Optical communications

One of my Facebook memories today was from 7 years ago when I had built the Finningley optical transceiver. Shortly after this I had my stroke, so it never got used.

Yesterday on 6m FT8 TX

Last evening my 10W to the V2000 vertical omni was spotted by FG5GH (6691km) in the Caribbean. On 6m FT8 RX the best DX was W2AAU (5424km).

Early start on 10m WSPR TX

As I was awake early, the 10m WSPR beacon was turned on. Even at this hour (it is now 0505z) I am getting spotted by G4KPX (14km). No Es yet.

UPDATE 0726z:  Still just G4KPX so far spotting me.

UPDATE 1245z: 5 spots of me so far today.

UPDATE 1928z:  I wonder if the small amount of drift seen on some spots is due to Es clouds moving? Usually my drift is highest for the first 20 minutes as things settle, but after than it is very stable.

UPDATE 1950z:  7 different stations have spotted me today so far.

UPDATE 2055z:  QRT.

Friedrichshafen

One of the biggest events in the European amateur calendar is the Friedrichshafen exhibition in Germany. A few weeks ago I was told this had been cancelled. This is unsurprising in the current lockdowns and restrictions caused by Covid-19.

As mentioned before, this is a showcase event, much like the Dayton Hamvention. It is a big event and attracts visitors from all over Europe.

Like Dayton, it is often the place where the big manufacturers show their new products. I guess they will miss this.

Grandchildren - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday one of our sons visited us with 2 of our grandchildren. We had not seen them in the flesh for months because of lockdown. We had only seen them via Zoom.

We had lunch in the garden on a nice sunny day and did our best to maintain social distancing. It was good to see them again.

Sunspots - Sunday June 14th 2020

Solar flux is 69 and the SSN 11. A=3 and K=0. Are we through the minimum? Sunspot count is not zero, but the solar flux is still low.

Practical Wireless QRP contest this Sunday

This is this Sunday, June 14th. As portables are unlikely to be on, for this year only the power allowed has been increased to 10W. I believe you can operate for any 4 hour period in the contest hours. Rules are in the June 2020 copy of PW. I expect they are on the web too. If I remember, I intend to come on for a little while. Quite often I am away and miss this. Not this year!

10m WSPR TX

There is quite a lot of Es around already today so I am quite hopeful that 10m WSPR will be productive later. Gear (500mW to the tiny indoor loop antenna) is turned on, but no spots yet.

UPDATE 0752z:  Already spots from 4 different stations, 3 by Es. This very early start bodes well for the day. Some Es spots are very strong e.g. OZ7IT has given me 0dB S/N  which implies he could copy me with 0.5uW (microwatts!!) on a noise free band and this is with me on the indoor loop!! There is a photo of the loop on the previous 6m post.

UPDATE 1824z: 10 different stations have, so far, spotted my 500mW 10m WSPR signal.

UPDATE 2045z:    QRT.

6m FT8 today

Just before 0600z 6m FT8 was turned on. As usual I was running 10W to the V2000 vertical omni antenna. The photo shows another view of the shack.  So far, at 0630z, 37 stations have spotted me right across Europe. No QSOs yet.

UPDATE 0808z:  Spotted by 100  different stations so far. A QSO with an SP9 could not be completed.

UPDATE 0956z:  173 different stations have spotted me today so far.

UPDATE 1853z:  259 spots of my 10W FT8 6m signal today so far.

UPDATE 2055z: Several European QSOs, but nothing further afield. This is where additional ERP can really help.  Some stations with more power, beams and high antennas may be 20dB up on me. I cannot, and do not expect to, work the DX they do.

Blackbird death - NOT amateur radio

A few days ago I was in the kitchen when there was an almighty bang: a young blackbird had crashed into the window. I was unsure if it was just stunned, so I left it on the lawn hoping it might recover and fly off.  Sadly, it died.

As often, this makes us consider our own mortality. In an instant this bird was dead, as we all will be one day. As a youth I had quite a strong faith. Now I am more unsure. What I do realise is how little we know. One has only to think how our understanding of the universe and evolution has changed in the last 200 years to realise this.

In the case of this blackbird, it saddens me to think of all the effort of the parents just snubbed out in a second. They probably spent days on making the nest, then days feeding it.

See the poem "Spring and Fall" by Gerald Manley Hopkins.