160m FT8 overnight

Overnight, I was on FT8 RX again. 201 stations were spotted in total as the map shows. 

Nothing "across the pond".

Lesotho - NOT amateur radio

About 10 years ago we went to South Africa. On one day we went up the Sani Pass into Lesotho and it suddenly felt like we had stepped back in time. Many of the people were subsistence farming much as they had done for thousands of years. 

10m WSPR TX beacon

As the 10m antenna is available, I am on 10m WSPR TX using 500mW to the W5OLF beacon. So far today just local spots, but at least I know it is working! 

UPDATE 1425z:  4 unique stations spotting me with the furthermost FR1GZ (9724km). Think I shall QSY to 10m FT8. 

UPDATE 1500z:  QSYed to 10m FT8.

Sunspots - Sunday December 26th 2021

Solar flux is 131 and the SSN 128.  A=7 and K=0.

160m FT8 RX (Saturday)

After 10m closed for DX, I QSYed to 160m FT8 RX with the Wellgood active loop. At 1900z (after about 25 minutes) 54 stations had been spotted with the furthermost YO3APJ (2073km).

136kHz beacon

Whilst looking through some old photos I came across this photo from 2012 of my 136kHz beacon. With just microwatts ERP the signal was copied in the Netherlands. I think my antenna was just a thin wire loop in the garden of about 80m sq. As I recall I was going to use thicker wire to improve the ERP, but never did this.

10m FT8 RX

Early spots

Even though it is Christmas, 10m FT8 RX is running in the background. 148 stations spotted on RX today at 0953z. The furthermost is Western Australia.

UPDATE 1652z:  448 stations spotted today on 10m FT8 RX .

Christmas birthday - NOT amateur radio

After 73 years, I am used to my birthday being a few days before Christmas.  

This is me with some of my presents. I hold an unofficial birthday in June, but keep forgetting!

160m FT8 overnight

Overnight I left my 160m FT8 system running with the Wellgood active loop RX antenna on the shack window. In all, 265 stations were spotted. 

A cold - NOT amateur radio

For the last few days I have had a cold. Now I have given it to my wife!  Just in case it was Omicron Covid-19 we both have done a couple of lateral flow tests that proved negative. It looks like it is a common cold.

It is several years since I have had a streaming nose and sore throat. I am largely recovered.

Let's hope Omicron turns out to be milder and we can all treat it like a common cold seeking medical help only when needed. Life could then go back to (nearly) as it was.

Christmas - NOT amateur radio

Today is celebrated around the world as Christmas Day. 

I am not a strong believer these days, if at all. What I am sure of is all the world's religions are hints at a greater truth. We all need kindness and understanding. 

Whatever you believe, I wish you peace and happiness now and next year.

Sunspots (Christmas Day) - Saturday December 25th 2021

Solar flux is 126 and the SSN 145.  A=5 and K=1. These are quite remarkably high numbers. 

160m FT8 RX (Friday)

 At 1840z, I QSYed from 6m FT8 to 160m FT8 RX using the indoor Wellgood active loop.

UPDATE 1915z:  So far, 25 stations have been spotted on 160m FT8 RX with the furthermost UA4HTZ (3293km).

The Hall - NOT amateur radio

Our village is a mixture of old and new houses. The one in the photo is known as "The Hall". I have no idea how old it is.

6m FT8 (Friday)

As there is chance of mid-winter Es, I QSYed to 6m FT8. On TX (briefly) I was spotted by 1 G station.      On RX (at 1335z) 3 stations spotted with the furthermost F6HGB (983km).

UPDATE 1641z: 5 stations spotted on RX and 2 have spotted my very brief QRP TX sessions. No QSOs.

UPDATE 1835z:   Still just 5 stations spotted. I think I shall QSY to an LF band.

BBC weather app NOT amateur radio

This is useless!! At the moment we're meant to have light cloud and no sun. It's sunny!! As a BBC licence payer, I object to them wasting my money. As a joke it is fine, but it is rarely useful as a forecasting aid. OK the UK weather is changeable, but this is terrible even in real time. In the meantime, the best forecast is Windows - just look out of them!! 😁

10m FT8

At 0634z I turned on my 10m FT8 gear. One station spotted (Es?) and my short transmission was spotted by 1 station in England. 

UPDATE 0946z: So far, 155 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX with the furthermost VK6AS (14459km) in Western Australia.

UPDATE 1156z:  260 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX so far today.

Excessive? - NOT amateur radio

 

A householder in a nearby town likes to decorate his house with lights at Christmas. 

It must be a hazard for aircraft flying overhead. I am glad I am not paying for the electricity! 

At the moment, we all need cheering up.

6m MSK144 overnight

Well that was a failure! Absolutely nothing spotted! 

Overnight I was hoping to catch the end of the meteor shower. Either I was too late, I was on the wrong frequency, wrong mode, activity was low, or the antenna was not good enough. I have copied DX on 6m with this antenna via MS in the past. 

Ooh ahh - NOT amateur radio

UK readers will get this. 

The man in the photo is Boris Johnson, the UK Prime Minister.  He is well known for making promises he does not keep. He has charisma, but is fast losing his party votes. He has become a liability.  

My bet is he will be replaced by the spring. 

Sunspots - Friday December 24th 2021

Solar flux is 130 and the SSN 143. A=4 and K=1. 

6m MSK144 RX

At about 1900z I QSYed to 6m MSK144 RX on 50.280MHz, hoping to catch the tail end of the Ursids meteor shower. For the antenna I only have the V2000 vertical omni. No spots as of 2140z unsurprisingly. 

I shall leave it running overnight, just in case, but I am not too hopeful.

I think this is the correct frequency in Europe.

Yet another Covid-19 joke - NOT amateur radio

This was sent to me yesterday and you may have already seen it. I have no idea where it came from originally.  It amused me! 

OK -  less of the "simple things please simple minds"  in the back row!!

SAQ transmission - tomorrow

The historic 17.2kHz VLF alternator CW TX that is a World Heritage Site and almost 100 years old is on the air tomorrow, December 24th with a special message. They will QSL. 

I am a proud possessor of a rare QSL card from them many years ago. I think this was with my VLF converter and loop antenna. I thought this converter was on my website, but it seems to be missing. I shall add it later. For now, see this page.

There is a very good software RX on my video channel. This with a simple antenna and small preamp connected to the PC sound card is all you need. 

The whole thing is being live streamed on YouTube I believe.

See https://alexander.n.se/en/ .

See also the software VLF receiver by SM6LKM on my video channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDxRhQYg7lQ .

UPDATE 1635z: The VLF up-converter should now be available via my G3XBM website (added today).

73s at 73

Today is my birthday and may I wish all blog readers a very happy Christmas and a good holiday. 

This was a mid-winter holiday way before it was adopted as a Christian festival, so enjoy it whatever your faith or none. 

The important thing is always to treat others as you would like to be treated - kindly and respectfully no matter who you are, your race, colour or gender. In the last analysis we are all the same. 

10m FT8 RX (Thursday)

Since about 0900z, I have been on 10m FT8 RX. It is now 0944z and so far 99 stations already spotted.

UPDATE 1006z:   149 stations spotted with the furthermost BA7IO (9494km).

UPDATE 1853z:   671 stations spotted today with the furthermost VK6XI (14434km). It would appear that is it for the day. I may try 6m MSK144 on 50.280MHz.

Sunspots - Thursday December 23rd 2021

Solar flux is 140 and the SSN 137.  A=11 and K=1 

630m WSPR RX

After 10m closed I tried 630m WSPR RX using the active loop. Just G0MRF(120km) spotted. QRT soon. 

Operating outside

This photo shows me operating from the car some years ago (2012?). From this location on the coast in Devon I have worked the USA with 10m QRP SSB and AM QRP on several occasions. 

Winter walk - NOT amateur radio

This collage is of our walk around the village earlier. It was bright, cold and frosty. 

Winter sunshine - NOT amateur radio

This morning was bright and cold so we went for a walk around the village. This is a photo of the winter sun. 

Taller - NOT amateur radio

Our elder grandson is 14 years old now. This photo was taken many years ago when he was very young. 

10m FT8 RX

At 0834z my 10m gear was turned on. At 0850z 87 stations had been spotted. It looks like we could have a good day. 

UPDATE 1157z:  456 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX this morning. Good.

10m FT8 RX at 1419z

UPDATE 1419z:  730 stations spotted. Conditions on 10m FT8 are amazing.

UPDATE 1750z:  1100 stations spotted on RX today. Brilliant. 

How big will the next sunspot peak be?

One thing is certain, experts do not agree! 

In the last few days we have seen quite high solar flux and sunspot numbers for this part of the cycle. Most predictors suggest the next peak will be very similar to the last one.  It could be smaller, but it could be much bigger. Only time will tell.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cycle_25 .

Sunspots - Wednesday December 22nd 2021

 Solar flux is 137 and the SSN 147.  A=10 and K=3.

30m FT8 RX (Tuesday)

 For a change, I am on 30m FT8 RX. So far, 12 stations spotted, all in Europe.

UPDATE 1525z:  61 spots on 30m FT8 RX so far.

UPDATE 1830z: 104 spots so far.

UPDATE 1947z:  The number of stations spotted remains at 104 suggesting the MUF is lower now. Time to go QRT.

DX DATV experiments

According to the EI7GL blog, some amateurs are proposing to experiment with DATV on 10m and 6m.  Some DX is possible. I presume this is with much reduced bandwidths. 

Being within existing amateur bands, no special permits are needed. In the UK special permits are needed to experiment at 4m or 2m with DATV.

See https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/  .

Historical science - NOT amateur radio

It is hard to believe that some of the most important discoveries in science were made at the old Cavendish labs in this small Cambridge lane. 

10m WSPR TX

As my 10m antenna is free, I am again on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW from the W5OLF beacon. Just spots from local G4KPX (14km) so far. At least I know it is getting out!

Postman and postwoman - NOT amateur radio

This photo appeared as a FB memory today. It shows the grandchildren some years ago delivering Christmas cards. They grow up so fast! 

15m FT8 RX

In a few moments I hope to be on 15m FT8 RX with the indoor Wellgood active loop antenna. Gear turned on at 0924z.

UPDATE 0950z:  73 stations spotted so far.

UPDATE 1333z:   321 stations spotted.

Sunspots - Tuesday December 21st 2021

Solar flux is 123 and the SSN 115.  A=16 and K=2. 

2m FT8 RX in the last day

In the last day, 139 stations were spotted on 2m FT8 with the big-wheel omni antenna. Furthermost was DL2QV (937km). Although most of these would probably be in range by scatter, I think many were tropo.

The future - NOT amateur radio

Whatever we expect the future to be, it is different. Life has a nasty habit of throwing the totally unexpected at us. It seems the only certainty is the future will be different from what we expect.

15m FT8 RX (Monday)

In all, I have probably been on 15m FT8 RX with the Wellgood active loop for about 30 minutes. So far, 54 spots with the furthermost RA0WHE (5565km).

UPDATE 0950z: 57 stations spotted with the furthermost BG0CAB (6149km). Certainly 15m is proving to be a good band at the moment. I expect this time next year 10m will be as good.

UPDATE 1050z:  109 stations spotted with the furthermost E24OYI (9466km).

UPDATE 1526z:  391 stations spotted. Furthermost is 4F3BZ (10632km).

UPDATE 1616z: 424 stations spotted today on 15m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 2315z:  444 stations spotted on 15m FT8 RX. Now QRT. 

Pirates: it is all too easy for TX stations (and RX stations) to use false callsigns and locations. When you are copying several stations from the same area, it is much less likely they are all pirates. For example there are lots of South Americans and USA stations on. It is very unlikely that many (if any) are pirates.

Bell hunting - NOT amateur radio

Last Thursday my grandson and I went around Cambridge on a bell hunt. This is him outside one of the churches. 

He has a YouTube channel called "Ringer Luke". He is mad on bellringing!

See https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6eX8ntDoimOw-k603EoZsA .

10m QRP WSPR (Monday)

As the PC and rig are being used for 15m FT8 RX, I am on 10m WSPR TX using 500mW from the W5OLF beacon. So far, just spots by local G4KPX (14km), but at least I know it is working! At 0945z, G4KPX has spotted me 15 times, but no DX yet.

UPDATE 1207z:  3 unique stations spotting me with the best DX EA8BFK (2880km) in the Canary Isles.

UPDATE 1426z:  4 unique stations have spotted me.

UPDATE 1806z: 5 unique stations spotted.

Sunspots - Monday December 20th 2021

 Solar flux is 115 and the SSN 109 (still pretty good for this time in the solar cycle).   A=12 and K=2.

2m FT8 (Sunday)

For the last few hours, I have been on 2m FT8. After a brief period on QRP TX (2.5W and being spotted by 22 stations, I have been RX only.  Once again my antenna is the big-wheel omni. So far (at 2211z) 92 stations spotted. Furthermost is DJ2QV (937km).

Yellow jackets - NOT amateur radio

As teenagers we had yellow jackets and were called "the sunshine twins".  

About a year ago we bought some again. 

It is very useful when we are out and apart - just look for the flash of yellow!