Solar flux is 73 and the SSN 47. A=4 and K=3.
15 Aug 2021
14 Aug 2021
Five years older - NOT amateur radio
Before and after are shown in the photo. It was taken in the Abbey Gardens that were a riot of colour.
Bury seemed normal i.e like it was pre-pandemic.
Look carefully at the left picture you will see she insisted on wearing odd shoes!
Are they joking?
On the back of the latest RadCom is an advert by a UK dealer for a certain brand of antennas. Now I have no doubt these will be good.
Then I saw the prices!!!
Someone is making loads of money out of stuckers. Probably the dealer and manufacturer are both making handsome profits. I shall not embarrass them by adding names, but remind all this is just a hobby.
I am all for dealers and manufacturers charging fair prices and making fair profits, but do not exploit your customers please.
Are we being ripped off? I stand to be corrected. Perhaps the dealers and manufacturer would care to let us know the profits? Perhaps they would rather not.
This same dealer recently announced it was the sole UK dealer of a German radio that retails at over £12k!! Again, big fat profits come to mind. I would be surprised if the components cost more than £200. OK, they have to recover development and selling costs, but that still leaves a huge profit for the dealer and manufacturer. Once again, if I am wrong I shall happily retract how I "sense".
They sell at high prices as people are prepared to buy at these high prices. Now, each to their own and spend your money as you want.
Meadow - NOT amateur radio
This 11 acre meadow was bought from the village many years ago. They were cutting the grass earlier.
10m WSPR TX 500mW (Saturday)
As usual, I am on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW. It is now 0850z. So far, nobody has spotted me.
6m FT8 (Saturday) - mostly RX
Apart from a very brief TX period with 2.5W (4 spots of me), I am RX only (6 spots after about 10 minutes at 0844z). Antenna is the usual V2000 vertical omni.
Devon 1942 - NOT amateur radio
Zoom advantages?
The advantage is those watching and speaking can be anywhere in the world. Last night the speaker was in Canada. It felt as if he was next door!
As I am unable to drive in the dark, these talks suit me fine.
13 Aug 2021
10m WSPR TX at 500mW
Since 0822z, I have been on 10m WSPR TX. As yet, nobody has spotted me.
UPDATE 0840z: Already 4 spots from 2 unique stations. Looks like Es.
6m FT8 QRP (Friday)
Since 0822z I have been on 6m FT8. Apart from a very brief TX period at 2.5W to the V2000 vertical omni with the furthermost a spot by YO8SSB (1874km), I have been RX only. So far this morning, 4 stations spotted. Es is just starting I think.
Arecibo Observatory and EME
In the mid 1960s it was used for some amateur moonbounce tests. Many amateurs made their first EME QSOs this way. The dish gain was very high with a 1000 foot dish! I have no idea what the ERP was.
This was 1964 (?), way before we had any weak signal modes that makes EME a little easier. EME still needs optimum equipment and is not for those not prepared to work hard.
I am not sure what is needed these days to work the better stations via EME, but I would guess at least 100W, mast head preamps and as big a yagi array as you can manage. This also requires accurate moon tracking, low cable losses and weak signal modes optimised for EME.
Re-tarred - NOT amateur radio
It looks splendid, although a few drops from starlings on the sails could soon spoil this!
All the work is done by volunteers.
Tunnel diodes
I am not sure if you can buy them still. They are 2 pin negative resistance diodes that work by quantum mechanical tunnelling.
Very simple uW TXs are possible and there was one published that was copied about 200km away in New Zealand on 80m.
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunnel_diode .
See https://www.rfwireless-world.com/Vendors/Tunnel-diode-manufacturers.html .
12 Aug 2021
2m FT8 QRP (Thursday)
After a very brief session on 2.5W TX (2 spots of me), I am RX only. It is now 1506z and 2 stations spotted.
UPDATE 1752z: 17 stations spotted with the furthermost DL1KDA (456km).
Perseid meteor shower
This meteor shower peaks about now. Often this is accompanied by some long "pings" with VHF signals propagated a long way via the ionised trails. I shall be monitoring 2m FT8 overnight, but there may be better modes.
10m WSPR TX 500mW (Thursday)
Since about 0930z, I have been on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW.
UPDATE 1000z: Already a couple of spots from Germany.
UPDATE 1414z: 17 unique stations have spotted me so far today. Furthermost is a spot by EA8BFK (2880km) in the Canary Isles.
 |
| Spots at 1738z |
UPDATE 2100z: QRT
6m FT8 QRP (Thursday)
At about 0930z I decided to try 6m with 2.5W FT8. 3 stations spotted me including 1 in Italy. Since then, I have been RX only.
UPDATE 0955z: 7 stations spotted on RX across Europe.
UPDATE 1312z: 67 stations spotted with the furthermost 5T5PA (3791km) in West Africa.
Kafka? - NOT amateur radio
This is supposed to be true, although I no way of telling. Whether true or not, I like it.
At 40, Franz Kafka (1883-1924), who never married and had no children, walked through the park in Berlin when he met a girl who was crying because she had lost her favourite doll. She and Kafka searched for the doll unsuccessfully.
Kafka told her to meet him there the next day and they would come back to look for her.
The next day, when they had not yet found the doll, Kafka gave the girl a letter "written" by the doll saying "please don't cry. I took a trip to see the world. I will write to you about my adventures."
Thus began a story which continued until the end of Kafka's life.
During their meetings, Kafka read the letters of the doll carefully written with adventures and conversations that the girl found adorable.
Finally, Kafka brought back the doll (he bought one) that had returned to Berlin.
"It doesn't look like my doll at all," said the girl.
Kafka handed her another letter in which the doll wrote: "my travels have changed me." the little girl hugged the new doll and brought her happy home.
A year later Kafka died.
Many years later, the now-adult girl found a letter inside the doll. In the tiny letter signed by Kafka it was written:
"Everything you love will probably be lost, but in the end, love will return in another way."
Mini-whip RX active antennas
These antennas can be very effective on VLF, LF and MF. They are extremely small but work every bit as well as big antennas. They are the best way to listen on these lower bands.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/antennas/e-field-probe-efp .
UPDATE 1253z: Now 137kHz EFP on new site - see https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/antennas/137khz-efp-rx-antenna .
10m FT8 (Thursday)
In a few moments I hope to go on 10m FT8 again. My usual pattern is a few times on 2.5W FT8 TX followed by RX for most of the time.
Disappointing - NOT amateur radio
The rose garden at nearby Anglesey Abbey is usually a picture. This year it looks "different" with fewer roses out. I am not sure if this is due to the weather or Covid-19. It still looks colourful, but not as good.
Snogging? - NOT amateur radio
Yesterday on 10m FT8 RX
11 Aug 2021
Practical Wireless (September 2021)
If I am honest, it would be the first magazine to go.
Content is a bit patchy with some good articles and some less so.
It must be many years since I wrote an article for PW. I have certainly not written anything since ownership changed.
Wild flowers - NOT amateur radio
In recent years these have been disappointing.
10m FT8 RX
Most of the day I have been on 10m FT8 RX Earlier on I was on TX (2.5W) and had a couple of EU QSOs and was spotted by 27 stations. Clearly the Es season is far from over.
UPDATE 1350z: 339 unique stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX.
Oscar 100 status update
The last time I looked was lunchtime in Europe on a Wednesday. It was quiet.
Cancelled rally
The Cockenzie and Port Seton mini rally, due this Friday, August 13th, has been cancelled.
Don't do this!! - NOT amateur radio
Yesterday on 10m FT8 RX
In all, 77 stations spotted on RX in Europe, Africa, North America and South America.
10 Aug 2021
Re-tarring - NOT amateur radio
So far they have covered about half of it.
10m FT8
At 0822z I turned on 10m FT8 QRP using 2.5W briefly before going RX only. My signal was spotted on TX by nobody and I have spotted a couple of Spanish stations on RX.
UPDATE 1252z: 39 stations spotted on RX so far. 4 stations have spotted me on TX.
UPDATE 1550z: 44 stations spotted with the furthermost VO1NE (3933km).
Memories - NOT amateur radio
The mind is a wonderful thing. One of my Facebook memories today was from 2015 when a very very old memory was triggered by the sight of a small bell on a neighbour's hearth.
Church bells - NOT amateur radio
An architypal English sound is the change ringing of church bells.
Our local church has been silent for the pandemic, so it was lovely to hear these again last evening when they had a practice session as they used to do on a Monday. I hope they can soon ring out across the village again .
See the videos on YouTube by my grandson. Search "Burwell bells".
Yesterday on 10m WSPR TX
Here was me thinking that 10m WSPR had been taken over by FT8!! Yesterday I was spotted by 17 unique stations (mostly Es) plus FY5KE (7110km) in South America. You will recall I am using my W5OLF 500mW WSPR TX beacon which is tiny and totally self contained.
9 Aug 2021
Low cost Oscar 100 transverter?
Steve G1KQH has brought my attention to an article in an Indian newspaper. According to the article, a group of amateurs in India is working on a low cost transverter for this geosynchronous satellite. I have no idea about cost or availability.
Oscar 100 provides wide DX coverage at any time, needs a small fixed dish, no QSB, no noise, no tower, no rotator, no linear and very neighbour friendly. Just think you could be chatting on SSB to stations in Thailand, Europe or Brazil without the neighbours even being aware!
Oscar 100 has suffered from a lack of activity and I am quite surprised that one of the big manufacturers has not offered a simple solution by now. For £1k they could do a "black box" solution that could be widely sold.
Many are put off as it is "too hard".
Competition? - NOT amateur radio
An Aldi (budget supermarket) has recently opened nearby, but, so far, has not really affected sales.
In fact Waitrose has invested in a new café and redesign hoping to capitalise on the shopping "experience." The photo shows the car park earlier.
My wife insists on going there. I'd go to Aldi and get the same for less. Darn the experience!
Newmarket (the home of horse racing) - NOT amateur radio
Most of our grocery shopping is done in Newmarket, about 6km away.
It is world famous as the home of horse racing. In Newmarket everything stops for horses! It is rare to go there and not see horses!
The ones in the photo were out for their morning exercise on the heath.
The Es (sporadic-E) season is NOT over!
With 17 stations already spotted on 6m FT8 and 2 stations already spotting my 10m WSPR this morning, I can only conclude that the Es season is not over!
Yes, things may be more sporadic, but for those sticking with it, there is still Es activity around. Often lack of activity is mistaken for "dead" bands when actually there is propagation. Look how often 11m CB is busy when 10m seems quiet.
UPDATE 1208z: 30 stations spotted so far on 6m FT8 RX. 4 stations have spotted me on 10m WSPR TX.
10m WSPR TX at 500mW (Monday)
As usual, I am on 10m WSPR TX again at 100%. Nobody has yet spotted me, although I have not been on long and this is not too surprising.
UPDATE 0853z: 1 spot so far today by DJ9PC (825km).
6m FT8 QRP (Monday)
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| Stations spotted by 1033z |
You get the feeling that, apart from a few dedicated stations, many are deserting 6m again now the main Es season is drawing to a close. Maybe there will be some Es spots later?
UPDATE 0857z: With 16 stations so far spotted this morning, there is clearly plenty of Es activity.
UPDATE 1549z: 40 stations spotted on RX today.
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