4 Mar 2022
3 Mar 2022
10m FT8 RX
Since getting back from a walk around the city of Ely, I have been on 10m FT8 RX. So far today 109 stations have been spotted.
UPDATE 1700z: 329 stations spotted.
UPDATE 1950z: 445 stations spotted. QRT soon.
Ely - NOT amateur radio
Ely is about 20 minutes from home by car. It has a wonderful cathedral, some very old buildings and a great waterfront. This photo was taken from the waterfront.
Rallies
As far as I know, the following rallies are on, but always check with organisers first.
Sat March 5th - Lagen Valley ARS Rally. See www.lvars.uk .
Sun March 6th (or is it Sat 5th?) - Exeter Radio and Electronics Rally. Contact Peter g3zvi@yahoo.co.uk .
Sun March 6th - Hack Green Radio Surplus Hangar SaleSecret Nuclear Bunker, Nantwich www.hackgreen.co.uk .
ZS6WAB 8m beacon copied in Europe and QSL received
The South African 8m beacon has been widely copied across Europe and Borat in Central Europe has a QSL card as shown.
G3XIZ sub 10kHz
This photo was taken some years ago and shows the signal from G3XIZ on VLF at 45km. Notice the timescales - hours!!
Australian beach? - NOT amateur radio
This photo was on 365project recently. I think it is Australia.
Hot Iron archive
Some may like the archive of W4NPN to "Hot Iron", which many builders will find very useful. Hot Iron is an online magazine for constructors.
Online calculators
Every now and again, you need to work out something "radio" and a calculator can come in very handy. This site has some very useful calculators.
2 Mar 2022
2m FT8 activity contest
Starting at 1900z is the RSGB organised 2m FT8 activity contest. At the moment I am RX only, although I might try TX with 2.5W FT8 with the big-wheel omni later. So far, 35 stations in 6 countries spotted after 7 minutes!
UPDATE 2110z: 96 stations in 9 countries spotted on 2m FT8 RX this evening and 3 QSOs. My signal was spotted by F1FPL (345km). Now QRT. Quite pleased with just 2.5W and the omni antenna.
Summer Saturday - NOT amateur radio
This was Salcombe, where I come from in South Devon, on a summer day many years ago.
10m FT8 RX
A few moments ago (0955z), I turned on my 10m FT8 RX. As I had just turned the electricity off whilst I changed a bulb in the bathroom, there was no internet, so no spots were appearing on PSKreporter. Locally, I was spotting several stations.
UPDATE 1024z: 37 stations spotted and on PSKreporter. Most are single hop F2.
UPDATE 1411z: 172 stations spotted.
UPDATE 1744z: 476 stations spotted. QRT soon.Stations spotted today
E-Field probe RX antenna
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/antennas/e-field-probe-efp .
See also https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/antennas/137khz-efp-rx-antenna .
160m FT8 RX overnight
Overnight I was on 160m FT8 RX. In all, 303 stations were spotted as the map shows. This was with the untuned 10m antenna.
Dalham near Newmarket - NOT amateur radio
This is a village not far from us. As you can see, there are lots of thatched cottages. It is very beautiful.
1 Mar 2022
160m FT8 RX
At about 2000z, I started on 160m FT8 RX using the untuned 10m antenna. At 2050z, 54 stations spotted. All were European
2m RSGB activity contest (UKAC)
This contest was on this evening. Usually I work about 8-10 stations, but tonight I worked just one before giving up.
Some good distances were spotted, but there seemed fewer people on. Whatever I tried, I seemed unable to break through with my poor voice. I only tried for about 30 minutes with the big-wheel omni and 10W.
8m permit
I gather this is "in a queue" as the person is very busy.
In the meantime, I shall get my dedicated 40MHz antenna up and check things. Until I get the permit in my hands, I have no intention of finalising frequencies or making any announcements/skeds. My hope is to send FT8 on a frequency coordinated with others in the UK and Europe to make monitoring easier.
Certainly, up to now, the man I have dealt with at OFCOM has been fast and helpful.
2m AM, FM and SSB
These days there are few stations on 2m AM. Compared with a few years ago the general level of activity (FM and SSB) is lower with fewer people coming on just for a chat. These days, most go on the internet for a chat. FT8 activity is higher, but outside contests and lifts, the 2m band is pretty quiet. This is also true of 70cm, at least here.
Many years ago I designed and built the Fredbox. I do not suggest you try to duplicate it, but you may get some ideas from it.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/homebrew/fredbox .
St John's Gate 1516 - NOT amateur radio
Ipswich train station - NOT amateur radio
Almost a week ago, we went to Ipswich on the train, arriving at this station. I don't think it has been on before, but my apologies if it has.
Ipswich is the county town of Suffolk. We had been told it was a dump. It actually has some fine old buildings and churches and a big park.
10m FT8 RX
It is now 0905z. I have been on 10m FT8 RX for abour an hour. So far, 64 stations have been spotted. As is to be expected, most of these are to the east including Australia. Later, the Americans will start to appear.
UPDATE 1212z: 435 stations spotted today on 10m FT8 RX.
UPDATE 1345z: 544 stations spotted today.
Solar data update
Usually in the early days of the month my favourite site for solar information updates it's data.
1950s beach - NOT amateur radio
During WW2 this was filled with USA soldiers preparing for D-Day. Years later, the evidence was still visible.
28 Feb 2022
Mandarin ducks
See https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/birds/waterfowl/mandarin-duck .
The new world order - NOT amateur radio
Peace and harmony have always been my wish. We in the west are far from perfect, but I think recent actions by Russia are counter-productive with many countries being appalled by Putin's heavy handedness against fellow slavs.
In the end we all want peace. Let's hope good sense will prevail.
OFCOM and the upper 6GHz band
OFCOM is consulting on the indoor use of this band. See the OFCOM website for details.
8m TX permit
OFCOM has assured me that it has granted all I asked for, but seem unable to tell me exactly what I am getting before I pay £50!
As I do not know several things, I have asked them to clarify these before I shell out. I think this is reasonable. My wish is to go ahead.
Assuming all is OK, I hope to start TXing FT8 before the Es season and all reports will be appreciated. I suspect this summer could be most interesting on 8m regarding propagation studies.
UPDATE 1239z: OFCOM has clarified things. It has granted me 40-42MHz and I can use my own amateur callsign. It is soon to invoice me. The permit is for a year starting April 2nd 2022. I must not cause interference!
10m FT8
After a very brief TX period with 2.5W FT8 (3 DX spots), I am now RX only. 49 spots so far with the furthermost YB2IQ (11988km).
UPDATE 1947z: 463 stations spotted.
27 Feb 2022
10m FT8 RX
Once again, 10m is becoming a great DX band.
Most days, DX from across the globe has been copied on 10m FT8.
If you are after a simple RX to monitor 10m FT8, then my 10FT8R RX may be the answer. You may be able to make yours better or simpler!
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/10ft8r-rx .
Daffodils - NOT amateur radio
Anglesey Abbey earlier - NOT amateur radio
John Lewis - NOT amateur radio
John Lewis is one of the most respected store chains in the UK.
Recently, they announced they would be "retiring" (don't you love that?) their long held policy of never knowingly undersold. This basically meant if you could buy it cheaper elsewhere, they would match the price. With the internet, this policy is far more difficult now.
Whilst I understand this, it is yet another example of things getting worse rather than better. In my view John Lewis, like many high street shops, is struggling. I hope they survive.
40m FT8 in the last day
UPDATE 1407z: 1005 stations spotted on 40m FT8 RX in the last day.
26 Feb 2022
40m FT8 RX (Saturday)
At about 1900z I QSYed to 40m FT8 RX using the 10m endfed antenna untuned. So far (at 1957z) 221 stations spotted. At the moment 40m seems to be the best all round band day and night. I shall probably leave it on overnight.
UPDATE 2020z: 264 stations spotted.
8m permit coming
Yesterday I had an email from OFCOM saying they have approved my application for an 8m permit. They forgot to tell me what the permit will say! Assuming it is what I asked for, I shall be invoiced and will start transmitting before the Es season starts.
It seems this OFCOM department is more efficient than the last. It has taken a few weeks whereas the last department took almost 5 months to tell me to get a different licence!
10m FT8 QRP (Saturday)
At the moment I am on 10m FT8 QRP with 2.5W. After a brief period on TX (2 G spots). I am RX only with 4 spots so far, all European. I have also spotted an FR4 earlier, but for some reason this did not appear on PSKreporter. Both G stations were not local. So, this was either normal tropo or aircraft I suspect. In the past, I have copied G stations from across the country on normal propagation on SSB. FT8 is likely to be far more effective.
UPDATE 0916z: Now one station in South Africa also spotted - ZS6KED (8874km).
UPDATE 1026z: Now 25 stations spotted.
UPDATE 1415z: 56 stations spotted.UPDATE 1642z: 122 stations spotted. I have seen better days.
UPDATE 2025z: QRT.
New world order? - NOT amateur radio
With the recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia, it suddenly feels that the world order is changing.
Now, I know that there are always 2 sides to any stories in the propaganda circulated in the run-up to wars and we in the west are not prefect.
However, I am concerned that many in Russia and Ukraine would much prefer not to have wars, destruction and loss of lives. This is especially true when many have relatives in the other country. Why can't peace prevail?
I also worry about Belarus. If its leader decides to try to attack any of the Baltic states that are NATO members, then by the articles of the treaty, all NATO members are being attacked.
What about China and Taiwan?
No, the balance of power is changing and it will impact the lives of our children and grandchildren.
All I ask is that we all try to live at peace with our neighbours.
Interesting that there we're several people on 40m FT8 sending "CQ STOPTHE WAR" and "CQ ST0PPUTIN".
Let history judge.
Knobs and bezels
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