifts around, there are fewer. At least some have started heading south. 

Screaming swifts in the air are a sound of late spring and early summer in the UK. Sometime in August you just realise they are not there. It will be next April or May until they (hopefully) will be back again.

See https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/swift/ .

6m FT8 RX with the V2000 vertical omni (Thursday)

Apart from a very brief period on TX with 2.5W and the V2000 vertical omni (3 UK spots) I have been on 6m FT8 RX. Already spotted a station in the South of France even though it is only 0644z. Es?

UPDATE 0725z:  24 stations spotted.  

UPDATE 2021z: 175 stations spotted today.  TR3MON (4221km) looks like a pirate: according to his QRA locator he is in Gabon although he is apparently in Niger!  

UPDATE 2031z:  QRT.

Lunch - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday I posted the homegrown runner beans I grew. We ate them for lunch and they were very good. 

Sunspots - Thursday August 5th 2021

Solar flux is 71 and the SSN 14   A=4 and K=0. 

ID help please - NOT amateur radio

We saw this small beetle on our walk earlier. It was about 5mm long. 

It is probably very common, but I am no beetle expert! It stayed on my arm for a long time.

This was in East Anglia, not far from a small river.

6m FT8 RX with the V2000 vertical omni antenna

Most of the morning I have been monitoring 6m FT8 RX apart from a very brief period on TX early on with 2.5W (5 G spots received). It is now 1112z and, so far today, 51 stations spotted.

UPDATE 1246z:  76 stations spotted so far today.

UPDATE 2041z: 124 stations spotted today on 6m FT8 RX with the furthermost VY2ZM (4447km) on Prince Edward Island, Canada. QRT now.

10m QRP WSPR (Wednesday)

Most of the morning I have been on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW. So far today my TX has been spotted by 6 unique stations, some many times.

UPDATE 1248z:  So far today, my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon has been spotted by 9 unique stations.

UPDATE 2023z: 10 stations have spotted me today.  All in Europe. QRT soon.

Runner beans - NOT amateur radio

For the first time, this year I have grown runner beans. 

To my surprise, they were very successful. The photo shows the first crop. Next year I shall grow more. 

Sunspots - Wednesday August 4th 2021

 Solar flux is 76 and the SSN 13.  A=10 and K=1. 

160m FT8 QRP

I am now on 160m FT8 RX after a few CQs with 2.5W. My "antenna" is the earth-electrode in the ground. Unsurprisingly, seeing it is still daylight, no spots on RX or TX. I shall leave it on RX until after dark to see what I spot.

UPDATE 1820z:  The first station in Europe has been spotted - DL8LAS (702km) near Kiel.

Stations spotted on 160m
FT8 this evening

UPDATE 2032z:  Plenty of EU stations being spotted now: 22 stations spotted so far this evening. See map.

2m activity contest this evening

All being well, I shall be on for about an hour at 1900z for the 2m activity contest  (UKAC) organised by the RSGB running 10W pep to the big-wheel omni antenna. ious

Normally, I can work out to about 200km.

UPDATE 2020z: I was puzzled why my Vd was low and also that the battery of the IC-705 was not charging. After I stopped, the reason why became very obvious. The wire from the PSU had been disconnected so I was using battery power at 5W all the time I was active! After I found the loose wire, the Vd was back to normal and the battery was on charge. Operating at 5W off the battery seemed to make little difference!

OFCOM August Communications Monthly

OFCOM has updated its "Communications Monthly" with the latest figures it has for August 2021. See the OFCOM website for details.

2m FT8 QRP

At about 1335z, I switched to 2m FT8 with 2.5W and the big-wheel omni antenna. After about 8 minutes, my QRP was spotted by 7 stations. On RX 2 stations spotted.

Stations spotting me
to 1412z today

UPDATE 1412z: Spotted by 10 stations with the furthermost EI2FG (565km). On RX, 7 stations spotted so far. Scatter?

English country garden - NOT amateur radio

The photo shows the village of Dalham, near Newmarket, which is filled with "chocolate box" thatched cottages.  

We do a delightful walk here.

10m QRP WSPR TX (500mW)

Most of the morning I have been on 10m WSPR TX. So far, 4 unique stations have spotted me, all in Europe, I presume by Es.  

There seems to be far more 10m WSPR than I was expecting this season. I assumed WSPR would be very quiet, whereas on better days I am spotted by around 60 unique stations.

UPDATE 2030z:  8 unique stations have spotted me today. All were n Europe.

6m FT8 RX with the V2000 omni

33 stations spotted so far today. No great DX. Most look like Es.

UPDATE 1205z:  38 stations spotted.

Sunspots - Tuesday August 3rd 2021

Solar flux is 75 and the SSN 13.  A=17 and K=2.

Newmarket Flowers - NOT amateur radio

Newmarket is the world capital of horseracing. They also have some great flower displays. 

Those in the photo are near the Guineas shopping centre.  The hanging baskets are usually good too.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Monday)

Most of the morning, I have been on 10m WSPR TX with my 500mW W5OLF TX WSPR beacon. So far, I have been spotted by 9 unique stations in Europe.

UPDATE 1415z: 17 unique stations have spotted my 500mW 10m WSPR so far today. See table.

UPDATE 1606z:  28 unique spots of me on 10m WSPR today.

6m FT8 RX

 Shortly, I intend to go on 6m FT8 RX with the V2000 vertical omni antenna. On previous mornings, I have preceded with a few minutes on QRP TX (2.5W).

UPDATE 1102z:  My very brief TX period resulted in 5 spots. On RX, 141 stations spotted.

ICOM IC-9700 VHF/UHF transceiver

This is the "sister" of the IC-7300 with very similar ergonomics. It covers 2m, 70cm and 23cm. It is more expensive than the IC-7300.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/vhfuhf-commercial-rigs/ic-9700 .

ICOM IC-7300

Over the last few years this SDR based transceiver from ICOM has led the field and become very popular. It is a 100W transceiver covering from 160m-4m (in Europe) with a built-in auto ATU.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/commercial-rigs/icom-ic-7300 .

Wicken windmill - NOT amateur radio

The nearby village of Wicken has 2 windmills although 1 is actually a windpump to pump water. The photo shows the one in the village. 

Sunspots - Monday August 2nd 2021

 Solar flux is 75 and the SSN 0. A=4 and K=1.

Salcombe 116 years ago! - NOT amateur radio

This photo shows Salcombe where I was a child. It was taken 116 years ago. There were fewer trees and houses. 

This was way before even my dad was born! 

Where I was born - NOT amateur radio

When I was young we lived in a council house. After WW2 Flete House, a very grand place, was a nursing home. It stayed as a nursing home until about 1955 I think. 

These days it has been converted into retirement flats.

It is on a big country estate going down to the River Erme in S.Devon.

10m WSPR QRP (Sunday)

As usual, I am on 10m WSPR TX with my W5OLF WSPR beacon (500mW).  Already, after about 20 minutes, 4 Es spots! 

UPDATE 0832z:   Already 13 unique stations spotting me on 10m QRP WSPR!

UPDATE 0932z: 26 spots of me with the furthermost EA8BFK (2880km).

Spots of me to 1113z

UPDATE 1443z: 55 unique spots of me today with the furthermost FY5KE (7110km) in South America, who has already spotted me 5 times today on 10m WSPR.

UPDATE 2100z:  QRT soon. In all, 57 stations spotted my 500mW 10m WSPR today with FY5KE (7110km) spotting me 38 times.

UPDATE 2107z:   QRT.

6m wide open

Since about 0805z, I have been on 6m FT8 RX after a few CQ calls with 2.5W to the V2000 vertical omni antenna (5 spots of my QRP). On RX so far, 24 stations spotted. I see some in southern Europe are working Japan on 6m FT8..

UPDATE 0935z:  145 stations spotted so far today on 6m FT8 RX with the furthermost OD5ET (3463km).

UPDATE 1328z:  379 stations spotted today. Mainly Es spots in Europe and North Africa. See map.

UPDATE 1814z:  607 stations in 3 continents spotted on 6m FT8 RX today with the furthermost 9K2HN (4567km) in Kuwait. The most easterly was UN7LZ in Kazakhstan.

UPDATE 2055z:  619 stations were spotted. Nothing transatlantic. QRT shortly.

Roots - NOT amateur radio

It is a little odd (perhaps not) that we are drawn to the place where we lived as a child. I was brought up in the South Hams in Devon. Before 10 I lived in Salcombe and then Kingsbridge. Everywhere on the photo was "home". It still is! 

Yesterday

 Yesterday I was again on 10m WSPR TX (500mW) and 6m FT8 RX. On 10m WSPR TX I was yet again spotted in South America and yet again transatlantic signals were spotted on 6m FT8 RX. 

My feelings are that the Es season is drawing to a close, but, when good, Es on 6m can still be very good and 10m F2 will continue to get better as the months progress.

This autumn I expect the USA to be again romping in on 10m. I hope there is some AM just above 29MHz.