VLF (8.97kHz) TX

8.97kHz 5W TX

Before my stroke in 2013 I did a fair bit of experimentation at VLF, successfully receiving quite a few European amateurs on VLF doing radiated tests. I did some "through-the-ground" utilities assisted earth-mode tests out to 6km using just a 5W transmitter. At some point I'd like to do more.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vlf/8-97khz-earth-mode-transmitter

6m MSK144

This morning, I am again on 6m MSK144 RX. At the moment, the best DX is Switzerland.

UPDATE 1806z: GI4SNA (488km) brings my country total on 6m MSK144 to 17 now.

UPDATE 1834z: 7 stations in 5 countries received on 6m MSK144 RX today so far.

UKAC results

The results of the 2m and 70cm UKAC activity contests have been published and I notice I had points deducted for logging errors. These were me being careless - sometimes it is as if my brain runs at a slower rate than it once did and I fail to get everything written down. Later, I see there are missing data, but it is too late. I notice this with driving too - these days I drive slower as my reactions are not as fast.

Nonetheless, on both bands my scores were still respectable considering I use just 5W and a big-wheel omni on 2m and 5W and a 2m halo fed with lossy coax on 70cm! I enjoy these contests but I need to take more care with the logs in future. In the end, it is more about taking part than the actual scores, but I need to try harder. Getting accurate logs should be straightforward.

uBitX 10-80m HF rig

This came in from Steve G1KQH:

Recent interview with Ashhar Farhan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9al-RiitWQ

Scroll video forward to around 54 mins to start.

uBitx HF-10-80 plus Gen coverage RX in production within the next couple of months, to be not much more expensive than Bitx40!!

(If you want to cut out some of the waffle and get down to it. Scroll video fwd to around 1:12 to watch the uBitx stuff) Link here:

https://youtu.be/T9al-RiitWQ?t=4343

Performance of FT-817???

Very interesting well worthy of watching with a glass of beer..

Alien space travel? - NOT amateur radio

This is pure speculation and there may well be other explanations, but two Harvard scientists have speculated that alien lifeforms on distant planets may be travelling through the cosmos using powerful radio beams to power their sails.

See http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/aliens-space-travel-fast-radio-bursts_us_58caf1f7e4b00705db4d8f65

Man has been searching for alien life for about 50 years. It is surprising that nothing has been found.

New cloud type - NOT amateur radio

Apparently, a new, rare cloud type has been officially acknowledged in a cloud atlas.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-39351843

Although I am not "into" clouds, I know some people are.

I do recall seeing lenticular clouds in the Yorkshire Dales some years ago.


The full version of the image on the LHS is at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenticular_cloud#/media/File:Lenticular_Cloud_over_Harold%27s_Cross_Dublin_Ireland_30-6-15.jpg

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

Cowslips - NOT amateur radio

The first cowslips have appeared here and, by any measure, we are now officially in spring. The clocks go forward this coming weekend.

100 sand martins (birds) have been seen in Devon. These are migrants often seen returning about now. I remember my dad telling me when he first saw these over the golf course. He died in 1987 sadly. I miss him.

Sunspots and 10m - Thursday March 23rd 2017

Solar flux is 71 today and the sunspot number is (don't hold your breath!) 12. A=27 and K=2.

10m? Anyone's guess.

Back on 6m MSK144 RX

Since breakfast, I have been on 6m MSK144 RX. So far EI7BMB (462km) and HB9FX (778km) spotted.

UPDATE 1120z: G0GGG (210km) now spotted on 6m MSK144.

UPDATE 1650z: 5 stations in 4 countries spotted on 6m MSK144 so far today (G, OZ, EI, HB9).

472kHz WSPR RX

As 10m JT65 got me no spots at all today, I QSYed to 630m (472kHz) WSPR RX this evening. So far on RX the best DX is DH5RAE (995km). ON7ZO (355km) is a new station for me, I think, on 472kHz RX.

To ensure a low noise floor, the PC is running on its batteries and the battery charger is not being used. With the SMPSU charging the batteries the noise on RX runs at S8. Just on batteries, the 472kHz noise floor is S0.

UPDATE 2138z: LA2XPA (1310km) is now the best DX on 472kHz RX.

UPDATE 2236z: EA5DOM (1525km) is now the furthermost DX on this band this evening.