3 Jun 2022
Granddaughter at our local museum - NOT amateur radio
8m experiment (Friday)
Today was my best day yet on 8m with several Es spots.
So far this year, the Es season has been poor here. All being well I shall be on 40.680 MHz USB dial FT8 TX later. I usually TX in the first period.
Corfu chilling - NOT amateur radio
Certainly the people in Corfu know how to chill. The photo shows some enjoying the warmth and cloudless skies. This is a café on the Liston.
2 Jun 2022
Flowers by the windmill - NOT amateur radio
Our house from the windmill next door - NOT amateur radio
Rally
The following rally is meant to be on, but always check with the organisers first if travelling far.
Sunday June 5th - Spalding Radio Rally, Holbeach, PE12 7PR . Contact Graham rally2022@sadrs.org.uk .
8m experiment (Thursday)
At the moment it is 1347z. I have been on 40.680 MHz USB dial FT8 TX for about 20 minutes. Spotted in Slovenia and Croatia so far, presumably by Es. Today looks more hopeful than recent days.
UPDATE 1615z: 4 stations in 3 countries have spotted me and I have spotted 5 stations in 3 countries on RX.
10m FT8
At about 0735z, I turned on my 10m FT8 using the IC-705 at 5W. So far, 2 stations have spotted me after about 5 minutes by what looks like Es.
If the Es is promising, I shall try 8m FT8 on 40.680 later.
Plane app - NOT amateur radio
I am very impressed. There are several versions with similar names. Mine is called Flightradar24.
1 Jun 2022
Mugs?
The latest MLS video is all about a flight tracking radar that starts at £599. I have a free app that tracks planes that cost me nothing at all. It would appear some people (obviously from the planet Zog) have money to burn.
Now, how you spend money is your business and not mine, but I smell "profits" and "mugs".
10m QRP FT8 with the IC-705
As 8m FT8 was useless (no spots all morning), I have QSYed to 10m FT8. Immediately I spotted a station in Spain and I was spotted by a station in the Balearic Is. - EA6FA (1513km).
Family history - NOT amateur radio
Our granddaughter is doing some homework on family history. I can trace ours continuously back to the mid 1500s with 1 record in the 1400s. I shall have to dig these out!
8m experiment (Wednesday)
It is now 0840z. For about 20 minutes, I have been on 8m FT8 QRP TX (first) on 40.680 MHz USB dial. No spots on RX or TX so far.
UPDATE 1103z: "p***ing in the wind" was the phrase my dad would have used in his colourful language! I have been on 8m TX for over two hours and I have not been spotted once. On RX, not a soul has been spotted. I am on FT8. I have never been closer to stopping my experiment.
Higher than expected solar peak?
At the moment, we are on target for a solar peak higher than we expected.
This could cause higher disruption to telecoms infrastructure, but openings stronger on the higher HF bands and 6m. For radio amateurs, this could be good news.
31 May 2022
2m FT8 QRP
As 10m seemed dire, I decided to go on 2m FT8 with 5W from the IC-705. Immediately, I was spotted by a couple of stations.
UPDATE 1605z: Already my 5W to the big wheel omni antenna has been spotted by 9 stations including a couple in Northern Ireland. Who needs beams and high power?
UPDATE 1844z: 20 stations have spotted me so far. On 2m FT8 RX the furthermost spotted is DL2ART (499km).
SLF amateur DX
Today, I heard about some remarkable experiments at 270Hz using earth-electrode antennas.
Hello OM'S!
After successful 470 Hz transmissions, we (DK7FC, DL3JPN and DL7NN) tried to push to even longer wavelengths. The next goal is/was 270 Hz, i.e. 1111 km wavelength. First, the existing ground loop at the transmitter site had to be resonated by enlarging the series capacitor. After all, 116 µF was required.
According to the wavelength / 2 PI definition, in this case we reach the far field after 178.8 km. The distance between our locations is 324 km, which is far field by definition. Since Stefan's reception was exclusively in the E-field, a simple coupling of the magnetic field could be ruled out. After an integration time of 4.5 hours, Stefan achieved a carrier S/N of 17.84 dB in a bandwidth of 62.2 µHz. Even in the spectrogram heavily overlaid with summery QRN, the carrier was still visible. For comparison, the 270.005 Hz transmission at a distance of 4 km from the transmitter on the DL0HOT grabber with a bandwidth of 3.8 mHz.
This may have been the first successful detection of far-field SLF transmission by radio amateurs.
73
Albrecht
DL7NN
10m WSPR QRP TX
As my 10m antenna (not the PC) is free, I am on 10m WSPR TX with the 500mW W5OLF beacon. Nobody has spotted me yet. I first turned it on about 0928z.
At the moment, I have not seen evidence of Es here.
UPDATE 1243z: Nobody has spotted me yet today.
UPDATE 1954z: Back on 10m WSPR again with my 500mW beacon. There is a little Es about with spots of me by OE3XOE (1233km).
Heathkits
When I was young (OK a long time ago!) Heathkits were popular. They sold some very good kits that made some classy pieces of equipment including VHF and HF transceivers.
In recent years, they tried to make a comeback, but their range was poor and overpriced. Their website still exists, although goodness knows how! They must have some very dedicated followers. With low cost kits from China, making kits for radio amateurs must be very hard these days unless the kits are good and the price is very competitive.
As mentioned yesterday, I coveted the valved HW30 2m AM transceiver. I realised that my website did not have a page on this, so I have added one.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/vhfuhf-commercial-rigs/hw30 .
See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heathkit for the whole Heathkit story.
My whole professional career and hobby of 60 years owes a lot to Heathkit since my dad bought me a Heathkit Electronics Workhop for Christmas 1961.
8m experiment (Tuesday)
Later, I hope to again be on 40.680 MHz USB dial FT8 TX. I usually transmit in the first period with signals about 1.95 kHz HF. It would be good to have some QRM, HI!!
It seems I need Es or aircraft scatter to have QSOs beyond the local area. When the band is open via Es, I get widely copied despite my QRP. This a bit limiting!
UPDATE 0936z: My FT8 TX was turned on at about 0928z. No spots yet on RX or TX.
UPDATE 1200: At the moment I am letting the rig cool, so I am disconnected. On the transmission earlier, nothing spotted on RX or TX.
UPDATE 1447z: After another day so far without spots on RX or TX, I am seriously considering going QRT on 8m and perhaps concentrating on 6m FT8 or 10m FT8. I have already found out my limitations and doubt much more can be learnt unless I increase my ERP, which is not my aim.
UPDATE 1546z: Now QRT on 8m and QSYed to 10m FT8 QRP.
UPDATE 1900z: Since about 1855z, I have been on 40.680 MHz USB dial FT8 TX. I shall probably stop in about an hour.
Bunting - NOT amateur radio
My wife ordered some union jack cupcakes on May 3rd. They were due May 30th, but had not been dispatched yet! So, the order was cancelled today.
30 May 2022
Heathkit HW30 2m rig
When I was young I coveted a Benton Harbour Lunchbox.
This was a 5W 2m AM transceiver. At the time, 2m was very quiet and a super-regen RX was fine. These receivers were sensitive, but lacked sharp selectivity.
Looking back these rigs were quite poor, although I always liked the ergonomics. Versions were made for 11m CB, 10m and 6m too. In their day, they served a purpose, but these would struggle these days.
I once owned the manual, but never the rig. These days all the functionality and far, far, more may be obtained in a tiny dual band VHF FM handheld.
SeFarmshop breakfast - NOT amateur radio
Although not low cost, they do make a nice breakfast. Ideal as a treat.
That free PDF book
Tomorrow is the last day of May. We have visitors, so I shall not finish the book as planned by the end of May!
My current deadline (self imposed) is mid-June. If I manage to do it sooner, you will hear it here!
Dayton
The numbers have been released for the number of Dayton Hamfest attendees over the last few years. There were fewer attendees this year, but not down much. Not bad for the first "in person" event since 2019.
See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2022/may/hamvention-attendance-figure-announced.htm#.YpTFkY7MLrc
8m experiment (Monday)
As I proved that with my new USB cable 10m FT8 worked fine on the IC-705, l shall resume 8m FT8 TX tests shortly on 40.680 USB dial as there seems to be Es about.
UPDATE 1147z: Now on 40.680 MHz USB dial FT8 TX.
UPDATE 1211z: QRT as the transceiver cools. Back on about 1245z.
UPDATE 1308z: Back on 40.680 MHz USB dial FT8 TX. Still no spots on RX or TX. Bad day so far. It appears that unless there is Es propagation, I am unlikely to be spotted. The trouble is, I do not know who is monitoring! Often there are monitors in places that do not have 8m TX permits
Canada Great Lakes - NOT amateur radio
This photo was posted on 365project recently. I think it is of the Great Lakes in Canada at sunrise.
29 May 2022
8m experiment (Sunday)
As I am busy setting up with 10m FT8 on the IC-705, it is unlikely I shall be testing on 8m FT8 today. Maybe at teatime?
It would appear that by Es my QRP 8m FT8 signal can be widely copied across Europe. Unlike many of the better equipped stations on 8m, I have not been copied outside Europe.
UPDATE 1245z: On 8m FT8 QRP TX on 40.680.
FT8 with the IC-705
A while ago I tried FT8 with the IC-705 using a USB cable from the PC. As the noise level was high, I stuck with the FT817ND and SignaLink instead. As I have now got a good screened and choked USB cable, I shall try again later.
UPDATE 0858z: Well it works on TX with a spot by G0FWX (160km), and I think it works on RX, although nobody spotted yet. At the moment it gives 5W without the ALC coming on. Assuming all is fine, I shall probably download WSJT-Z, which goes back onto CQ TX after a QSO. With WSJT-X it goes to RX after a QSO.
UPDATE 1005z: Working on both RX and TX. Initially I was seeing none of my RX spots on PSKreporter, but there are lots now as well as lots of TX spots. Best DX on TX is a spot of me by ZS6KVZ (9120km). No QSOs yet. I wonder how much better FT8 is than SSB? Having worked ZL with 10W SSB some years ago, I am pretty sure I can get DXCC on 10m FT8 if I tried. Not sure I really want to try. 10m FT8 at 5W seems too easy!
Many years ago in the back of the garage
This is my grandson in 2010 (I think) "helping" me in the back of the garage. He is now 14 years old.
Final Dayton report
For those who went to Dayton, Ohio, USA, I think it is fair to say that reactions were mixed. Many enjoyed the huge fleamarket, but many were disappointed with the new "toys" being launched.
There were few real eye openers and Kenwood was not there at all. I think they are already leaving the amateur radio market. In my view others will follow as there is no longer a mass market with juicy profits.
See https://k9zw.wordpress.com/2022/05/25/dayton-xenia-hamvention-2022-jeff-ke9vs-final-report/
Sunspots - Sunday May 29th 2022
Solar flux is 102 and the SSN 34 (low compared with recent days). A=24 and K=3.
28 May 2022
Disappointing HF conditions here
Certainly, up to now, 10m and 8m have been very disappointing here with no spots at all on TX or RX. I think conditions are disturbed, but I am seeing no evidence here of F2 or Es propagation.
8m FT8
At about 0745z, my QRP 8m FT8 TX was turned on on 40.680 MHz USB dial. No spots on TX or RX.
UPDATE 1317z: No spots on TX or RX 8m FT8 today.
UPDATE 1611z: Yet again, 8m FT8 spots were exchanged with EI9KP (649km). With a received report of -10dB S/N I can only conclude that this was either aircraft or Es. I have lost count of how many times he has spotted me on 8m FT8. He is by far my most regular reporter. He was also copied here (again).
10m QRP WSPR TX
Yet again, I am on 10m WSPR TX with my 500mW W5OLF beacon. No spots yet. What I thought was today was yesterday.
Wild flowers - NOT amateur radio
The windmill next door is looking very festive with lots of bunting hung for the special holiday to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the queen being on the throne.
The wild flowers outside the windmill next door look really amazing.
Yesterday on 8m FT8 TX
The 3 countries in which my QRP was spotted are shown on the map.
27 May 2022
OFCOM updates
As usual, OFCOM has updated the statistics it holds. See the OFCOM website for details.
Bougainvillea - NOT amateur radio
This is probably one of the last photos of my break in Corfu. It shows a bougainvillea in the garden of our hotel.
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