10m QRP WSPR (Sunday)

 Although my 500mW beacon has been on for hours, not a single spot received.

Bracket fungus - NOT amateur radio

 This huge bracket fungus was on a tree stump on our walk earlier.

Anglesey Abbey - NOT amateur radio

The photo shows my wife at nearby Anglesey Abbey on Friday on a (rare) sunny day. At the moment this is probably the dullest summer I can remember. We have had far more rain than usual. Often the grass turns brown by now, but it still looks green at the moment.

10m QRP WSPR TX

Yesterday, I went on 10m WSPR with my 500mW beacon as the antenna was available when I was on 6m FT8. In all, 21 stations spotted me with the furthermost PT2FHC (8860km) in Brazil.

6m QRP FT8 with the QMX+

Since about 1020z yesterday until the evening when I went QRT, I was on 6m QRP FT8 with the QMX+. At 1036z Saturday, my signal has been spotted in Eastern Europe. This could be Es.

UPDATE 0825z:  97 stations had spotted my 6m FT8 QRP yesterday. See map.

UPDATE 1758z:  15 stations have spotted me today. Apart from a spot from Finland, all were UK.

Sunspots - Sunday July 21st

 Solar flux is 207 and the SSN 212 . A=7 and K=1.

10m QRP WSPR (Friday)

 At about  1020z, I QSYed to 10m WSPR with my 500mW beacon. No spots.

UPDATE 1034z: No spots. I suspect many are now using FT8.

UPDATE 1044z:  Spots from OE3GBB (1233km) 

10m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

 

In all 68 stations had spotted me before I QSYed to 6m QRP FT8. See map.

Californian poppies - NOT amateur radio

 We saw these yesterday at Anglesey Abbey. They have a new patch of wild flowers near the entrance.

Early 10m openings

Although I am unsure if this was Es or F2, I was surprised to find 10m FT8 open in the middle of the night.

Sunspots - Saturday July 20th

 Solar flux is 202 and the SSN 269. A=5 and K=2.

OFCOM publications

On the OFCOM website are publications that they do. In my view, this is an excuse to justify their existence! 

Overall I am seriously underwhelmed by OFCOM. The sooner it is closed the better.

Swifts will soon be gone - NOT amateur radio

At the moment, swifts are still screaming in the skies above us in the UK.  Soon they will be gone. They stay very few months, just enough to breed.  One morning, we will look up and realise they have gone. I look forward to them returning, but I shall probably have to wait until next May.

Being tired , giddy and with a poor voice and amateur radio

Back in 2013 I suffered a stroke. Luckily, unlike many, I had few long-term issues such as paralysis. The long-term issues I have are poor speech, giddiness and tiredness. I suspect this has altered the way I enjoy amateur radio. 

Over 30 years ago I worked 10m QRP SSB DXCC, so I am no longer fussed about working DX.  Although I still use voice modes like SSB and FM, I use these less. The main modes I use these days are WSPR and FT8.  

Nowadays I get as much fun from 1-way reports of my QRP signals as I do from 2-way QSOs.  Had I not had my stroke, I am unsure how important voice modes would still be. I agree that voice modes are essential for the continuance of amateur radio in the form we are used to. 

As I have mentioned before, as we age (many radio amateurs will be over 90 in 20 years), and as PTTs grow tired of amateur radio, that generates no revenue, I can see the future of our hobby is under threat. Hopefully I am wrong.

10m QRP FT8 with the QMX+ ( Friday)

So far, 37 stations have spotted me on 10m QRP FT8 today and I have spotted 70 stations. See map for stations spotting me today.

UPDATE 1338z:   100 stations spotted here today on 10m FT8 and 66 stations have spotted my QRP 10m FT8.

Amateur radio dealers

Dealers worry me . 

At the moment, many are doing a decent business and look like they will be around forever. 

However, some have closed and others must be thinking about it as owners retire or think about it.

When you buy that nice shiny new rig think will this dealer still be around if I have to use the warranty or get it repaired?

QMX+ and Windows 10

The QMX+ is a great rig, but several people had issues with it being recognised with Windows 10. This sequence worked for me:

Do NOT connect the USB lead and do NOT have WSJT-X running!

• Start QMX+
• Start PC
• Connect USB lead
• Start WSJT-X.

Although I cannot guarantee this, it worked for me. Also, I adjusted the audio levels from the default 54 to 99 on the higher bands.

Doing this, it has been faultless and great.

Sunspots- Friday July 19th

 Solar flux is 209 and the SSN 276 . A=5 and K=1

OFCOM crappery?

 Today I got this from OFCOM. I preferred the GPO. As you can tell, I am not a great fan.

“Ofcom has today published a consultation on its General Policy on Information Gathering.

As an evidence-based regulator, the ability to obtain information to inform our work is fundamental to our role.

The primary purpose of the policy is to make clear to stakeholders how we intend to exercise our powers under legislation where we are required to publish this policy.

We are proposing to update our existing policy - first published in 2005 - to reflect our current practices and powers in this area.

In summary, we plan to:

• expand the general policy to cover new information gathering powers and clarify its scope;
• update and clarify the text to reflect our experience of issuing statutory information notices;
• provide further detail on how we will handle statutory information notices (including in relation to the role of the Information Registry, the use of information provided voluntarily, the use of draft notices, and the disclosure of information and confidentiality); and
• clarify our approach to enforcement and what we expect from stakeholders when responding to a statutory information notice.

We are inviting feedback on our proposals which must be submitted by 30 September. Taking account of responses, we will aim to publish our final policy later this year.”

What makes me think this is now a QUANGO that has lost its way?

In the days of the GPO I was inspected several times. Since it became OFCOM, I have not been inspected ever.

Upcoming rallies

 The following rallies have been notified to me. It is always advisable to check details with organisers before going a long way. All are on Sunday.

Bury St Edmunds Radio Rally - Rougham Tower Museum, IP32 7QB.  Contact rally2024@bsears.co.uk .

Finningley ARS Rally 2024 Sandcraft, Doncaster, DN8 5SX. Contact kevin.avery@tunstall.com or martin.m0hom@gmail.com .

Need to update scrapbook

My scrapbook needs updating. I shall do this in the coming weeks and make sure the link on my website points to the latest version. I think the main changes are I now have a QMX+ and having a bundle of fun. There may be some other things that need updating.

Donovan's, Kingsbridge, Devon - NOT amateur radio

Kingsbridge is where I lived as a teenager.  Most of the shops are on a steep hill. One of these is Donovan's that sells mainly furniture. I think it dates back to the mid 1800s. Since I was young (a long time ago!), it has not changed much and I hope it doesn't. This photo was taken a few weeks ago when I was down there staying with my brother.

Peak of solar cycle 25?

The last published figure for the peak of solar cycle 25 was June 2024 (smoothed). Since then we have had high sunspot numbers and flux and it would not surprise me if this moved later. 

What is certain is we are seeing some great conditions, so enjoy them!

See https://www.solen.info/solar/ .

Early 10m Es

My QMX+ was on 10m QRP FT8 early (0500z) and already I have had 23 spots all across Europe presumably via Es. It is very easy to miss these very early morning openings.

UPDATE 0930z:  So far I have been spotted on 10m FT8 QRP by 53 stations. The furthermost on 10m FT8 RX is VK6RK (14469km).

UPDATE 1302z:  73 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX today with the QMX+.

UPDATE 1638z: 303 spots of my 10m QRP FT8  with my QMX+ in the last day (see map).

UPDATE 2053z:  QRT. 412 stations have spotted me on 10m QRP FT8 in the last day.

Sunspots - Thursday July 18th

 Solar flux is 224 and the SSN 275. A=5 and K=1.

Hollyhocks - NOT amateur radio

We have quite a few of these flowers in our front garden. They look splendid, but then go rusty and look a mess. They also self-seed and are very hard to get rid of! 

Once they have flowered it is better to cut them back before the seeds scatter.

We call them "triffids".  Just imagine if they could walk!! If you are thinking about planting any, think hard.

Sunny at last! - NOT amateur radio

In all my years, I cannot remember a worst summer. Until yesterday it was cold, dull and wet. 

Today we have warm sunshine! It makes you feel so much better. It is only expected to last a few days. Well, I suppose we have to be grateful for having any summer here in the UK. 😀

10m QRP WSPR TX (Wednesday)

As the 10m antenna is free when I am on 6m, I decided to try 500mW 10m WSPR with my 10m WSPR beacon. No spots at all after about an hour.

6m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

Just before lunch I went on 6m FT8 with the QMX+. So far, 11 stations have spotted me including one in the south of Spain. Nothing spotted on RX, which is surprising.

UPDATE 1222z:  Just a single G spotted today on 6m FT8 RX.

QMX+ start-up

Since adjusting upwards I have had no problems whatsoever with the WSJT-X audio levels on my QMX+ rig on 6m and 10m. 

Using Windows 10 I am still having issues with the PC recognising the QMX+. This may well be a Windows 10 issue and I have still not worked out the order in which things have to be connected and turned on.  Once I fully understand this it should not be an issue going forward. 

All I know is this problem does not occur with my SignalOne USB from Tigertronics, which just works every time.

Overall the QMX+ is very good, but it would be even better not having to struggle every time.

10m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

 In all, my QRP 10m FT8 has been spotted by 5 stations. These seem to be via Es.

UPDATE 0937z: My QRP FT8 spotted by 11 stations including ZS4ZO (9235km).

UPDATE 1405z:  12 stations have spotted me in the last 30 minutes.  Best DX is a spot from South Africa again.

UPDATE  1832z:  77 stations have spotted me on 10m QRP TX (see map) and 107 stations spotted here on 10m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 2125z: Still lots of Es spots of my QRP even though it’s very late.

Muntjac deer - NOT amateur radio

 These dog sized, introduced deer are a real menace eating many garden plants. One of our neighbours is trying to keep them at bay by planting these!

Sunspots - Wednesday July 17th

 Solar flux is 242 and the SSN 250. A=10 and K=1.

QMX+ oddity

 After about 4 hours with no spots of me on TX, I noticed the QMX+ display had an "s" after the VFO A frequency and no power, suggesting the TX had detected a high SWR and inhibited TX. A little while before I had been successfully TXing on both 10m and 6m FT8 and I knew the SWR was good. I feared the PAs had been blown, but could not understand how this could be with a good SWR and several diodes in the supply line.

In desperation, I thought I should turn off the QMX+ and turn it on again. At first the QMX+ sound cards were not recognised. I unplugged the USB cable, waited a decent while (20secs?) and reconnected it. Power was immediately visible and on 6m FT8 I was spotted all over Europe. It was NOT the PAs (thankfully) so must have been the firmware.  I think there is another possible bug.

UPDATE 1930z:  49 spots of my QRP FT8 this evening on 6m with the QMX+. It is a good rig, but there are still (I think) a few teething problems.

6m QRP FT8 with the QMX+ (Tuesday)

Spots of my QRP 6m  FT8 this afternoon

Just one station spotted so far on RX - G3XDV (45km) and 11 spots of my QRP FT8 TX using the V2000 vertical omni antenna (see map of spots of me).  No Es spotted today. 

10m QRP FT8 with the QMX+ (Tuesday)

So far this afternoon my QRP FT8 has been spotted by 13 stations with the furthermost ZS4ZO (9235km). On RX the furthermost are a couple of stations in Brazil.

QMX+ audio levels - success!

Using PuTTY on Windows 10 I increased the audio settings in digital modes on 10m and 6m FT8 on my QMX+.  

The audio level on FT8 with WSJT-X is now comfortably in the green whereas it was low and in the red as delivered. 

Perhaps Hans should increase the default audio levels on higher bands? By default it was set to 54 on all bands and I have adjusted 10m and 6m to 99. It certainly works. I was getting 10m FT8 spots before even with the level still in the red.

The QMX+ is a great radio.

PuTTY issues solved in the end (I think)

It looks like I have solved the problems I have had with PuTTY.  As I mentioned yesterday, I am a total PC dummy and have never had occasion to use a terminal emulator before. I looked for guidance on the internet and was taken to a Computer Weekly page that was (for me) useless gobbledegook. 

In total fairness to Hans of QRP Labs, I think the instructions in the QMX (not QMX+) operating manual are very clear for Linux users, but perhaps a few words for Windows users would make things totally clear that you have to choose "serial" and put in the COM port number. Also, I had to plug the USB cable in after waiting about 10 seconds for the QMX+ to be recognised (I think!).  

Once I quit PuTTY I shall see if the new audio levels are better on the higher bands.

European Es - Scandinavia again

This is, I am sure, more than coincidence as I have seen this pattern for many years. Scandinavian countries dominate. Es is not exclusively Scandinavian stations, but these are far more common than earlier in the Es season here. It is almost like there is some other Es mechanism in play.

See https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/radio-propagation-maps/europe-sporadic-e/ .

US politics - NOT amateur radio

In the end I have come to the conclusion that I do not understand US politics at all. 

I am sure the Republicans say ill of the Democrats and vice versa. I am sure we hear the political propaganda from both sides, but it is impossible to know that facts. 

One thing is certain: gun crime in the USA is far, far higher than here in the UK and I blame the lax gun laws over there (see graph). 

UPDATE 1429z: If Mr Trump gets in again, the most likely route is USA isolationism. I do not mind that the USA stops being "the policeman of the world", but I can sense dangers over Ukraine, Taiwan and Israel.

Sunspots - Tuesday July 16th

 Solar flux is 233 and the SSN 205. A=6 and K=3.

10m QRP FT8 (Monday)

Quite late in the afternoon, I went on 10m QRP FT8  with my QMX+ rig. On TX, spots from eastern Europe and on RX spots from Europe, Africa and South America.

UPDATE 1804z:  So far, 37 spots of my QRP 10m FT8 with the furthermost VP8NO (12273km) in the Falkland Islands. See map.

UPDATE 2142z: 121 spots of my QRP FT8 on 10m. This is very good considering I did not start until late afternoon. Now QRT.

European Es : not over yet

Looking at the Es reports in Europe, it looks like we are still seeing plentiful Es in Europe. My motto is stick with the higher HF bands and lower VHF looking for Es.

See https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/radio-propagation-maps/europe-sporadic-e/ .

Pye PF70

One of my early jobs in the labs at Pye Telecom was rebanding the PF70 to the band that included 2m. This involved optimising coils and capacitors. 

In the end I was in development for nearly 40 years before I retired. I used to come home and say my work was my hobby. Mostly it was great fun and I enjoyed it.

Plans for today

Today I have several aims:

• Sort out PuTTY so I can increase the audio level on FT8 using my QMX+.
• Try the QMX+ on 6m FT8.
• Try the QMX+ (again) on 10m FT8.

UPDATE 1937z:  I failed!  In the end I just went on 10m QRP FT8. That's the problem with being retired: there is always tomorrow. Things can wait.

Cars - NOT amateur radio

There were several vintage cars at our local museum and windmill on Sunday.

See  https://burwellmuseum.org.uk/ .

Bikes at the windmill - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday it was briefly sunny and these bikers 🚴 enjoyed a visit to the windmill next door.

By the way, this is our hedge in the front.

472kHz transverter breadboard

This photo from many years ago shows me breadboarding my 472kHz transverter.

UPDATE 0812z:  In the early autumn, I shall try again on 472kHz WSPR. Last season was very successful despite the low ERP.

PuTTY trouble

I am sure it’s finger trouble on my part, but I have never used a terminal emulator on Windows 10 before or any machine, so what should be easy with my QMX+ seems very hard for a PC idiot like me! 

One of my challenges today is to find out what I need to do to get it working. It can not be hard. It does not help that my brain gets so fuddled.

Sunspots - Monday July 15th

 Solar flux is 234 and the SSN 217. A=5 and K=1.

The recent uptick in solar activity must have pushed the peak of solar cycle 25 into later this year.