My 2.5W was turned on at about 0800z. No spots.
Looking at the reports local G4WSZ is getting, I think his system is about 3-4dB better than mine. He is getting better reports from South Africa. This could be several things: more sensitive RX, better/higher antenna, antenna directivity. Whatever, I hope Steve spots many more.
My 500mW WSPR TX beacon was turned on at about 0800z. No spots yet.
UPDATE 0829z: It helps if you look for spots of my TX signal on WSPRnet and not signals on RX!! I had forgotten I was on 630m WSPR RX last night. Switching to spots of my TX, there are 3 spots (Canaries and a local).
Tonight is the 2m monthly activity contest (UKAC) organised by the RSGB. After 4 QSOs with my 10W and omni (and poor voice!) I gave up! Conditions seemed up, but with my QRP it was too hard.
Once again I am on 630m (472 kHz) WSPR RX with the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. So far, just the usual stations spotted.
What a shambles!!
In the UK we started a new infrastructure rail project (HS2) to connect the capital London with Manchester and Leeds. Over time, this project costing billions of pounds was way over budget.
Officially, the UK government has still to make a final decision, but, after cancelling the extension to Leeds from Birmingham, it now looks like the line from Birmingham to Manchester will also be cancelled or shelved.
The high speed line from Birmingham to London terminates on the edge of the city and it will actually take longer to get from Birmingham to central London using the high speed line costing billions than on existing trains!! What a cock up!!
Several questions are begged. Why did they not start in the north where the need was greatest? If they knew it was going to be over budget why do it at all? Why stop the Birmingham to London leg where it does at the London end?
For a very long time the current government has refused to say it is going to cancel the northern extension. I guess they are trying to think of some good words to say.
In my view, this has done serious, long-term, damage to the UK and the ruling Conservative party.
My 2.5W FT8 was turned on at 0804z. So far, just a spot of me by local G4WSZ (12km). Although I spotted ZR1ADI (9777km) yesterday, he was not able to copy my QRP. I live in hope!
UPDATE 1042z: G3WCS (223km) spotted.
My QRP 10m WSPR TX beacon was turned on at 0804z this morning. No spots yet. I guess the stations in the Canaries have not yet fired up.
UPDATE 0820z: Spots from ODESSA and EA8/DF4UE.
UPDATE 1518z: 34 spots of me with many from North America. Also spotting me was J41PAN a special call from Greece to celebrate operation from Paneio Mountain.
UPDATE 1941z: 47 stations spotted me today including 2 spots from Antarctica.
I shall try 8m FT8 QRP again and 10m QRP WSPR TX as the antenna is free with the beacon.
This cottage was extended some years ago. The new part matches the old very well.
At 1920z, I turned on my 630m WSPR RX using my earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground.
Just now, we had a lightning flash and clap of thunder. Judging by the time delay, I would imagine it is 10km south of here.
If it looks like the risk is going away, I shall probably reconnect things.
See https://www.lightningmaps.org/#m=oss;t=3;s=0;o=0;b=;ts=0;Maybe it is because I am retired? Maybe it is because I am old? Maybe it is related to my 2013 stroke?
Whatever the reason, I am always very tired and get exhausted very quickly. Jobs that would have once taken a few minutes take ages. As examples I have had an SDR and a tiny spectrum analyser for ages and they have still to be used. My 630m transverter that needs fixing still needs fixing.
It is as if there is no urgency. Perhaps this is a good thing. There is always tomorrow...
If you are old enough, you will remember working lots of stations in the old USSR. We were able to share our hobby on equal terms with people who were really the same as us.
I feel the same now about Russia. I hate that they invaded Ukraine, but I hope that via amateur radio we can all share our common humanity. Incidentally, one of my old neighbours was Russian and nicer person you could never meet. Since leaving work, I have had regular contact with a Russian who has always been the same.
My 2.5W and dipole was turned on at 0700z. So far just local G4WSZ (12km) spotting me.
UPDATE 1350z: ZR1ADI (9777km) again spotted. Sadly he has not spotted my QRP!
My QRP 10m WSPR beacon designed and made by W5OLF is on again with the PA on!! It was turned on at 0700z. So far, spots from local G4KPX (14km) and the Canary Is..
No further stations were copied after midnight. I hope to fix the transverter this week.
As usual, I am on 630m WSPR RX. So far (at 0730z) 3 stations spotted.
UPDATE 2107z: 5 stations spotted.
According to my favourite site for solar data, the peak of solar cycle 25 is still November 2023, which is just next month. The data was only updated today.
Solar conditions could still be good for several years yet.
Once again my 2.5W and a dipole is on 40.680 MHz FT8. So far, just local G4WSZ (12km) spotting me.
UPDATE 1220z: 3 spots of my 8m QRP FT8 today (2 on PSKr). I see G9PUV has been spotted in S.Africa.
Following the experiment yesterday with my beacon PA turned OFF, I am again on 10m WSPR with microwatts (even though the beacon is preprogrammed to say 0.5W). No spots!
UPDATE 0850z: EA8BFK (2880km) has spotted my microwatts!
UPDATE 1504z: EA8BFK has spotted my 10m WSPR microwatts 3 times today.
OFCOM regularly updates the figures it keeps on things like licences. They also announce details of new publications. See the OFCOM website for details.
As per previous recent evenings, I have QSYed to 630m WSPR RX using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. So far, just G1GKN (54km) spotted.
Politically, I have always been what they call "a floating voter". This means I have no idea who I shall vote for in a local or a General Election.
I was amused to read in The Knowledge today of some view of the UK Labour Party leader, who expressed a view that the UK is gradually losing its status in the world. I think this is true and in the 21st century it is more likely we will see China and India on the rise.
It was strange to see Keir Starmer suggest last week that the UK is “drifting off the international stage”, says Dominic Lawson in the Daily Mail. Has he forgotten about the AUKUS deal, signed earlier this year, uniting the UK, US and Australia in a pact to use nuclear-powered submarines as a counterweight to China in the Indo-Pacific? Or the new UK-Japan Hiroshima Accord, which includes plans to collaborate on a next-generation fighter jet? Or indeed that Britain has become the first European member of the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade agreement? The Labour leader has always been “intensely Eurocentric”, so he’s probably thinking about the EU. But even the Europeans acknowledge that, as the German magazine Internationale Politik Quarterly puts it, “Britain is Back”. Why can’t Starmer see it too?
My 2.5W to the dipole was turned on about 0825z. I am hoping to spot some Belgian stations. Once again I am on 40.680 MHz DF about 1950 Hz TXing in the first period.
UPDATE 0852z: 8m spots by local G4WSZ (12km). Running QRP, I am grateful for all spots.
My 500mW 10m WSPR beacon was turned on at 0824z. Already F2 spots from the Canary Is.. Earlier spots were with the PA off, so would only be low microwatts. If genuine, these are remarkable. I might try again with the PA off!
UPDATE 0845z: I have turned OFF my beacon PA, to see if there are any spots! An interesting experiment.
UPDATE 0941z: Already one spot from the Canary Is. with the PA off!! My beacon still says 0.5W (preprogrammed) but my actual power must be just microwatts. At some point I must find out what it really is. EA8BFK's report (-24dB S/N) suggests microwatts. Amazing.
UPDATE 1552z: Quite a few spots from 2 stations in the Canary Is. despite my beacon PA being OFF!! As I said before, although my beacon is preprogrammed to say 0.5W, the actual power transmitted must be microwatts.
Since going on holiday to Montenegro, I am even more conscious that there are two sides to an argument, Clearly the Russian people are fed a line that the invasion of Ukraine is a "special military operation" and the evil West continues to supply weapons and wants the downfall of Russia. We in the West are told the brave Ukrainian people are the heroes, fighting the invaders.
In Kosovo, NATO is trying to stop the Serbs taking it back by force. I did not realise that Kosovo was once populated mainly by Serbs and in more recent times there is an Albanian majority.
What I am saying is we, and all people, need to see the whole context in an unbiased way. Of course ethnic cleansing of any kind is totally wrong, and most wars achieve little. Too often people in many nations are fed a line by the media.
Get your information from multiple sources and take what you read and hear with a degree of questioning.
Last night I was again on 630m WSPR RX. However just 3 unique stations were spotted.
.JPG)
Today, for free, we went on the guided bus to St Ives in Cambridgeshire in bright sunshine. The guided bus is fast, traffic free, and uses the same route as the old St Ives branch railway from Cambridge.
After an excellent lunch in the URC church cafe, we sat by the river and went to the local museum.
In the end, 6 stations were spotted. There was nothing new spotted after midnight.
My 500mW beacon is on. Just a single spot by DK6UG (633km) early this mornig.
Although I am not expecting much, I am again on 40.680 MHz QRP FT8. Any reports would be welcomed.....from anyone!!
UPDATE 1549z: Today I was spotted for the first time in Luxembourg and I spotted one of the Belgian stations now able to TX legally with an amateur call on 8m. Altogether, 2 spots of my 8m QRP FT8 today.
At one time you knew a W6 was on the west coast, probably California. If you spotted a W1, chances were it was in New England and W4 was probably Florida. Not any more!!
Yesterday I was spotted on 10m QRP WSPR by a W7. He was on the east coast! Whereas at one time the USA prefix gave you a clue to where the person was, you now have no way of knowing.
Yet another step backwards.
As you know I take a regular peek at activity levels on the narrowband transponder of Oscar 100. It has been pointed out to me that this has encouraged microwave activity especially in Europe. This is certainly true.
My immediate thoughts were than the TX would be fine, but the RX very deaf. For local QSOs and experiments fine, but it could not be seriously used as the RX would not be able to hear who is on the channel. If the other station TXed first, you would know the channel was clear.
See https://semara.org/tech-talk-a-one-transistor-marvel-transceiver/ .
