20 Sept 2020
200 years old - NOT amateur radio
Thistle - NOT amateur radio
This was seen at Blicking Hall during our recent visit to north Norfolk. Even wild things can be very beautiful.
6m FT8
It is very late for Es, but my Facebook memories today reminded me that some Es can occur very late in the summer, certainly well outside of the traditional "Es season". For this reason I decided to try 6m FT8. It is now 0921z and I have been active for about 10 minutes. Surprisingly, already a couple of Gs have spotted my 10W to the V2000 vertical omni antenna. No great DX (best 77km), but life. Nothing yet spotted on RX here and no QSOs.
UPDATE 0929z: Now also spotted by G7RAU (461km) in Cornwall. Not Es, but pleasing. His report of me at -15dB S/N is quite strong. Aircraft?
UPDATE 1525z: My 10W has been spotted by 7 stations so far today with best DX being DK8NE (702km). On RX 7 stations spotted.
Cromer pier - NOT amateur radio
We visited Cromer last Monday. It is an old fashioned holiday town on the north Norfolk coast. Much to our surprise, it was not "trippy", but had a charm of its own. We were expecting to pay to walk on the pier, but it was free.
19 Sept 2020
2m FT8
Stations spotting my 10W at 1431z today |
E-field probe RX antennas
It is total myth that VLF Rx antennas have to be big. They do not!! Very effective VLF, LF and MF RX antennas can be very small indeed. Some years ago I tried an e-field probe antenna on 136 and 472kHz with excellent results.
Wireless charging of electric vehicles
Southgate News has a piece about the impact of wireless electric vehicle charging on the amateur and other services. The noise level close to these is way above ITU standards and is going to get worse over time. Wireless vehicle chargers operate between 79 and 90kHz.
Dahlias NOT amateur radio
Our neighbours opposite love dahlias. They had a great show last year and have a good show this year too as the photo shows.
IC-705 in Europe?
MLS were expecting their first batch of these mid September, but I am not sure if they got these. Does anyone know if it has got CE approval? What I am wondering is is the blockage at the ICOM factory or approval?
20m FT8 Saturday (4W to indoor loop)
As an experiment I left 20m FT8 RX on overnight. Best DX was 5Z4VJ (6858km) in Nairobi. As usual, I am using the indoor loop.
UPDATE 0825z: On RX 150 stations spotted in the last 3 hours with best DX ZD7MY (7606km) on St Helena. 4W TX switched on at 0747z. No spots of me yet.
UPDATE 1040z: 248 stations in 4 continents spotted here this morning and 11 stations spotting me.
18 Sept 2020
Keeping an eye on the neighbours - NOT amateur radio
Our neighbours were asked to keep an eye on their neighbour's house and garden when they were away on holiday. My neighbour decided to rebuild the fence. I think his neighbours have some leaks!
20m FT8 (4W to indoor loop)
Since just before breakfast I have been on 20m FT8 with the tiny indoor loop antenna. It is now 1140z. So far, my 4W has been spotted by 14 stations in 2 continents and I have spotted 198 stations.
UPDATE 1545z: 13 Europeans plus 1 on the Canary Is have spotted my 4W 20m FT8 today so far. On RX, 424 stations spotted with best DX YB2HAF (11989km).
Cambridge Radio Club (CDARC)
In the last few months I rejoined the Cambridge club as a country member. Meetings are currently held as Zoom meetings online and these have been very good. I do not like driving far, if at all, at night these days. Zoom meetings suit me well. This week, we had a joint quiz and social by Zoom with a club in Northern Ireland. This worked out really well.
Coastal erosion - NOT amateur radio
17 Sept 2020
Return to 20m FT8
At about 1345z, I returned to 20m FT8 using 4W and the indoor loop. So far, in about 12 minutes, 47 stations have been spotted, although no-one yet has spotted me and no QSOs.
UPDATE 1425z: Plenty of DX being spotted with the best being LU4EFC (11336km). 4 continents spotted so far in this session. 88 stations so far spotted this afternoon. 179 stations spotted on 20m FT8 today.
Stations spotted |
Stations spotting me |
2m big-wheel omni antenna
As mentioned in the last post, I use a Wimo big-wheel omni antenna for 2m SSB and FT8. This is horizontally polarised and has a slight gain (2-3dB?) in all directions. It works very well. It was erected some years ago by David G0LRD.
It is also used on 70cms for SSB and FT8.
It suits my operating perfectly as no rotator or beams are needed. It is ideal for FT8 and monthly activity contests on 2m and 70cm SSB. For FM I use a vertical V2000.
See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/antennas/bigwheel
2m FT8 (10W to big-wheel omni antenna)
Cromer church - NOT amateur radio
20m FT8 Thursday (4W to the indoor loop)
At about 0700z, I turned on my 4W 20m FT8 to the tiny indoor loop. The loop is about 0.5m across, made of thin wire (1mm diameter?) and sits on the shack windowsill. It is hardly a great 20m antenna!! So far, after 15 minutes, 14 stations have been spotted and 1 station has spotted me.
UPDATE 0925z: So far, 97 stations spotted with the loop on 20m FT8 RX with the best DX being RV0AR (5577km) in Asiatic Russia. On TX, 6 stations have spotted my 4W (see map).
Yesterday on 20m FT8
A total of 226 stations were spotted with the tiny indoor loop antenna yesterday and 7 stations spotted my 4W. See maps.
16 Sept 2020
20m FT8 (4W and the indoor loop)
As 15m FT8 here was dreadful here, I QSYed to 20m FT8.
Although I did a total reboot of the PC and reset the clock to internet time just now, still nothing on PSKreporter. Locally I am spotting loads of stations.
I wonder if there is a problem, albeit probably temporary, with PSKreporter? My RX and TX spots were fine on 2m FT8 earlier. I am pretty sure the internet connection is fine as I was able to do a time sync.
UPDATE 1506z: 1 spot on TX and 41 on RX now, so all is now fine.
Salthouse beach, Norfolk - NOT amateur radio
15m FT8 with 4W and the indoor loop
Since 1300z, I have been on 15m FT8. No spots given or received yet.
UPDATE 1430z: No spots still on RX or TX. I may try 20m FT8.
Solar Cycle 25
According to spaceweather.com, solar cycle 25 has started. At the moment it is hard to believe as we have had no sunspots for several weeks.
The latest NASA/NOAA predictions show the next cycle just a tiny bit better than the last one. They are forecasting a weak cycle and peak.
See https://www.weather.gov/news/201509-solar-cycle
See also https://blogs.nasa.gov/solarcycle25/
Village magazine - NOT amateur radio
Our political leaders
Certainly in the UK, Russia, Belarus and the USA it would appear our leaders are out of touch with reality. I am not a political animal, but it would help if they were honest. Honesty and the ability to admit mistakes seems in very short supply.
As mentioned before, I find it very hard indeed to find anyone in politics these days who is there for anything other than their vested self interests. We desperately need real leaders with backbone and integrity.
Oh, there's another pig flying by......
Beach Huts - NOT amateur radio
These colourful beach huts were photographed earlier in the week at Sheringham, Norfolk. We spent 5 nights at Sheringham.
2m FT8 (10W and big-wheel omni antenna)
For about an hour I have been on 2m FT8 with 10W to the big-wheel omni antenna. 50 stations in 7 countries have already spotted me. It is now 0955z.
On 2m FT8 RX 36 stations in 6 countries spotted the furthermost being DL3TW (655km) not far from Denmark. One G QSO so far.
UPDATE 1211z: 67 stations in 10 countries have spotted me with 2 QSOs. On RX 57 stations in 8 countries spotted. 2m dead?
Joint Zoom meeting
One of the positives of lockdown is the proof that clubs can come together even though they are miles apart. Someone from the Antrim club mentioned that they had had a speaker from the USA on a recent Zoom meeting.
15 Sept 2020
2m FT8
My 10W to the big-wheel omni on 2m has been spotted by 31 stations already (after about 20 minutes) in 6 countries. So far, just one Welsh station spotted on RX.
Although this could be aircraft scatter, I suspect some other sort of scatter as it seems to work at almost any time.
UPDATE 2140z: 59 stations in 10 countries have spotted my 10W to the big-wheel 2m omni today. Now QRT. Although not shown on PSKreporter, the most distant station copied was in Sweden.
Home again
For the last few days we have been in north Norfolk on holiday. I am about to turn on 2m FT8.
2m activity contest results published
The 2m UKAC activity contest results for September have been published. In the low power section I came 62nd out of 204, despite being on for under an hour with an omni antenna.
Zoom quiz
This evening the Cambridge and Antrim radio clubs are joining forces by Zoom for a quiz at 1830z. This is one of the positives of the current odd times as people are brought together. Certainly I have seen far more lectures by the Cambridge club by Zoom than I would have if I had had to journey into Cambridge at night.
Simple pleasures - NOT amateur radio
When in Norfolk we eat at the Old Reading Room in Kelling. This is a second hand bookshop and tea room. The food is nothing special, but it has been run by the same people for many years. These are simple Norfolk folk who are just themselves. One of the pleasures is it never changes.