Sunday plans

 Probably 500mW 10m WSPR and 5W 6m FT8 later.

WSPR?

The impression I am getting is that WSPR is going down in popularity whereas FT8 is going up. I was considering buying a dedicated multi-band WSPR TX and WSPR RX.  I am having second thoughts.

WSPR needs less bandwidth (about 6Hz) than FT8 (about 50Hz) but WSPR is more sensitive by about 10dB. Maybe many cannot make use of this because of local noise. Also FT8 allows 2-way QSOs.

Last evening I tried 40m WSPR  and FT8. On WSPR I spotted nobody, whereas on FT8 I spotted 12 stations in a similar period.

Sunspots - Sunday December 7th

Solar  flux is 200 and the SSN 129. A=16 and K=3.

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AI crappery

At one time I enjoyed YouTube, but sadly you no longer can be sure that anything is real. 

I watched a very long video supposed to be by Brian Cox. It was clearly not by Brian Cox. Last week I watched a video that was meant to be the thoughts of Einstein.

The message is clear: you cannot know what is real and what is AI. The only thing you can do is assume everything is generated by AI unless you can be absolutely certain of the source.

Is there a universe?

This is a philosophical question. 

Is there any way of proving anything exists outside of ourselves? 

We observe everything through our senses and neurons. What happens when these are no more?  Does the world and universe still exist or is it only there because we observe it?

Ralph Waldo Emerson quote

" Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

This was a quote I cam across earlier from Ralph Waldo Emerson.

ZachTek WSPR transmitter

These are handmade in Sweden, although there is a Chinese rip-off that is available for much less. I think if files are available on the internet there is always a danger of this happening. 

I am not sure what protection registering the design gives, but I guess it must offer some help.

As I understand things, the Chinese rip-off does NOT contain switchable low pass filters, so the harmonic output is unlikely to be very good.

See https://www.zachtek.com/product-page/wspr-desktop-transmitter 

Saturday plans

 Probably 10m 500mW WSPR and 6m 5W FT8, although I am not sure.

Sunspots - Saturday December 6th

 Solar  flux is 206 and the SSN 133.  A=13 and K=4.

Oscar 100

MLS, one of the large UK distributors, is selling the DX Patrol Ground Staion for QO-100. I guess you have to add a GPS external reference, a LNB, a dish and a TX antenna.  

Probably you would still get change from £2k, which is less than the cost of many HF transceivers, a linear and a beam on a tower plus rotator. I guess operators now have confidence in this after many years.

The advantages are many.  The dish is small, fixed and no HF rig is needed. Within the footprint of the satellite DX is always available and without QSB. In many ways I am quite surprised many DXers have not gone for this option already.

I prefer experimentation.

See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/ if you want to take a peek.

Incidentally, I heard recently about someone in the UK working a German station who was mobile on Oscar 100!! I think the station in the car was listening on the webSDR but using the 2.3GHz uplink to the satellite.

I suppose a low(er) cost option is to make or buy a TX transverter and helix and listen on the webSDR.

10m 2W FT8 (Friday)

My gear was turned on at about 1245z 

UPDATE 1330z: So far, 59 stations have spotted me. 

Really low cost kit

Steve G1KQH has brought to my attention a very low cost SSB/CW 40m kit from India. It really is exceptional value. 

As a club project you can even buy 5 kits (yes five kits!!) for $150 total. Individual kits are just $39.

See www.hfsignals.com  .

Friday plans

 Probably I shall go on 10m 2W FT8 later.

Dark breakfast!

In the UK early mornings are dark. Our grandson stays with us on Thursday night as he has an early start on Friday and relies on me to get him up although so far he has been very good for an 18 year old. Thankfully things get better after Christmas.

Sunspots- Friday December 5th

 Solar flux is 220 and the SSN 165. A=32 and K=3.

10m 2W FT8 (Thursday)

 

At about 1830z I QSYed from 8m and instead went on 10m FT8 with 2W. 

UPDATE  2021z:  10 stations have spotted me with the best PU2YFR (9602km). Now QRT.

Future plans

Already, I am thinking about 2026. Sunspots and solar activity should still be good although declining. 

My instincts are to go mainly on 10m QRP FT8, although I shall go on 6m FT8 in which case I shall go on 10m WSPR wth my 500mW beacon that does not need the PC at the same time. 

Still tempted by 8m, TX,  although I think most of the activity would be in the Es season. If I was to reapply for a TX permit, I would time it to coincide with the Es season, so leave any new application until late March, so the permit would be in place in time for the Es season. I may decide not to bother.

2m activity contest (December)

Although I cannot stop on long because of my poor voice, I try to come on the 2m UKAC sessions with my 10W SSB to the big-wheel omni antenna. I only worked a couple of stations in the short time I was on, although I am sure many more would have been worked had I stopped on longer.

AI dangers

There is no doubt that AI will have a huge impact on the lives of everyone in the future. It will get better and better and will have impacts for good and evil.

In many ways I have been impressed with AI. For example I asked it to colourise an old black and white photo of my dad in his RAF uniform during WW2. The colourisation was excellent.

On the downside I asked Gemini to "make a picture of Roger G3XBM" as an experiment. I tried this both in "fast" and "thinking" modes.  On both attempts the person looked nothing at all like me. It created a radio shack (far more extensive than mine, HI) and a plaque with my callsign, but the person was totally wrong. I suppose it has to find a photo of me to learn from.

This is one of the dangers of AI. People may believe what they are being told. Often it will be correct. At the same time it can be very wrong! For now, it is best to treat AI with some caution knowing it can go "rogue" and give totally false results. It can only be as good as the sources it learns from.

8m FT8 RX (Thursday)

 I have QSYed to 8m FT8 RX on 40.680 MHz using my end-fed long wire.  We'll see if I spot anyone today.

UPDATE 1626z:  No spots. At the moment 8m is disappointing.

10m 500mW WSPR (Thursday)

 My beacon was turned on just after breakfast.

UPDATE 1016z:  Just 2 stations in the Canary Isles spotting me so far.

6m 5W FT8 (Thursday)

 My gear has been on since just after breakfast. 

UPDATE 1914z:  So far, spotted by 5 English stations.

Christmas cheer

 

Rather than 1 large Christmas tree we have 3 small ones. This one in the lounge we have had since 2019 and has fibre optic "leaves" and is always changing colour.

Thursday plans

 As the sunspot count is so high I shall stick with 6m QRP FT8 and 10m QRP WSPR.

Sunspots - Thursday December 4th

 Solar flux is 209 and the SSN 227 (high) . A=33 and K=5.

2m FT8 activity contest UKAC (Wednesday)

This is a contest I do not submit an entry for. I gave a few (very few!) CQ calls and was copied in southern Eire. There is no doubt there is a lots of activity.

Stations that spotted my 2m 10W FT8 this evening

UPDATE 2102z:  Now QRT. Worked 4 stations in the 2m FT8 UKAC contest.

QMX out portable on SSB

 The QMX is a popular SOTA radio as it is very compact and works on SSB with a firmware update.

10m 500mW WSPR (Wednesday)

My stand-alone beacon was turned on at about 1015z.

UPDATE 1333z: 19 stations spotting me.

6m 5W FT8 (Wednesday)

 My gear (5W to the V2000 vertical omni) was turned on at about 1015z.

UPDATE 1324z:   18 spots so far. See map.

2m UKAC activty contest (December)

Really, this is too hard for me now. 

After about 30 minutes I find my poor voice struggles these days in contests. I had to stop.  

I worked a new square for 2025 in the form of JO03, but I really could not manage any longer.

Sunspots- Wednesday December 3rd

 Solar flux is 200 and the SSN 177. A=9 and K=2..

Sun through the trees

 

This was at nearby Anglesey Abbey earlier.

That season again!

Every year seems to go faster than the last. 

We put our tree up just now. 

I swear its only 5 minutes since we took it down last time!

10m 500mW WSPR (Tuesday)

My beacon has been on since about 0945z.

UPDATE 2100z: 15 spots. See table. Now QRT.

6m 5W FT8 (Tuesday)

 My gear was turned on at about 0945z. 

UPDATE 2056z: 13 posts. QRT.

Tuesday plans

After  breakfast I shall probably go out 6m QRP FT8.

Google spam filter

 

Yesterday I had a very painful lesson. Google puts in SPAM things it thinks are SPAM.  Usually it is correct . 

Daily I get told all my photos are about to be deleted -  but occasionally it gets things wrong.

G3ZQQ had apparently sent me an email that must have ended up in SPAM and been deleted. He sent a second yesterday that ended up in SPAM. Luckily I saw it and marked it as not SPAM.

The answer seems to be always check. I usually do see if anything is in SPAM by error, but his first email must have been deleted before I checked.

UPDATE Monday 1945z:  Since writing this I had an email claiming illness and asking if I shopped at Amazon. Definitely SPAM!! Now back in SPAM! Caveat emptor. There really was a reason it was in SPAM.

Rain

For the last 3 years, I have measured the amount of rain daily. This has been the driest of the three years. For the last few years we have had about 760mm of rain. This year we are on target for about 650mm.

Sunspots - Tuesday December 2nd

 Solar flux is 196 and the SSN 175. A=10 and K=2.

10m 2W FT8 (Monday)

My gear was turned on before breakfast.

UPDATE 0904z:  53 stations have spotted me.

UPDATE  1926z: 488 stations have spotted me today. Even with 2W 10m FT8, spots from across the planet. See map. 

Advent service

 

Yesterday we went to a sung Advent service in the next village. 

This village is special having 2 churches in the same churchyard. The service was sung by the excellent Cambridge Voices .

Solar Activity

Near the start of the month my favourite site for solar data is updated. I have not checked yet but this is usually done early in the month. It is worth taking a peek so we can see how the cycle is progressing. 

We are on the down-slope, but conditions on the higher HF bands are likely to remain good for a few years. 

It is my view that with modes like FT8 we will find 10m open more than we thought.

See https://www.solen.info/solar .

UK weather

We live in the part of England where it is most dry. 

Yesterday was a glorious day here with bright blue skies and cold. 

That's the trouble with UK weather. One day it can be lovely and the next dull and wet.

Simple VHF receiver by Charles Kitchen

Charles Kitchen N1TEV is a well known designer in the USA and across the world. 

This is a circuit for a VHF receiver that can be adjusted to decode SSB, CW and NBFM in addition to AM.

See https://www.arrl.org/files/file/Technology/tis/info/pdf/9712039.pdf .

Keeping an eye on CB

 Although the CB bands are just below the 10m amateur band it is often busy on CB when 10m seems dead. This suggests it is a lack of activity rather than poor conditions. Hopefully FT8 will help to show us 10m is still good on some paths.

In the meantime, it may be worth keeping an eye on the CB bands.

Sunspots - Monday December 1st

 Solar flux is 180 and the SSN 108.  A=16 and K=1.

10m 500mW WSPR (Sunday)

 Briefly I went on 10m 500mW WSPR. No spots. Now QRT.

6m 5W FT8 (Sunday)

Late Sunday, I went on 6m FT8 with 5W to the V2000 vertical omni antennas. 5 English stations spotted me. Now QRT.

My favourite band - 10m

Over many years, I have had most fun on 10m. Initially, I was on SSB, AM and FM on that band with a low wire dipole. Of course, on 10m antennas are small and CB antennas usually work.

These days, because of my poor voice following my 2013 stroke, I use digital modes like FT8 and WSPR mostly.

DXCC was worked on 10m QRP SSB with a simple wire dipole over 40 years ago, so DX chasing is no longer important. I am more interested to see where my QRP is reaching. That's one of the joys of our hobby: there are so many different ways to enjoy it.

Before my stroke I enjoyed experimenting. I still do, but restrict myself to what I can do at home that does not require soldering or fine motor skills!

A real experimenter

Thanks to DX Explorer, I was pointed to the website of LA6NCA who is a true experimenter. I had not visited his site before. It also looks like he has a good range of test gear. Certainly a site for inspiration.

See https://www.laud.no/la6nca/