Noise issues

At the moment I am fortunate in that I am not plagued by too much HF noise. It is high on 160m, 80m, 60m, 40m and 30m, but I have not had problems with FT8. Others have been less fortunate with a worsening HF, and sometimes VHF, noise floor. As time goes by, this could get worse.  In the end, the only noise-free bands may be 70cm and higher.

One person who cured his problem is G4SWX, who had problems from the neighbour's LEDs on his patio. Many problems are due to substandard parts that don't meet EU regulations. Companies cut corners to save a few pence and get away with it as there seems little OFCOM enforcement. If I am wrong, please accept my apologies.

See https://groups.io/g/RSGB-Workshop/message/4797

BREXIT - NOT amateur radio

With Covid-19, people have rather lost track of the trade deal negotiations between the EU and UK. Any trade deal has to be agreed before the year end. At the moment we seem some way from agreement with both sides hanging out for the best deal for them.

In the end, I am sure both sides want a trade deal. It is a case of who blinks first! 

I hope in the end both sides accept compromise and both are able to feel it is fair. The EU does a lot of trade with the UK and vice versa.

2m FT8 - 2.5W to the big-wheel omni antenna

Since 0830z I have been on 2m FT8 again.  7 Gs have spotted me so far and I have spotted just one station F4EMG (193km) in northern France. 

UPDATE 1040z:  11 stations, all G apart from EI2FG (565km), have spotted me so far and 4 stations spotted on RX with best DX F0EYI (465km) in Brittany.

Duet - NOT amateur radio

The photo shows one of our grandchildren singing a duet with her dad yesterday at our home. He is a professional jazz pianist, facing hard times.

Sunspots - Sunday October 4th 2020

 Solar flux is 72 and the SSN 0, A=6 and K=2.

Skateboarding - NOT amateur radio

The photo shows one of our grandchildren enjoying his skateboard outside our house this afternoon. 

The FT7 HF transceiver

The first HF transceiver I ever owned was a 10W FT7 by Yaesu. With this, with low wire dipoles, I worked DXCC on SSB including a station in New Zealand. From memory, this was mostly on 10m.  I sold it years later to a friend. It was VFO controlled, no memories, no synthesisers. It was a great radio - very quiet and a joy to use. It was one of the very best transceivers I have ever used.

For about 20 years we have had 5W multi-band, multimode, transceivers (including VHF and UHF) in the form of the FT817 and FT818 handhelds.  These are about a tenth of the size of the FT7, but with the battery.

Later Yaesu made a higher power version, the FT7B (50W) which is shown in the video below.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/ft7

Medieval graves - NOT amateur radio

Earlier this week we went to Peterborough Cathedral. Around the back were several medieval graves as the photo shows. These were unearthed when some restoration work was being carried out.

2m FT8 Saturday

Since 0817z I have been on 2m FT8. As usual running 2.5W to the big-wheel omni antenna. 

UPDATE 0920z: 7 spots of me so far with EI2FG (565km) as best DX.  2 stations spotted so far on RX here with best being DL9BBE (476km).

UPDATED 1400z:  21 stations in 2 countries spotted with the best being DB9VE (551km). 10 stations have spotted me and 1 QSO.

UPDATE 2215z:  QRT. 

Sunspots - Saturday October 3rd 2020

 Solar flux is 72 and the SSN 0. A=9 and K=2.

Best Man - NOT amateur radio

This week, we have had the best man at our wedding in 1971 staying with us. 

It was good to see him. We see him most years. To think, next year it will be 50 years married!

The photo is in our front garden.

OFCOM

OFCOM has announced it is changing some of the fees for Wireless Telegraphy licences. See their website for full details.

Borrowed time? - NOT amateur radio

As we get older (I am 72 in December) we have a different perspective on life. 

Years ago life seemed to be endless. Nowadays we are more aware of our limited time. Some of our close friends have died in recent months. One of my wife's closest friends has gone in to a care home for people with dementia. A year ago she was fine.

Every day is a precious gift. Tomorrow we could be dead or we could live for another 30 years. I guess the message is count every blessing. We go from children to old people very quickly! We look back and wonder where the years went.

At G3XBM

In all, I have been in the hobby since the early 1960s. It is not possible to do everything, but I have tried quite a bit over the years. Normally I use QRP powers. Using high power, and big beams would certainly make some things easier, but for me the fun is seeing how far low power and simple antennas get. Each to their own. Thank goodness we are all different.

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

2m FT8

 At the moment (it is now 0842z) I am on 2m FT8 with the FT817ND and the big wheel omni antenna. So far, 4 Gs have spotted me and I have spotted nothing yet on 2m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1543z:  9 spots of me today with the best spot being ON6LEO (392km).  On RX 28 stations spotted here with the best DX being EI5ASB (494km).

OFCOM opens access to EHF frequencies

OFCOM has announced access to 18.2GHz of spectrum in the 100-200GHz spectrum. See the OFCOM website for details.

Another rally cancelled

As mentioned on previous weeks, this is as I receive it. The white background may make the post hard to see on some devices.

Sunday 4 OCTOBER : CANCELLED

HAMZILLA RADIO RALLY. Dover ARC striving to alter the date for 2021 and are hopeful for March 21st 2021.

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

1928 sketch - NOT amateur radio

This sketch of Salcombe in Devon where I come from was drawn nearly 100 years ago.  For those that know the place, it shows near the Ferry Inn.

Sunspots - Friday October 2nd 2020

 Solar flux is 73 and the SSN 0. A=11 and K=2.

20m FT8.

Most of the day, I have been on 20m FT8 RX with the indoor loop and the FT817ND. For the last few minutes (it is now 1542z) I have been on TX with about 2.5W to the indoor loop. 196 spots on RX and nothing yet of me on TX. 

UPDATE 1645: Just a single spot of me so far EA5HVW (1548km). 208 stations spotted. Disappointed than more. stations have not spotted me yet. 

UPDATE 2212z: QRT. 

Outside Peterborough Cathedral - NOT amateur radio

 

The photo shows my wife and I outside Peterborough Cathedral earlier today. Later it rained. Our good old friend Peter drove us up there.

Peterborough Cathedral - NOT amateur radio

We went here today. It is where Catherine of Aragon is buried. It has a fine entrance. 

ISS - SSTV

 Although I have never tried, I understand there may be some SSTV from the ISS this afternoon (October 1st 2020). Not sure of the pass times. You can get free software for smartphones. I believe the transmissions are expected to be on 145.8MHz PD 120.

See https://www.spaceflightsoftware.com/ARISS_SSTV/

East Anglian skies - NOT amateur radio

Compared with some parts of the UK East Anglia is flat with few real hills. But we do get some great skies! 

IC-7300 5 years old?

Southgate News has a piece on the impact of the IC-7300 on amateur radio. I find it hard to believe it is that old.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/september/10-ways-the-icom-7300-has-impacted-ham-radio.htm#.X3WEckjYq00

Solar data

September was very disappointing in terms of days with sunspots. Usually my favourite site for solar data updates its numbers early each month. It has just been updated.

See https://www.solen.info/solar/

Tree: what is it? - NOT amateur radio

A few days ago we were in Norwich and saw this tree. It had what looked like small apples, but I did not know what it was. 

Sunspots - Thursday October 1st 2020

 Solar flux is 73 and the SSN 0. A=15 and K=5.

Covid-19 videos

In these strange days it can be hard to see reliable data. I was recommended the videos of John Campbell. These are updated most days.

 

OFCOM Communications Market Report

OFCOM  has just published this. See the OFCOM website for more.

2m FT8 (1W to the big-wheel omni)

 At about 0835z I decided to go on 2m FT8 with 1W from the FT817ND. Already (0843z) spotted by 5 Gs.

UPDATE 1530z:  36 stations in 6 countries spotted and I have been spotted by 9 stations so far.

UPDATE 2115z : QRT. 

In Norwich - NOT amateur radio

The photo shows my wife and I on a recent trip to Norwich. 

Sunspots - Wednesday September 30th 2020

 Solar flux is 73 and the SSN 0. A=16 and K=4.

MLS trade-in

As many know, I am a dedicated QRPer. Apart from the price, the ICOM IC-705 as a 5/10W radio appeals. It supports GPS, D-star and WiFi. It can be used for FT8 which is one of my main modes since my voice deteriorated after my stroke.  Results today on 2m FT8 with an omni antenna and 1W confirm that QRP is usually fine.

I asked MLS (a major UK dealer from whom I bought the FT991A a little over a year ago) if they were interested in a trade-in for the IC-705. They have offered me a good trade-in price ,which I am considering. In these difficult times it pays to think which dealers will survive and which may not. 

New replacement for WSPR coming?

Joe Taylor has released a release candidate for WSJT-X that has new modes to replace WSPR. One is a QSO mode and one a beaconing mode. I am not sure when these will be formally released.

See https://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/K1JT/wsjtx.html for more details. My thanks to Bob G3WKW who alerted me.

2m FT8

For a change I am on 2m FT8 with 1W from the FT817 to the big-wheel omni antenna. At the moment after about 15 minutes (it is now 1047z) 5 stations have spotted me with the best G4MSA (222km) and on 2m FT8 RX the best DX spotted is DO1KRT (522km). 5 stations in 3 countries spotted so far.

UPDATE 1122z:  Now best DX with 1W TX is GW8ASD (242km). See photo.

UPDATE 1636z:  31 stations in 5 countries spotted on 2m FT8 RX. 12 stations in 2 countries have spotted me so far today on 2m FT8 TX (1W).

OFCOM plans

 OFCOM  has updated its plan of work. See its website for details. I bet you can't wait.

Pye days - NOT amateur radio

In 2008 I retired after about 40 years in the Philips empire. When I started it was still Pye Telecom. The photo shows some of our products. I worked on the design of several. 

Old graffiti - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday we were in Norwich Cathedral. On the walls of this fine Norman cathedral is some graffiti that is very very old as the photo shows. 

Sunspots - Tuesday September 29th 2020

Solar flux is 74 and the SSN 0. A=33 and K=3. Wednesday could see G2 solar storms.