10m loop improvements

Yesterday, I modified my 10m loop to make it easier to tune. The measured capacitance at resonance was just under 40pF. I replaced the 365pF variable with a fixed 27pF in series with a fixed 27pF capacitor in series with a 5-65pF trimmer. Tuning is now much less difficult and the SWR on-tune very good. A quick test was spotted by 3 locals.

Cambridge Club (CDARC) Zoom meeting

As the Cambridge club cannot meet as usual every 2 weeks, it is meeting virtually instead. The last sessions were on the local repeater GB3PI with the prior approval of the repeater group. Tonight there is a talk with slides by Gavin M1BXF which is on Zoom.

UPDATE 2152z: It was excellent.

Not on the air today

All of today, I have not been on the air. Usually I go on FT8 on some band, but today I was busy with jobs so the gear has not been turned on.

Our local church - NOT amateur radio

The photo shows a view of our local church from our walk earlier.

Vomit inducing - NOT amateur radio

On Facebook there is an advert running for an oxygen monitor. Not only is the company cynically playing on Covid-19 fears, but they have an "in stock" counter which encourages you to buy before stock runs out. If you wait, stock magically goes up!! Sickening. Should be banned.

Musee des Beaux Arts - NOT amateur radio

This morning I was reminded of W. H. Auden's poem called Musee des Beaux Arts.

Whilst an ambulance was taking an old neighbour dying of bone cancer to a hospice there were 2 young girls being videoed by mum and dad on their bikes. Life goes on.

The poem highlights how Icarus fell from the sky, but most people just carried on.

See http://www.english.emory.edu/classes/paintings&poems/auden.html

Loop changes

As my newer loop is very sharp tuning, I may modify the tuning so that I can tune it to resonance more easily. I need to think how to do this best whilst keeping the Q high. Luckily with QRP the voltages at the high impedance points of the loop are not so high which makes the changes easier.

Chromebooks - NOT amateur radio

Some months ago, I bought a Chromebook. To say I am impressed is an understatement.

I have created a webpage on my main website. Over time, I may add to this. It does all I ever want and boots up in seconds.

Although mine can be used as a tablet, I have not used this mode yet.

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

Sunspots - Friday April 24th 2020

Solar flux is 69 and the SSN 0. A=4 and K=1.

Another rally cancelled

I have just been notified of this. Again, apologies for the white background, but this is how I received it: this makes it hard to read in some browsers. The precis is the Norbreck rally is cancelled.

Sunday 26 APRIL : CANCELLED new date 25 April 2021


NARSA - NORTHERN AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETIES ASSOCIATION EXHIBITION. (Blackpool Rally) Norbreck Castle Exhibition Centre, Blackpool FY2 9AA. There will be a talk-in station and plenty of car parking. There will be trade stands, special interest groups and an RSGB bookstall. Doors open at 10.30am, or 10.15am for disabled visitors. Catering is available on site. Dave, M0OBW 01270 761 608 dwilson@btinternet.com www.narsa.org.uk

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

That 10m indoor loop (again)

Later today, all being well, I intend to finish the rebuild of my loop for 10m.

I have still to decide on WSPR or FT8. Before doing it, I shall try to (roughly) cut the coax capacitor to close to the correct length, having found out what capacitance I need from the online loop calculator.

My capacitance meter that has not been used for about 7 years! The battery probably needs replacing! I hope it has not leaked.

UPDATE 1035z: The gods are with me!  Some time ago, I must have removed the battery to use it somewhere else. I just put a new battery in and the capacitance bridge is working fine. According to my calculation I need about 43pF with a 0.6cm thickness pipe with a circumference of 2m. I shall recheck the pipe cross-section. It is thin bore copper pipe used in central heating systems. If I cut the length slightly long, I can snip a bit off until it hits resonance. The very most I can run is 20W (most times 500mW WSPR or 2.5W FT8) so I am unlikely to have problems with high voltages. In the past I even used a dead ordinary 365pF air spaced variable without issues in a loop antenna.

UPDATE 1535z: The loop is now finished and operational. In the end I decided on FT8 and used a 365pF airspaced variable to get to frequency. It is very sharp! This is a good sign. It seems a few dB up on the other loop judging by local reports. Using the airspaced variable C means that the loop antenna can be used on other bands. The photo shows the completed loop. It was much harder than I expected. Years ago it would have been trivial.

UPDATE 1749z: Just 2 locals have spotted me so far today on 10m FT8 TX with my 2.5W to the better indoor loop antenna.

Rowan Blossom - NOT amateur radio

On our walk earlier we saw this blossom.

Living in the moment - NOT amateur radio

We live in strange times. One thing we are all learning is to live in the moment and enjoy what we see. Most mornings we do a walk. It is surprising what beauty is all around us if we look.

The next solar cycle

We are very close to the solar minimum and next year we can expect solar conditions to get better. This will be the first solar cycle in which FT8 will be used near and at the peak. As FT8 is better than SSB or CW, it will be interesting to see how this alters things. SSB and CW activity could be lower.

Sunspots - Thursday April 23rd 2020

Solar flux is 71 and the SSN 0. A=8 and K=1.

10m magnetic loop

Many years ago I made a loop antenna for 10m using central heating copper pipe. Bits for this have been in the garage for about 7 years! For the capacitor I used a length of coax cut to resonate.

Since my stroke things are much harder. I am trying to rebuild it as it should be much more efficient than the loop I am currently using. Rebuilding it is much harder than I expected. If on WSPR it can be left on the air 24/7 using my beacon. FT8 might be more productive even if less sensitive.

15m FT8

Rather earlier than usual, I am on 15m FT8 with 2.5W and the 45cm indoor loop. It is now 0615z. No spots yet.

UPDATE 0922z: No spots.

UPDATE 1040z: One G spotted on RX and one G spotting me so far.

UPDATE 1215z:  5 stations in Europe and North Africa have been spotted on 15m FT8 RX. So far, just the 1 station has spotted my 2.5W.

UPDATE 2011z :  QRT.

Birthday boy - NOT amateur radio

One of our sons is 42 today. This photo of when he was 35 appeared as a FB memory today.

The second photo shows them today.

Sunspots - Wednesday April 22nd 2020

Solar flux is 69 and the SSN 0. A=9 and K=3

Notre Dame - NOT amateur radio

We just got this lovely pop-up card from 2 of our grandchildren.

Village walk - NOT amateur radio

Most mornings we do a walk before it gets too hot. The photo shows our walk earlier.

It was about 3.5 miles.  These regular walks must help to keep us fit!

15m FT8

After breakfast I intend to go on 15m FT8 (2.5W to the indoor loop).

UPDATE 0730z:  All turned on at 0720z.

UPDATE 1032z:  Although 3 Europeans spotted so far on 15m FT8 RX, no-one has yet spotted me.

UPDATE 1140z: 7 Europeans spotted so far and 1 spot by LA6RJA (794km) of my 2.5W to the tiny indoor loop antenna.

Stations spotting me to 1253z

UPDATE 1253z:  Quite a few spots of my 2.5W to the tiny 45cm indoor loop mainly from Scandinavia. 17 spots on RX.

UPDATE 1932z:  On 15m FT8 RX a total of 72 stations were spotted and 13 Europeans spotted my 2.5W tiny indoor loop.

UPDATE 2151z:  QRT.

QSX all band, all mode transceiver kit

QRP-labs has the multi-mode QSX transceiver in development.

The single band QCX CW transceiver is good value for money with many complex features. I am sure the multi-band QSX transceiver will be pretty good too. The QSX is expected to have a built-in spectrum analyser to help with filter alignment.

As I am poor at kit building these days, since my 2013 stroke I am wondering if they are also offering built units too when the release date comes? I am pretty sure that the finished unit design will be very good.

See https://www.qrp-labs.com/qsx.html

Sunspots - Tuesday April 21st 2020

Solar flux is 68 and the sunspot number 0. A=18 and K=2. These figures look really poor and are the worst for some time.

US oil prices - NOT amateur radio

As I write, the West Texas oil prices have recovered after turning negative! These are strange Covid-19 times indeed with demand slumping and storage capacity in the USA now full.

In the morning things could well have changed again. As I write, WTI oil prices have recovered a bit.

Portuguese amateur - abandoned house

Southgate News has a piece found on YouTube showing an abandoned house in Portugal. The shack uncovered has many old QSL cards on the walls.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/april/abandoned-mansion-of-a-portuguese-radio-amateur-found-his-radio-room.htm#.Xp2mwWjYq00

DX.QSL.Net

One of the best sites for solar forecasts is DXQSL. I now get most of my data from there.

Zoom - NOT amateur radio

We, like many, are missing seeing our grandchildren. Luckily we can still keep in touch by Zoom video.

Hope? - NOT amateur radio

Early results on trials with the drug remdesivir on humans with Coronavirus have been promising. Also, there are trials of blood plasma. Is there light at the end of the tunnel?

Results published for the April 2020 UKAC activity contest

The results of the latest 2m activity contest have been published. Although my voice is poor and I run QRP to an omni antenna for less than an hour I came credible 70th in the AL section. I am not a serious contester!

Can it get worse? 10m

For about 30 minutes now, I have been on 10m FT8 with 2.5W and the tiny 45cm indoor loop. The last few days have been dire. I have (so far) only been spotted by local Gs. and I have only spotted one South American and a few southern Europeans on Es yesterday. Today, so far, just spots by local M1BXF (13km).

UPDATE 1001z:  Still no RX spots and just spotted by M1BXF on TX. It looks like the Es "season"  has not yet properly started. We get the occasional brief opening. In the Es season proper 10m can be open for hours with strong signals.

UPDATE 1342z:  At the moment still being spotted only by 3 local stations on 10m FT8 TX. Still nothing spotted yet today on 10m FT8 RX here.m FT8

UPDATE 1515z:  Yes it can get worse! Still no RX spots at all so far today and just 3 local spots on TX.

UPDATE 1817z:  On 10m FT8 RX 6 stations in the Canary Is spotted just before tea.I guess this was Es. Still just the local Gs spotting my 2.5W.

UPDATE 2030z:  Now QRT. I shall try 15m FT8 tomorrow with 2.5W and the tiny 45cm indoor loop.

10 years ago - NOT amateur radio

This photo was taken 10 years ago. It shows one of our grandchildren smelling daffodils. Happy days!

Sunspots - Monday April 20th 2020

Solar flux is 69 and the SSN 0. A=3 and K=2.  G1 storm level. Basically poor.

Something for the weekend

As usual, Martin Lynch has some "something for the weekend" offers. As far as I can tell, there are no great bargains here. Prices seem quite high and this appears just another way of marketing their offers.

The IC-7300 still remains at the same (inflated?) price. I get the feeling this is "market priced" i.e. priced at what the punters are prepared to pay. I am unsure if this is what ICOM is ordering. The true price would be well under £1000.

See https://www.hamradio.co.uk/

Quiet beaches - NOT amateur radio

My brother has just sent me this picture of a beach he has just cycled to in South Devon. Normally the beach would be busy on a sunny Sunday. This is where I came from.

New perspectives - NOT amateur radio

One thing recent Covid-19 events have taught all of us is that what we may have thought important in our lives turn out to be not important at all.  All of us has had to re-assess what really matters.

I expect for many of us, life will never be quite the same ever again. My hope is that this will lead to more compassionate societies. Certainly, in most people recent events have brought out the best in people with many showing great kindness.

Guernsey special event station

Southgate News reports that there will be a special event station on Guernsey to commemorate its liberation. Thus will be active in May.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/april/guernsey-special-event.htm#.Xpww92jYq00

Oscar 100 geosynchronous satellite

Every few weeks I report on occupancy of the narrow-band transponder of this satellite. I take a look at the BATC web SDR at Goonhilly in Cornwall.

My very unscientific look just now shows little change. It is still far from crowded. The satellite has been working for over a year now and allows real DX QSOs without QSB at any time. I guess the lack of "black box" rigs is keeping numbers down.

My dad 100 years ago - NOT amateur radio

This picture shows my dad almost 100 years ago. It looks posed for the cameraman. I think he was a sea scout, but I think this was later in his childhood.

Later, he became a Pathfinder in Lancasters flying at night in WW2 over Germany. He must have been terrified every night. One of my greatest regrets was not speaking with him about this before he died in 1987. I think he hated the war really.

Village walk - NOT amateur radio

We have just got back from our "lockdown" walk around the village. We saw very few people and those we did were very considerate so we passed with plenty of space. In all, we walked about 3.6 miles.

It's funny - because we have to we have probably walked more recently than we would have done! In the past, we would probably thought of some excuse. Everyone says "hello".

A very common bird around here is the goldfinch. These are often seen and not heard. They are very attractive birds. They often fly in groups and like thistles.