Simple regen RX

 There is little to beat the sheer thrill of copying stations on a very simple homebrew RX. 

The one on my website is one example, but there are plenty on the net. I was surprised just how well something so simple works. Yes, SDRs and complex rigs may be better, but you too may be surprised how well such simple circuits can work.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/80m-or-40m-regen-rx .

I even made mine into a simple 80m transceiver!

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/feter-80m-qrpp-cw-transceiver .

With the grandchildren - NOT amateur radio

This photo was taken on a walk about the sleepy village of Reach earlier today. It drizzled! We explored some new paths.

It shows my wife with two of the grandchildren 

10m FT8 QRP (Tuesday)

As usual, I did a brief TX slot with 2.5W (spotted by 2 stations including EA6) , but now RX only. Es evident with 16 stations spotted on RX.

UPDATE 1453z:  35 stations (all in Europe) spotted on 10m FT8 so far today.

UPDATE 1914z:  Just 37 Europeans spotted so far with no sign of stations in South America. 

UPDATE 2052z:  Just one South American spotted on 10m FT8 RX and he was only just spotted.

UPDATE 2114z: Now 6 South Americans spotted. I think they seem to be coming through later now. QRT soon.

Ship Wreck - NOT amateur radio

Way back in 1936 one of the most famous clipper ships was shipwrecked in South Devon. My dad saw them getting people ashore. In the distance is the Queen Mary. 

They used a breaches buoy to get the crew ashore.  Later it was towed to the outskirts of Salcombe. In the end it sank.Very sad.

It was on Pathe News and quite famous at the time.

Sunspots - Tuesday August 31st 2021

Solar flux is 91 and the SSN 41. A=7 and K=3. 

Bells - NOT amateur radio

 

Our elder grandson is fascinated by bells and churches even though he is not at all religious This afternoon we spent 20 minutes waiting for the hour bell to chime on this church in Newmarket. It did not chime!! 

10m FT8 QRP (Monday)

In a few moments I intend to go on 10m FT8 with 2.5W. My usual pattern is transmit for a few minutes, then go RX only most of the day. If things follow as normal I will spot Europeans during the day with some South Americans in the early evening. Anything else is a bonus.

UPDATE 1237z: The gear was turned on at 0815z. I was on TX of maybe for 3 minutes, then RX only. On RX 153 stations spotted so far with the furthermost R4PCO (3363km).

UPDATE 1801z:   155 stations spotted on RX so far today.

UPDATE 2130z: QRT. Lots of South America stations spotted. 

Yesterday (Sunday) on 10m FT8 RX

We are now "over the top" in the Es season in the Northern Hemisphere.  

As FT8 and dedicated people prove, Es is not over, just even more sporadic! Yesterday was a case in point: there were still stations coming in from right across Europe, but fewer than in the peak season. There were also South Americans coming in. 

As the sunspot number climbs, I would expect more worldwide DX to come through. I think North Americans will consistently come through this autumn. So far, most have been, I think, due to E layer propagation. 

Come October, I would expect USA and Canadian stations to be appearing in droves via F2. In the better years of the last cycle even AM stations around 29MHz could be easily copied. As much (because of my poor voice these days) as I am a fan of FT8, I hope there is still SSB, FM and AM activity. When good, transatlantic stations can be worked indoors on a whip antenna with QRP SSB!!

In my view, 10m is one of our very best HF bands. For the next 4-5 years 10m should be good.

Sunspots - Monday August 30th 2021

 Solar flux is 89 and the SSN 44.   A=8 and K=3. 

Hoverfly - NOT amateur radio

This harmless hoverfly looks a bit like a hornet. You get these in the UK and see them commonly in the summer.

I think it is nature's way of providing camouflage. 

8m permit next year?

As Keith reports, modified FT817NDs may TX on 40MHz (8m). If mine does, it means I may be able to TX WSPR or FT8 on 8m, albeit with external filters.

I may try asking OFCOM for a permit for the next Es season and see what happens. They can only say no. 

Maybe I should ask for a band and 10W?  Personally I would be happy with a spot frequency, limited time and 5W on an NoV. We shall see. It would pay me to apply in good time. Of course, if there was any "harmful interference" issues, I could be closed down.

I am sure just a few watts of FT8 or WSPR would be audible across Europe given decent Es.

Personally, I think several people should apply. The more stations active, in more countries, the better.

FM broadcasts in Switzerland

John EI7GL's blog gives us the news that Switzerland is to go QRT on Band II FM in 2024, so people will have to use DAB. As time progresses, this will become more commonplace. 

I am not sure what DAB coverage is in the UK compared with Band II FM.

Sunday breakfast - NOT amateur radio

This was a few hours ago at Sunday breakfast. It tasted good.

10m FT8 QRP (Sunday)

Shortly, I intend to go on 10m FT8 again with 2.5W for a few minutes, and then RX only. Let us see what the day brings.

UPDATE 1114z:  2 stations, both Gs, spotted my TX and, so far, 29 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX with the furthermost R9LY (4063km). This latter one could be F2.

UPDATE 2046z: 126 stations spotted with the furthermost VP8LP (12773km) in the Falklands. 9 stations in South America.

UPDATE 2140z:  QRT. 

Shetland Is - NOT amateur radio

This is a view of part of the Shetland Is posted yesterday by a friend on 365project. 

One of the great things with this free platform is peeking at different parts of the world. 

In the UK we have a great variety of scenery. Shetland has few trees because of the high winds. Nonetheless, it has a certain unique beauty.

Saturday on 10m FT8 RX

Yesterday was typical of 10m RX at this time of year and this part of the sunspot cycle. There were some European stations (54 probably by Es) and just one South American. Every day is different, whereas a few months ago you could virtually guarantee Es most days.

Sunspots - Sunday August 29th 2021

Solar flux is 90 and the SSN 77.  A=14 and K=2.

Original FM broadcast band in the USA

Until recently I did not know that at first the FM broadcast band in the USA was around 42.5MHz. Later this changed to Band II. Occasionally, there are special transmissions at 42.5MHz to commemorate this. 

I do hope that the amateur service gets a small allocation around 40MHz (8m) as we could all learn so much. Even 10W or less, digital only, 10kHz wide, would be a start. I suspect this will start with individuals applying for special permits, much as is happening in some countries around 70MHz. Such an allocation would attract serious experimenters only as no commercial amateur radio transceivers cover this band on TX without modification as far as I am aware.

Photos - NOT amateur radio

If people come to our home they will see lots of photos of the grandchildren about. We have several posters up in the kitchen and put a new photo, taken a few weeks ago, on the wall in the lounge (see photo). 

x80 Rybakov vertical

I bought this about 10 years ago, but apart from a few weeks it was not used and is in perfect condition. 

For those unfamiliar with Rybakovs, these are multi-band antennas that are end fed via a balun. In most cases the auto-ATU in modern rigs can easily match the antenna on most bands. In many cases the SWR is low even without an ATU. They make useful multiband antennas. I believe there are more recent versions available. 

On HF I am almost exclusively on 10m, so this was wasted, so I have recently swapped it for an active RX loop.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/antennas/x80 .

Anglesey Abbey - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday, I posted a closeup collage of the dahlias at nearby Anglesey Abbey. Today, I have a shot of the whole dahlia border. 

10m FT8 QRP (Saturday)

At 0705z, I went on 10m FT8 QRP with 2.5W. I was on TX for about 30 minutes, but am now RX only.  3 stations spotted me with the furthermost F4IWN (700km). On RX just 1 G station spotted here so far G4RDC (127km).

UPDATE 1120z:  22 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX so far, all in Europe. Es still probably.

UPDATE 1440z:  40 European stations spotted so far on 10m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1820z:   44 stations spotted including 1 South American.

Daddy Long Legs - NOT amateur radio

This is the season for daddy long legs (crane flies). The photo shows one seen a few years ago. It was a Facebook memory from 2015.

 I like the way they bumble into things. They are harmless and appear stupid! 

At our old house we counted 15 in our bedroom one night. I have not seen any yet this year.

Yesterday on 10m FT8 RX

There was a good opening to South America on 10m FT8 yesterday as the map shows. 10m FT8 Es still occurs, but is less frequent. 

Sunspots - Saturday August 28th 2021

Solar flux is 90 and the SSN is 73.  A=19 and K=3.

Anglesey Abbey dahlias - NOT amateur radio

These dahlias, in the dahlia border at nearby Anglesey Abbey, are usually stunning, but they were very late this year. 

I think they held them back, but there were also late frosts and a lot of wet weather.

10m FT8 QRP (Friday)

In a few moments I hope to go on 10m FT8 with 2.5W QRP. My usual pattern is to CQ for a few minutes then go mostly on RX. Very little happened yesterday until late. 

UPDATE 0812z:  One local spot of me  on TX by G4KPX (13km) and just 1 G spotted on RX - 2E1RDX (139km).

UPDATE 1130z:  34 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX. Lots more Es than yesterday! 

UPDATE 1252z:  35 stations spotted. It looks like the Es has stopped for now. 👎

Yesterday on 10m FT8

After a very slow start, 10m opened up with Es in the evening. In all, 15 stations were spotted across Europe. FT8 is a good mode as there are plenty of monitors and it works with weak signals. 

Kitten sitting - NOT amateur radio

As one of our sons is on holiday, we are calling in to his home to look after his kitten which is very playful. 

Here he is about to chase and pounce on a toy.

XBM80-2

 

Yesterday, I posted the 10m Lesser Chirpy. This was based on the 80m XBM80-2 QRP CW transceiver which is shown here. 

You would be hard pressed to make this transceiver much simpler! Do not be afraid to experiment - I am sure you can do better. 

S1 provides offset between RX and TX by shifting the crystal frequency, how much will depend on C1. You could always make C1 adjustable so the offset is what you want.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/80m-xbm80-2 .

SPAM - NOT amateur radio

Usually the SPAM filter on my Gmail works well. Just occasionally it thinks a genuine email is SPAM, but this rare. I'd guess this is less than 1 in 1000. 

Recently I have been getting SPAM emails in my inbox about my subscription for Norton antivirus. The spelling and grammar are appalling. Usually I just report this as SPAM, I guess they are using many email addresses so this gets through SPAM filters. I do not use Norton!

Sunspots - Friday August 27th 2021

 Solar flux is 89 and the SSN 47.  A=6 and K=3.

Maturity - NOT amateur radio

The berries and fruit in the garden are reaching maturity. 

The photo shows this with the windmill in the background.

Lesser Chirpy

When I was fitter, I enjoyed designing and building. Sadly this is much harder now. Like all of my circuits, I am sure they can be improved. I make no claims for originality and take inspiration from many sources. My wish is that you use my circuits as the starting point for your own ideas. 

Looking back many years, I designed the Lesser Chirpy for 10m CW. Originally I started with the Chirpy, but it chirped too much! The Lesser Chirpy more or less stopped the chirp. This was a "for fun" rig. It does work, but I was concerned about calling CQ over weaker stations as the RX sensitivity was not as good as modern rigs. My recommendation is ensure that calls are not made over other stations. Fine to call others, but be very mindful of other stations.

The original name was the XBM10-2, but Lesser Chirpy was more meaningful!

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/10m-lesser-chirpy .

Garden flowers - NOT amateur radio

Most of the flowers in our garden have passed their best. Some still look good whereas others are starting to look a bit tired. We will put winter flowering plants at the front and new bedding plants in late in the spring. Some, as the photo shows, look good still.

It is funny how the nights get so much darker earlier at this time of the year. The rate of change speeds up and the change is noticeable.

Cambridge UK - NOT amateur radio

 

Like most places, this year has been strange, with few visitors from overseas in Cambridge, so the locals and UK visitors have been able to enjoy it differently. We went into Cambridge yesterday. It was quieter than normal, but not much.

The photo shows the park behind the bus station.

10m FT8 QRP (Thursday)

After a brief TX period with 2.5W with just 1 spot by G4KPX (13km), I am again 10m FT8 RX only. At 1127z, just one station spotted - HB9SNR (784km).

UPDATE 1803z:  Just 2 stations spotted so far today. Es is "sporadic" and today, so far at least, looks poor on 10m FT8 RX. As far as I can remember this is the poorest day on 10m for some months.

UPDATE 1815z:  Did I speak too soon? F1RAD (867km) in SW France spotted on 10m FT8 RX.  Also my 2.5W was spotted by local G4BAO (8km).

Rally news

As far as I know, the Torbay rally on Sunday August 29th and the Huntingdon club (HARS) rally on Monday August 30th are ON, but the Milton Keynes rally on Bank Holiday Monday has been postponed until next year (2022). 

As always check before setting out.

Sunspots - Thursday August 26th 2021

 Solar flux is 84 and the SSN 29.  A=9 and K=2.

Second 8m experimental station in the USA

John, EI7GL reports than a second experimental station has been licenced in the USA. I am convinced that the amateur service will get a small allocation there eventually, but maybe not in my lifetime!! I hope that more stations apply for, and are granted, access to this frequency. Surely they can find a small slot?

See https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/2021/08/fcc-issue-another-experimental-permit.html  .

Cambridge earlier - NOT amateur radio

It seems that E-scooters are everywhere! The photo shows some in Cambridge earlier with a college crest in the background. 

10m WSPR (Wednesday)

 Shortly, I intend to go on 10m WSPR for the day with 500mW. Yesterday was a surpr meise with spots by 3 unique stations. It is impossible to predict what will happen later. It is 0815z.

UPDATE 1201z:  Several spots of me by OH6BG (1718km).

UPDATE 1811z: Just 2 unique stations have spotted me today so far with the furthermost EA8BRK (2880km).

"Our" windmill next door - NOT amateur radio

We are lucky to live just next door to a fully restored windmill that is 200 years old. This photo was taken some years ago. 

Castle Acre - NOT amateur radio

One of my Facebook memories today was this photo of Castle Acre that we visited some years ago.

I am all for a balanced view of history and there are many dark moments that we are not proud of, yet just destroying statues and monuments as we judge them by today's standards denies future generations the chance to judge them.  

Sunspots - Wednesday August 25th 2021

 Solar flux is 81 and the SSN 29.  A=5 and K=3.

Oscar 100 activity update

Every few weeks I take a peek at the activity on the narrowband transponder of this geosynchronous satellite. It has been up some while, although activity still remains low. I last looked in the late evening European time.

See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/ .

Jason M0NYW

This morning Jason M0NYW called in and it was a real pleasure to meet him. We have exchanged many emails over the years! It is good to meet real experimenters, as he clearly is.  Sadly too many just buy the gear they need and do not realise what fun they are missing.

10m WSPR TX - 500mW (Tuesday)

For a change I am on 10m WSPR TX with my 500mW beacon. As this is quite late in the Es season I am not expecting spots. Apart from initially setting the clock it is totally self contained and does not need a PC. It runs 100% of the time, but randomly changes frequency every 2 minutes to avoid being clobbered by a strong station co-channel. It is currently 0748z.

UPDATE 1145z:   6 spots by 2 unique stations so far.

Sunspots - Tuesday August 24th 2021

 Solar flux is 78 and the SSN 14. A=4 and K=1.

Sunflowers - NOT amateur radio

Our own sunflowers were eaten by Muntjac deer which are common now. Our neighbour has some good ones and we see them better than she does! 

The ones in the photo are in her garden.