IZ6QZB (1475km) has spotted my 500mW 10m WSPR a couple of times already this morning. This is quite early as it is only 1005z. Otherwise pretty quiet with lots of spots by local G4IKZ (18km) and 1 spot overnight by G4CUI (172km), the latter presumably off aircraft in the very early hours.
UPDATE 1010z: Yesterday there were no 10m spots by USA stations. With worse conditions expected today, I doubt I'll be spotted by USA stations on 10m today either.
UPDATE 1234z: No F2 spots on 10m WSPR this morning and no lunchtime Es spots of me. In fact just the 2 spots by IZ6QZB earlier apart from the G stations. So far a very quiet day on 10m. 6m has been dead with me. nothing
2 May 2015
Sunspots and 10m - May 2nd 2015
With a sunspot number of just 13 (K=2) and a "poor" forecast for 10m I'd be very surprised to see much, if any, choice DX today on 10m.
1 May 2015
Sepura to buy rival Teltronics - NOT amateur radio
Today it was announced that my old company, Sepura, is to buy its Spanish communications rival Teltronics. I have been retired 7 years now and feel quite out of touch. I hope the acquisition goes well. Teltronics are strongest in Latin America and Spain. I suspect Sepura are keen to strengthen their position in the Americas.
Sepura designs, makes and sells TETRA radios. In recent years it has entered the DMR market where competition is very fierce. Sepura has great opportunities in the USA where for many years TETRA was excluded for patent reasons. TETRA is a very good digital radio system for those requiring good frequency use, security and data as well as speech.
For years, Sepura has been a very successful business. Certainly one to watch for the years to come. Today Sepura shares bounced upwards strongly.
Sepura designs, makes and sells TETRA radios. In recent years it has entered the DMR market where competition is very fierce. Sepura has great opportunities in the USA where for many years TETRA was excluded for patent reasons. TETRA is a very good digital radio system for those requiring good frequency use, security and data as well as speech.
For years, Sepura has been a very successful business. Certainly one to watch for the years to come. Today Sepura shares bounced upwards strongly.
HF or VHF?
Depending on the solar cycle, and how good it is, both 10m and 6m can behave quite differently. Sometimes 10m is a true HF band with good worldwide DX possibilities. In better years, even 6m can support F2 worldwide propagation. However, for a lot of the solar cycle both 10m and 6m behave like VHF bands. This means Es can be an effective mode on both bands especially in the spring and summer months. Other modes like tropo can also be used on 10m and 6m. Both bands can be used for local natters on any mode.
At the moment we are in a transition period. On better days 10m is still good for worldwide DX but as time progresses, it will behave more and more like a VHF band with long periods of quiet. Especially as we move to more VHF conditions modes like WSPR become even more useful: short DX openings can be detected with WSPR. Leaving a simple WSPR rig running can be so useful and take very little power.
As I have mentioned before, I have worked real 10m N-S DX (11000+ km) on QRP SSB even in the quietest of sunspot years. WSPR is considerably better than SSB, requiring far less power and can be used unattended running in the background. I tend to run 10m and 6m WSPR most days and monitor WSPRnet on a different PC in the lounge. It takes just seconds to go into the shack and make any adjustments needed. It means, whilst running WSPR, you can do other things.
At the moment we are in a transition period. On better days 10m is still good for worldwide DX but as time progresses, it will behave more and more like a VHF band with long periods of quiet. Especially as we move to more VHF conditions modes like WSPR become even more useful: short DX openings can be detected with WSPR. Leaving a simple WSPR rig running can be so useful and take very little power.
As I have mentioned before, I have worked real 10m N-S DX (11000+ km) on QRP SSB even in the quietest of sunspot years. WSPR is considerably better than SSB, requiring far less power and can be used unattended running in the background. I tend to run 10m and 6m WSPR most days and monitor WSPRnet on a different PC in the lounge. It takes just seconds to go into the shack and make any adjustments needed. It means, whilst running WSPR, you can do other things.
Stroke update - NOT amateur radio
Although, on average, I am a little less tired overall, I still have very bad days, like today, when I feel very exhausted. I still have problems with thin liquid drinks and still feel wobbly on my feet. Progress is painfully slow.
Never, ever take your health for granted, as you never know when things might change. Before Sept 2013 I was fit and healthy. These days, still, I feel just a shadow of my old self. How I wish I was back to as I was!
I am told that I should make a full recovery eventually, but I was expecting this last year and still I struggle. Field experiments left me totally drained recently.
UPDATE 1920z: Although I eat most foods OK now and eat big meals, I still feel hungry often. Although I had a big pasta and bacon meal just a few hours ago, I am already hungry! A recent blood test did not show any problems and neither did a test for bowel cancer.
Never, ever take your health for granted, as you never know when things might change. Before Sept 2013 I was fit and healthy. These days, still, I feel just a shadow of my old self. How I wish I was back to as I was!
I am told that I should make a full recovery eventually, but I was expecting this last year and still I struggle. Field experiments left me totally drained recently.
UPDATE 1920z: Although I eat most foods OK now and eat big meals, I still feel hungry often. Although I had a big pasta and bacon meal just a few hours ago, I am already hungry! A recent blood test did not show any problems and neither did a test for bowel cancer.
10m and 6m Es
With the Es season definitely upon us, I am starting to get 10m WSPR spots from nearer Europeans now. For example OE1RWU (1222km) has spotted my 10m 500mW several times this morning.
As yet, I have no Es spots on 6m despite a higher ERP although these will come with time. Es starts a little later (in the season) on 6m than on 10m and openings tend to be less often. Having said that when 6m is open by Es, signals are often there day after day at good strength. Last Es season there were fewer stations on 6m than I was expecting, which was a pity. I am hopeful there will be more stations on 6m WSPR this summer. WSPR is a great mode for winkling out short openings, so is an ideal mode to leave running when not active on SSB or CW.
UPDATE 1435z: Several spots from central Europe on 10m WSPR by Es.
UPDATE 1521z: Although I see the forecasts are showing 50MHz Es in Europe, there is no evidence of this on WSPR. Only 18 stations in the whole world are shown as active on 6m WSPR, although 10 are in Europe. Es is sporadic so unless there are stations active in the right places, openings will be missed.
UPDATE 1528z: On 10m WSPR I see that EA8BVP (2986km) has only just started to spot me. I presume this is F2 and not Es.
UPDATE 2140z: Still no sign of any USA WSPR spots this evening. I have the feeling there will be none today, but will blog results in the morning.
As yet, I have no Es spots on 6m despite a higher ERP although these will come with time. Es starts a little later (in the season) on 6m than on 10m and openings tend to be less often. Having said that when 6m is open by Es, signals are often there day after day at good strength. Last Es season there were fewer stations on 6m than I was expecting, which was a pity. I am hopeful there will be more stations on 6m WSPR this summer. WSPR is a great mode for winkling out short openings, so is an ideal mode to leave running when not active on SSB or CW.
UPDATE 1435z: Several spots from central Europe on 10m WSPR by Es.
UPDATE 1521z: Although I see the forecasts are showing 50MHz Es in Europe, there is no evidence of this on WSPR. Only 18 stations in the whole world are shown as active on 6m WSPR, although 10 are in Europe. Es is sporadic so unless there are stations active in the right places, openings will be missed.
UPDATE 1528z: On 10m WSPR I see that EA8BVP (2986km) has only just started to spot me. I presume this is F2 and not Es.
UPDATE 2140z: Still no sign of any USA WSPR spots this evening. I have the feeling there will be none today, but will blog results in the morning.
Sunspots and 10m propagation - May 1st 2015
Little change with a sunspot number of 27 (26 yesterday) and 10m still forecast to be "poor". K=2 so a little more disturbed than yesterday. I guess some 10m Es is our best hope?
UPDATE 0746z: Signs of Es with an early spot received from DK0FHW (544km) in Germany on 10m WSPR at 0638z.
UPDATE 0830z: So far, 6m WSPR is very quiet with nobody spotting me since yesterday. No signs of 6m Es seen here yet.
UPDATE 0746z: Signs of Es with an early spot received from DK0FHW (544km) in Germany on 10m WSPR at 0638z.
UPDATE 0830z: So far, 6m WSPR is very quiet with nobody spotting me since yesterday. No signs of 6m Es seen here yet.
30 Apr 2015
2200m and 630m in the USA a step closer?
Southgate News reports that the FCC is, at last, supporting USA amateurs being given access to the 2200m and 630m bands. I sometimes complain that OFCOM here in the UK needs a kick up the backside, but the FCC seem an order of magnitude worse. I do hope that the USA gets these bands. I've had an article of mine on 472kHz approved by the ARRL now for nearly 2 years, awaiting the release of the 472kHz band over there! I am amazed just how slow the FCC seems to be. In many ways the USA takes a far more "grown up" attitude to the use of the radio spectrum, but the unbelievable slowness over the release of these 2 bands just beggars belief.
See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2015/april/fcc_proposes_to_permit_amateur_access_to_2200_and_630_meters.htm#.VUKSWpNQqPc
See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2015/april/fcc_proposes_to_permit_amateur_access_to_2200_and_630_meters.htm#.VUKSWpNQqPc
UK General election - NOT amateur radio
The UK General Election next week still looks far too close to call.
Some opinion polls show the Conservatives ahead and others show Labour.
UKIP seem to be gradually losing support.
At the moment my intention is to vote Lib Dem as they do have a chance of winning here in East Cambs. Labour really have no chance at all having won just 6.5% of the vote last time. UKIP could well split the Conservative vote, so the Lib Dems have a decent chance.
Personally, I think the moderating influence of the Lib Dems on either the Conservatives or Labour would be a good thing. I supported the Greens in the European elections but in a "first past the post" General Election they (sadly) have no chance here. Elsewhere, who knows?
I believe in living within our means both personally and nationally, but austerity measures should be toughest on those who caused the problems in the first place and NOT those who really have very little. Bank bonuses should be stopped or very heavily taxed until we live within our means. In almost 40 years of work I never got a bonus for working hard and neither do most workers. Why should a few "wide boys" get millions in bonuses for gambling with OUR money?
At the moment my intention is to vote Lib Dem as they do have a chance of winning here in East Cambs. Labour really have no chance at all having won just 6.5% of the vote last time. UKIP could well split the Conservative vote, so the Lib Dems have a decent chance.
Personally, I think the moderating influence of the Lib Dems on either the Conservatives or Labour would be a good thing. I supported the Greens in the European elections but in a "first past the post" General Election they (sadly) have no chance here. Elsewhere, who knows?
I believe in living within our means both personally and nationally, but austerity measures should be toughest on those who caused the problems in the first place and NOT those who really have very little. Bank bonuses should be stopped or very heavily taxed until we live within our means. In almost 40 years of work I never got a bonus for working hard and neither do most workers. Why should a few "wide boys" get millions in bonuses for gambling with OUR money?
So, I was amused "11 element stealth antennas"
Maybe I have the definition wrong, but I thought "stealth antennas" meant antennas that were somehow hidden or disguised so you could not easily tell they were there?
So imagine my amazement to see an 11 element HF beam listed as a "stealth antenna". Maybe every house but mine has one to hang their washing on? No surely not!
In my book an 11 element (compact?) HF beam is in no way a stealth antenna. By all means sell these - no doubt they sell well to some at over £1090, but not as a "stealth antenna".
As I have said before, a simple wire antenna and 500mW is enough for my signal to reach the far corners of the planet and I see no need whatsoever for such a big and, in my personal view, ugly antenna in my garden. My HF antenna is practically invisible: I am sure most are unaware it is even there! This is a hobby to be enjoyed in many different ways. All are valid.
Big, expensive beams are not for me. Of course if you have this antenna you need a big, strong rotator and a big mast. Then you probably need a big rig. Sorry, not amateur radio in my definition.
See http://www.force12inc.com/categories/applications/stealth-ham-radio.html?sort=pricedesc
In my book an 11 element (compact?) HF beam is in no way a stealth antenna. By all means sell these - no doubt they sell well to some at over £1090, but not as a "stealth antenna".
As I have said before, a simple wire antenna and 500mW is enough for my signal to reach the far corners of the planet and I see no need whatsoever for such a big and, in my personal view, ugly antenna in my garden. My HF antenna is practically invisible: I am sure most are unaware it is even there! This is a hobby to be enjoyed in many different ways. All are valid.
Big, expensive beams are not for me. Of course if you have this antenna you need a big, strong rotator and a big mast. Then you probably need a big rig. Sorry, not amateur radio in my definition.
See http://www.force12inc.com/categories/applications/stealth-ham-radio.html?sort=pricedesc
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