5 Sept 2020
Peregrine - NOT amateur radio
15m FT8 RX with the tiny indoor loop
At 0830z, 15m FT8 RX was turned on. Apart from a few unstable carriers (local SMPUs?) nothing yet spotted.
UPDATE 0930z: 17 spots on RX so far today, all European.
UPDATE 1432z: 53 stations spotted here so far on 15m FT8. All are in Europe with best DX spotted SV1QN (2410km) in Greece.
UPDATE 1803z: Currently 95 stations spotted here on 15m FT8 RX. Best DX spotted here is J68HZ (6860km) in St Lucia.
UPDATE 2110z: Now QRT. 105 stations spotted in last 12 hours on 15m FT8 RX with the indoor loop. Best DX spot was PU2OOC (9598km) in Brazil.
Is PW in trouble?
If you regularly get copies via a newsagent have you experienced any problems recently? I get copies by post and, so far, I have not had issues.
4 Sept 2020
Yaesu competition for the ICOM IC-705?
Apparently Yaesu has discontinued a couple of their popular transceivers. According to Steve, G1KQH, he thinks Yaesu is about to launch competition to the IC-705, but at lower prices.
In recent years, I have thought of Yaesu as being followers rather than leaders. In my own experience, it would not have surprised me if Yaesu threw in the towel and left the amateur radio market based on their terrible marketing performance. They totally missed the boat with the FT818, which was pathetic.
For over 40 years I have been a great Yaesu supporter and have owned many Yaesu transceivers. They have all been good, reliable radios, so I hope Steve is correct.
20m FT8 RX
A few moments ago (it is now 1718z) I QSYed to 20m FT8 RX. Already 22 spots on RX in 3 continents.
UPDATE 2150z: 511 stations in 5 continents spotted so far on 20m FT8 RX on the FT817ND and the tiny indoor loop antenna. QRT.
15m and 17m FT8
Currently I am RX only on 17m FT8. 53 stations in 4 continents already spotted on 17m FT8 RX.
UPDATE 1650z: Currently 75 stations spotted today on 17m FT8 RX. I may QSY to 20m RX soon.
10m antenna
By next year, 10m should be much better.
Dipoles for 10m are quite small. Inverted vees take up even less space.
UK pound creeping up? - NOT amateur radio
Although it is hard to be sure, the UK pound has appreciated against the euro, US dollar, and yen in recent weeks. Gains are modest, but they are gains. Time will tell if these are maintained.
From a very low base, it seems oil prices are rising too.
Reach walk - NOT amateur radio
There is now an autumn feel in the air and it seems far cooler. This is the blackberry season so we collected some on our walk earlier around Reach along with some apples. It is definitely autumn now. Even though the weather will get cooler and wetter, we hope to continue the walks.
6m FT8 (10W and the V2000 omni)
Since about 1025z today, I have been on 6m FT8. So far, no reports on RX, but I have been spotted by 4 G stations.
UPDATE 1430z: 29 spots of me so far today. Some Es in evidence yet again. Although Es is less common than a few months ago, it is still there. On RX just 4 Gs spotted so far.
Elecraft September newsletter
Elecraft has published its September 2020 newsletter. See the Elecraft website for details.
Grass cutting - NOT amateur radio
3 Sept 2020
Rally changes
Sunday 6 SEPTEMBER : CANCELLED
ANDOVER RADIO CLUB AUTUMN BOOT SALE. Wildhern.Sunday 6 SEPTEMBER : ONLINE ONLY
TELFORD HAMFEST & G-QRP CONVENTION
A list of rallies can be found at http://rsgb.org/main/news/rall
Another great IC-705 video
This was a live stream yesterday. It is long video but one of the best I have seen.
6m FT8 (10W and the V2000 vertical omni)
For the last few minutes, I have been on 6m FT8. Already spotted by 6 stations including OY1OF (1163km). Just G3RIK (224km) spotted on RX so far.
UPDATE 1952z: 48 stations have spotted my 10W 6m FT8 today. Plenty of Es on 6m today. See photo to see stations that have spotted me. QRT soon. 37 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX today.
UPDATE 2050z: QRT.
A year ago - NOT amateur radio
2 Sept 2020
6m FT8
UPDATE 2050z: Now QRT. 3 QSOs and spots of me by 22 stations including 2 that look like Es. Best DX spot of me was by ES5PC (1783km).
V2000 vertical
The V2000 is also used on 6m FT8. On the same mast is a rarely used 2m halo antenna.
2m UKAC
After that time I had to stop because of my poor voice. As usual, these were SSB.
OFCOM updates
This month’s update covers:
- Office of the Telecommunications Adjudicator update
- Television broadcast licensing update
- Radio licensing monthly update
- Letters: Publication of our granting of consent for launch of Sky Arts on DTT
- Qualitative research study on declining calls and changing behaviour
- Cost models for consultation on BT’s commitment in Area 3
- Co-regulation of on-demand advertising
1 Sept 2020
Updated solar data
At some point the more active side of the sun will turn into view. We have now had several days without sunspots. Assuming we are at the start of the next solar cycle, I expect sunspot numbers will increase.
See https://www.solen.info/solar/
6m FT8
UPDATE 1419z: 14 stations have spotted my so far today. Some are probably brief patches of Es, although they could be scatter.
More grandchildren - NOT amateur radio
This photo was taken at Anglesey Abbey yesterday.
2m activity contest tonight
IC-705 firmware update
I have heard rumours that it could be available in Europe later this month.
31 Aug 2020
2m FT8
UPDATE 1747z: So far today, 53 stations in 7 countries have spotted my 10W to the big-wheel omni. 2m FT8 never seems to fail and it amazes me.
Ely sunset - NOT amateur radio
Origins of sayings - NOT amateur radio
1. In the 1400s a law was set forth in England that a man was allowed to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb.
Hence we have 'the rule of thumb.'
2. Many years ago in Scotland , a new game was invented. It was ruled 'Gentlemen Only...
Ladies Forbidden'... and thus the word GOLF entered into the English language.
3. Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history:
Spades - King David,
Hearts - Charlemagne,
Clubs -Alexander the Great,
Diamonds - Julius Caesar
4. In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase......... 'goodnight, sleep tight.'
5. It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink.
Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon.
6. In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts...
So in old England , when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them 'Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down.'
It's where we get the phrase 'mind your P's and Q's'
7. Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim or handle of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service.
'Wet your whistle' is the phrase inspired by this practice.
8. In 1696, William III of England introduced a property tax that required those living in houses with more than six windows to pay a levy. In order to avoid the tax, house owners would brick up all windows except six. (The Window Tax lasted until 1851, and older houses with bricked-up windows are still a common sight in the U.K.) As the bricked-up windows prevented some rooms from receiving any sunlight, the tax was referred to as “daylight robbery”!
30 Aug 2020
2m FT8 (10W and the big-wheel omni antenna)
UPDATE 1930z : Now QRT but I was spotted by 63 stations in 9 countries today on 2m FT8 with the big-wheel omni antenna. It never fails.
Time - NOT amateur radio
I saw this recently on a Facebook page about research at Durham University into the universe.
Broadcast listener resources
In the past I have copied right across the planet on a crystal set. These were actual broadcasts from the originating countries and not via relays. Radio Australia was a real challenge.
The thrill of copying broadcast stations from great distances was exciting especially on a crystal set in which the only power is that from the originating station.
It was amazing what could be copied on a very simple regen RX. Quite a few of us "cut our teeth" on simple regen receivers.
Some useful links are shown below.
See https://www.dxzone.com/catalog/Shortwave_Radio/BCL_Resources/