10m QRP WSPR (Wednesday)

 My 500mW beacon is on this evening and I am being spotted right across Europe by Es.

8m TX permit (UK)

Recently, I carried out a 10mW ERP test on 6m (not 8m) to see how WSPR and FT8 would perform under ISM rules.The test was extremely successful. If it worked on 6m it would mean that anyone could legally beacon on 8m under ISM rules. In the UK this means with 10mW ERP. This is not amateur radio. 

As there is still some of the Es season remaining and we have F2 to look forward to, I applied for a new 8m permit, which will allow me to run up to 5W on 8m. It has been approved and I should get an invoice shortly. All being well, I should return to 8m in early July.

It still seems totally wrong that in the UK we have to pay to do propagation research! In the past OFCOM would have just issued an NoV. It would seem these days many are only interested in money!

Lincoln Video - NOT amateur radio

We went to Lincoln a few weeks ago. This is a video summarising this.

G3XBM QTH

The photo shows where I live. Ours is the bungalow immediately to the left of the copper tree to the right of the windmill. 

Sunspots - Wednesday June 19th

 Solar flux is 193 and the SSN 150. A=10 and K=3.

QMX+ video?

Really, I should make a video of my experiences of using the QRP Labs QMX+ transceiver. My voice is poor, which is why I have been reluctant. 

Really it represents great value and will be even better when the firmware allows SSB, expected later. I use SSB occasionally, but use FT8 far more nowadays.

UPDATE 1855z: Video created. No speaking.

Puzzled - NOT amateur radio

Recently, I bought 2 small hanging bird tables in the hope of attracting smaller birds at the expense of larger ones. 

Sadly, the jackdaws have worked out a technique, but not the pigeons who have spent a long time trying! Let's hope they remain puzzled!

10m QRP FT8 overnight

Much to my surprise my QRP Labs QMX+ on 10m FT8 was spotted several times in Scandinavia overnight. I don't usually use FT8 at night, but when Es is good it can occur at any time.

UPDATE 1027z: 355 stations have spotted my QRP FT8 from the QMX+ in the last 24 hours. See map.

Window 10 issue resolved (I think!) - NOT amateur radio

Thank you for all the help, which I think has resolved my issue. 

I now have "sleep" when connected to a PSU set to "never" in settings, so it should never go to sleep unless I ask it to do so.

Watching the Euros - NOT amateur radio

 

My son made a lamb casserole for a (belated) Father's Day and then watched the Euros (football) on TV.

Sunspots - Tuesday June 18th

 Solar flux is 180 and the SSN 171. A-=11 and K=2.

Issue with Windows 10? - NOT amateur radio

Since doing the latest Windows update, I get the impression that the PC closes down after a certain time. A new sign-in is needed. If correct, does anyone know how to stop this please?  

As you may know, I put the rig beaconing on WSPR or FT8 and monitor on a different PC in the lounge, popping into the shack if anything needs adjusting. To get into the shack takes a few seconds only. 

Is there a default setting that can be turned off?

10m FT8 (Monday)

In the last 30 minutes 33 stations have spotted my QRP from the QMX+ on 10m FT8 QRP TX.

UPDATE 2130z:   303 spots of my QRP 10m FT8 today in 5 continents. See map. Lots of stations were also spotted here on RX. The QMX+ works well on 10m FT8. 

QMX+ more testing

This morning I was puzzled why I was getting no output on 20m FT8 with the QMX+. Disabling the SWR protection solved the mystery as the SWR exceeded 3:1 and this was preventing TX.  I turned the protection back on as 20m is a band I rarely use.

On 6m FT8, I had 4 spots of my QRP from the QMX+.  I am still getting insufficient audio on 6m FT8 RX. This still requires further investigation.

NFD 1950s style

 

This photo was on social media recently.

Flowers in our garden - NOT amateur radio

 

These are in our garden right now.

Sunspots - Monday June 17th

 Solar flux is 167 and the SSN 152. A=13 and K=2.

QMX+ on 6m FT8 (Sunday)

As an experiment I quickly tried the QMX+ on 6m FT8. Power was about 3W and several UK spots were obtained with the V2000 vertical omni. For some reason the RX level on 6m appears too low. Further investigation is needed.

So far, I have tried it on 15m, 10m and 6m.  I wonder if it would work on 8m?  Maybe I should try it on 160m FT8 with the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground assuming the match is good.

QMX+ on 15m (Sunday)

Just for fun, I tried the QMX+  on 15m. It was not for long. Several Es spots of me.  Looking at the bars on the TX monitor I would reckon about 3W power.

Birds - NOT amateur radio

Recently I erected 2 small bird tables with the aim of attracting more smaller birds and fewer large ones. This seems to have failed as the jackdaws have found a way! Robins seem to be very attracted to the dried mealworms. 

It’s too soon to tell if swift numbers are down here, but we have not sat out in the garden much this year.

More QMX+ testing on 10m FT8 (Sunday)

After lunch I want to try my QMX+ on 10m FT8 TX. I was quite surprised that I cannot turn the power down. If you can, I have not found how!  Perhaps it’ll come in a later firmware. 

One good idea would be to automatically reduce power when beaconing WSPR to avoid stress on the PA when the PA can be on continuously for almost 2 minutes.

UPDATE 1540z: Success!  My first transmission with the QMX+ (10m FT8)  resulted in 18 spots across Europe. This was using CAT control. I have a lot more to learn, but this is a good start.

UPDATE 1651z:  3 QSOs in quick succession! All called me on FT8. In all, spotted by 49 stations.

UPDATE 1754z:  The map shows the stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX using the QMX+. 

Hedge trimming finished - NOT amateur radio

 The whole hedge has now been trimmed. I feel more tired than before!!

Father’s Day - NOT amateur radio

Gifts and card from my younger son.

2m SSB with a Liner-2

 

Pretty sure these first became available in the 1970s. They were based on a 10m rig and they revolutionised 2m. 

I got one second hand and was amazed how far I could work on a very basic antenna. Prior to getting my Liner-2, I had only used QRP AM and FM rigs. Most nights I found I could contact stations hundreds of kilometres away.

Later many used the ICOM IC-202 with a 30W amplifier and Tonna 9 el antenna.

These days the bands at VHF are far quieter as people have other ways of chatting (the internet) and working DX (FT8).

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/vhfuhf-commercial-rigs/belcom-liner-2

Sunspots - Sunday June 16th

 Solar flux is 171 and the SSN 134.  A=18 and K=3.

QMX+ first steps

So far I have not tried TX. 

At the moment I am familiarising myself with the menu system. So far, so good. It would appear that the diodes in the supply line drop the voltage to the rig to a safe 9V.

Tomorrow, I hope to try 10m or 6m FT8 or WSPR TX.

Rigpix

Amateur Radio Weekly brought to our attention the Rigpix database. If you have not noticed it, it is a very useful site for information about rigs including photos and specs..

See https://www.rigpix.com/ .

Changing coastline of Britain - NOT amateur radio

This map was on social media recently. It shows how the British coastline probably looked over the last few thousand years. In a human lifetime things change too slowly to notice.

Laurel hedge - NOT amateur radio

When we moved here almost 11 years ago we planted a laurel hedge. It looks fine, but needs a regular trim. In between the showers, I am trying to cut it. 

Bite sized chunks seems to be the best approach. I have done about half the top and some of the sides. Now coffee is called for.

6m 2.5W FT8 (Saturday)

My 2.5W 6m FT8 to the V2000 vertical omni antenna is turned on. So far this morning,  30 stations have spotted me.  

UPDATE 1256z: Now spotted by 64 stations. Most look like Es propagation. See map.

UPDATE 1721z: 136 stations have spotted my 6m FT8 QRP today. Most look like Es.

10mW 10m WSPR (Saturday)

Once again I am trying 10m WSPR at 10mW. So far, 2 spots by EA8BFK (2880km). This looks like F2 rather than Es.

UPDATE 0935z:   No further spots of my 10mW 10m WSPR TX.

UPDATE 1302z:  5 spots by 3 different stations of my 10mW 10m WSPR today. 

UPDATE 1608z:  9 spots of me by 5 stations so far today.

630m QRP WSPR overnight

Considering we are in mid June I was quite surprised to see my 10mW ERP 630m WSPR was spotted by 5 stations with the furthermost GM3YXM (425km).

Sunspots - Saturday June 15th

 Solar flux is 171 and the SSN 117. A=18 and K=2.

National Health Service (NHS) - NOT amateur radio

In the UK, the NHS, providing free health care at the point of delivery, was created in 1948. It revolutionised health care. In recent years, the NHS has struggled. Waiting lists are long and people are living far longer. In many other countries the health service is better.

In my view the UK NHS is a great idea, but it needs a root and branch review looking at health services across the world to find what works best for everyone. We need to aim that the UK NHS should be the very best in the world.

In the past, I have personally experienced the NHS at its best and worst. In my view, throwing more and more money at it is NOT the answer.

Both health and social security need serious attention.

QMX+

 

My assembled and cased QMX+ from QRP Labs has arrived. Hopefully, I shall test it over the weekend.

10m 10mW WSPR (Friday)

 

In the last 12 hours I am amazed how many stations have spotted me, despite the very low power. My beacon is pre-programmed to report 0.5W, even though with the external attenuator it is actually far less. If the band is open with Es, 10mW  seems quite enough, whereas 500uW is much harder.

UPDATE 2109z: Just 2 stations have spotted my 10mW today. Whatever Es was about seemed very localised.

Arse and elbow? - NOT amateur radio

In the last few weeks we have received 3 letters through the post from Anglian Water saying how much we owe them or are in credit. 

The good news is that all show us in credit. The bad news is they are all different!  I am pretty sure all are generated by a computer, without human involvement.

What will the next bill be? I expect it will say we owe them hundreds!

6m QRP FT8 (Friday)

Since arriving home late yesterday afternoon, my 2.5W 6m FT8 to the vertical omni antenna has been spotted by 462 stations. The map shows the stations that had spotted me at 1100z. 

UPDATE 1131z: Now 478 stations have spotted me. I am amazed. 

Sunspots - Friday June 14th

Solar flux is 170 and the SSN 124.  A=4 and K=2. 

481THz beacon

 Another Google photo from many years ago. This was an optical beacon used for over the horizon tests.

What was this?

 Flicking through Google photos I came across this picture from 2012. I have no idea what this is! It has a DBM, so maybe a prototype WISPY receiver perhaps. If patient I could trace the circuit.

Where I was born - NOT amateur radio

After WW2 this was a nursing home. I was born here in 1948. We lived in a very simple council house, but I enjoy telling people I was born in grand house on a big estate!

Sunspots - Thursday June 13th

 Solar flux is 165 and the SSN 145. A=5 and K=1.

Sibling reunion - NOT amateur radio

We are in Lincoln for our 21st sibling reunion. This is a photo of us all outside Lincoln Cathedral before having an excellent lunch in the pie shop.

Still there

Some of you may recall Birketts in Lincoln selling all sorts of radio related stuff with adverts in radio magazines. 

I think the original owner John Birkett died a few years ago and his son ran the business. I was glad to see this still in Lincoln.

Sunspots - Wednesday June 12th

 Solar flux is 165 and the SSN 95. A=12 and K=0.

Lincoln - NOT amateur radio

 

The view from the Travelodge hotel window. We are here for a couple of nights for my wife’s sibling reunion .

2200m beacon

 This was made about 12 years ago . It was later cased and blown up by mistake!! It has been on before but shows things don’t have to be complex.

Sunspots - Tuesday June 11th

 Solar flux is 178 and the SSN 146. A=11 and K=4.

10m 500uW WSPR (Monday)

My beacon was re-synced to internet time this morning.

UPDATE  1945z:  No spots all day.