Swifts - NOT amateur radio

Swifts are gathering in great numbers. This evening there must have been 50 or more on the wing eating insects on the wing over our heads. Many must be this year's youngsters. In about a month most will be gone. The screaming will stop one day and we will realise the great migration has happened. It amazes me that these birds fly so far every year. Then we will have to wait until next April to see them again.

French animal deaths - NOT amateur radio

It seems (according to the BBC) that animals in France are dying in numbers far higher than expected for unknown reasons. Some of these deaths are near wind farms and mobile phone masts. Research has so far been inconclusive. It is odd and unexplained.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/video_and_audio/headlines/49045742/mystery-surrounds-animal-deaths-on-france-s-farms

The next US president? - NOT amateur radio

Here is a puzzle. Enough people in the USA loved President Trump to get him elected whereas almost everywhere outside the USA he is viewed as a fool and incompetent.

It is honestly true that I have interacted with not a single person outside the USA that has a good word for him. Truly. Perhaps his "make America great again" mantra finds favour in the USA. Perhaps he will even get a second term in office.

There seems a great lack of real leaders in the world currently. Most seem to seek power for their own good rather than because they seek a greater good and are great statesmen. Given time, I hope this will change.

We need leaders with vision to see beyond their own self interest to the greater good of their nations and the world.

Great Es on 6m

Currently I am on 6m FT8 RX and there is a great Es opening, if not the best this summer. Although it is only 0853z 113 stations from all over Europe already copied.

Sunspots - Monday July 22nd 2019

Solar flux remains stubbornly at 67 and the sunspot number still 0. A=8 and K=2.

This feels, very much like sunspot minimum. At least we can look forward to better times, if not the great times of 60-70 years ago.

New friend? - NOT amateur radio

My daughter-in-law and 2 of our grandchildren are staying with friends in Suffolk.

Our granddaughter seems to have made a new friend that comes every time she calls it! Earlier in a video chat it sat on her shoulder then the phone!

Es' Hail satellite

As many will recall, I occasionally look at the activity on this geosynchronous satellite using the Goonhilly web SDR. As far as I can tell, activity levels are much the same as a few months ago. Some new people have come and some have gone. Most times there are around 6-8 active stations. At the moment I am not inclined to assemble gear for Oscar 100.

See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/

Surprise visitor - NOT amateur radio

We had a surprise visitor on our washing line. It was a large dragonfly.

As soon as my wife went for the better camera it flew off!  😖

Another 50th wedding photo - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday, I mentioned that we had been to the 50th wedding anniversary celebrations of our delightful neighbours. Here is another photo.

Sunspots - Sunday July 21st 2019

Solar flux is still 67 and the SSN 0. A=3 and K=1.

6m FT8

Good Es this morning on 6m. My brief CQ was spotted by 16 stations (no QSOs) as far away as Sardinia. On 6m FT8 RX 19 stations from all over Europe copied so far in the last few minutes.

UPDATE 0848z: 36 stations so far spotted this morning on 6m FT8 RX. My theory about most Es openings late in the season being to northern Europe is being tested! 😕

UPDATE 1400z: Now 158 stations spotted today on 6m FT8 RX with best DX being N4BP (7118km) in Florida, USA. A good day on 6m.

UPDATE 1614z: Now 206 stations spotted today on 6m FT8 RX. Just recently, Israel spotted.

UPDATE 1802z: Now 280 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX today in 4 continents.

Es (sporadic E) super DX

OK, I may be wrong, but to me multi-hop (lots of hops) Es does not seem to fit with some of the "real DX" being worked on 10m and 6m.

Some of the paths being worked would need 5-6 hops or more. To me, it seems far more probable these very long paths depend on some sort of chordal hop between patches of E layer ionisation without the intermediate hops. Of course, multi-hops are possible in some cases, but I am sure these are the exceptions. For European DX on 10m and 6m I am sure 1 and 2 hop Es is likely in the summer months.

Neighbours 50th wedding anniversary celebrations - NOT amateur radio

This lunchtime we joined about 70 other people at a local garden centre for food and drinks to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of our next door neighbour. It was a happy, unfussy occasion.

2m AM rig

Many years ago I used a homebrew 2m AM rig. It was about 500mW out from memory. When I bought a second-hand Liner-2 SSB rig it was abandoned. I think it was scrapped for parts. I think the meter is still being used today as part of an antenna current meter on 630m! I can see an old Pye Telecom PF2AMB speaker/mic.

For several months I had a regular sked on CW with G5UM who was about 80km away. As I recall I used an external 455kHz "gimmick" BFO to resolve him. On RX the oscillator drifted! On AM it mattered little. He always gave me 559.

The rig was crystal controlled on TX.  It had a metal case covered in wood effect fablon. For its time, it was a decent rig and got me to France in a lift. Happy days!

2m FT8 RX

Until just now I have been on 2m FT8 RX with the big-wheel omni antenna. I am at the moment QRT, but 9 stations spotted here in the last hour on 2m FT8 RX with best DX spotted being DL6YBF (471km).

UPDATE 1524z: Back on 2m FT8. A recent CQ call resulted in no QSOs, but I was spotted in Devon by G4RRA (333km) and Cornwall  by G7RAU (461km). In all, 12 stations spotted me.

UPDATE 1642z: 13 stations in 4 countries spotted in the last few hours on 2m FT8 RX with best DX being DF6PW (562km).

UPDATE 1825z: 38 stations spotted on 2m FT8 RX in the last half day including 5 Germans.

UPDATE  2040z: Soon be time to go QRT. In all today 48 different stations spotted on 2m FT8 RX.

Why? - NOT amateur radio

Earlier today this photo from 2012 popped up. It was taken at our old house.

Neither my wife nor I can remember why I should be holding what looks like a young long tailed tit. OK it was 7 years ago, but you'd think something would be triggered!

Sunspots - Saturday July 20th 2019

Solar flux is 67 and the SSN 0. A=4 and K=0.

Rainbow Lorikeets - NOT amateur radio

At the moment, our younger grandson is in Australia seeing his Australian grandparents. He is mad on rainbow lorikeets. As the photo shows, he is in his element!

Moon landing - NOT amateur radio

Like most people of a certain age, I can remember precisely where I was when Man first landed on the Moon 50 years ago tomorrow. In some ways it feels like yesterday, although it was before I had started work.

And to think how little computing power they had! Looking back, these were very very brave men. It seems amazing that we have not been back to the moon since 1972.

Old radio amateur

This morning I had a visit from an old work colleague (now 94). It must be 30 years since we last met. Eric was first interested in amateur radio in 1937!! He was a D-day veteran who was recently on TV.

In the photo that I am holding he met the Prince of Wales, who could soon be our next king. Eric is a very modest person. He came out with his daughter, who is also like her dad. She was great.

Eric is as sharp as ever mentally.

Emu in garden? - NOT amateur radio

Certainly last year, we encountered this strange sight in the next village: 2 emus in a garden with the chickens! I guess the owners wanted the eggs. They were there for several years, although I have not checked this year.

6m FT8

In the last 6 hours 19 stations in 6 countries spotted on 6m FT8 RX. There is some Es to Sweden and southern Europe.

UPDATE 1458z: Now 41 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX today. Most were Europeans via Es, but my best was KP4EIT (6834km) in Puerto Rico in the Caribbean.

UPDATE 1750z: 54 stations spotted today on 6m FT8 RX. A very brief CQ was spotted in Sweden.

Sunspots - Friday July 19th 2019

Solar flux is 67 and the SSN is still 0. A=7 and K=1.

Wisdom - NOT amateur radio

Honestly, with my hand on my heart, I have not met anybody outside of the USA that has a good word to say about President Trump. Within the USA he may be liked, but outside he is very disliked.

What never fails to amaze me is why so many Americans voted for him. He comes over as an idiotic bigot. I am not saying he is, but one can be forgiven for thinking he is. I heard his pronunciation of Namibia recently. Surely the president of the most powerful nation on the planet cannot be this ignorant?

So tell me, oh wise one, exactly where is Nambia?

Apples - NOT amateur radio

We have had a decent summer. It has been moderately sunny, but not the unbearable heat we had last year. The apples on the trees are ripening as are the plums.  The photo shows the apples in the lane leading up to "our" windmill.

Rally

Sunday 21 JULY : FINNINGLEY ARS RALLY

The Hurst Communications Centre, Belton Road , Sandtoft, Doncaster DN8 5SX. Doors open 10am. Free parking. Massive indoor / outdoor traders area with major traders and club stalls from microwave components to QRP kits. Hot food and drinks all day. Admission £3. Contact Kevin G3AAF on 07831 614640 or email Kevin.Avery@tunstall.com.

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

Brittany circus - NOT amateur radio

As some may recall, my wife and I spent a few days with our French "outlaws" in northern Brittany. These are our son's French in-laws. We had a lovely few days there.

On one of our trips we passed this circus complete with strange animals.

6m FT8

It is 0825z. I am about to go on 6m FT8. At first it will probably be RX only although I might try TX later.

Dangerous storms seem a very long way away.

UPDATE 0840z: As there was no Es evident here, I called CQ. No QSOs resulted but reports from 12 stations with my best DX report coming from G7RAU (461km) in Cornwall. All reports were from Gs. Still using the V2000 vertical omni antenna.

UPDATE 1107z: Now 10 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX. Interestingly just a couple of Finns copied by Es. Seems to re-enforce my view that more northerly stations seem to dominate later in the Es season.

UPDATE 1512z: 22 stations spotted including 3 which are probably Es, all in a NE direction.

UPDATE 1843z: Now 31 stations in 4 countries spotted on 6m FT8 RX today.  All of these are G or NE Europe.

Sunspots - Thursday July 18th 2019

Solar flux is 67 and the SSN still zero. A=7 and K=1. Still the pits!

YouTube puzzle

Today I had an email from someone who could not access a YouTube video of mine referenced in my recent RSGB RadCom article. When I first tried it said "video unavailable". I tried again typing the link in the article and all was fine. It said the video had had 240 views.

The person tried 3 times again without success. So I tried again, this time as my wife with her ID on her iPad, typing in the precise link in the RadCom article. No problems except it now said 2416 views!

So, I am totally baffled why the views seem to differ so much and why there should be access issues. By the way, I checked the video was definitely "public" and not "private" or "unlisted". All very odd.

2m FT8

About 25 minutes ago I switched from 6m FT8 to 2m FT8. My 2m FT8 CQ call was spotted by 12 stations in 4 countries with the best DX being a spot by GI6ATZ (479km) near Belfast. Antenna is still the big-wheel omni.

On RX 5 stations so far spotted with best DX being DO9JF (560km) in the Saar area of Germany.

2m FT8 RX in the last 
few hours to 1924z.

UPDATE 1924z: 48 stations in 6 countries spotted in the last 6 hours on 2m FT8 RX and 19 stations spotted my 2m FT8 TX CQ. 2 QSOs resulted. At the moment I am RX only.

UPDATE 2107z: Now 50 stations in 6 countries spotted on 2m FT8 RX today with best DX spotted DJ6AG (689km). Soon be time to go QRT and unplug things.

UPDATE 2120z: Now QRT.

Es to northern Europe

In an earlier post I mentioned that more northerly stations seemed to be more predominant later in the Es season. This is based on nothing scientific, but 6m FT8 RX results today are predominantly from northern Europe.

If this observation is true I have absolutely no idea why. Regarding E layer propagation, I am sure there is a lot still to learn, especially regarding "real DX", by which I mean really long distances outside Europe such as to Japan, the Caribbean or North America. 

In my view multi-hop Es does not fit these "real DX" cases. I may be wrong.

Moorhen - NOT amateur radio

We visit nearby Anglesey Abbey most months. This moorhen was on the mill leet.

New release of WSJT-X with FT4

According to Southgate News there is new release of this free software that includes FT4. I shall have to download it as I was waiting for the fully released version.

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2019/july/new-wsjt-x-with-ft4-released.htm

6m FT8

Although it is only 0850z, quite a bit of Es on 6m. As I suggested in an earlier post, more northerly stations seem more abundant.  Best DX on 6m FT8 RX is LA1PHA (1704km).

UPDATE 1215z: So far today 73 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX.

Getting older - NOT amateur radio

In December I am 71 years old. In some ways the teenage, carefree, days feel like just yesterday, although they were a long time ago.

I am aware of my age and that I can no longer do some of the things I once could. They say, "live in the moment", but that is sometimes hard to do. On the whole, I have had a good life. Yes, like everyone, there have been good times and bad.

All I can advise is do what you can. Milk life like there is no tomorrow. Be kind to people and consider how they feel whether 8 or 80.

FT-991A web page

I have owned the FT-991A for a few weeks now, so have created a webpage. As time goes by, I hope to add more stuff.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/ft991a

Sunspots - Wednesday July 17th 2019

Solar flux is 67 and the sunspot number 0. A=7 and K=1.

Hedge trimming time - NOT amateur radio

It is fair to say I am knackered! This year seemed far harder than last.

This morning, I trimmed the front laurel hedge, although I have still to do the far side and sweep up all the cuttings. Usually I do it once or twice a year. Although I have a cordless hedge-cutter, I find the mains powered one better for this job.

70cm threat?

Many do not realise it, but parts of the 70cm amateur band are shared with other services. Already there are some transceivers (licence free) that operate at low power at 70cm.

Southgate News has a piece about adding a transceiver module to a smartphone that gives communications at longer ranges than wi-fi . It operates at ISM frequencies at 433 and 915MHz.

The photo shows a typical 433MHz LORA module. There are plenty on the internet. The one on the Southgate link was 100mW.

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2019/july/adding-lora-long-range-radio-to-smartphones-and-connected-devices.htm