Solar flux is 171 and the SSN 131. A=10 and K=2.
29 Sept 2025
28 Sept 2025
Handheld QRP
This short video shows this rig in operation. Great fun. I see it is available from Amazon UK for less than £100.
Pears
These were on a tree in our village earlier. We moved ours a couple of years ago. It’s smothered and had no fruit this year.
10m 500mW WSPR (Sunday)
Most times, I start being spotted after lunch, but I put my 500mW WSPR beacon on at about 0900z.
UPDATE 1313z: 8 stations spotting me. Nothing yet from "across the pond".
6m 3W FT8 (Sunday)
UPDATE 1233z: So far, spotted by 15 stations. See map.
UPDATE 1418z: Spotted by 28 stations in 8 countries. Furthest Finland. Not bad with 3W 6m FT8 and a V2000 omni vertical antenna.
27 Sept 2025
6m 3W FT8 (Saturday)
My gear was switched at about 1242z.
UPDATE 1254z: Just 1 English stations spotting me.
Antarctica on 10m
In the last few days my 500mW 10m WSPR has been spotted 10 times in Antarctica by DP0GVN (13685km) on the German base down there.
10m 5W FT8 (Saturday)
My gear was turned on at about 0850z.
UPDATE 1250z: 256 stations spotting me so far today.
26 Sept 2025
6m 5W FT8 (Friday)
My gear was turned on at about 1300z.
UPDATE 1328z: So far today, spotted by 7 English stations. Reports suggest I might be copied at 1-2W, although this will depend on the local noise floor. In most urban areas this is getting worse. I think my chances of being spotted "across the pond" this autumn by F2 with my low ERP are very slim! It is very unlikely the MUF will climb this high and with my low ERP it is very unlikely I would be spotted.
"Our" tree
I take a photo around this time when the leaves are changing colour before the leaves fall for a few months over winter.
UV-5R Mini
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It will probably be used mainly on RX.
How much pull can you get with a VXO?
A VXO can be pulled more by adding an inductor in series with the crystal or putting more crystals in parallel. My own experience was that the more a VXO is pulled the less crystal control is obtained. So it is important not try to pull a crystal too much. DX Explorer has a video showing some experiments with pulling a VXO.
10m 500mW WSPR (Friday)
My beacon was turned on at about 0815z.
UPDATE 1313z: 11 stations have spotted me today. This looks like F2 propagation. The furthest is K6RFT (6958km).
10m 500mW WSPR yesterday
I think I have been spotted in Antarctica 7 times this week.
25 Sept 2025
The USA or China?
If I was a 3rd world country looking at the USA or China, which would I lean towards?
The USA is in grave danger of failing on the world stage and it would not surprise me if the US dollar was overtaken as the world's reserve currency.
There is a lot wrong with China, but at the moment few would look to the USA as a beacon of freedom and democracy sadly. The USA is no longer able to hold the moral ground. I find this sad as every American I have known has been kind and generous. Individually every person from the USA I have known has been really nice.
24 Sept 2025
Con?
All the scientific evidence, and just looking around with my own eyes, shows that climate change is real and is happening. Surely the evidence is now overwhelming. Tell me, can anyone really deny this by looking objectively at the evidence?
People may argue if this is because of man or is cyclical, but we definitely live in a warming world. "Drill baby drill" or migrate to a world we can sustain?
Renewables have dropped considerably in price. Luddites or adapt?
10m 500mW WSPR (Wednesday)
My stand-alone beacon was turned on at 1314z.
UPDATE 1602z: 21 stations have spotted me, of which 20 are in the USA. See map.
UPDATE 1712z: 25 stations have spotted me.
6m 5W FT8 (Wednesday)
My gear was turned on at 1314z.
UPDATE 1740z: So far, spotted by 7 stations. The furthest is Denmark.
AliExpress - a warning
On September 17th I ordered a Beofeng UV5 Mini via AliExpress. The money was taken from my PayPal account, but the order was not shown when I looked for it. I thought the order had been "lost in the system".
I contacted AliExpress who told me the order had been placed in a different way (paying via PayPal?) and to log in again using Google. The order appeared thankfully.
The goods are due to arrive in the coming days.
I have had no problems with AliExpress in the past. In fact I have been impressed.
10m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)
UPDATE 0927z: Spotted by 127 stations. With the sunspot count and solar flux high, even 5W FT8 gets you all over the planet on 10m.
UPDATE 1300z: 351 stations have spotted me. See map.
23 Sept 2025
10m QRP WSPR yesterday
Tuesday plans
As we have old university friends here, I doubt I shall be on the radio today. I shall try to be sociable!! 😄
6m QRP FT8 yesterday
Although not at the level in mid-summer, I was still spotted widely across Europe. See map.
Imagine if I was running 50W to a decent beam i.e. with an ERP 20dB higher! If I can do it with QRP....
Fragility of life
Yesterday my brother was playing a game of golf when his partner just dropped dead whilst walking away from the 1st green.
We have no idea when our time is up.
Live life as if this is your last day and enjoy every minute.
22 Sept 2025
10m 500mW WSPR TX (Monday)
My stand alone beacon has been on since about 1312z.
UPDATE 1513z: 22 stations including many in the USA and Canada have spotted me.
Sixbox revisited
A few moments ago I had a nice email and video from Marcos PU2MBZ. In it he says he has built the RX of the Sixbox with a few changes, on a PCB. Thank you Marcos!
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/homebrew/sixbox
6m 5W FT8 (Monday)
My gear was turned on at about 1313z.
UPDATE 1500z: So far, 8 stations have spotted me with one in Portugal.
Decreasing human contact
Just now I was invited to check my PayPal balance. They wanted to send me a code to my phone to verify it was me. I doubt a human was involved.
Most chat bots are computers rather than real people. At supermarket checkouts you are encouraged to use automatic checkouts. Most bank transactions are getting cash from an ATM. If you are lucky you may get a call centre somewhere on the planet, where a person might understand you and you might understand them! You are just a sort code and account number - no personal contact.
More and more there is less human contact. All this is done in the name of "progress" and to save money or increase profits.
In my view we are going backwards.
Monday plans
As I now know how 10m WSPR works, my plan is to continue on 6m FT8 QRP as well as 10m QRP WSPR .
10m conditions
It seems we are moving to autumnal HF conditions with afternoon openings across the Atlantic with my 10m 500mW WSPR. These openings seem almost daily.
I think it’s very unlikely that my 6m 5W FT8 would make it this autumn, but you never know!
21 Sept 2025
Windmill fantail shadow
This was the shadow of the fantail on the museum.
4m FT8 RX?
Even though I have no antennas for 4m, I am tempted to try 4m FT8 RX at some point. My recollection was that activity outside of the Es season was low though. I am also unsure of the 4m FT8 frequency these days.
I might be just wasting my time. I would have to use the V2000 or 2m big-wheel.
10m 500mW WSPR TX (Sunday)
My beacon was turned on at 0932z.
UPDATE 2143z: Spotted by 24 stations. Now QRT .
6m 5W FT8 (Sunday)
My gear was turned on at 0932z.
UPDATE 2130z: 37 stations from all over western Europe. I am sure FT8 is catching very brief patches of Es. Now QRT.
20 Sept 2025
Optical communications
This photo shows the gear used in these tests.
Micro80 QRP transceiver
As I recall my first contact was with a station about 200 miles away and before it was cased and the Morse key was just tapping a wire onto the chassis!
I cannot recall the antenna.
Spitting Image
This was a BBC TV show (1980s?) that made fun with puppets of politicians, who sometimes take themselves far too seriously. It is now available on YouTube.
In my view, it is a good thing to lampoon politicians and is a sign of grown-up leaders and countries.
10m 500mW WSPR TX (Saturday)
My beacon was turned on at about 0900z.
UPDATE 1757z: So far spotted by 26 stations . Furthest is V51RS (8481km). Now QRT.
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