It is often interesting to see how others receive you in their part of the world. Also, on the other side of the world, the bands can sound quite different. These days, we can take a peek by listening to various web SDRs.
Also, when local noise levels are very high, it allows us to hear the distant station without the QRN.
Recently, there is a new one in Iceland.
See http://bjarg.utvarp.com/ .
See also http://websdr.org/ for a list.
I was amused some years ago by a photo that our son took when he was performing jazz in the Shard. He sent us a view from sitting on the toilet in the Shard!! Luckily, we only saw the view at night out if the window!
Yet again, I am on 10m WSPR TX with my W5OLF beacon. Several spots by local G4KPX (14km) who I think must have been away over Easter. As yet, no DX. I think Richard goes on 10m WSPR briefly then chooses another band or goes QRT.
After a brief FT8 TX period on 40.680 MHz USB dial (no spots of me) I am again RX only, but will go on TX if there is any sign of Es. On RX, nobody has been spotted so far. I need a decent Es opening!
UPDATE 1415z: My 8m power goes down with time, so I TX for a period, RX FT8 for a period, turn everything off, TX for a period, then RX again. So far today, no spots on RX or TX on 8m. Currently on 40.680 MHz FT8 TX.
UPDATE 1658z: DX at last!! EI9KP (649km) has spotted me strongly on FT8. This is the first time I have been received beyond the local area. I think this was Es. At -5dB on FT8, this is encouraging.
UPDATE 1827z: QRT.
Every few weeks I take a peek at the narrowband transponder of this geosynchronous satellite. This is Easter weekend so a few people may be away with parents etc. This could reduce activity, although with more people on leave I would have expected this to have little overall effect.
With the W5OLF 500mW beacon, I am on 10m WSPR TX. So far today, no spots of me.
UPDATE 1433z: It look like the Es season has definitely arrived with 11 unique stations spotting me, mostly in central Europe.
After a brief period on FT8 TX (1 local spot), I am on FT8 RX now.
UPDATE 1427z: It looks like the Es season has started with strong reception earlier of Borat S50B on 8m FT8. G9PUV was also copied earlier.
UPDATE 1713z: It seems only a matter of time now in the Es season that I exchange reports with S50B.
Once again, I am on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW from my W5OLF beacon. It has been on from about 0900z. So far, just local spots by G4KPX (14km).
Yesterday, I carried out some 8m WSPR TX tests. All were unsuccessful with no sign whatsoever of anyone copying me. I was hoping that somebody would detect something. Alas....
At about 0900z, I went again on 40.680 MHz FT8 TX. Just local spots again. On RX in the last few weeks I have spotted 4 stations.
With my results, with QRP and a low dipole, I think I shall concentrate on 8m FT8 RX until the Es season really gets going. I think with Es I should have some success on TX.
UPDATE 1533z: I tried some WSPR TX tests this afternoon on 8m. Again, no success.
UPDATE 1625z: Another test on 40.680 MHz WSPR at 1600z was also unsuccessful.
At 1500z I shall be doing a WSPR test transmission on 40.680 MHz USB dial. This is NOT the usual 8m WSPR frequency.
UPDATE 1535z : Sadly nobody spotted the WSPR TX test.
I am on 10m WSPR with 500mW from the W5OLF beacon.
UPDATE 1042z: So far today, 2 unique stations have spotted me with the furthermost TA4/G8SCU (3010km).
After a brief TX period on FT8 (one local FT8 spot) and then Q65, I am now on FT8 RX only.
UPDATE 1044z: Nobody spotted on 8m FT8 RX.
If you want an FT8 10m RX, you may want to take a look at my 10FT8R receiver. This is very effective and does not miss much.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/10ft8r-rx .
At the moment I am on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW from the W5OLF beacon. So far just G4KPX (14km) spotting me (44 spots by 0940z).
UPDATE 2020z: QRT.
Stations spotting me today
My 8m station was turned on at about 0800z. Initially, I tried sending some Q65 for a test with a station in Bath without success. I am was on 8m FT8 with just a local spot.
UPDATE 0924z: Currently monitoring 40.680 MHz USB dial FT8.
UPDATE 2025z: QRT. Only local spots of me. On RX the furthermost was EI9KP (649km).
Last evening I took part in the 70cm activity contest with 10W and my 2m big-wheel omni. I did not stop on long as my voice was poor.
In all, I made 3 contacts with the best G4CLA (105km). These UKAC sessions are good fun.
See https://www.rsgbcc.org/cgi-bin/contest_rules.pl?contest=70cmsukac .
Every now and again, I get thinking about the deeper things in life. Human consciousness really confuses me.
We think of time flowing ever forwards. We are a mere dot in history. We are a on a small planet in the universe. Some estimates are that there are 1 trillion planets! At the moment there are almost 8 billion people alive on our planet. I do not know how many humans have ever existed.
And yet we are self aware.
Religiously, I am agnostic not knowing what I believe. We may have our whole view of the universe turned on its head in the next 100 years.
And, of course, this is just what I experience. For you, it might be completely different!
Life, consciousness, the universe and us are real puzzles!
See https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/planets-universe/.
One of our grandsons is mad on bellringing. The very short video shows him ringing at Fulbourn, near Cambridge, recently.
Again, I am on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW from the W5OLF TX WSPR beacon. Yesterday I was spotted by 7 stations including 2 in the USA.
UPDATE 1342z: 5 stations have spotted me today on 10m WSPR.
The table shows the stations spotting me on 10m WSPR on Tuesday.
After a period on TX (2 local spots) , I am now on 8m FT8 RX only on 40.680 MHz USB dial.
UPDATE 1345z: A brief FT8 TX period just now resulted in 2 local spots. Now RX only on 40,680 MHz USB dial FT8. No spots.
After thinking hard, I have decided to make a G3XBM PDF projects scrapbook that will be free to download from my website.
As I make changes to the book these can simply be made. As I make no money I cannot imagine any copyright issues, which could be a problem with a printed version that is charged for. Some of my designs have appeared in magazines across the world in many languages.
My aim has always been to collect my ideas for other people and never for commercial gain.
The scrapbook will be linked from my main website.
I hope to complete the book by the end of May.
Until today, I did not realise that PSKreporter supported PI4, which is a mode used by some beacons. What I do not know is the sensitivity of PI4 versus FT8. If anyone knows, please tell me.
Several people have suggested that I do a book of all my projects. I started it, but have not got too far! It is a lot of hard work, but might be a good idea. What do you think?
Looking back, I have done several projects and it might be a "good thing" to have them all together. These cover VLF to light (1 kHz to 481 THz) plus some antennas.
Someone in the comments suggested a PDF version, which is not a bad idea. Maybe I should consider this?
I am not really after money for this, so maybe I should do it and add it as a free download from my website? If anyone wants to give a charity donation, they would be free to do so. If they just want the PDF book, that is their choice.
Hopefully, Practical Wireless, RadCom and QST (maybe others too?) could give the link.
Many years ago, before my stroke, I intended to build a simple 10m phone transceiver aimed at local contacts only. What I had in mind was a 10m version of my 6m Sixbox and 2m Fredbox.
It used a super-regen RX with isolating pre-amp to avoid radiation, so would not be suitable for DX work. Having said that, it had no problems receiving USA AM stations in the car with just a base loaded whip.
My idea was to build a rig that could be used when 10m is dead, such as at night or in poor solar years. 10m is a great band and very little used when not "open".
It is ideal for local contacts as antennas are small especially when compared with 160m. CB antennas work well.
In my mind was something like the old Heathkit Benton Harbour Lunchboxes (remember those?), but far smaller and on a single simple PCB.
Sadly my stroke got in the way and the project was not completed. It would be great if someone else completed this project. There may well be better solutions these days.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/10m-am-tenbox .
At the moment, I am on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW from the W5OLF beacon. So far today, just local spots.
UPDATE 1052z: Still just local spots.
This morning I am doing MSK144 tests with Paul G9PUV nearby Brighton. I am copying him, but he is not copying me.
UPDATE 0801z: Sadly he did not copy me. At times he was very strong, presumably by random MS bursts. I guess with his much higher power they were long enough for me to decode Paul. Being much weaker, it would need a very long burst for me to be decoded at his end. We tried. I am sure with a proper MS shower or Es backscatter, we have a chance. Currently FT8 RX on 8m on 40.680 MHz USB dial.
UPDATE 1314z: No FT8 spots. I see both S50B and ZS6WAB are monitoring. I think I have a very modest station, so my "experiment" is really to see how 8m does with a QRP station and small wire antenna.
UPDATE 1345z: Now on 40.680 MHz USB dial FT8 TX again. 2 local spots so far. I have still to have a 2-way exchange of reports on 8m.
UPDATE 1530z: For about the last hour, I have been on 8m 40.680 MHz FT8 RX. No spots. I must see if I can see the Irish beacon EI1KNH near Dublin on 40.013 MHz sending FT8 for part of its cycle. I may just be possible to copy this beacon by tropo, but I expect it will be strong on MS pings just as the old Rosemarkie beacon GB3RMK was on 6m. Even with my poor 6m antenna it peaked on random MS pings every few minutes.
UPDATE 1652z: The EI1KNH 8m beacon is not copyable by tropo.
Once again, I am on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW from my W5OLF beacon. 5 unique stations have spotted me.
UPDATE 1955z: 12 unique stations spotted me today. Quite a good day really.
After a brief period on 40.680 MHz USB dial FT8 TX (1 local spot), I am RX only on 8m FT8. So far, nobody spotted today.
UPDATE 1022z: Someone has just raised a very interesting question. In the ISM bands 40.66-40.70 MHz his calculations suggest 50uW can legally be used into 50 ohms. I think he calculated that anyone in the UK could legally go on 40 MHz TX without a licence as long as they are in the ISM band. On WSPR, it would not surprise me if 50uW could be detected in central Europe in a decent Es opening. Now, I am no legal expert and have not looked in to this, but if correct it means anyone could legally TX on the ISM band without a licence as long as the ERP was less than 50uW. This is worth checking out. I think you can make up your own callsigns to ID yourself in any reports. As I said, I am not a legal expert and you need to check carefully if this is correct.
This from the OFCOM document about ISM:
“industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) applications (of radio frequency energy): Operation of equipment or appliances designed to generate and use locally radio frequency energy for industrial, scientific, medical, domestic or similar purposes, excluding applications in the field of telecommunications.”
Maybe the excluding applications in the field of telecommunications is the killer? Mind you, I cannot imagine OFCOM ever policing this!
UPDATE 1341z: For 8m I just have a low wire dipole which is strung between the support for my 2m big-wheel and the end of my 10m end fed antenna. You may just be able to see it in the photo.
UPDATE 1436z: About to go on 40.680 MHz USB dial FT8 TX.
UPDATE 2039z: QRT now. S50B and G9PUV both copied earlier on 8m. Doing a test on Tuesday from 0600z on 40.680 MHz MSK144 with G9PUV.
My most recent peek at activity on the geosynchronous Oscar 100 satellite at a weekend afternoon in Europe found activity levels on the narrowband transponder still low. I am sure people lose interest.
I can imagine the scenario: those keen enough assemble the dish, feeds, TX and RX and carefully align the dish. They work some DX, tell them all about the gear.....then lose interest.
Imagine the difference if a "black box" was available from a Japanese manufacturer. Of course, they are looking for volumes and a return on their investment - neither of which is likely. They are also worried that Oscar 100 might suddenly stop working.
