10m QRP WSPR TX (Wednesday)

 My 500mW WSPR beacon has been on for under an hour. So far, 8 stations have spotted me.

UPDATE 1645z: 60 stations have spotted me today.

Sunspots - Wednesday November 1st 2023

 Solar flux is 147 and the SSN 116. A=9 and K=2.

Autumn is coming - NOT amateur radio

 

At last, the leaves are changing and it looks more like autumn. The photo shows the trees on the green this morning.

630m QRP WSPR (Tuesday)

 Most of the day I was on 630m QRP WSPR with the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. At 2130z,   8 spots of my 10mW ERP.

40.680 MHz QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

 For a couple of hours, I was on 8m FT8 QRP with my 2.5W. Just G4WSZ (12km) was spotting me.

Tuesday plans

Later, I shall probably turn on my 500mW 10m WSPR TX beacon. I may stay on 630m QRP WSPR in the daytime as an experiment and give 8m a miss.

630m WSPR overnight

 In all I was spotted by 9 stations overnight. 

Sunspots - Tuesday October 31st 2023

 Solar flux is 140 and the SSN 62. A=12 and K=2.

630m QRP WSPR (Monday)

My 630m QRP WSPR was turned on about 0830z.  At 2200z 6 stations had spotted me. This season it has been worth my while staying on after midnight.

8m QRP FT8 (Monday)

My QRP FT8 gear has been on for a little while, but just local spots so far today.  On RX no spots.

UPDATE 2216z: My best day ever on 8m FT8 with 11 spots of me..

10m 500mW WSPR TX (Monday)

 My 500mW WSPR TX beacon was turned on about 1104z. So far, just a spot by an Italian.

630m WSPR overnight

 Overnight I was spotted by 9 stations. OH1LSQ (1733km) was again spotting me. 

Sunspots - Monday October 30th 2023

Solar flux is 135 and the SSN 61. A=28 and K=2. 

630m 10mW ERP WSPR (Sunday)

 After tea this evening, I QSYed to 630m WSPR.   So far, 5 stations have spotted me at 2055z.

East Anglian Churches blog - NOT amateur radio

When I was fitter we visited many churches in East Anglia, I kept a blog so we could later recall those visited. It is some while since this was updated, so an aim for 2024 must be to visit some more and update this blog.

See https://eachurches.blogspot.com/ .

10m 500mW WSPR TX (Sunday)

My beacon was turned on at about 1046z. So far spots from Italy and the Canary Is..

UPDATE 1228z:  10 stations have spotted me so far today. Most look like F2 propagation.

8m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

 My 2.5W 8m FT8 was turned on about 1046z. Just local spots so far.

UPDATE 1208z: ZS3/V51PJ (9081km spotted on 8m FT8 RX).

UPDATE 1234z:  The logbook shows 4 countries spotted on 8m FT8 RX  this week.

"The Screaming Sky -- in pursuit of swifts" by Charles Foster - NOT amateur radio

This book, loaned to me by my son, is about the lives of swifts.  Reading it makes you realise they are only here for a few months, with their real home in Africa. Funny, I always await the joyous return of the swifts every spring.

 See https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/swift .

Sunday plans

 After a spot of gardening, I shall probably go on 8m QRP FT8 and 10m 500mW WSPR TX with my beacon. Yesterday was quite good on 8m with the E-W MUF obviously high enough to support 8m propagation at times.

630m QRP WSPR TX overnight

 

In all, my 10mW ERP 630m WSPR was spotted by 19 stations (see table).

Spooky moon - NOT amateur radio

 

It is almost Halloween. This was the moon rising over a neighbours' house.

Sunspots - Sunday October 29th 2023

 Solar flux is 128 and the SSN 70. A=19 and K=4.

630m QRP WSPR

Even though the output power judging by the antenna current seemed normal, I was getting no spots. Moving down in frequency and spots came immediately. Was my transmission just outside the WSPR window?   Last night I was about 16 Hz inside the top edge.

UPDATE  1815z:   4 stations have spotted my 10mW ERP tonight.

CQWW SSB

This is the biggest contest in the world. At one time, I used to be very keen on this as a way of working some new DXCC countries. I have never submitted a score. These days I just take a peek, and give it a miss. It is on all weekend.

All change - NOT amateur radio

We have one garage in our village selling fuel. When we came in 1975 there were 3.   Attached to the garage was a very useful Co-op shop. Both the garage and shop are now Asda. Luckily, the same staff seem to be there.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Saturday)

My tiny 500mW 10m WSPR TX has been on most of the morning. So far,  25 stations have spotted me.

8m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

Apart from a very brief transmission early this morning - spotted by local G4WSZ (12km), I have been RX.

UPDATE 1530z: This afternoon, I have been on 40.680 MHz QRP FT8 TX. 4 stations have spotted my 2.5W to the  dipole including 1 in the USA and 1 in the Caribbean. On 8m RX,  3 countries have been spotted.

Back garden - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday, I cut the grass. I usually cut it for the last time of the year in late November or even December. I think the grass often grows over the winter and I am always pleased to do a "tidy up" cut in March. The photo shows our back garden yesterday. 

The leaves are still on the trees mostly, but they will soon be gone until spring.

630m QRP WSPR overnight

In all, 13 stations spotted my 10mW ERP from the earth-electrode antenna in the ground on 630m overnight with the furthermost SM6NOC (1054km).

In the last 2 weeks I have been spotted by 33 stations on 630m QRP WSPR TX as the table shows. 

Sunspots - Saturday October 28th 2023

 Solar flux is 128 and the SSN 66. A=11 and K=1.

630m QRP WSPR (Friday)

This evening, I QSYed to 630m WSPR QRP TX (with 10mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground) earlier than usual. So far (at 1820z)  3 stations have spotted me.

Quote in "The Knowledge" today - NOT amateur radio

This quote was in "The Knowledge" today. 

"War is the unfolding of miscalculations." Historian Barbara Tuchman

8m QRP FT8 (Friday)

 My 2.5W 8m FT8 gear has been on much of the morning. So far, just local G4WSZ (12km) spotting me.

UPDATE 1215z:  2 locals have spotted me and I have spotted ZR1ADI (9777km) in South Africa yet again.

UPDATE 1408z: Sadly, I was called by a station in Luxembourg, but we were unable to complete the 8m FT8 exchange. 4 stations have spotted me today.

10m 500mW WSPT TX (Friday)

My stand-alone 10m QRP WSPR TX beacon has been on much of the morning. 3 stations have spotted me. This all looks like F2.

UPDATE 1308z: 19 stations have spotted me today.

UPDATE 1334z: 24 spots of my QRP so far with the furthermost FR1GZ (9724km)

UPDATE 1535z: 37 spots of me today.

That DX 8m QRP contact yesterday

Yesterday, as reported, I managed to have my first 8m two-way FT8 QSO across the Atlantic. I was using 2.5W and Eden, ZF1EJ, 5W. 

630m WSPR overnight

Overnight I was on 630m WSPR using my earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground with 10mW ERP. 15 stations spotted me. OH1LSQ was on, but didn't spot me. The table shows the stations spotting me in the last 12 hours.

Sunspots - Friday October 27th 2023

Solar flux is 126 and the SSN 57. A=23 and K=3. 

630m WSPR (Thursday)

I have QSYed to 630m QRP WSPR for the evening and night.  8 stations have spotted me so far - all in the UK.

UPDATE 2118z:  12 stations have spotted me.

NanoVNA - very tempted

The NanoVNA is a palm sized vector network analyser  I have the TinySA, which is its brother spectrum analyser. Like many things out of China, there are many clones, so you have to be sure you are buying originals and not copies. One of the things it can do is plot SWR against frequency, so you can check if your antenna is spot on.  It can also be used to check trap frequencies.

See nanovna.com .

UPDATE 1555z:  Ordered from Mirfield Electronics.

Rallies this Saturday

The following rallies have been notified to me. Both are meant to take place on Saturday, October 28th. I always advise checking first before travelling any distance.

-  Essex CW Boot Camp, Witham, CM8 2HE.  Contact g0ibn1@yahoo.com.

-  Carrickfergus Amateur Radio Group Rally Carrickfergus, N.Ireland. No contact details given.

8m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

My 2.5W FT8 has been on since breakfast, but no spots yet.

UPDATE 1410z: 5 stations have spotted my QRP (3 in the Caribbean) and 1 QSO with ZF1EJ (7761km). One of my best days on 8m! I suspect ZF1EJ has an antenna somewhat better than mine!

10m 500mW WSPR TX (Thursday)

 My 500mW 10m WSPR TX beacon has been on since breakfast. Getting spotted in the Canary Is..

UPDATE 1322z:  35 stations have spotted my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon today with the furthermost VK6JR (14528km).

UPDATE 1514z: 50 spots of my 10m WSPR QRP so far. Yet again, the German research station in Antarctica, DP0GVN, has spotted my QRP.

630m WSPR overnight

OH1LSQ (1733km) spotted me 3 times overnight on QRP 630m WSPR TX. 14 stations spotted my 10mW ERP. 

Sunspots - Wednesday October 26th 2023

Solar flux is 126 and the SSN 26. A=4 and K=2.

Back on QRP 630m WSPR (Wednesday)

At about 1920z, I turned my 630m QRP WSPR. So far (at 1940z) UK spots.

UPDATE 2023z:  A good night so far with OH1LSQ (1733km) spotting me already.

Yorkshire parkin - NOT amateur radio

My wife has just made this delicious Yorkshire parkin. It is soft and squidgy made with ginger. It is great with cheese.

Real ham shack?

Many have asked me about how I match to my earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground from my rig or 630m transverter. This is a 3C90 42mm toroid (I think I bought it from Farnell online years ago) and it is used on 630m, 160m and 80m.  So, I thought a photo would tell a thousand words. The meter is my antenna RF current meter used on 630m.

As you can tell, when the XYL is not looking, it is a real shack with plenty of mess!

Yaesu discounting

At least one UK retailer is making a "big thing" of Yaesu discounts. 

This may be the lead-up to end-of-year sales like "black Friday" and the Christmas holidays. Or it could be Yaesu is desperate to gain or hold on to market share.  

My view is that all Japanese manufacturers of amateur gear are going to struggle in the years ahead. Some customers have lots of faith and I hope I am very wrong.

End game? - NOT amateur radio

Like many, I have been appalled by recent events in the Middle East. Things carried out by both sides have been dreadful. One side is (understandably) out to reap revenge, but I fear far more innocent women, men and children will be killed or maimed for life across the whole Middle East.

It is likely that this bad feeling will continue well after I am pushing up daisies. Why, oh why, can't people respect others?!! They may be different, but we are still just human beings sharing one small planet.

It is not at all clear to me what the end game is.

1920s radio

This is a reproduction of a 1920's radio made a few years ago. It appeared on social media recently, but I cannot recall who made it. 

Neat job.