160m FT8 RX in the last 12 hours

Overnight I was on 160m FT8 RX with the non-resonant 10m antenna. In all 499 stations were spotted, but fewer USA stations than I expected. 

Sunspots - Saturday January 29th 2022

Solar flux is 113 and the SSN 77.  A=8 and K=4.

160m FT8 RX

This evening, I am on 160m FT8 RX using the 10m antenna. So far (at 2117z) 355 stations spotted with the furthermost HS0ZNR (9696km).

UPDATE 2220z:  428 stations spotted including 1 in the USA.

Ely market - NOT amateur radio

The photo shows the market square in Ely not too far from here. Sadly, there are too many 1960s buildings around, which would not be allowed today.  I suspect if they had been developing the square today they would have chosen designs much more in keeping.

The famous Ely cathedral is very close to this spot.

Soon be spring - NOT amateur radio

This photo was taken in Cambridge earlier today. Spring is not far away. 

Me?

This could be me in the early 1960s. 

Home? - NOT amateur radio

Although I left this part of Devon in 1970, it still feels like home. The photo shows earlier today. 

15m FT8 RX (Friday)

Since about 0930z I have been on 15m FT8 RX using the 10m antenna. At 0948z, 50 stations spotted.

137kHz tests in 2013

This was in 2013 when my QRP signal was spotted 101km away. 

King's, Cambridge - NOT amateur radio

 

The photo shows King's, Cambridge.  King's College Chapel is world famous as the home of the famous "Nine Lessons and Carols" each Christmas.

Sunspots - Friday January 28th 2022

Solar flux is 107 and the SSN 85. A=7 and K=2.

70cm FT8

 A few moments ago I turned on 70cm FT8. After an initial QRP TX session (no spots of my 2.5W to the 2m big-wheel omni antenna) I am now RX only.

UPDATE 2104z:   No spots.

Rally news

As far as I know the Lincoln Shortwave Club rally is on this Sunday January 30th, but I suggest you check before travelling any distance.

The Canvey Rally in February has been cancelled I understand.

As always in these uncertain times, it is always worth checking if rallies are cancelled or postponed.

UPDATE 2315z: The Lincoln rally has been cancelled (see Keith's comment below). 

FT8 RX with non-resonant antennas

In the last day, I have been amazed at the results with non-resonant antennas on FT8 RX. May be I shouldn't be. 

On 160m FT8 RX one often has to add attenuation and, as long as the S/N is fine, it will still get results. 

On 15m FT8 RX, I guess my 10m antenna is a few dBs down, but as long as the S/N is sufficient I will still get decodes.

Fungus - NOT amateur radio

 

This was seen growing on a tree some years ago. I cannot remember the month.

15m FT8 RX

At the moment, I am monitoring 15m FT8 RX with the 10m antenna. I have been on for about 10 minutes. At 1010z, 43 stations spotted.

UPDATE 1502z:  684 stations spotted today on 15m FT8  RX.

Cambridge Street - NOT amateur radio

Cambridge has lots of bikes. 

New roof - NOT amateur radio

This thatched cottage is having a new roof. Quite expensive. It is in the nearby village of Wicken.

Sunspots - Thursday January 27th 2022

Solar flux is 102 and the SSN 71. A=10 and K=1. 

160m FT8 RX

This was a good session on 160m FT8 RX. In all, 546 stations were spotted including many in the USA.  Much to my surprise, I had left the 10m antenna plugged in, so this was on a very short, non-resonant antenna!

10m FT8

We returned home about 1440z. I am now on 10m FT8, initially on 2.5W TX, now RX only. On TX I was spotted by G0FWX (160km) and a couple of stations have been spotted on RX. These could be Es, tropo or aircraft.

UPDATE 2210z:  8 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX with the furthermost  LU1DVH (11217km).

160m FT8 later?

For the last few days I have been in Sheffield for a funeral. We return home shortly. I hope to be on 160m FT8 RX later.

UPDATE 2211z: 222 stations spotted this evening with the furthermost RW9JZ (4318km).

Old postbox - NOT amateur radio

In the UK, most postboxes are red. Some are very old. The photo shows the one outside Sheffield cathedral. It looks very old. 

Seen from the train - NOT amateur radio

This is the crooked spire of Chesterfield Church seen from the train to Sheffield. 

Sunspots - Wednesday January 26th 2022

Solar flux is 101 and the SSN 53. A=13 and K=2.

Trondra, Shetland - NOT amateur radio

This photo was posted on 365project today. It shows the island of Trondra in Shetland. 

137kHz QRSS tests 9 years ago

This was 9 years ago. 

Sunspots - January 25th 2022

 Solar flux is 95 and the SSN 26. A=4 and K=3. 

Lavenham - NOT amateur radio

Lavenham is a village about an hour from here. It is filled with timber framed houses and a grand church. 

It got rich when the wool trade was at its height many centuries ago. 

Globe 2018 - NOT amateur radio

 

This collection of photos dates from January 2018. I cannot recall the package I used. 

If you look carefully at the image when clicked, you will see it is of all the photos I took back then.

8m NoV with OFCOM

"Dear Customer,

We have received your submission and a member of the Licensing team will be processing it in due course. "

I have received this non-response so many times from OFCOM in the last 2 weeks that I could probably wallpaper a room with these. 

All I am asking is for a progress report. Is that really rocket science? The NoV application was submitted in October!

zzzzz

UPDATE 2022z:  Well I have at last had a response from a human being! Not a progress update, but at least I know someone is actually there! 

70cm FT8

Hepburn was right! 70cm was good last evening with 51 stations spotted on 70cm FT8 RX. 

12 stations spotted my 2.5W FT8 to the 2m big-wheel omni antenna. 

Imagine what stations with big-beams and high power were doing!

Sunspots - Monday January 24th 2022

Solar flux is 94 and the SSN 22.  A=8 and K=0.

70cm QRP FT8 (Sunday)

At about 1435z, I turned my 70cm FT8 gear on. After a few minutes calling CQ with 2.5W  to the 2m big-wheel, I am now RX only. 5 stations have spotted my QRP  (to my amazement!) with the furthermost PA2M (311km). Nobody spotted on RX.

Stations spotting my 2.5W
to the 2m big-wheel antenna
on 70cm FT8 TX today

UPDATE 1542z:   8 stations spotted on 70cm FT8 RX with the furthermost GI6ATZ (479km) - the latter tropo or scatter? DLs also spotted.

UPDATE 1635z: 20 stations spotted with the furthermost DF2VJ (570km) in the Saar region.

UPDATE 1924z:  40 stations spotted on 70cm FT8 RX.

UPDATE 2030z:  46 stations have been spotted on RX. On 2.5W TX the furthermost report of me is by G4RRA (333km).

UPDATE 2200z:  51 stations spotted on 70cm FT8 RX with the furthermost DK5IR (686km).

8m and the ISM band?

The ISM band at 8m is 40.66 - 40.7MHz with an ERP limit of 10mW. Now, I am no expert and you need to convince yourself of the legal position, but I think anyone can operate at these frequencies as long as they accept interference and cause no interference.

These ISM frequencies are international allocations not really intended for radio communications. As I understand it, you can operate at these frequencies without a licence with any mode as long as you meet the ERP limits.

As far as I know, you could send callsigns. 10mW ERP is enough to span Europe in a good Es opening especially with FT8.

As I said, I do not know all the legal conditions and advise you to check carefully first. I know of one UK amateur that intends to TX with 10mW ERP CW as a beacon in the ISM band.

My NoV? Nothing at all received from OFCOM after 2 weeks of chasing apart from those computer generated replies saying they have received my query which is being replied to. But WHEN??? At this rate I shall be dead before I hear!

Oxburgh Hall, Norfolk, UK - NOT amateur radio

This is a moated house dating from the time of Elisabeth I. It was owned by the Bennington family, who were persecuted Catholics. There is priest hole where priests hid. 

It is today owned by the National Trust.

70cm FT8 promising?

According to the Hepburn Tropo Forecast, 70cm FT8 could be promising this evening. 

Rather than use the V2000 vertical, I may try with the horizontal 2m big-wheel antenna instead. Although the vertical V2000 is quite effective with scatter, the big-wheel is probably better with tropo. 

Snailwell - NOT amateur radio

This is a good name for this sleepy village, not far from Newmarket. 

There are very very few churches in this county with round towers. Nearby Norfolk has plenty.

2015 operating

The photo shows me operating in 2015. Since then, I have bought and sold an FT991A and bought a network radio and an IC-705 from ICOM. 

Wymondham, Norfolk - NOT amateur radio

This is a small town west of Norwich. In the 1800s, my wife's family moved to Sheffield from here at a time when agriculture was depressed and times were very hard. You can imagine the squalor they found up there. We go back to Wymondham most years. It is a delightful place about an hour from here. 

Next time, I suspect we'll go by train as I find driving hard these days.

Ultra simple 80m Transceiver

 

Just how simple can you make a transceiver that actually works? This is on my main website. I hope it gives you some ideas.

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

At Anglesey Abbey - NOT amateur radio

This photo was taken yesterday at nearby Anglesey Abbey. 

Sunspots - Sunday January 23rd 2022

Solar flux is 95 and the SSN 22. A=10 and K=3 . 

137kHz experiments some years ago

The photo shows the screen shot of my 137kHz experiments some years ago. I used the earth electrode antenna buried in snow with a small E-field probe on the car. ERP was just a few microwatts. This was January 2013.

10m FT8 QRP (Saturday)

At the moment I am on 10m FT8 with 2.5W. After a very brief period on TX, I am now on RX only. 

UPDATE 1945z: 140 stations spotted today with the furthermost LU6HWT (11348km).

160m FT8 RX in the last 24 hours

As mentioned yesterday, I went on 160m FT8 RX last evening and overnight using the coax to my 2m big-wheel via a ferrite rod ATU. In all, 348 stations spotted including 1 in Japan and several in the USA. 

8m article in February RSGB RadCom

It was good to see my 8m article in the latest RadCom. 

In the years ahead, I can see a small amateur allocation at 8m. At the moment a few dedicated experimenters are ploughing a furrow. In years ahead I can see more applying for special permits. This really is at the boundary between HF and VHF and some serious propagation research is possible.

NoV application with OFCOM? Despite chasing for almost 2 weeks I have no news!! What a shower! 

Sunspots - Saturday January 15th 22nd 2022

 Solar flux is 97 and the SSN 23. A=8 and K=2.

160m FT8 RX (Friday)

This evening and overnight, I hope to be on 160m FT8 RX using the coax tp my 2m big-wheel and a ferrite rod ATU. I have been on for about 20 minutes. At 2043z, 79 stations spotted.

UPDATE 2200z: 169 stations spotted with the furthermost JI1APQ (9263km)

Brother's visit 2014 - NOT amateur radio

In 2013 I was in hospital for 3.5 months with my stroke and was out again in January 2014. My brother visited me frequently in hospital despite living nearly 300 miles away. He came again in early 2014 on my return home. The photo shows one such visit.