10m 5W FT8 (Saturday)

 My QDX-M was turned on very early morning before breakfast.

UPDATE  0950z:  Spotted by 4 stations and  I have spotted 3 stations in Eastern Europe.

UPDATE 1053z:  Spotted by 16 stations.

UPDATE 1341z:   Spotted by many stations including some in the USA and Canada. See map.

Network radio?

When I first saw this I was very surprised.  

On further looking it appears it is a network (internet) radio dressed up like a tiny "real" radio, 

It would appear to be available from several sources at various prices.

Sunspots - Saturday February 7th

 Solar flux is 164 and the SSN 132. A=16 and K=3.

AI historical reconstructions

There are lots of AI historical reconstruction videos about. Some make errors, but in the main these are very impressive. This is an example.

10m 200mW WSPR (Friday)

My beacon was turned on at 0940z.

UPDATE 1013z:  So far, just spots by EA8BFK (2880km). 

UPDATE 1453z:  Spotted by 25 stations. See table, and map by VK7JJ.  200mW WSPR seems plenty.

The sea will win

In my lifetime, there has always been a road across Torcross Line in Devon, UK. 

This is a long strip of land dividing the saltwater sea from a freshwater lake known as Slapton Ley. Apparently the road was only built 28 years before I was born.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slapton_Ley

It was where Americans practised for the D-day landings in WW2.

In recent storms and high tides, it looks like this lifeline road has been damaged beyond repair leaving some villages very isolated. In years gone past, most places were self-sufficient. Nowadays, people have to travel for shopping, work or school, so things are harder.

It looks like the sea is winning. Long after I have gone, I expect this stretch will be breached and Slapton Ley will be saltwater.

We forget that things that seem forever to us are not.

See https://www.independent.co.uk/ .

Cambridge park

This was Midsummer Common in Cambridge on Wednesday. 

The photo was taken from a moving bus. 

In the distance are the boathouses that line the River Cam.

Sunspots - Friday February 6th

 Solar flux is 176 and the SSN 139.  A=22 and K=1.

How do they do it?

For less than £20 I have bought a tiny multi-band, multi-mode, RX from Banggood with delivery.  This is exceptional value.

10m 200mW WSPR TX (Thursday)

 My beacon has been on most of the day.

UPDATE 1835z:   Only spotted by 2 stations. Are conditions disturbed?

Speed perception

This is probably as a result of my 2013 stroke rather than old age, but my perception of speed is "different". When driving I think I am doing 65 miles per hour whereas I am actually only going at 45 miles an hour and there is a big queue behind me! 

The other thing is reading subtitles: these seem to change faster than I can read them.  It makes following foreign language films hard.

It is as if my perception of speed is damaged and my brain operates at a different speed.

At one time driving was a pleasure - no longer.

Public office

It is my view that anyone in public office has to be totally honest and serve for the good of the people and not for individual, selfish, good. 

It is hard enough not being in the public eye, but those in public office have to be honest with themselves and with those they are in office to serve.

Rocket radio

 

Maybe you remember this? I don’t. 

I think it was a crystal set. I am not sure it was sold in the UK. Was this in the 1950s or 1960s?

RSGB advert

Back in the 1960s, the RSGB magazine RadCom was the RSGB Bulletin, known affectionately as "the Bull".

Way back in 1966, Pye Telecom, that I joined in 1970, put an advert in "the Bull" to attract new people. In those days a Radio Amateur licence counted for a lot, before the days of software!

Sunspots - Thursday February 5th

 Solar flux is 167 and the SSN 166. A=10 and K=5.

Chesterfield Islands

I have to confess I have no idea where these are and the callsign does not help. 

In a short while I shall look them up. This is a QSL card. 

UPDATE  1928z:  It's  in New Caledonia. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chesterfield_Islands .

Brunch

Today was my University of the Third Age in Cambridge. Before it starts I have brunch.

10m 200mW WSPR (Wednesday)

My beacon was turned on just before breakfast.

UPDATE 1950z: 73 stations have spotted me today. See map by VK7JJ.

QRP CW

 

Recently, there was a 50mW CW QSO on 20m using this homemade TX. I forget who designed and built this.

Fog of war

The trouble with wars and conflicts is it impossible to tell who is telling the truth. Both sides in a conflict tend to invoke propaganda to show they are winning or have the upper hand.

Whatever a side says treat it with a degree of skepticism.

Sunspots - Wednesday February 4th

 Solar flux is 178 and the SSN 171. A=5 and K=0. 

Public life

If you are in public life it must be hell. 

Your every move is looked at, photographed  and every little detail picked over. 

Recently, with the release of the Epstein files, several people in public life have found themselves in the public eye. Some of the revelations are eye watering.

Free Scrapbook PDF

This is a gentle reminder that my Project Scrapbook is available as a free PDF download on my main website. 

It is really a dump of my life in amateur radio and you might enjoy some of the projects.  I have had lots of fun and wish you can enjoy it too.

It is time I updated it as some of my recent things are not included!

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/book

Cambridge art gallery window

This painting was in the window yesterday. It captures the atmosphere. 

10m 200mW WSPR TX (Tuesday)

My beacon was turned on at 0926z.

UPDATE 0940z:  2 stations spotting me (EA8 and OH)

UPDATE 1040z:  Spotted by 5 stations. See map by VK7JJ.

UPDATE 1236z: Spotted by 11 stations. With 6 spots so far, I have concluded that MO04SW is a Russian SWL.

UPDATE 1529z:   Spotted by 44 stations including many in North and South America. See map by VK7JJ.

UPDATE 1951z:   Spotted by 56 stations. QRT soon.

Sunspots - Tuesday February 3rd

 Solar flux is 174 and the SSN 131. A=6 and K=1.

Portable operation

Many get lots of pleasure from operating in the great outdoors. 

In some countries the Elecraft KH1 is popular. As far as I know, this is not sold in Europe including the UK. It is also very expensive. 

People have had great success on CW using just a small whip antenna on CW. I think it has a built-in auto ATU too. If you operate CW, it means you can be operational in a few seconds.

See https://elecraft.com/products/kh1-transceiver

Soon be spring

These aconites were seen at Anglesey Abbey a few days ago.

You want cheering up?

 

This was found earlier. After all this dull and wet weather in the UK we need cheering up!!

10m 200mW WSPR TX (Monday)

My beacon was turned on just before breakfast.

UPDATE 1634z:  44 stations have spotted me including North and South America.

UPDATE 1845z:   55 stations have spotted me.

Sunspots - Monday February 2nd

 Solar flux is 162 and the SSN 97. A=4 and K=2.

AI historical reconstructions

 AI sometimes gets a bad press.  

In the case of historical reconstruction videos some are very good. Occasionally the AI get things very wrong e.g. the reconstruction showing Edinburgh in the 1880s with British Railways engines post 1948!

On the whole I am very impressed.

6m 5W FT8 (Sunday)

 My gear was turned on late morning.

UPDATE  1616z:  Spotted by 24 stations  See map.

10m 200mW WSPR (Sunday)

 My beacon was turned on around breakfast.

UPDATE 2021z:  Spotted by 48 stations including quite a few in the USA. See map by Phil VK7JJ.

6m FT8 yesterday

Yesterday was quite a good day with spots by 49 stations across Europe spotting my 5W to the omni vertical. See map.

Sunspots - Sunday February 1st

 Solar flux is 141 and the SSN 126. A=5 and K=1.

The future of our hobby

For a long time I have expressed my concerns for the future of amateur radio. 

The things that appealed to us years ago no longer appear as the magic they did to us long ago. 

Various suggestions have been made to correct this and get more people into the hobby and retain these. It is very hard to generalise and in some places the hobby is growing. 

It was interesting to read on Amateur Radio Weekly one person's "take" on this.

See https://ke9v.net/2026/01/24/your-fault.html

In my view, despite everything, I expect amateur radio  to be very different in less than 20 years.

6m 5W FT8 (Saturday)

 My IC-705 at 5W to the V2000 omni was turned on late morning.

UPDATE 1525z:  spotted by 11 stations with the best OE6JCG (1256km).

Sunshine!!

 

Apart from the first few days, we’ve had a miserable January with rain and dull weather. Today the sun shone, so we enjoyed a walk.

Internet Archive

Just out of curiosity, I put my callsign into the Internet Archive to see what appeared. It looks like my YouTube videos are archived along with my Scrapbook.

See https://archive.org/details/sbjuly22/page/22/mode/2up

Everything I have ever done is free to be shared. 

10m 200mW WSPR (Saturday)

My beacon was turned on at 1123z.

UPDATE 1155z: Spotted by EA8BFK (2880km).

Sunspots - Saturday January 31st

 Solar flux is 128 and the SSN 112. A=10 and K=2.

Long UK winter?

Apart from a few sunny, cold, days in early January in the UK, it has been dull, rainy and miserable. This year more than most, I am looking forward to lighter evenings and better weather. 

All seasons have their beauty, but I am fed up with this misery!

The birds seem to have got the message, with several singing this morning. Things are heading in the right direction in the northern hemisphere.

The photo shows the windmill next door this afternoon when the sun came out. The photo was through the lounge window.

6m 5W FT8 (Friday)

 My gear was turned on at about 1020z.

UPDATE 1136z: So far, spotted by 7 English stations and 1 in Wales.

UPDATE 1211z:  Spotted by 10 stations. See map.

UPDATE 1352z:  Spotted by 11 stations.

The Trump Report

This was an interview with a Politico journalist about some alleged private reports from EU leaders on President Trump.

10m 200mW WSPR (Friday)

My beacon was turned on at about 0730z.

UPDATE 0926z:  5 stations spotting me with the best R9SA (3658km).

UPDATE 1220z:  Now spotted by 9 stations with the best HZ1SF (4939km). No stations from "across the pond" reporting me yet.

UPDATE 1604z:  Now 39 stations have spotted me with several in North and South America. See table.

Sydney-Sussex College, Cambridge, UK

We live about 15km from Cambridge and go into the city free on the bus a couple of times a week. This was Sydney- Sussex College earlier in the week in the sunshine.

Banggood products

 In the past I have bought a few products from this company and have not had any issues. 

The goods originate in China.  

If the goods have been copied or cloned I avoid them.  Usually the goods are low cost and arrive very fast. 

Up to now I have never had to pay any duty. Usually the price is so low that even if they were faulty you would simply write it off and not bother to complain.

Sunspots - Friday January 30th

 Solar flux is 129 and the SSN 117. A=22 and K=3.

Increased air activity?

We live about 15km from airbases used by the USAF. In the last couple of days these appears to be an increase in air traffic.