How do they make a profit?

On eBay I have just seen a complete LM386 amplifier kit on a PCB for $2 with free shipping.  G1KQH has spotted Pixie transceiver kits for £5 with free shipping.  How do they make any money?

472kHz - same stations again?

I am beginning to get tired of 472kHz WSPR as the same stations are being spotted and are spotting me. It is some time since new stations have been spotted or have been spotting me.

Starting tomorrow, I think I may try a totally new band for me on WSPR. Unsure which band to try as yet. I'll stay on 472kHz overnight in case some new stations appear.

On 10m WSPR it is a similar story, although I find watching the changing conditions of interest and the DX is real DX.  The little WSPR-AXE-CW WSPR 10m beacon is also so tiny. I find it amazing that something so small and just 500mW can be heard all over the world.

10m USA WSPR spots

The first USA station to spot my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon today was KC1AWS (5308km) at 1404z. At least the band was open to the USA.

Recent 10m WSPR spots of my 500mW beacon

In a few years the best chance of copying the USA, or the USA copying me on 10m, will be on the rarer summer days with transatlantic Es.  F2 across the Atlantic will become very rare sadly, although WSPR should help to "winkle" out such openings as long as up to 2 minutes in length. The danger is people will desert the band as conditions dive. We've already seen this happen on 6m, which is a pity.

UPDATE 2024z:  The last spot of my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon was K9AN (6505km) at 1746z.  Now going QRT on 10m. Went QRT on 10m at 2034z. Still active TX and RX on 630m (472kHz) WSPR.

ET/G8DYK on 10m WSPR

I have just seen that ET/G8DYK (5931km) was spotting my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon this morning a few times. This my best DX so far today on the 10m band.

Low cost kits

See http://www.aliexpress.com/store/331885 .   This website has some very low cost rigs for sale. An example is a 40m Pixie at around $10 post free. You'd be hard pressed to buy the individual parts for less!

UPDATE 1430z:   I have just ordered a 40m Pixie kit from them.  Should be here in 2 to 3 weeks time. I hope I can manage to build it with my clumsy soldering currently.

UPDATE 2000z: G1KQH has found the same Pixie at an even better price:

Greetings Roger

 

I could of saved you a fiver out of your pension but you had to rush in:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DIY-KITS-PIXIE-HAM-RADIO-HF-40M-CW-QRP-TRANSCEIVER-7-023-7-026MHz-/121521131018?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c4b394e0a

 

73 Steve
http://www.g1kqh.talktalk.net/

Sunspots and 10m

Sunspot number today has climbed to 181.  10m is forecast to be "good".

UPDATE 1125z:  So far this morning my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon has been copied by UR/SWL56 (2283km), 4X1RF (3519km) and local G4IKZ (18km). The usual reporters! I expect the 10m band will open to the USA after lunch.

UPDATE 1447z:   The 10m band opened to the USA for me here after 1404z.

472kHz WSPR

I have been using 5mW ERP and the earth-electrode "antenna" all day.  Best spots of me today have been from stations that have copied me before such as G3WCB (101km) and G8HUH (250km). It will soon be time to change antennas.

10m USA WSPR spots today

KE6BID (5295km) was the first USA station to spot my 500mW WSPR beacon today at 1300z. As I write this at 1624z, there are plenty of USA stations spotting me still. UPDATE 1920z:   It looks like W9ZOC (6259km) was the last USA station to spot my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon at 1818z. It is over an hour since the last USA 10m spot so it is unlikely that there will be others now.

Fredbox derivatives

Since my original Fredbox 2m AM design, a number of derivatives have been designed and built around the world. This is what our hobby is all about. Although the original Fredbox worked well and its results surprised me, it was always ripe for further developments, which is healthy. My Sixbox was a 6m version and at some point, when fitter, I'd like to make a simple 10m AM version for local natters.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/fredbox for the original Fredbox. Click on the schematic to enlarge. Other derivative ideas are on my website www.g3xbm.co.uk.   By the way, it got its name from Fred G8BWI who was a disabled local in the Cambridge area back in the 1970s. Fred was a regular contact and he could talk for hours and hours and hours and hours zzzzzzzzzzz. RIP Fred.

Stroke update

Last year I was expecting to be fully back to my old self well before now. As it is, I am still some way from that position.

Overall, I think I am still improving, but the big leaps I was expecting don't seem to be happening. Perhaps I should be satisfied with slow, small, moderate steps?  

I still feel as if I am living in a bit of a dream world, I still feel drunk when walking (feel giddy), still tire easily, and drinking thin liquids is still not easy.

Overall, I am getting slowly better, but perhaps I should expect to be left with a level of disability and will be pleasantly surprised when I get fully fit again. Perhaps my expectations were unrealistic? Whatever, I am not giving up: I want my "old self" back again this year.

At the moment I still feel unable to do field work, climb ladders (for antenna work)  or use a soldering iron. With time, this will improve.