60m in the UK

According to the latest RadCom, the RSGB is still negotiating with OFCOM and the military to get the WRC2015 worldwide 60m allocation available to UK amateurs in 2017 in addition to the existing UK allocations.

6m MSK144 this morning

A couple of countries spotted so far, but occasionally I am also trying transmitting in beacon mode on this mode/band sending "B G3XBM JO02" in MSK144. So far, no reports on TX.

UPDATE 1318z:  4 countries spotted so far on 6m MSK144, but sadly no spots of my own 2W signal. I have now gone RX only.

Sunspots and 10m - Thursday March 16th 2017

Solar flux is 69 today and the sunspot count remains stubbornly zero. A=7 and K=0.

Arctic Litter - NOT amateur radio

At my U3AC course yesterday at the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge we were told an amazing fact. Litter in the Arctic Ocean has increased 20-fold in the last 10 years.

Back on 472kHz WSPR RX

Although not on any bands today, I am back on 472kHz WSPR receive this evening.

Lambs - NOT amateur radio

Today, we had our warmest day of the year. It felt warm for the first time and was true "shirt sleeve" weather. At Ickworth, UK there were daffodils, lambs and bees on the wing. A lovely day.

Last night on 472kHz WSPR RX

Last evening and overnight I was on 472kHz WSPR RX again. Plenty of stations copied with the best DX again being Norway. Without the PC's SMPSU being active I am surprised just how much I spot with the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground and the totally in modified (deaf) FT817.

Sunspots and 10m - Wednesday March 15th 2017

Solar flux is 70 and, yet again, the sunspot number remains zero. A=4 and K=2

Trinity - NOT amateur radio

Living very close to the world famous university town of Cambridge we get to see some magnificent places.

These include  Kings College Chapel, St Johns and Trinity College.

Trinity is the subject of the photo, which shows the entrance to the college. Trinity boasts 32 Nobel Prize winners!

See https://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/

Help please copying CDs! - NOT amateur radio

I need help doing something that I thought would be easy! We have a Windows10 PC and an external DVD/CD drive that plays audio CDs through the PC, so I know the external drive works.

How do I copy this audio CD to the hard drive of the PC?

The CDs are from Iceland and I think the group has disbanded, so we want to make backups in case the CDs get damaged. I did the obvious things (copy and paste) but this did not work.

Help!

UKAC 70cm this evening

This evening is the March 2017 70cm UKAC activity contest organised by the RSGB. Although I only use 5W SSB to my 2m halo fed with lossy coax, I try to get on for a while until my voice shouts "enough". Usually this means about 30-40 minutes. Often I am surprised how well this works.

See http://www.rsgbcc.org/cgi-bin/contest_rules.pl?contest=70cmsukac

UPDATE 2056z: After 30 minutes I had to stop because of my poor voice. Best DX was a QSO with G4CLA (105km), which is not bad with 5W QRP and a 2m halo fed with lossy coax!

Sunspots and 10m - Tuesday March 14th 2017

Solar flux is 72 today, but the sun remains spotless. A=3 and K=0. 10m? Anyone's guess!

6m MSK144 RX - 4 countries already!

At the moment I am on 6m MSK144 RX and already EI, GD, DF and F have been spotted and it is only 1013z.

MSK144 really does seem to change 6m. Unlike most other modes, it works without Es or F layer propagation, so 6m can be used whenever. All that is needed is patience: when a burst occurs signals are strong. Outside an MS shower these bursts come randomly and last only a few mS with my poor set-up. I am sure a few dB extra RX "system gain" e.g. a less lossy antenna or cable or another dB or so of RX sensitivity could make more stations appear more often. Pings that might be too short might be decoded.  Despite my poor system I still manage far better than I ever expected.

UPDATE 1932z: 10 stations in 8 countries today so far on 6m MSK144 RX. Best DX Sweden and Switzerland.

10m disappointment

All day long I have been putting out 500mW on 10m WSPR TX. I am transmitting 100% of the time with randomised frequencies each transmission.

I know my tri-band antenna could be better, but I have received not a single WSPR spot all day! Results are better on 6m MSK144.

What disappoints is the lack of G stations. Even with very poor 10m conditions I would have expected spots out to 60-100km on WSPR. It seems people are not interested in the challenge.

MS - NOT amateur radio

Multiple Sclerosis is a nasty condition, that is usually lifelong and unpredictable.  I know of one girl who died and three others suffering in different ways. The worst part is just not knowing what the future might bring. It is most common in people in the prime of life. One person I know was a very good cancer nurse. Sadly, she can no longer do this.

Research continues and there are some promising signs.  I certainly hope they find a cure.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-39256584 .

481THz over the horizon

Facebook reminded me that 4 years ago I was doing QRSS3 tests with light at 4.8km over the horizon.

"Much better results this evening with 481THz light beam signals over the horizon at 4.8km. Last night I was 2.5 degrees out and signals were much weaker. Tonight QRSS3 could be comfortably copied at 20dB S/N in 0.34Hz bandwidth. At the receiving end the signal is not audible and nothing visible in the sky from the transmitter. Aiming is VERY critical just above the horizon."

The Future?

Several things act as warnings about the future of our hobby. Today, there was a piece in Southgate News warning of the lack of youngsters entering the hobby in the Netherlands. Although not true everywhere, ours is a hobby mainly populated by older people. This is definitely the case here in the UK. Most club members are grey-haired!!

In general, young people fail to "get the magic" radio was to us years ago. I have discussed this before, but in the age of worldwide video conferencing for free over the internet, young people think radio old fashioned. Our hobby will die unless we attract and keep young people. Clearly what "turns on" youngsters is not the same thing that attracted us. In the early 1960s if you wanted to talk around the world you had to become a radio amateur.

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2017/march/shortage-of-young-dutch-radio-hams.htm#.WMZ8DoXXLIU

Newmarket - NOT amateur radio

We live about 4 miles from Newmarket, which is the horse racing capital of the world. The area is surrounded by studs, many of which are owned by rich Arab sheiks.

We do most of our food shopping in Newmarket. In this town, the horse is king and cars often give way to passing strings of horses being exercised. 

A trip up to Newmarket Heath is often accompanied by horses galloping.

Overnight on 40m WSPR

Although I had lots of spots of my 2W WSPR on 40m, there was no better DX than the W9 who spotted me last evening. I have since moved to 10m WSPR (ever hopeful!).

QRP and QRP Club

More from Oleg:

Dear Club 72 members and friends,

Weekly QRP Rendez-Vous Report (March, 12, 2017)
Visitors  of  the  week:  US3EN, DK1HW, UR0ET, OH6NPV, EA6BB, RU3NJC,
US7IB,  G3XJS,  RW3AA,  UR5EFD, UR7VT, PA3DEU, UA1CEG, R1CAF, UW5EKR,
UA4NU, UA1CEX, R9WY, US5ERQ, IT9IFI, M1EYP/p, RV3DSA/0, DL2WA, RN6K/p,
OM6TC, DL2IFB, RA6AN, RW3DF
Congrats!
R9WY and DL2WA became Frequenters (regular visitors)
New Visitors: RN6K and RA6AN - you are welcome!
See full Visitors and Frequenters lists on the www.club72.su
Comments......
See full WQR Report on the blog page - http://qrp-club72.blogspot.ru/
Thanks ALL for activity and comments. See you on next QRP Rendez-Vous
round tables -
Tuesdays,  Thursdays, Saturdays at 9.00 UTC on 14060 kHz (alternative
10116 kHz) +/- QRM, QRL, keep RIT for XTALs

72! Oleg RV3GM / KH6OB "Mr. 72"


This is a periodic Newsletter of the Club 72. Don't reply to Newsletter address! Send any requests or news to mr72@club72.su please.

6m MSK144 RX and 10m WSPR TX

This morning I am on 6m MSK144 RX and on 10m WSPR TX (500mW). At the moment I have a local noise source on 6m (a pulse about every 1 second) that I hope will go away. The FT817 noise blanker has no effect.

I am on 10m WSPR as this uses a separate W5OLF WSPR-AXE beacon and this is separate from the FT817 on 6m which uses the tri-band V2000 vertical antenna and the shack PC.

UPDATE 0927z: No spots as yet.

UPDATE 0935z:  My noise on 6m has gone enabling me to spot OZ1PIF (850km) and G3RED (91km) on 6m MSK144.

UPDATE 1020z: Now GM4UYE (507km) is being spotted on 6m MSK144. Still no spots on 10m WSPR.

UPDATE 1118z: So far today, 5 countries spotted on 6m MSK144 (G, GW, GM, EI and OZ). Still no 10m WSPR spots sadly.

UPDATE 1622z:  Sunspots? Es? Who needs them when a very simple system brings these in on 6m MSK144!

Stations spotted so far today on 6m MSK144

UPDATE 1954z: GD0TEP (381km) brings the countries spotted today on 6m MSK144 to six.

Sunspots and 10m - Monday March 13th 2017

Solar flux is 70 today and yet again the sunspot number is zero. A=9 and K=2.

Stroke update - NOT amateur radio

It is some time since I updated readers on the after-effects of my 2013 stroke. So, here goes. 

The worst effects are I still feel very giddy when walking, tire easily and my voice is poor.

And yet, 3.5 years after my stroke I am still making small improvements. I feel better able to do up buttons. Also, I feel my basic core strength is, maybe, just a little stronger. Improvements are hard to detect now.

Yet, even now, I am becoming aware of some after-effects that I'd not been "tuned into". One of these is I find it harder to follow sub-titles on foreign films. It is as if I don't have enough time.

My wife thinks some of my problems are "in the mind". For example, although I feel giddy when walking I have never once fallen. By now, I thought my brain would have "rewired".

Compared with before my stroke, I still feel very ill. My hope is that my tiredness is linked to the giddiness and that this can be fixed.

40m WSPR

Unique 40m WSPR spots so far

As mentioned in an earlier post I went QRT on 10m and 6m and am now active with 2W to a low end-fed on 40m WSPR. I seem to be getting lots of unique spots around Europe despite the poor antenna on 40m.

UPDATE 1930z: Best DX so far on TX is a spot by RV6LCY (2876km) in LN08 square.

UPDATE 2202z:   WA9WTK (5291km) is now the best DX on 40m WSPR TX.

Amateur band intruder?

Southgate News reports that a military station, probably in the Falkland Islands has been copied within the 40m amateur band.

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2017/march/iarums-stanag-4285-in-40m.htm#.WMVrIYXXLIU

Amateur VLF

VLF seems to have been busy in the amateur fraternity of late. There have been tests around 8.27, 5.17 and even 2.97kHz.

Casual listening will not bring results: long stable transmissions are needed together with very stable, narrowband reception if amateur VLF/ULF signals are to be detected. Commercial VLF signals on the other hand are very strong as most use high power and big antennas.

The photo shows DF6NM's loading coil for 5.17kHz today.

See https://sites.google.com/site/sub9khz/ .

Boring? - NOT amateur radio

This shop in our village (Burwell, Cambs, UK) recently changed hands. It is to become an estate agents and carpet shop I believe. The pub in the distance (The Crown) has been empty for years. Most things needed can be got in the village. There are several food shops, a baker, butcher, bank and dentist. If you did not have a car you could manage.

Red-legged Partridge - NOT amateur radio

In our close, we regularly see red-legged partridges. Sometimes we see one and occasionally up to three at a time.  They are good looking, introduced, birds that have well overtaken the common partridge in numbers these days. Yesterday there were a couple in our drive.

See https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bird-and-wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/r/redleggedpartridge/

Sunspots and 10m - Sunday March 12th 2017

Solar flux is 69 today and the sun is spotless yet again. A=6 and K=2.

Although I am not expecting great things on 10m, it has a habit of throwing surprises so I shall be on 10m WSPR all day.

Activity today 10m WSPR and 6m JT65

Since breakfast, I have been on 10m WSPR (100% TX, randomised) and 6m JT65 (2W). No spots as yet on either band.

UPDATE 1202z:  Still no spots here on either 6m or 10m.

UPDATE 1540z: Still no spots on either band. Soon be time to QSY bands/mode?

UPDATE 1620z: I have given up as nothing on either band all day today. I have now QSYed to 40m WSPR (2W) although my antenna is very low on that band. For some reason my earth-electrode "antenna" did not want to match on 160m or 80m.

Buying books on the internet - NOT amateur radio

At Christmas, I bought my wife a lovely hardback book filled with colour photos called " English Cathedrals" by Simon Jenkins. I bought it at a Cambridge bookshop where it cost me £30.

The book was a great success so my wife wanted another copy for her brother's birthday. A quick check on Amazon where the very same hardback book was less than £9! It now retails at just over £20 on Amazon. We bought it at less than £9 and it came a few days later.

How can local bookshops survive? We are as guilty as anyone. We see a bargain and grab it.

It is sad as I love browsing bookshops. Maybe the long-term answer is a bit like John Lewis? Browse in stores and buy (increasingly) online? I do not see the future high streets, but the retail trade will change in the future: fewer shops and more cafes? Whoever gets this right will be king. Amazon now, but who will succeed in the years ahead?

See https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Englands-Cathedrals-Simon-Jenkins/1408706458/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489312522&sr=8-1&keywords=english+cathedrals+simon+jenkins

12W handheld? - no thanks!

Considering the small difference (in range) between 2W and 12W and the very real danger (allegedly) of 12W next to the head and eyes I have no wish to buy a 12W handheld.  Even working professionally on 5W pep PAs I regularly had dry eyes.

Amateur Radio Weekly reports on a Chinese 3 band 12W handheld.

E-Field Probes

Some years ago (in the days when I was fit and well) I tried these compact receive only antennas on 137kHz and higher bands. They work on the principle that S/N matters more than absolute sensitivity, especially on lower bands when external noise is the limiting factor rather than rig noise figure. I recall using an EFP mag mount on the car and driving around picking up my QRSS3 signal on 137kHz at 24km (still a decent signal even with very very low ERP from my earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground.  Having great success, I gave up and came home! Just a small whip, very very low TX ERP and 137kHz.  These really work!

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/antennas/137efp .

Primroses - NOT amateur radio

Every autumn we plant primroses outside our house at the front. These give colour all through winter and look great. Apart from the occasional dead heading, they need very little attention.  We later replace these with small begonias.

Wild primroses are creamy whereas those from the garden centre are in a variety of bright colours. Perhaps these are nuked?

10m JT65 transceive

Since breakfast, I have been on 10m JT65 again (2W). As yet, no spots, but things could well change.

UPDATE 1255z:  No 10m JT65 spots today so far.

UPDATE 1832z:  Still no 10m JT65 spots all day.

Spring - NOT amateur radio

It is starting to feel a bit like spring here. On average, temperatures are milder and there are stirrings in the garden with fresh buds appearing.

Daffodils, that were late, are now everywhere. Another few weeks and it really will be spring again. When the clocks change to BST and the African migrant birds return it really will be spring.

Some people hate fields of yellow rape, although to me it is a sign of warmer days. I like to see this crop.

Sunspots and 10m - Saturday March 11th 2017

Solar flux is 70 and yet again the sun is spotless. A=12 and K=2.

6m MSK144

HB9Q (794km) was spotted before breakfast on 6m MSK144, although I have now QSYed to 10m JT65 transceive.

Like Marmite - NOT amateur radio

It seems that the latest US president is a bit like Marmite: you either love him or hate him. The fact he was voted as president says a lot about how the people of the USA feel.

Although I like Marmite, I am afraid Mr Trump and his friends are not the sort of people I warm to. Clearly the people of the USA are fed up with politicians and are expecting great things of him. However, I fail to understand how a very rich billionaire can truly represent most in that great country.

On a personal level, I have found all the people I have met from the USA to be warm, generous and kind. I have found the same of those in Russia, Germany and most other nations. There is far more that unites us all than we think.

All I ask is that Mr Trump and his team listen to objective evidence and act on it. If all politicians in every nation did this then the world would be a better place. There is no place for egos in politics. All politicians everywhere are there to serve the people: we elect them and can easily vote them out.

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

An effective 10m antenna

At the old QTH (we moved a few years ago) I used my Homebase-10 antenna for 10m. As we enter the Es season when 10m springs to life with loads of Europeans, perhaps it is worth reminding readers of this low cost antenna.

It is basically a wire halo, small, and pretty omni-directional. It can be made with low cost materials, most of which you can buy at your local hardware store. In its time it has enabled me to work all over the world with QRP. It was in Practical Wireless in 2008 and is on my www.g3xbm.co.uk main site.

Despite my poor health, maybe I should try to get one up again at this QTH? I think I could make it (although not as easy as in the past) but I'd need help to get it up in place of my big-wheel. I think I could use the same small support mast. I'd probably feed it with some new RG58 coax.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/antennas/homebase