Pedestrian HF Portable

We are in a period of good Es conditions on 10m and 6m. This usually lasts through May, June, July and August. It happens at other times too, but less often. Under such conditions just a few watts SSB can work DX even with a whip antenna. When F2 is good, DX to very far away is possible with QRP SSB.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/pedestrian

New ICOM and Yaesu products at Dayton?

Dayton is often the place where ICOM and Yaesu announce new products. I'd like to see a replacement to the FT817 from Yaesu, but have all but given up hope. Certainly a few years ago they would have released at a time of sunspot peak. As it is, we have years of falling conditions, so not the best "window of opportunity".

Lizards - NOT amateur radio

There were two large lizards watching us have lunch in the hotel garden earlier as the photo shows. We have seen quite a few smaller ones this week.

Sunspots and 10m - Thursday May 18th 2017

Solar flux is 71 today and the sunspot number 13. A=8 and K=4.

Northern Corfu - NOT amateur radio

Thunderstorms later today in Corfu, but some great skies as in this view at Kassiopi in north east Corfu. Albania is in the background.

Dayton (USA)

MAY 19-21st 2017 : DAYTON HAMVENTION® (new venue)

Greene County Fair & Exposition Center, Xenia, Dayton, Ohio, USA. Doors open at 8am. There will be trade stands and a huge flea market as well as special interest groups and an RSGB bookstall. A lecture programme will take place each day. There are multiple catering outlets and family attractions on site. US exams are available and there is a raffle. Details by email to international@hamvention.org. www.hamvention.org.

A list of rallies can be found at http://rsgb.org/main/news/rallies/

This is "the big one" in the USA and is often used by big companies to launch new products, often way ahead of them being on sale. I suspect rivals also see what their competition is up to. Maybe Yaesu created the FT991A after seeing the ICOM IC7300 at Dayton?

Sunspots and 10m - Wednesday May 17th 2017

Solar flux is 70 today. Sunspot number is 23.  A=8 and K=2.

Dragonfly - NOT amateur radio

A few days ago we visited the Blue Eye spring in southern Albania. I have never seen such clear water anywhere. These small blue dragonflies were everywhere.

Realtime HF Band Conditions

Southgate News reports on a real-time HF band conditions website. When I looked 10m was not even shown, encouraging the (often false) assumption that this band is a total waste of time for DX. OK, 10m is harder work now, but if no-one is there it will appear dead when in fact DX contacts can be made!

See http: //www.bandconditions.com/ .

Hacking attempts again? - NOT amateur radio

Even though I have posted little today so far, the blog visits are high again, with lots of "interest" from a certain nation in eastern Europe. Genuine visits are welcome, whereas "probes" are not.

Sunspots and 10m - Tuesday May 16th 2017

Solar flux is 70 today. Sunspot number remains zero. A=14 and K=2.

Albania: a surprise - NOT amateur radio

In my mind Albania was a scruffy, post-communist place. Remember Radio Tirana in the communist days? I was expecting a polluted dump. How wrong can you be!

Sarande, on the coast, is a vibrant town with lots of building work.  The waters near the Blue Eye spring were crystal clear and clean. In fact cleaner than most rivers.

The remains at Butrint date back to the early Greeks and were remarkable.

There are beautiful mountains, lakes and forests. Everyone we met was kind and helpful.  Prices were reasonable and far less than in Corfu.

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

Sunspots and 10m - Monday May 15th 2017

Solar flux is 70 and sunspot number zero again. A=10 and K=2.

QRP and QRP Club

From Oleg:

Dear Club 72 members and friends,

Weekly QRP Rendez-Vous Report (May, 14, 2017)
Visitors  of  the  week:  DK1HW,  G3XJS, UR7VT, RV3GM, I1DBD, IK2RMZ,
DK2SC,  R2FAE,  R1CAN, UR5EFD, PA5XM, HA7NE, IZ0RQF, US5ERQ, EW7BW/1,
R1CAF,  UA1CEG,  ON6WJ,  HB9DAX, UA1CEX, UR0ET, US3EN, DL1HSI, OM6TC,
IK3GHZ, LZ1AQ, RU3NJC
Congrats!
PA5XM, DL1HSI entered in the Honor Frequenters list (regular visitors)
Welcome new Visitors - I3DBD, IK3GHZ, LZ1AQ
See full Frequenters and Visitors lists on the Club 72 web page
Some comments...
See full version of the WQR Report on the blog page -http://qrp-club72.blogspot.ru/
Special thanks Peter G3XJS for regular comments!
See all QRP operators on the next 'rendezvous" round tables

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.

Sunspots and 10m - Sunday May 14th 2017

Solar flux is 70 today and the sunspot number remains zero. A=4 and K=3.

Sunspots and 10m - Saturday May 13th 2017

Solar flux is 69 today and the sunspot number is again zero. A=7 and K=1.

Rally

MAY14th  2017 : 36th LOUGH ERNE ARC ANNUAL RALLY

Share Centre, Smiths Strand, Lisnaskea, Co. Fermanagh BT92 0JZ Doors open at 11.30am. There will be trade stands, a Bring & Buy and an RSGB bookstand, Catering is available on site. Mark Mullaney, EI4HDB by email to ei4hdb@gmail.com.

A list of rallies can be found at http://rsgb.org/main/news/rallies/

Sunspots and 10m - Friday May 12th 2017

Solar flux is 69 and the sunspot number is again zero.  A=6 and K=1.

More OFCOM consultation

OFCOM are consulting on 4G and hearing aids at 2.3GHz.

See http://ofcom.createsend1.com/t/ViewEmail/i/A85E9C86813AF526/59D1BD3EA2F08127C67FD2F38AC4859C

Bee - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday, for a change in East Anglia, we had sunshine most of the day. Since the start of May it has been cloudy although a lot of the UK has been bathed in sunshine. Anyway, we decided to eat outside. A bee decided to take a fancy to my blue shirt. It was there for about 10 minutes.

Sunspots and 10m - Thursday May 11th 2017

Solar flux is 69 and the sunspot number is again zero.  A=6 and K=3.

6m MSK144 RX and 10 WSPR TX again

Currently, I am on 6m MSK144 RX (14 stations in 8 countries in last 12 hours) and 10m WSPR TX (500mW) but nothing yet on 10m.

UPDATE 1053z: On 6m MSK144 RX the score is currently 18 stations in 9 countries. Best DX on 6m MSK144 RX is SP3OCC (1222km). GS3PYE has again been spotted on 6m sending IO76VL which is near Loch Tay. I assume this correct as they were /P on Islay. On 10m WSPR EA1FAQ (1249km) has again spotted my 500mW a couple of times.

UPDATE 1436z: The 6m MSK144 RX score is 26 stations in 13 countries. Meanwhile, 6 unique stations have spotted my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon.

10m WSPR TX

My 500mW 10m WSPR beacon is on and has been since breakfast. EA1FAQ (1249km) has spotted me twice, suggesting Es already.

Birds: a better day - NOT amateur radio

Well, today was more promising. A bunch of swifts eating insects high in the sky, a sparrowhawk and a buzzard nearby. All spotted from the breakfast table at around 0730z.

UPDATE 1220z:  For the first time this season there were about 10 swifts overhead screaming on the wing. Oh joy, really.

Sunspots and 10m - Wednesday May 10th 2017

Solar flux is 68 today and the sunspot number is zero. A=6 and K=1. On the face of it, not too promising on the higher HF bands.

OFCOM technical consultation on 700MHz co-existence

OFCOM is carrying out a technical consultation on co-existence at 700MHz.

See http://ofcom.createsend1.com/t/ViewEmail/i/08E5DB7A9F4EFBD3/59D1BD3EA2F08127C67FD2F38AC4859COFCOM

6m MSK144 RX so far today

6m MSK144 RX has been my choice so far since breakfast. 12 stations in 9 countries spotted already and it is only 0908z.

70cm UKAC activity contest

Well, although I received a reminder, I almost forgot this! I remembered about 50 minutes after the contest started. Best DX was again G4CLA (105km) who must have very good ears hearing my 5W fed with lossy coax to my 2m halo. Because of my poor voice I didn't stop on long.

Probing still? - NOT amateur radio

Yet again blog visits are exceptionally high this morning and the number of visits coincides with a peak in visits from one Eastern European country.

I am sure most of these visits have little to do with amateur radio. If you are genuinely interested, then welcome. If your intentions are malicious, look elsewhere please.

Yesterday, this blog received four times the average number of visits. I smell a rat.

Sunspots and 10m - Tuesday May 9th 2017

What a difference a year makes on 10m! On this day last year I was exchanging WSPR spots with FR1GZ deep in the Indian Ocean and spotting Brazil on 10m WSPR.

Solar flux is 70 today and the sunspot number 11. A=6 and K=1. So far, the only spot on 10m WSPR was probably by tropo.

6m MSK144 RX

Yet again, I am on 6m MSK144 RX. So far 12 stations in 6 countries spotted with the best DX EA1SI (1069km) in Spain.

UPDATE 1124z:  Now 21 stations in 11 countries spotted on 6m MSK144 RX in the last 12 hours. Best DX is SM5KWU (1304km) in Sweden.

UPDATE 1325z:   27 stations in 12 countries so far in last 12 hours on 6m MSK144 RX.

UPDATE 2205z: Although I have now gone QRT on all bands, the total on 6m MSK144 RX was 30 stations in 12 countries in the last 12 hours.

10m WSPR

I have been on 10m WSPR TX overnight (500mW). Only one spot from PG0DX/1 (411km) during the overnight period. This was possibly tropo? I am still on 10m WSPR, ever hopeful.

Probing? - NOT amateur radio

Funny how one of my blogs had exceptional numbers yesterday and this blog exceptional numbers today. The fact these coincide with great interest from a certain Eastern European nation is purely coincidence?

Somehow I think someone is doing a regular probe to see if they are suitable sites to hack. Should my blogs suddenly disappear or behave oddly, you will know why. I try to avoid this, but some very famous sites have been affected in the past.

No internet - NOT amateur radio

Our broadband stopped working last night. I called the helpline and after an hour on the phone to India (where the call centre was located) it still refused to work. I was exhausted. After lunch my wife tried the call centre. A different person this time. Within 5 minutes everything was working. I don't know what she did but it worked.

Fewer swallows (birds)? - NOT amateur radio

It is the second week in May and I have seen no house martins, just one swift and very few swallows. I may be wrong, but there seem fewer around here this year.

Yesterday we went for a walk, taking about an hour, around part of the village and the skies were empty of these. In years past, the skies would have been filled with these migrants.

Each year that passes, there appear to be fewer and fewer. Just a few years ago (even last year) swifts were the most common bird in the summer sky. I have been looking and there are very few around, so far at least. Maybe they are late arriving, although I fear there are genuinely fewer about.

From the  RSPB website:

"Swallow numbers in the UK have fluctuated over the last 30 years with pronounced regional variation in trends."

See https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bird-and-wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/s/swallow/ .
See https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bird-and-wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/s/swift/

PSK31 versus JT65

I was going to try PSK31 on 10m today, then I read this and decided against it! I shall try 10m JT65 (2W) again.

http://forums.qrz.com/index.php?threads/what-can-jt65-do-that-psk31-cant-do-what-can-jt9-do-that-jt65-cant-do.540841/page-2

UPDATE 1648z: No JT65 spots on 10m here today, at least not yet.

Wideband verticals

There are several examples of wideband verticals. These are often designed to work without an ATU but performance is compromised. Martin, G8JNJ, has done some analysis of these. In some applications, these antennas serve a purpose, although the commercial versions are not low cost. If you can accept the compromises then take a look.

See http://www.g8jnj.net/cometcha250b.htm

Sunspots and 10m - Monday May 8th 2017

Solar flux is 70 today and sunspot number 23. A=8 and K=2. There seems to be more Es on 10m now although little real DX outside of Europe with my antenna. Others with better antennas and more power may be fairing better on 10m.

Muntjac Deer - NOT amateur radio

This small deer was introduced in the UK, but is now common. Last year we had some in our garden, and they nibbled our sweet peas! We saw one today in a nearby meadow. They are like a large dog in size.

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

VLF tests continue

Experiments at VLF by amateurs continue with DK7FC leading those TXing on bands from 970Hz to 8270Hz. People as far away as Italy and the UK have been trying to receive these transmissions, some successfully.

Unlike commercial stations, these are amateurs using modest powers and "back yard" antennas. At one time people said, "we'll never get over the garden wall at VLF". Instead, signals are being received over hundreds and sometimes thousands of kilometres. I think in the past I have copied 5 different amateur VLF signals from as far away as Germany and the Czech Republic.

The secret is long integration periods, very narrow bandwidths and great stability. Casual listening will not work. Amateur VLF work requires care and dedication, quite different from reception of commercial VLF stations with huge powers and antennas.