Another Tenner transceiver photo

Some years ago I designed and made the Tenner transceiver for 10m CW. It produced about 500mW but gave me loads of contacts with just a low wire dipole. As 10m starts to get better as we climb cycle 25, this could be increasingly useful.  

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/10m_tenner .

Sunspots - Saturday November 7th 2020

Solar flux is 94 and the SSN 35.  A=8 and K=1.

Things are improving fast. 

Today's village walk - NOT amateur radio

Today has been cold and very sunny, so we went for a walk around the village. In Priory Wood, planted to celebrate the millenium in 2000, they were felling some trees. It was very muddy. We saw a jay and green woodpecker quite close.

2m FT8 (2.5W and the big-wheel omni antenna)

For about 20 minutes I have been on 2m FT8 QRP.  So far 22 stations in 6 countries have spotted me with the furthermost being EI2FG (565km).

UPDATE 1615z:  Currently spotted by 30 stations.

UPDATE 1825z:  36 stations have spotted me today. G0LRD has a 2m grabber that I find useful (see photo). 

UPDATE 2220z:   1 QSO today.  Now QRT.

Village walk - NOT amateur radio

On Wednesday we did a nice walk around the village, bumping in to several old friends. Like today, the weather was cold and sunny.  

We will be going for another, different, village walk shortly. Today's walk includes some bits that are likely to be muddy!

5G with drones?

Southgate News has piece about using drones that stay up for 9 days to act as 5G base stations. I guess this could be less expensive than 5G microwave base stations every few hundred metres. It could also offer 5G in rural areas, which otherwise could lose out.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/november/using-drones-to-beam-signals-from-the-stratosphere.htm#.X6UPuLuTK00

Sunspots - Friday November 6th 2020

 Solar flux is 91 and the SSN 28.  A=4 and K=2.

Yaesu FTDX101D

The new Yaesu flagship radio is far too expensive for me to even consider, although for some it is within their budget. It is also not a QRP radio. 

This is probably the first of a range of SDR based Yaesu radios. What strikes me is that Yaesu has become a follower rather than a leader. 

I have been a Yaesu fan since the 1970s, but at the moment ICOM seems to be the leader. It is almost as if Yaesu is rudderless and drifting. In my mind, they seem half-hearted about the amateur radio market. Come on Yaesu - prove me wrong!

A blast from the past

Like many, I started my hobby as a short wave listener (SWL) on medium and short waves. Hearing the sounds of the interval signals of distant broadcast stations was very thrilling. Gradually this changed to listening for amateur signals.

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

Windose ...zzzzzz - NOT amateur radio

This afternoon I scanned some old photos for an album my wife is making for a 90th birthday present. I tried scanning at high resolution as I wanted some scratches editing out. The Windows 10 was so slow! Compared with my Chromebook that I've had for about a year it is so slow. I am totally impressed with the Chromebook.

OFCOM announcement

 OFCOM has agreed a spectrum swap between users at 2.6GHz. See their website for details.

Sunspots - Thursday November 5th 2020

 Solar flux is 88 and the SSN 18. A=3 and K=0.

2m FT8 RX with the big-wheel omni

At the moment I am on 2m FT8 RX. So far this evening 18 stations in 3 countries spotted with the furthermost being DD7DAC (520km). In all, 3 Germans spotted.

UPDATE 2300z:  QRT. 

Burgh Island - NOT amateur radio

My brother sent me this picture taken from Thurlestone Golf Club earlier today. 

Divided USA - NOT amateur radio

As I write, the US presidential election could go either way. 

Whatever the outcome, the USA remains deeply split. Sadly, I cannot feel a whiff of compromise in the air, just a feeling of, "we are right and you are wrong".

In many countries there is a swing to the right in politics.  We should learn the lessons of history. This is how Hitler started.

What amazes me is that in a great nation like the USA the competition is between a 74 year old and a 77 year old. Where are the great younger leaders? 

Sadly, the president of the USA also is, by default, the leader of the western world. At this rate the USA is on a downward path to self destruction and irrelevance in the world.

Local Covid-19 cases - NOT amateur radio

 We live in East Cambridgeshire. It has the second lowest case numbers in the country and the R rate has dropped to 1.0 implying the infection rate is neither growing or falling. A week ago it was 1.2, so this is encouraging.

What next? - NOT amateur radio

The only bank in our village has been closed for about 2 years. As the photo shows, they have the builders in and are hoping to rent out commercial units for £12k per year. 

It has a central location and could make an ideal spot for small shops with a parking bay outside. Why so long?

15m FT8 QRP

It is now 1354z. For about 45 minutes I have been on 15m FT8 with 2.5W to the indoor loop. Nobody has copied me yet, but I have spotted 15 stations.

UPDATE 1515z:  42 stations in 4 continents spotted so far today. 2 spots of me so far with the furthermost being WE9V (6313km).

OFCOM updates on spectrum auctions

On the OFCOM website there are regulations relating to the spectrum action regarding 700MHz and 3.6-3.8GHz.

2m activity contest

Last night I took part for about 30 minutes in the low power section of the 2m activity contest organised by the RSGB. 8 QSOs had with 10W and the omni big-wheel antenna (see map). 

Valve site

Confession time....    In all my time I have never ever built a valve circuit!  

Maybe low voltage HTs might have persuaded me, but all my circuit ideas and projects have been semi-conductor based. If you are interested in valved circuits you may want to visit Andrew G6ALB's site.

See http://www.tetrode.co.uk/

Sunspots - Wednesday November 4th 2020

Solar flux is 83 and the SSN 15.  A=3 and K=0.

2m FT8 QRP

Most of the evening I have been on 2m FT8 QRP (2.5W and the big-wheel antenna). It is now 2133z and for the last hour I have been vertically polarised. Spotted by G0LRD (26km), but much weaker. Over this short path the cross-polarisation is evident. Nothing spotted on RX so far. With aircraft or other scatter I would have expected the polarisation to have had little effect.

eHam reviews of the IC-705

When looking to buy new rigs (not very often!) I tend to check out the eHam reviews. Now, people who write reviews tend to be very anti and give low ratings (probably because of a bad experience) or very pro. It is less common to see reviews written by "middle of the road" people. 

I was surprised to read only 3 reviews of the IC-705. By now, I was expecting to read many more. These 3 are all very positive.

As examples see all the reviews for Elecraft K3 and the IC-7300. There are loads.

See https://www.eham.net/reviews/view-product?id=14776

Updated solar data

Early in the month my favourite site for solar data updates for the month just gone. As it is November 3rd, this has been done.

See  https://www.solen.info/solar/

USA election day - NOT amateur radio

Today, the USA is holding its election for president for the next 4 years.  The papers in the UK are full of it.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-54788566 .

Our green and windmill in autumn - NOT amateur radio

The photo shows our green and windmill in autumn. 

The clumps in the tree are mistletoe, not nests. They are very clear now the trees are bare. 

We live on the left near the windmill. We can see the windmill from the breakfast table and the lounge.

DXCC countries

Southgate News has a link to the DXCC entities currently available. Having got QRP DXCC on SSB a quarter of a century ago, I do not actively chase DX, but I know some do. 

It is great that we are all different and find so many ways to enjoy our hobby. Some like to chase DX on just a single band or on satellites or VHF.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/november/dxcc-report-02-11.htm#.X6ERPruTK00  .

15m FT8 QRP

Since 0805z, I have been on 15m FT8 with 2.5W and the indoor loop antenna. No spots yet today.

UPDATE 1336z:  No spots of me yet today on 15m, but 75 stations spotted on RX with the furthermost being KP4JRS (6801km) in Puerto Rico.

UPDATE 1530z:  195 stations spotted so far today.

Sunspots - Tuesday November 3rd 2020

Typical November day here... wet and dull!!

Solar flux is 82 and the SSN 11. A=3 and K=1.

Should I wait?

Back in the 1970s when scientific calculators first appeared I waited and waited for the next version, that would be better, to appear. In the end I did not buy one! 

I feel a bit like this with the IC-705 from ICOM. It well matches my operating style and even without a trade-in I can probably get a decent deal. By the way, XBS Telecom in France is selling these with a 3 year warranty and VAT for 1344 euros! Yaesu are reported to be working on a line of SDR transceivers, but when?

See https://www.xbstelecom.eu/shop/en/pas-de-prix-reec-ni-reecclub/2004-icom-ic-705-hf50144430mhz-5w-10w.html?search_query=ic-705&results=28

2m FT8 QRP

Since about 1600z, I have been on 2m FT8 with 2.5W and the big-wheel omni antenna. So far spotted by 3 stations today with the furthermost being G7RAU (461km) in Cornwall. Just 1 station copied on RX so far.

Church in Autumn - NOT amateur radio

Parts of our church are over 1000 years old although most dates from the 1400s. 

10m FT8

It is now 1310z. For the last 30 minutes are so, I have been on 10m FT8 with the poorer indoor loop and 2.5W from the FT817ND.  As yet, no spots given or received today.

UPDATE 1526z:  Just 1 station in Norway spotted on 10m FT8 RX. No QSOs and nobody has spotted me yet today. In summary so far today? - useless!! At least the rain has stopped and the sun is shining .  😀 Today has been the worst 10m day for me this autumn.

UPDATE 1607z:  Probably QRT on 10m FT8 shortly and QSY to 2m FT8. I see some South Americans were being worked from Norway today. I guess this is where high power and big beams high up might count!

Sunspots,solar storms, auroras and cycle 25

Like many amateurs, I am keen to know what is coming. On the Southgate News pages are links to the spaceweather forecasts by Dr Tamatha Skov WX6SWW. For more information look at www.spaceweather.com  .

Wet windmill - NOT amateur radio

This last weekend was mild, wet and windy. The photo shows the windmill next door with threatening clouds behind and rain on the black sides. 

Figs - NOT amateur radio

At breakfast most mornings we include a bowl of fruit. As we were getting low, we had some of these figs that had fallen on the ground. Nice change. 

Sunspots - Monday November 2nd 2020

Solar flux is 77 and the SSN 12.  A=10 and K=0. 

2m FT8

At 1933z I QSYed to 2m FT8. So far tonight 9 stations have spotted my 2.5W to the big-wheel omni antenna with the furthermost being a spot by ON6LEO (392km). On 2m FT8 RX just 2 stations spotted this evening.

UPDATE 2017z: Now RX only. 3 stations in 3 countries spotted.

Rowan trees - NOT amateur radio

We have several of these in our garden. The one in the back garden was stripped of berries by the birds weeks ago, whereas the ones in the front garden have hardly been touched. I guess these must be a different variety that is not attractive to the birds.