2m FT8 QRP (Thursday)

Since about 1505z, I have been on 2m FT8 with the usual 2.5W and big-wheel omni antenna. So far today, just 1 spot of me by G0LRD (26km).

UPDATE 1724z:  9 stations in 4 countries have spotted me today. It would seem EI and GI spots are an everyday thing even with real QRP.  No QSOs yet. 7 stations in 4 countries have been spotted here so far.

UPDATE 1820z: 11 stations in 4 countries spotted on 2m RX. On QRP TX 11 station in 4 countries spotted. No QSOs. My technique is to call CQ and wait, which is the lazy way. If I called stations I am sure I'd get more contacts.

Spots of my QRP today
on 2m FT8 TX

UPDATE 2120z:  So far today I have spotted 20 stations in 5 countries on 2m FT8 RX and I have been spotted by 14 stations in 4 countries on 2m FT8 TX with the furthermost being EI2FG (565km).  QRT soon. 

Sunspots - Thursday January 21st 2021

Solar flux is 77 and the SSN 25. A=6 and K=0. 

Treewashing - NOT amateur radio

At nearby Anglesey Abbey, some of the silver birch trees have their bark washed so they look at their best. See the photo.

See https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/anglesey-abbey-gardens-and-lode-mill

UK prices for the IC-705

It seems odd to me that the XBS Telecom price (Europe) with included 3 year warranty and VAT is a fair bit lower than the price from any UK dealer. As an example, a 5 year warranty is extra from MLS.  By the way, MLS say that all their IC-705 transceivers come from ICOM UK.

Like the IC-7300 I am convinced the IC-705 is being market priced (if the punters will pay, then do not drop the price). Most are working on the assumption that if the radio is wanted enough, then we will pay. It seems if you want an IC-705 from a UK dealer, you have to accept the market price.

I am all for fair prices as I want dealers to still be there, but I do not like to be exploited. 

Any views?

2m FT8 QRP (Wednesday)

It is now 0955z. For about 30 minutes I have been on 2m FT8 using 2.5W and the big-wheel omni antenna.  Already 8 spots of my QRP with the furthermost EI2FG (565km). I am amazed that my tiny signal gets this far every single day on 2m.

UPDATE 1342z:   12 spots of my QRP signal so far today on 2m FT8 TX.

UPDATE 1615z:  15 stations have spotted me on TX and I have spotted 12 stations on RX. The furthermost on RX is DL6YBF (410km).

Stations that have
spotted me today
on 2m FT8 QRP

UPDATE 1802z:  18 stations have spotted me today on QRP 2m FT8 TX. 17 stations spotted here on RX. 

UPDATE 2208z:   25 stations spotted on 2m FT8 RX. 17 stations in 6 countries have spotted me on 2m  FT8 TX. QRT shortly.

Sunspots - Wednesday January 20th 2021

 Solar flux is 78 and the SSN 14.  A=6 and K=2.

2m FT8 QRP (Tuesday)

At about 2020z, I QSYed to 2m FT8 QRP using 2.5W and the big-wheel omni. So far, I have been spotted by 4 stations on TX with the furthermost G7RAU (461km). On 2m FT8 RX just 1 station spot ted so far this evening.

UPDATE 2101z: already my QRP has been spotted by EI2FG (565km) as well as 6 others. On 2m FT8 RX I have spotted 4 stations with DL6YBF (410km) the furthermost.

UPDATE 2305z: QRT. 

New digital mode coming?

Southgate News reports that a new digital mode may be coming later this year called Q65 as part of WSJT-X suite.  I have just downloaded the latest release candidate for WSJT-X (2.3.0-rc3), but I have not checked if it is there. 

See https://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/Q65_Quick_Start.pdf

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2021/january/new-digital-protocol-q65.htm#.YAbrz_GTLrc

Lunch out - NOT amateur radio

Two years ago we went to the old wool town (village?) of Lavenham. We ate out at a small cafe. Do you remember those days when we could travel?? 😊  The photo shows our lunch.

Funny how a trip to the local bakers is now exciting! I expect when this pandemic is largely over we will value the small things denied us all.

USA future - NOT amateur radio

Tomorrow the new USA president is sworn in. I hope that President Trump is magnanimous and his followers respect democracy.

Me in 1959 - NOT amateur radio

One of my FaceBook memories today was this photo of me taken at a junior school sports day in 1959, when I still had hair! I am on the left. Some changes since!

6m FT8 QRP (Tuesday)

It is now 1042z. For the last few minutes I have been on 6m FT8 with 2.5W and the V2000 omni vertical. 2 spots of me so far with the furthermost M0AGP (122km).

UPDATE 1102z: Now spotted strongly by OL7M (1128km). Winter Es or aircraft? Probably aircraft.

UPDATE 1112z: 5 stations have spotted me so far. Amazing. No spots on 6m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1152z: Just one station spotted on 6m FT8 RX so far today: G4FKA (206km).The photo shows the stations spotting me today so far. 

UPDATE 1424z:  Now 4 stations spotted on RX with furthermost being G8EEM (208km).

Sunspots Tuesday January 19th 2021

 Solar flux is 75 and the SSN 13.  A=4 and K=2.

2m FT8 (QRP) Monday

I am mainly on 2m FT8 RX using the FT817ND and big wheel. When briefly on TX at 2.5W the report on G0LRD's (26km) grabber was poor, suggesting something is wrong either with the rig or antenna. On RX things seem to be as expected. Odd. The output power seemed low as if the SWR was poor.

The SWR looks fine, so this might be another fault in the FT817ND. Tomorrow I might try with a dummy load, and then the FT991A.

Village collage - NOT amateur radio

 

This is a collage of village scenes seen yesterday on our walk. It was cold, but sunny.

20m FT8 RX

 It is now 1205z. For about an hour I have been on 20m FT8 RX with the FT817ND and the indoor loop. So far, 188 stations spotted on RX.

UPDATE 1434z:   Now on 2.5W TX too. So far today, 424 stations spotted on 20m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1900z:   2 stations have spotted me on TX and 503 stations spotted on 20m FT8 RX today.

Sunspots - Monday January 18th 2021

Solar flux is 77 and the SSN 23.  A=2 and K=0.

2m FT8 QRP (Sunday)

At 1954z, I QSYed to 2m FT8 QRP using the usual 2.5W and big-wheel omni antenna. So far, 5 stations have spotted me with the furthermost being EI2FG (565km). This sort of range is always possible even with my QRP set-up. It is now 2002z. Nothing spotted on RX yet.

UPDATE 2225z:  After 4 QSOs this evening, now QRT.

QSY to 20m FT8 QRP (Sunday)

As 10m was pathetic here I QSYed to 20m FT8 at about 1517z using 2.5W to the tiny indoor loop. 

At 20m this is so tiny that it does not look like it could ever work! 

At 1525z lots of USA stations already spotted. So far, 23 stations spotted on 20m FT8 RX, but nobody has yet spotted me on TX.

UPDATE 1810z: 1 station has spotted me on 20m FT8  QRP TX and 59 stations spotted on RX. The stations spotted are shown on the map. 

Church bells - NOT amateur radio

One of the things I've missed recently is hearing the local church bells ring. As well as the clock that strikes on the hour, there is a peel of bells used for change ringing. 

10m FT8 QRP (Sunday)

For about 30 minutes I have been on 10m FT8 with the tiny indoor loop antenna and 2.5W. No spots yet. 

UPDATE 1440z:  Still no spots today.

Sunspots - Sunday January 17th 2021

 Solar flux is 78 and the SSN 15. A=4 and K=2.

"A journal of the plague year" by Daniel Defoe - NOT amateur radio

For Christmas, my wife bought me this book.  Although things were very different in 1665 (and the death toll higher then), it is surprising just how similar things were to the current pandemic. It is available in many formats from Amazon.

Earlier, I read Defoe's book about his trip around Britain, which was fascinating.

This book on the plague was harder reading, but worth it.

See https://www.amazon.co.uk/Journal-Plague-Year-Illustrated-Daniel/dp/B086M2VZYN

2m FT8 grabber

This has been mentioned before, but I find the 2m FT8 grabber just west of Cambridge run by David G0LRD very useful.  If you want to see what your 2m FT8 signal looks like near Cambridge, this is your chance. 

My signal at 26km is usually +9 to +12dB S/N. If you are far away, it will probably be much weaker. 

Most times there are signals from all sorts of places coming through. Even in flat conditions I can usually see German stations.

If you are in range, you too might find it of use.

See http://82.71.9.63:8080/cap/

New radios

Buying a new transceiver here is a big decision for me. 

When I buy one, it is usually kept for many years. I quite fancy the IC-705 as a QRP enthusiast, but it seems expensive. I do not expect the price to drop unless they get real competition.

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

2m FT8 QRP (Saturday)

It is now 1257z and I have just turned on my 2m QRP - 2.5W and the big-wheel omni antenna. Already 7 stations have spotted me.

UPDATE 1449z: 18 stations have spotted my QRP 2m signal so far today (see photo).

UPDATE 2125z:  QRT.  28 spots of me in 6 countries with the furthermost being a spot by EI2FG (565km).

Hornet tree - NOT amateur radio

This tree was felled last year. It is at nearby Anglesey Abbey owned by the National Trust. 

For years there was a hornet's nest in the tree. For all I know, it could still be there.

Another successful Zoom talk

Last night, the Cambridge radio club (CDARC) had another well attended Zoom talk. Yet again this included a member in Canada. The talk was by Ray G4FON on learning Morse code, using his highly successful training course based on the Koch method. The secret seems to be to hear the sound of the letters much as a foreign language and not to try to write it down.

I am a great fan of Zoom as we can enjoy the talks from the comfort of our own homes. Also, people around the world can take part. Of course, by holding "virtual" meetings, we miss the face-to-face contacts, but Zoom with video is far better than I expected.

See http://www.g4fon.net/CW%20Trainer2.php

Promise - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday at nearby Anglesey Abbey we saw this hellebore. Yet another promise of better days ahead. 

It is still mid-January and as I write we have cold driving rain.

136kHz beacon TX

This is the beacon TX I used on 136kHz at the old QTH some years ago. At this QTH I have only been (briefly) on 136kHz RX. Taht was with Opera weak signal software using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. If I was fitter I ought to try some 136kHz RX again.

Sunspots - Saturday January 16th 2021

Solar flux is 73 and the SSN 13. A=3 and K=2.

E-field probes

There is a common myth that VLF, LF and MF antennas have to be big. Whilst this is true for radiated TX antennas, this is absolutely not true on RX. 

In the past I have used E-field probes very successfully on 136kHz RX and good ones can be quite as good (or better) than large antennas and can work from VLF to 30MHz despite being very tiny. Typical ones are just a few cms long.

One of mine, used taped to the window, is shown in the photo. Normally they are placed outdoors away from noise sources. They work because as antennas get smaller the signal level falls, but so does the noise. At low frequencies external noise usually dominates.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/antennas/efp.

Winter promise - NOT amateur radio

January can be a miserable time of the year: days are short and cold and the evenings are dark and long. Everywhere looks dead.

However there is a promise of better days ahead. Soon it will be the daffodils, which are around until late spring.

Already snowdrops are pushing up and coming into flower. Promise. 

Then the buds start to appear and you sense stirrings......

2m FT8 QRP (Friday)

It is now 1125z and I have been on 2m FT8 for about 10 minutes. So far, my 2.5W to the big-wheel has been spotted by 11 stations on TX and 1 station spotted on RX.

UPDATE 1225z: 12 stations have spotted my QRP on TX and 14 stations in 4 countries spotted here on RX. 1 QSO.

UPDATE 1630z:  24 stations in 5 countries has spotted me so far today on 2m QRP TX with 2 QSOs.

UPDATE 1826z:  27 stations in 6 countries have spotted my 2m FT8 QRP so far today.

2m FT8 QRP (Thursday evening)

Last evening I was on 2m FT8 using 2.5W and the big-wheel omni antenna. Although as usual I was spotted in EI and GI, not a single station was spotted here on RX. I am pretty sure all was working here. Odd. 

Sunspots - Friday January 15th 2021

 Solar flux is 74 and the SSN 0. A=2 and K=0. 

Amateur radio cartoon

This was on Messenger from Steve G1KQH although I have no idea where it originated. 

OFCOM report

 OFCOM has published a report on emerging technologies. See the OFCOM website for more details.

ICOM IC-705

These QRP radios are now widely available in Europe. The price is still high and, if like the IC-7300, will not drop unless they face real competition. 

The nearest competition is the Yaesu FTDX10, but this is not a 5/10W radio and does not have 2m and 70cm, but does have an ATU and 4m.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/ic705.

Art with Ed - NOT amateur radio

Previously I mentioned the YouTube video made by my grandson Edward who is 11 years old. The collage shows some of the pages. 

See youtube.com/watch?v=sVmWwYbh8Co