Out of the kitchen window - NOT amateur radio

We get a good view at breakfast. This is what we see.  

The view from the lounge is similar.

See https://burwellmuseum.org.uk/ .

8m experiment (Saturday)

Later today I expect to be on 8m TX on 40.680 MHz USB dial FT8 again. 

Yesterday, 5 stations spotted me as the map shows. 

UPDATE 1036z:  8m FT8 TX turned on about 1030z. 2 stations in southern Europe have already spotted me by Es.

UPDATE 1316z:  7 stations have spotted my 8m FT8 today.

UPDATE 2010z: Best day yet with 12 stations spotting me today. 

Sunspots - Saturday June 11th 2022

Solar flux is 111 and the SSN 33. A=5 and K=2.

8m experiment (Friday)

On and off this afternoon, I have been on 40.680 MHz USB dial FT8 QRP TX. It is now 1605z, and I have been spotted by 2 stations  and I have had 1 "QSO" with a station  in Croatia although I cannot tell you this! Actually it was an FT8 exchange of location and signal reports. 

Maybe to keep OFCOM happy I should have told him about runner beans and sweet peas - oh silly me, I don't have a commercial rig and antenna for 80m. 

Isn't OFCOM's position and that of the RSGB on 8m absolutely crazy?!!

UPDATE 1807z:   5 stations have spotted me on 8m FT8 TX today. 2 stations have been spotted here.

IC202 - remember these?

Back in the late 1970s (I think) these became very common on 2m SSB. They were the successor to the Liner-2 and far cleaner. I had one for several years and it served me well. Even today, they are still in use driving microwave transverters.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/vhfuhf-commercial-rigs/icom-ic-202

I hope the links on the link still work as they were created some time ago.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Friday)

Later today, I expect to be on 10m WSPR TX with my 500mW W5OLF beacon. 

Yesterday was very good with lots of Es propagation.

Sunspots - Friday June 10th 2022

Solar flux is 106 and the SSN 17. A=5 and K=2.

My book - delayed again

 My free PDF book is taking longer than I expected. Next week I am away for a few days and the collation is taking far longer than I anticipated. My current self imposed deadline is the end of next week. 

OFCOM consultation

 OFCOM is consulting on the licences of National Multiplexes. Well, I guess it is easier than RF. See their website for details.

Do you remember when GPO officers actually used to visit your station? In my time, I think I had 3 visits. I guess few remain who even know what a transmitter is! Sarcastic, me? Surely not!!

Rallies this weekend

 The following rallies have been notified to me. Always check with organisers before setting out on long trips.

Sat June 11th - Rochdale and District ARC Summer Rally is now CANCELLED.

Sun June 12th - Mendips Radio Rally mendipsrally@hotmail.com .

Sun June 12th - Junction 28 Radio Rally, Alfreton. www.snadarc.com.  01332 679913.

10m WSPR TX (Thursday)

 It is now 0850z and I have been on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW for about 30 minutes. Nobody has spotted me yet.

UPDATE 1153z:  12 people have spotted me today so far. 

8m experiment (Thursday)

Later today I expect to be on 8m FT8 TX on 40.680 MHz USB dial. Most days I am spotted by Es propagation. Yesterday 3 people spotted me and the day before 9.

UPDATE 0827z: TX turned on at about 0820z.

UPDATE 1312z:  3 stations have spotted me today and 2 in Croatia have exchanged FT8 reports. Unless you are OFCOM or the RSGB, these used to known as FT8 QSOs. QSOs?? Odd concept in the UK on 8m FT8!!

UPDATE 1320z:  Stations in 8 countries have spotted my 8m FT8 QRP so far.

UPDATE 1835z:  8 stations have spotted my QRP 8m FT8 today.

Fulbourn Fen - NOT amateur radio

 

Orchids at Fulbourn Fen yesterday. 

Sunspots - Thursday June 9th 2022

 Solar flux is 100 and the SSN 0. This is the first spotless day for a long time. A=5 and K=1.

10m QRP WSPR (Wednesday)

Most of the afternoon, I have been on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW from the W5OLF beacon. Widely spotted in Europe by Es.

UPDATE 2147z: Yesterday 50 stations spotted my 500mW WSPR on 10m. Today it was 9 the last time I checked. 

Vancouver - NOT amateur radio

This photo was taken in 2012 when we visited western Canada. 

8m experiment (Wednesday)

Yesterday was my best day yet on 8m QRP FT8 TX with 9 stations spotting me and 2 in Slovenia exchanging reports. I cannot say QSO because of OFCOM!!!!! All of these were via Es . Personally I think the OFCOM and RSGB position is totally, utterly, stupid. 

Later I hope to be on 8m FT8 TX again although some thunder may cause some interruptions. 

UPDATE 2145z: Spotted by 3 stations today on 8m FT8 QRP TX. 

Sunspots - Wednesday June 8th 2022

Solar flux is 101 and the SSN 23.  A=8 and K=1.

More Anglesey Abbey - NOT amateur radio

As the weather was glorious this morning, we did a walk at nearby Anglesey Abbey.

10m WSPR QRP TX (Tuesday)

Today, has been my best day on 10m WSPR TX for very many years. There is a lot of Es about and my 500mW from the W5OLF beacon has been spotted by 45 unique stations.

8m experiment (Tuesday)

My QRP TX on 40.680 MHz USB dial FT8 was turned on at 1116z.

UPDATE 1527z:  Spotted by 7 stations today so far on 8m FT8 TX.  My best day yet.

Anglesey Abbey earlier - NOT amateur radio

This photo was taken at nearby Anglesey Abbey earlier. The weather was good. 

The future

Yesterday, I expressed my views on Yaesu. I may be very wrong, and hope I am. 

However, these are the inevitable facts that we have to face:

1. Many radio amateurs are retired.
2. Within 20 years many will have died or be in care homes.
3. The pool of amateurs able to buy new commercial radios will probably diminish considerably.
4. Many of the big Japanese amateur radio manufacturers will no longer be interested in amateur radio.
5. Low cost manufacturers will dominate.
6. Many amateur radio dealers will leave the market or go bust.
7. There will be fewer dealer adverts.
8. Some amateur radio magazines will go and those that remain will struggle.

In my view, I think we are in for hard times ahead in our hobby. We have to attract and keep younger people or we risk the hobby just dying out.

My view is the real future is in self training and research. Radio amateurs can do research for nothing. By self training we grow future radio engineers who are hard to find.

The future is in our hands.

Sunspots - Tuesday June 7th 2022

Solar flux is 96 and the SSN 45.  A=10 and K=2.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Monday)

As the 10m antenna is again free, I am on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW from my W5OLF beacon. It is now  0933z and I have been on for about 30 minutes. So far, just spots of me by OE3XOE (1233km).

8m experiment (Monday)

As we are going out later, my QRP TX operations today may be limited. The last 2 days there has been lots of Es around and I have been spotted by 6 unique stations on 8m QRP FT8.  Just spotted by EA3ERE (1133km) in Spain and HC02 (1808km) SWL in Portugal so far.

How it all started

Way back in 1961, my dad bought me a Heathkit Electronics Workshop for Christmas. Little did I know then that this would later become my career and lifetime hobby.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/commercial-rigs/heathkit-electronics-workshop

Grandson and their cat - NOT amateur radio

 

The photo shows our elder grandson with their cat yesterday. 

Jubilee celebrations - NOT amateur radio

As readers in the UK will know, this was a special weekend to celebrate the queen being on the throne for 70 years. This was the entrance to the churchyard. 

Jubilee weekend - NOT amateur radio

A royalist I am not, and I abhor status and wealth simply because of who you or your ancestors are/were. However, I have great respect for the UK queen, who has been on the throne for 70 long years. She has been a symbol of stability all that time. In all my years, I cannot remember anyone else.  I think Charles will have a hard act to follow. 

If the UK was to become a republic, I cannot think who would be president! Nobody comes to mind as a really well respected person.

Maybe the future is a reformed monarchy with less stuffiness and fewer "hangers on"?

FT819?

From the outset let me say this does not exist and is probably not even in the minds of Yaesu designers. I cannot believe that I originally posted my ideas as long ago as 2010!! This is a Photoshop mock up. 

Actually I think Yaesu has totally "missed the boat" and we will never see a proper successor to the FT817ND and FT818. Most were totally underwhelmed when the actual FT818 came out. What a missed opportunity! We are again on the solar up-slopes, this time towards solar peak 25.

These were the specs I was hoping for 12 years ago!  

 

Yaesu already has an SDR architecture in their FTDX10. They could reuse the FT817ND mechanics. Instead they have let ICOM have the market with the IC-705.  I cannot see Yaesu making a fortune now, sadly.

I give Yaesu 5 years to leave the market or go bust. 

Let us hope I am wrong. 

Sunspots - Monday June 6th 2022

 Solar flux is 99 and the SSN 57. A=4 and K=2.

Where I come from in South Devon - NOT amateur radio

This photo shows where I was brought up as a child. I have no idea when this was taken. 

Lunch guest - NOT amateur radio

We had lunch in our Garden Room and were joined by an uninvited guest, namely what I have always known as a wood wasp. I tried to take a photo, but it had already gone behind the radiator. It is about an inch long (25mm).

I think it is actually something else as the images of a wood wasp look different. It has a body which is separated from its head. If I can find what it is, I shall post a photo and link.

That free PDF book - this week?

Barring last minute issues, my personal aim is to complete my free PDF Scrapbook this week. The trouble is, I still think of things to add!  If I think of any more, they will have to wait for a future update.

My hope is that this collection will lead to your own ideas and be a springboard. At least producing a free PDF book allows you to make updates whenever you want and if the grammar and spelling are not perfect, too bad. 

After all, good engineers are usually poor at grammar and spelling. This is in my opinion from work days. I guess it is something to do with how our brains work. Tell me the last time you can remember a good engineer who was also good at poetry? I have known at least one, but these are the exceptions.

Acceptance - NOT amateur radio

As we get older, I sense a change.  Every day is a gift. What the future holds nobody can know. It seems right that we appreciate each moment for what we have. The past has gone, but enjoy the now.

10m QRP WSPR (Sunday)

As the antenna is available, I am again on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW to the W5OLF beacon. So far, spots from OE3XOE (1233km). As this is early, this is promising.

UPDATE 1131z:  12 stations have already spotted me today.

UPDATE 2120z: 35 unique stations have spotted me today on 10m QRP WSPR.

8m experiment (Sunday)

My QRP FT8 8m station was turned on a 0844z on 40.680 MHz USB dial (first) with an audio offset of about 2 kHz. Let's hope for some Es.

UPDATE 0856z:  There is some Es to central Europe on 10m - hopeful sign.

UPDATE 1009z:  Spotted in the Algarve, Portugal again by SWL HC02 (1808km).  Gear now off whilst it cools.

UPDATE 1129z:    2 stations have spotted me now, despite my QRP.   The latest is 9A2TN (1481km).

UPDATE 1850z:  6 stations have spotted me today on 8m FT8 QRP TX.

Oscar 100 narrowband transponder

As regular readers know, every few weeks I take a look at activity levels on the narrow-band transponder of this geosynchronous satellite. Activity levels remain low considering my last peek was on a European weekend morning. when I would have expected activity to be quite high.

See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/ .

Sunspots - Sunday June 5th 2022

 Solar flux is 101 and the SSN 75. A=4 and K=1.

Jubilee party - NOT amateur radio

We had a local party to celebrate 70 years of our queen on the UK throne. Of course, just as we were about to start, being the UK, it decided to rain. 

Luckily, we had the family room at the adjacent museum in case of rain. In the end we had food and drinks indoors and sat outside in the sunshine. It was a good, happy occasion.

ICOM SHF transceiver?

The EI7GL blog has quite a bit about this. 

Sadly, I cannot see this ever coming to market. Surely the big manufacturers are only really interested in making money. I can only see this selling in low numbers, hardly covering development costs.

See https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/2022/04/icom-shf-microwave-project-for-24-ghz.html .

10m WSPR TX beacon

Assuming that I remember, I shall be on 10m WSPR TX later with 500mW from the W5OLF beacon. I keep forgetting that when the 10m antenna is available I can use it to go on 10m WSPR TX. Yesterday was good with plenty of Es about. 

UPDATE 0757z:  Beacon turned on at 0753z.

UPDATE 2030z: 41 unique stations have spotted me today on 10m WSPR.

8m FT8 QRP TX

Later today I hope to be on 8m FT8 TX again with my FT817ND and low wire dipole on 40.680 MHz USB dial.  Yesterday was my best day yet on the band with my first spot outside Europe by EA8BFK (2881km) in the Canary Islands. 

UPDATE 0756z: TX turned on at 0753z.

UPDATE 1745z: My QRP 8m FT8 has been spotted by 2 stations in the Iberian peninsula and I have spotted 6 stations in 4 countries. When Es is good, it really is!!

Amateur radio stamps?

Back in the 1960s there were stamps issued in the USA with an amateur radio theme. This got me thinking - I wonder which other countries issued similar? Googling would probably tell me the answer, but perhaps you already know. 

It will never catch on

This photo appeared as a Facebook memory from several years ago. 

I have no idea where it originated. 

Sunspots - Saturday June 4th 2022

Solar flux is 101 and the SSN 52. A=4 and K=1.

SNOTEL - NOT amateur radio

 A lot of people on 8m in the USA are troubled by the SNOTEL system, that is an automated snow monitoring system, using random meteor scatter to send the data. Low VHF is ideal for this. I have not been troubled by similar 8m systems in Europe if they exist.

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

ICOM IC-705

For about a year now, I have owned an IC-705. As I only ever run QRP, this was a good choice for me as it is multi-band and 10W. It is mostly used on VHF and UHF FM nets and SSB. Until recently I had not used it for FT8 as it picked up lots of noise from the PC when the USB cable was connected. I continued to use my FT817ND and SignaLink interface for FT8.

I was recommended a screened, choked, cable by Jason M0NYW, and this seems to have done the trick. I am being spotted from across the world on 10m FT8 using the IC-705 at 5W and on RX I am spotting plenty. Thank you Jason for the good suggestion. My FT817ND is now almost exclusively used for 8m FT8 TX now.

The IC-705 is still far too expensive. As I rarely buy gear, I looked at it as an investment. The only thing that disappoints is the lack of 4m, which all were expecting.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/commercial-rigs/icom-ic-705 .

Knitted butterflies and flowers - NOT amateur radio

These were on our local church earlier.  

They are a cascade of knitted butterflies and flowers. 

Someone has done a lot of work creating these.

I suspect it is part of the jubilee celebrations over the weekend.