Sunspots - Friday April 20th 2018

Solar flux is 70 today. Sunspot number remains zero. A=5 and K=1.

New Software

I just downloaded WSJT-X V1.9 rc3 and it seems to work fine with stations spotted from all over Europe on 40m FT8 RX in the last 15 minutes.

Kings - NOT amateur radio

As we are "local" we get cards which give us free entry into the Cambridge colleges. People come right across the world to see sights we take for granted. One photo shows Kings College Chapel and another the Wren Library and some punts.

International Marconi Day

21 APRIL 2018 : INTERNATIONAL MARCONI DAY

To register your official Marconi site station please email crac.imd@gmail.com or visit www.gb4imd.co.uk.

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

Where we ate yesterday - NOT amateur radio

As mentioned before we visited Harleston and Diss yesterday. We ate lunch in Harleston in an antiques centre surrounded by old books and ephemera.

WSJT-X V1.9 rc3

A look at the Princeton site shows there is a WSJT-X V1.9 rc3 available. I need to check more often!

See https://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/wsjtx.html

rc3 means "release candidate 3", so further changes are still possible before it is "officially" released.

40m FT8 RX

Overnight, I remained on 7.074MHz FT8 RX.

North and South America, Caribbean, Asia , Africa and loads of Europeans spotted. Overall, quite amazing.

Even North America spotted in the last few hours.

In the next few hours I shall probably go QRT and download the latest version of WSJT-X.

Sunspots - Thursday April 19th 2018

Solar flux has risen to 71, although the sunspot number is still zero. A=6 and K=1.

Diss - NOT amateur radio

Today we visited Harleston and Diss.

In our view Harleston was a dump, but Diss was a charming old town on the edge of a mere. People in Diss that we came into contact with were helpful and kind.

Suddenly, the sun was out and it was hot: the best day this year so far.

40m FT8 RX

As a complete change, I am on 40m FT8 RX this evening. There are lots of stations being received. Best DX spotted so far is A45XR (5794km). Considering my antenna (very low) I am amazed.

UPDATE 2012z: Best DX spotted on 40m FT8 RX is XV3GMI (9739km) in Vietnam.

UPDATE 2035z: Now PY6HD (8101km) spotted on 40m FT8 RX this evening.

Spring? - NOT amateur radio

It has seemed a never ending, dull winter with no spring. Yesterday was different: warm sunshine and the first real day that felt like spring. The next few days are promising too. The collage shows nearby Anglesey Abbey bursting out with fresh green leaves.

Super VHF/UHF/SHF DX via noctilucent clouds?

In the next few months noctilucent clouds are often seen. There is a possibility that these are responsible for the very long 6m paths that regularly open from western Europe to Japan in the early summer. These openings are as regular as clockwork in the early summer, and then they just stop. It is a very long way on 6m and the conventional wisdom that this is multi-hop Es to me seems very unlikely. Last June, several Japanese stations were spotted on 6m JT65, even on my omnidirectional vertical.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/noctilucent

Digital mode frequencies (Region 1)

If you are like me, you will be unsure of the commonly used frequencies in Region 1 for various digital modes. I found this link helpful as a reminder.

See http://www.qsl.net/sv1grb/psk31.htm

Sunspots - Wednesday April 18th 2018

Solar flux is 68 today and the sunspot number 0.  A=4 and K=2.

2m UKAC Results

The results are out for the 2m UKAC activity contests organised by the RSGB. In the low power section I am 66th out of 132 places. Considering I only use 5W to an omnidirectional antenna and usually stay on for around 30 minutes, I am quite happy.

Beetle - NOT amateur radio

This very iridescent beetle was seen earlier today at Anglesey Abbey, near Cambridge, UK. It is probably a very common sort.

10m FT8 RX

After a very brief period on TX, I am again on 10m FT8 RX. Not unexpectedly, no spots. At least I try!

UPDATE 1042z: No 10m FT8 spots here today so far.

UPDATE 1134z: G7BXU (124km) near or in Reading spotted. This could be tropo or aircraft reflection (Heathrow stack?). Nothing else so far today.

UPDATE 1156z: Now G4YBI (83km) to the east of London spotted. This is already 100% better than yesterday.

UPDATE 1629z: No further spots here today on 10m FT8 RX. Not exactly promising, but I'll monitor until about 0830z "just in case" there is some real DX. Then I'll try a different band for a while.

UPDATE 2024z: No further 10m FT8 spots today, so time to go QRT.

End of season on 472kHz?

Last night I was on 472kHz WSPR RX. Only 3 different stations were received, whereas earlier in the year I copied 12-15 different stations in the same sort of period and with the same gear and antenna. My conclusion is the "season" is ending and there are now fewer stations active. I guess many will return later in the year.

2m FT8 RX - not today

As you will have seen from earlier posts, 2m FT8 has been a true revelation. The 15 second TX periods mean even very short openings are now seen. As a result, unheard of DX (at least for me!) is being copied even with my omnidirectional antenna. When I do go on TX (maybe for 3 minutes a day) I am regularly copied over 300km despite only using 2.5W QRP.

6m - magic band

In the Es season, this is a great band allowing a long way to be worked with QRP and simple antennas. This summer, it is likely to be even better with FT8. Although FT8 activity on 6m is currently well down on 2m, I suspect this will soon change once we see some E-layer DX.

Last spring and summer, quite a lot of real DX (outside Europe) was copied on 6m JT65. This year, I shall probably concentrate on FT8 to see what can be spotted.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/6m_op

Ant (of Ant and Dec) - NOT amateur radio

Allegedly, Ant (a UK TV star) has been fined £86k and banned from driving for being over the drink-drive alcohol limit. He is very sorry for his actions. Sadly, his reputation has been badly dented.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-43786771

The Liner-2

This was the very first 2m SSB rig available in Europe and it revolutionised 2m.

I first got mine second-hand in the mid-1970s and was amazed how far one could work on 10W of SSB, especially as before I'd only used a few watts of FM or AM. Stations that I could never imagine hearing, let alone working, suddenly were within my grasp, even with just a dipole or HB9CV antenna. This was the experience of many in those exciting early days of SSB in Europe when activity was around 145.41MHz.

The Liner-2 had plenty of faults! It was basically a modified 10m rig and produced lots of spurii, especially if the power was pushed up. Many used it with a 9 element Tonna antenna and a 30W linear. Having said all that, I was able to work some amazing DX with a simple, indoor antenna and the Liner-2 barefoot.

There was also a 70cm version produced by Belcom, although I never owned one or even saw one.

In its day, it was a trailblazer. We have come a very long way since then.

Sunspots - Tuesday April 17th 2018

Solar flux is 69 today. The sunspot number is zero. A=3 and K=1.

472kHz WSPR RX

After a very disappointing day on 10m (28MHz) FT8 in which just a single G was spotted, I have now moved to MF RX. The shack PC is on battery power which should be good until early morning with a nice quiet noise floor.

As yet, no spots, even after 20 minutes. I am beginning to think some of the regulars have gone QRT until the autumn.

UPDATE 2102z: Just a single spot of PA3ABK (306km) so far this evening. At least the gear is working!

UPDATE 2124z: Now DK2DB (685km) spotted.

K1 transceiver

Years ago I built and used an Elecraft K1 CW transceiver. A few years ago it was sold. For its intended purpose, it worked well.

These days I prefer to use digital modes like FT8 and WSPR.

There are better products available nowadays from Elecraft such as the KX2 and KX3 QRP transceivers. In the UK these are expensive especially if you buy the extras as well. They are very good rigs though, although I'd think twice about field use in rain.

See http://www.elecraft.com/
See also https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/k1

A high sensitivity MOSFET crystal set

Firstly, I should say I have not built this, but it looks interesting.

See http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Technology/tis/info/pdf/culter.pdf

Sub 9kHz amateur radio

At one time, I was fit and well and did quite a bit at VLF.  Apart from receiving several EU stations at VLF, I used earth-mode and could detect my own signals at 6km. Further would have been possible. 

Others, using radiated signals, have covered some quite remarkable distances from amateur gardens with modest powers. At one time people said we'd be lucky to get "over the garden fence".  How very wrong they were!

I still maintain the Sub-9kHz Amateur Radio website. Quite a bit is happening and, contrary to popular belief, big antennas are not needed for VLF RX. What is needed on TX are very stable signals and very long times. Luckily, free software allows VLF MSK commercial stations to be used as stable signals to achieve lock.

10m FT8 RX

We are nearing the Es season in the northern hemisphere.

Today, I am monitoring 10m FT8 RX, but as yet no spots. Usually, I spot the odd UK station, the odd European and sometimes South America, although openings to this part of the world are usually in the evening at this time of the year on 10m in the UK.

UPDATE 1832z: Still no spots on 10m FT8 so far today. At the moment things look dire on 10m. Usually by now I have copied something, but as yet nothing at all today! I even went to check the antenna was connected! I shall continue to monitor for a few hours, but I am not very hopeful. Later, I may try 472kHz (630m) WSPR RX.

UPDATE 1924z: Still no DX today. G0PQO (IO92) was copied this afternoon but this spot was not uploaded to PSKreporter. I'll give it another hour then QSY to MF RX.

Mental health issues - NOT amateur radio

This came in from Molly. You may find the links helpful.

"Hi,

Having had personal experience with addiction, I’ve seen how important it is to address mental health issues before they take control. I truly believe it’s lifesaving to nurture our innermost selves before mental health conditions become debilitating, whether it’s something as common as stress and anger or something as complex as depression or suicidal thoughts.

As part of my work with Recovery Hope, I’m sending you some articles that offer insight and support for those who may be struggling. I hope you’ll consider adding these to your site on this page or one like it (http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2010_05_01_archive.html​). Based on the information you have there, it seems you’re just as aware of how important it is for people to care for their emotional wellbeing.

A Checklist for Parents with Children with Mental Health Problems

For Teachers: Children’s Mental Health Disorder Fact Sheet for the Classroom

Promoting Mental Health at Home: How to Design the Perfect Meditation Room

Healthy Eating and Depression: How Diet May Help Protect Your Mental Health

5 Ways to Use Feng Shui in Your Home Design

Drug Abuse and Addiction: Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms of Drug Addiction

Anger Management and Addiction: How to Take Charge of Anger Issues in Sobriety

Elderly Mental Health: How to Help Your Senior

Coping with the Loss of a Loved One

I truly thank you in advance for your support! If you’re open to working with me so that I can write an article for you that further explores the importance of mental health on our overall wellness, please let me know. Since this is a subject so close to me, there is no charge. (If you don’t want me to contact you again, please let me know that as well.)

Thanks,

Molly

Molly Anderson​

Sunspots - Monday April 16th 2018

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

Exhaustion: stroke or old age? - NOT amateur radio

Later this year I turn 70. In 2013 I had a stroke. At the moment 15 minutes of physical work leaves me totally drained. I am unsure if this is as a result of my stroke or just me getting older. Either way, it is no fun. In many ways I feel so much older than, say, 5 years ago. I try to remain positive, but it is hard.

Canada and 5MHz

The new frequency allocation table for Canada has been published reports Southgate News. As yet, Canadian amateurs are not allowed to use the new 15kHz wide WRC 5MHz allocation.

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2018/april/canada-new-100w-ham-radio-5-mhz-allocation.htm#.WtN4CkxFzIU

Personally, I think the sooner we all have a harmonised allocation at 60m the better. Additional channels would be a bonus. As a QRPer, I'd settle for 5W too!

137kHz Transverter

One of my videos describes my transverter for 137kHz, a band on which I had no suitable antennas. Best DX was a WSPR spot by G8HUH at 250km. This is also on my main website at www.g3xbm.co.uk  where you can also find a better quality schematic.

In the end this was converted into a RX-TX transverter, although the FT817 was very deaf on 137kHz!

See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHGLkA25MQA

Fallen tree - NOT amateur radio

A few days ago we went for a walk at Dalham. The photo shows our "London" grandchildren enjoying a fallen tree on the walk.

G3XBM video channel

A reminder that quite a few of my projects are shown in YouTube videos on my channel G3XBM. Many of my projects can be seen here in videos made over the years. Most are amateur radio related, but a few are not.

2m FT8 again

After a brief TX period just before breakfast with best DX a spot by G1IDZ (184km), although I was also copied in France, I am now on 2m FT8 RX. Again, I am using 2.5W and my big-wheel omnidirectional antenna. So far, 17 unique stations spotted in 4 countries (0930z).

UPDATE 1145z: Now 35 uniques in 5 countries on 2m FT8 RX today so far.

Stations spotted by 1452z

today on 2m FT8 RX

UPDATE 1452z: Currently 50 uniques in 6 countries on 2m FT8 RX today.

UPDATE 1820z: Now 66 uniques in 6 countries spotted on 2m FT8 RX today.

UPDATE 1840z: Now 73 uniques in 9 countries today on 2m FT8 RX. 2m!!!

UPDATE 2128z: Now QRT.  Best DX today on 2m FT8 RX was DJ6GK (607km) in Hesse, Germany.

Sunspots - Sunday April 15th 2018

Solar flux is 69 and the sunspot number 11.  A=6 and K=2.

Amazon Prime - NOT amateur radio

Both my wife and I have been "caught" by Amazon Prime. Neither of us wanted this service and we both cancelled immediately.

As far as I can tell, I did everything possible to avoid signing up, yet still found I had joined! To this day, I do not understand how.

Amazon must be employing some very dodgy methods to make you sign up. Unless you manually opt out they will charge your card every month. To my mind "this is not cricket" as they say here. If you want to sign up then make this clear and simple. If you do not want to sign up then it should not allow you to sign up by mistake.

Money to burn?

On the Southgate News page it says you can now buy a companion loudspeaker for the ICOM IC-7610 transceiver. All you need, allegedly, is a spare £192!! For this price you can equip an amateur radio station capable of worldwide QSOs. To me this is silly money for what is after all just a LS. I guess each to his own.

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2018/april/new-matching-sp-41-speaker-for-the-ic-7610.htm#.WtJEuUxFzIU

Red-legged partridge - NOT amateur radio

After several months without seeing any, these handsome birds have returned to our Close. Earlier this week one nearly fed from my hand, coming about 25cms (1 foot) from my hand, curious.