Short loft antennas

At the old QTH I had a problem with 160m antennas. At one time, we were going to try a local 160m AM net. Somewhere I have some crystals. My solution was this small loft vertical that worked really well. It can easily be adapted for your situation. I was surprised how good it was.

Although my antenna was on 160m, the same idea (helical windings and a top hat) could be used on other bands like 80m, 60m, 40m, or even 630m.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/antennas/160m_loft_ant. 

6m FT8 QRP (Friday)

At about 1005z my QRP 6m FT8 was turned on:  2.5W and the V2000 vertical omni antenna. So far, at 1020z, just one spot of me by G0PQO (50km)  and no spots on RX.

UPDATE 1110z: 4 stations spotted on RX with the furthermost being G4EFX (226km) and 2 stations have spotted my QRP 6m FT8  TX. So far today, all Gs.

UPDATE 1350z:  16 stations spotted here with the furthermost F6HGB (985km) on RX.  2 Gs have spotted my QRP on TX and 1 QSO.

UPDATE 1610z:  21 stations spotted on RX and 6 stations have spotted me on QRP 6m FT8 TX. 1 QSO.

UPDATE 2000z:  QRT.

Water buffalo - NOT amateur radio

One of the local nature reserves near us is using water buffalos to help maintain the banks. These are well contained as they can be very dangerous animals.

See http://www.kingfishersbridge.org/

2021 - NOT amateur radio

2020 was a pretty bad year for most. As I wish everyone a happy new year, may I wish you good health and happiness in the year ahead. Let us hope this really is the year we beat Covid-19. 

Sunspots - Friday January 1st 2021

 Solar flux is 81 and the SSN 25. A=3 and K=0.

Cold - NOT amateur radio

We awoke this morning to a very cold day with frost and fog. Our hedges and trees are white with frost. 

The photo shows the view in our front garden at 0930z.

6m FT8 QRP (Thursday)

At 0854z my 2.5W FT8 to the V2000 vertical was turned on. So far, just a spot by G0PQO (50km) of my QRP signal. 2 Gs spotted on RX.

UPDATE 1130z: 3 Gs have spotted me on TX and I have spotted 7 stations on RX with the furthermost being DL9MG (650km). The latter could be Es or aircraft. Most spots were Gs.

Sunspots - Thursday December 31st 2020

The end of a momentous year for the whole world. At least the sunspot count has started to rise.

Sunspot count is 83 and the SSN 26.  A=9 and K=1.

OS maps - NOT amateur radio

In the UK, the definitive maps for over 200 years are produced by the Ordnance Survey. 

We have a local nature reserve near here. I have the latest paper 2.5 inches to the mile OS map and it makes no mention of this: it is as if this is a top secret place! No wonder so many locals have not a clue it is there. 

On the OS map app it is only there if you zoom in.

Yesterday on 6m FT8

Yet again, yesterday was a good day on 6m. Although not as many as the day before, there was still evidence of winter Es with spots of my QRP from stations in Europe on QRP TX (2.5W to the V2000 vertical omni), and several Europeans spotted here on RX. 

Local church - NOT amateur radio

Our local church is very photogenic. The photo shows it in late November. 

Already at the end of December the corvids are nest building! I think these are rooks.

6m FT8 QRP (Wednesday)

At 0900z, I turned on the 6m FT8 QRP gear with 2.5W to the V2000 vertical omni antenna. Already, after just a few minutes, spotted by 4 G stations. Nobody yet spotted on RX.

UPDATE 1515z:  Certainly up to now, just UK stations spotting me and being spotted with no winter Es.

UPDATE 2202z:   My QRP was spotted later in Portugal and Sardinia, so there was winter Es later.  Not as good today as yesterday. Now QRT.

Astronomical Numbers - NOT amateur radio

According to Google there are 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 planets in the visible universe. This is a huge huge number.  

Only some of these planets may have intelligent life, but even if this is just a tiny fraction of the number of planets, this is still a huge number.   

I find it mind blowing that I am here at all. One of the greatest puzzles is human consciousness.  On Earth we have about 8000,000,000 people. In such a vast universe, you would think kindness and love would have no meaning, yet nearly every human knows this is not the case.

Although we have being trying for about 50 years via project SETI, we have still not found any signs of interstellar intelligent life as far as I am aware.

Covid-19 vaccine approvals - NOT amateur radio

 In the last hour the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has been approved. This can be stored at normal fridge temperatures and is low cost. 

Sunspots - Wednesday December 30th 2020

 Solar flux is 86 and the SSN 26. A=7 and K=3.

7 years ago - NOT amateur radio

Seven years ago I spent 3.5 months in hospital following a brain bleed. 

This photo shows me with my younger son and one of our grandchildren in 2013 on a rare visit home. I went in hospital in September and came out in January and lost 1.5 stone. 

Looking back I was so lucky. I could so easily have died or suffered horrendous disabilities. Apart from feeling giddy all the time and my poor voice, I am mostly fine.

Another Covid-19 joke - NOT amateur radio

 

This appeared on Facebook earlier today.  It made me laugh

Zoom - NOT amateur radio

2020 will go down as the year of Zoom. Until earlier this year many of us had not heard of this. Now most of us are familiar with it. Many of us have used it for virtual family meetings. Some have used it for work and some for school lessons.

Whatever, 2020 will go down as the year of virtual meetings, not all of which went to plan as this BBC video shows! 

Overall, I have been impressed by Zoom meetings. When the pandemic is over I quite expect Zoom meetings to still be popular.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-55375825

Backpacker's beach party in Australia - NOT amateur radio

The BBC news is carrying photos of a backpacker beach party in Australia. People are understandably appalled by such stupid people flouting the rules. Many were from the UK. 

Some may get deported. Quite right. So they should for such crass stupidity. 

At the moment there have been new outbreaks in Sydney which the authorities are trying to contain.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-55471235 .

15m QRP CW

It seems amazing that I designed and built my Pipit 15m CW QRP transceiver so long ago!  For a long time this was my main rig and gave me lots of fun. These days FT8 is ousting SSB and CW, but you would be hard pressed to find something as simple as this that really works so well.

6m FT8 (QRP) Tuesday

After a really good day yesterday, I am again on 6m FT8 with 2.5W (FT817ND) and the V2000 vertical omni antenna. It is now 0940z and I have been on for about 3 minutes.  Already spotted by G0PQO (50km), with just G0DYW (77km) spotted on RX.

UPDATE 1149z:  4 spots of my QRP TX in 2 countries and 17 spots in 4 countries on 6m FT8 RX today. Definitely winter Es about on 6m FT8.

UPDATE 1435z:  27 stations in 6 countries spotted so far on RX, and I have been spotted by 8 stations in 3 countries on 6m FT8 QRP TX.

Sunspots - Tuesday December 29th 2020

 Solar flux is 87 and the SSN 26. A=7 and K=2.

USA spoilt child? - NOT amateur radio

Without mentioning any names (I am sure you can guess) there appears to be a really spoilt child throwing his toys out of the pram in the USA. Does this person not realise the harm to his future reputation? Please, stop being so childish!! Just grow up.

Yet more homes - NOT amateur radio

 

Every spare space in our village seems to be being used for new houses. This is one plot yesterday.

Label making video

Jason M0NYW has sent me this video on how to make professional looking labels.  Well worth looking at. Look at Jason's example, which looks good to me.

G3XBM video channel

Some of the videos on my YouTube channel may be of interest, as are some of the pages on my main website. Many of these are quite old and probably are in need of an update!

See https://www.youtube.com/user/G3XBM

See also http://www.g3xbm.co.uk

Memories - NOT amateur radio

At breakfast my wife and I were counting up how many walks we had been on this odd year. We keep a record each month. At one point she said a figure and I said she had miscalculated. Without a recording, we can never be sure who was wrong. 

This makes me wonder what other memories may be wrong. Memory is an odd thing: as I said some weeks ago, we think we remember things in the past, but it is entirely possible time is a human construct and each day is new with memories we think we have. This is getting too heavy!

My apologies - 136kHz transverter

Some time ago, I was asked by email if the technique to make this into a full TX-RX transverter as used on 472kHz could be adapted on 136kHz. What happens sometimes with emails is that they get filed and forgotten about. I do not remember replying to this question. So, if I did not answer this please accept my sincere apologies. I just cannot remember.

Yes, the same techniques would work on 136kHz, suitably scaled. This could be a simple way to get on this band. I have to confess I have never been on 136kHz TX from this QTH!

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/mflf/137khz_tvrtr .

6m FT8 QRP (Monday)

After breakfast I hope to go on 6m FT8 with 2.5W and the V2000 vertical omni antenna.   This is now the winter Es season, so it is possible some European stations will be spotted. Yesterday was very promising on 10m. 

UPDATE 0907z:   Already spotted in Sweden by SM4CHK (1138km) on QRP FT8 TX and 16 stations spotted on RX from Scandinavia. This definitely looks like winter Es.

UPDATE 1100z:   Already spotted by 6 stations on QRP 6m FT8 TX right across Europe!  No QSOs.  27 stations spotted so far on 6m FT8 RX again right across the continent with the furthermost being LB7FA (2008km).

UPDATE 1316z:  I have been spotted by 10 stations across Europe with my 2.5W QRP 6m FT8 TX and I have spotted 45 stations on 6m FT8 RX.

Stations spotted
to 1515z on 6m
FT8 RX

UPDATE 1515z: 1 QSO with an LA station.  67 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX. 14 spots of my QRP 6m QRP  on 6m FT8 TX.

UPDATE 1532z: 70 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX. 2 QSOs  (LA and DL).

UPDATE 1712z: 18 stations have spotted my 6m FT8 QRPoday. TX with the furthermost being IS0YFG (1600km).  82 stations spotted today on 6m FT8 RX. This looks like winter Es.

Stations spotting
me today

UPDATE 1819z:  QRT soon.  85 stations spotted today on 6m FT8 RX today.

10m (28MHz) - my best band

Although, at the moment, 10m is not a great DX band, this will soon change. Within a few years it will again be one of our greatest DX bands. Even with simple antennas and low power, worldwide DX should be possible. Being 1.7MHz wide there is space for all modes. Even a wire dipole is very small.

With my poor voice I find FT8 better than SSB or AM or FM. It will be interesting to see the impact of FT8, which is already very popular on many bands. I like it as most DX is concentrated in a few kHz and there are lots of people monitoring.  It works with signals weaker than SSB or CW. Being a very narrow-band mode (each TX takes about 50Hz only) it seems better with man-made noise than wider band modes. 

I suspect there may be less AM activity this cycle, which would be a pity: often operators use old "boat anchor" rigs with beautiful modulation. In the last (poor) sunspot cycle several USA AM stations were copied well in the car with just a super-regen RX and a base loaded whip.

In the past I have well exceeded DXCC with 10W SSB on 10m with low dipoles. 

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

Sunspots - Monday December 28th 2020

Solar flux is 88 and the SSN 26.  A=6 and K=2.

Homemade trifle - NOT amateur radio

My wife likes to make homemade trifle at Christmas as shown in the photo. 

They always taste delicious.

Village houses - NOT amateur radio

We have lots of different house styles in our village as the photo shows. 

Some houses go back many centuries and some were built this year. One old house dates to the 1100s I think.

Muddy walk - NOT amateur radio

We have just got back from a walk. It was very muddy! Part of the walk is through a wood planted for the millennium making the trees about 20 years old. 

I don't get tired walking, just being giddy all the time: it feels like I am always about to fall: this exhausts me.

10m FT8 RX

It is now 1013z. A short while ago I turned on my 10m FT8 gear using the FT817ND at the tiny indoor loop antenna. So far 24 stations spotted here on RX. Winter Es?

UPDATE 1623z:  79 Europeans spotted. Good. 

UPDATE 1724z:  88 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX.   Unless there are surprises I expect this is it for the day. Still, this is good for 10m in winter at this part of the solar cycle.

UPDATE 2047z:  QRT.  95 stations spotted today on 10m FT8 RX.

Sunspots - Sunday December 27th 2020

Solar flux is 88 and the SSN 31.  A=4 and K=2.

Morons? - NOT amateur radio

This cartoon appeared on Facebook earlier. No idea who the moron could be or where the cartoon originated  😉. 

IC-705 warranty again

It appears that ICOM Australia offers a 5 year warranty if you ask whereas the standard UK ICOM warranty is just 2 years. If all UK dealers offered a 5 year ICOM underwritten warranty this might make buying decisions easier.

See https://icomuk.co.uk/IC-705/Mobile_Amateur_Radio_Ham

Snowdrops - NOT amateur radio

The photo shows the snowdrops coming out in our village. They are starting to appear now.

20m FT8 RX

This morning, I am on 20m FT8 RX with the FT817ND and the indoor loop. The gear was turned on at about 0815z.    It is now 0926z. So far today, 257 stations have been spotted already.

UPDATE 1046z: 432 stations spotted so far.

Stations spotted today at 1749z

UPDATE 1749z:  1055 stations spotted today. At some point I may QSY to 2m FT8. All this with just the tiny loop indoors - and it cannot be that good on 20m as it is so small!

UPDATE 1929z:  1117 stations spotted so far. Latest is a South African.

UPDATE 2215z:  QRT. 1152 stations spotted today.