10m 1W FT8 (Thursday)

 My 1W FT8 was turned on just after tea.

UPDATE 1916z:   104 stations have spotted my 1W including several in the USA.  I suspect these are E layer either chordal hop or multi hop Es.

UPDATE 2055z: Spotted by 169 stations.  Now QRT.

10m 500mW WSPR (Thursday)

My QRP beacon was turned on a shot while ago.

UPDATE 1156z: Spotted by 13 stations, presumably most by Es.

UPDATE 1546z:  42 stations have spotted me. Es almost certainly for most. At the end of July, Es is still going strong!

2m 5W FT8 (Thursday)

 My 2m FT8 was turned on a few minutes ago.

 

UPDATE 1151z: 12 stations have spotted me. I am convinced this is some sort of scatter.

UPDATE 1541z:  25 stations in 5 countries have spotted me. See map. I would have never achieved this with 5W CW or SSB to an omni antenna!

Thursday plans

 Nothing decided yet, but I might try 2m QRP FT8 for a change later. If I go on 2m I shall go on 10m WSPR with my beacon.

Sunspots - Thursday July 31st

 Solar flux is 149 and the SSN 131. A=8 and K=2.

10m 1W FT8 (Wednesday)

 When we got back from my son's I went on 10m QRP FT8 at 1430z.

UPDATE 1453z:  8 spots of me and 7 spots here. Furthest with my 1W FT8 is Chile
CA6SNT (12447km). 

UPDATE 1532z:  So far, spotted by 23 stations today.

UPDATE 2054z: 212 stations have spotted my 1W 10m FT8. See map shows stations spotting me today with this power.

Lightning?

Earlier, although not forecast, I thought I saw a flash of lightning. 

As we are going out for a while, I have gone QRT and disconnected antennas and PSUs. If the are no storms when I get back, I may reconnect things. Maybe 10m QRP FT8?

See https://www.lightningmaps.org/#m=oss;t=3;s=0;o=0;b=;ts=0;tsc=1;

King's College Chapel

People travel across the world to see this. 

It is made famous by the Christmas Carol Concert that is broadcast to millions around the planet. 

It is many centuries old. I believe it started construction in the 1400s.

Pet chicken

 

As a young child I had a pet bantam hen called Margaret. My grandson has two.

10m QRP WSPR (Wednesday)

My 500mW beacon was turned on after breakfast.

UPDATE 1251z: 11 stations have spotted me. QRT.

6m 5W FT8 (Wednesday)

My 6m FT8  was turned on after breakfast.

UPDATE  1252z:  So far,  161 spots of me. Mostly Es I think. QRT.

House Martins at King’s, Cambridge, UK

 

These housemartins were nesting in the roof of the entrance. Most visitors were probably unaware being focused on the chapel ahead.

Sunspots - Wednesday July 30th

 Solar flux is 149 and the SSN 112. A=11 and K=2.

10m 500mW WSPR (Tuesday)

My beacon was turned on about teatime.

UPDATE 1844z:  Spotted by 2 stations in Europe.

Brunch

When we shop in Cambridge I usually have brunch in one of the big retailers. 

Here I am tucking into my sausage and egg brioche.

Broken bike in Cambridge

 

This was in Cambridge earlier. It looks like this bike has been abandoned.

10m 1W FT8 (Tuesday)

My IC-705 was turned on at 1245z.

UPDATE 1541z:  14 spots of me around Europe. I think the Es season is drawing to a close, so we can expect fewer openings now.

The cup that cheers

 

It is true that people in England treat a cup of tea as the answer to everything! 

Just think how often have you seen in films the heroine being told, "just have a cup of tea. You'll feel better".

This was our afternoon tea a few days ago.

10m 500mW WSPR (Tuesday)

My beacon was turned on at 0638z.

UPDATE  0743z:   No spots.

More history

Whilst sorting my bookshelf I came across these magazines. Clearly the late 1940s and early 1950s were a golden age in our hobby. 

Most people made their own gear or adapted war surplus gear. No credit cards and Japanese transceivers back then. An amateur radio licence really meant something.

If I remember  correctly these magazines were bought at Hay-on-Wye some years ago. I used to stop there when I went to stay with my mother in Devon. At a guess I bought them in the late 1990s.

10m FT8 at 1W yesterday

 Late in the afternoon I tried 10m FT8 at 1W. It was still spotted all over Europe and as far as South America. I was really trying to run the IC-705 well within its ratings .

History - ZN414 book

 

Whilst trying to find something else I came across this A5 booklet. It must date from the mid 1970s?

The ZN414 was a 3 pinned TRF receiver designed to make a very simple LW or MW broadcast receiver. I think it worked to about 3 MHz. 

I think it is still available from other manufacturers in a plastic case. At one time the equivalent was available via GQRP sales. I am not sure if it is still stocked.

As I recall it was used to make a couple of MW receivers for my boys.

Sunspots - Tuesday July 29th

 Solar flux is 145 and the SSN 126. A=7 and K=2.

10m 5W FT8 (Monday)

 My gear was turned on mid-morning.

UPDATE 1040z:  67 stations have spotted me with the furthest 9K2WA (4657km) and I have spotted 44 here.

UPDATE 1641z:  190 stations have spotted me with the furthest FR4OO (9722km). On RX 204 stations have been spotted.

UPDATE 1755z:  About 40 minutes ago I decided to reduce power yet again. Since about 1715z it has been at 1W FT8. 19 spots of my 1W 10m FT8.

Memories

The photo shows my grandson way back in 2011 chasing a piglet. 

He is now almost an adult and as tall as his dad.  They grow up all too fast.

Monday plans

 Today, I expect to try 10m 5W FT8 again later.

Batson, Devon, UK

 This hamlet is near where I grew up as a child.

472 kHz

 

This photo was many years ago testing my 472 kHz transverter that later featured in QST. 

With my earth- electrode "antenna" in the ground it has got as far as Finland. 

Apart from the last few years I have been on the band every year.

DNA tests?

At least 2 companies have DNA tests with offers ending soon. My daughter in law did one a few years ago and was disappointed to see no mention of her Vietnamese roots a few generations back. And no I don’t think she had a different father as a result of an affair! Her daughter looked very Vietnamese as a young girl.

I am wondering if anyone has experience of these tests?

Sunspots - Monday July 28th

 Solar flux is 145 and the SSN 126. A=5 and K=1.

Out of touch?

Yesterday I was listening to a UK repeater that seemed to be linked to loads of stations by Allstar and Hubnet. I was listening via Echolink. It was good to hear it busy.

It is interesting that I know very little about this branch of amateur radio.

Es going?

At the end of the Es "season" the usual pattern is there are fewer good days and fewer really big days. Es can still occur, but it becomes more sporadic. 

In past years I have noticed it opens to the north more, but this is not scientific. I have worked Scandinavians on 6m QRP SSB as late as September with just my vertical omni antenna.

My advice is stick with it, especially 10m and 6m FT8. F2 will be good in the autumn and we might see a few fleeting openings where Es and F2 link up.

10m 5W FT8 (Sunday)

My gear was turned on at about 0836z. At first it was on FM which seemed odd. Then I realised!

UPDATE 0926z:  3 stations have spotted me. As I had received no spots (which I thought was odd)  I quickly tried 15m FT8 to confirm everything was OK. 2 spots were soon received on 15m, so I QSYed back to 10m. I am surprised how few people I am seeing on 10m FT8. It is almost as people have QSYed to lower bands now the Es season is going as it's easier. I get the impression that most people are only really interested in working new countries, so 10m would be too hard if you are an"appliance operator".

UPDATE 1019z:  7 stations have spotted me today. Es?  By the time of the next solar cycle peak, I suspect amateur radio as we knew it will have all but ended. Hopefully I will be wrong. See map.

UPDATE 1134z: 27 stations have spotted me. Es I think.

UPDATE 1540z:   63 stations have spotted me and I have spotted 30 here including North and South America.

Sunday plans

 At the moment I think I shall try 10m 5W FT8 for a change.

Crumble

My wife makes a very good crumble.This one is wild blackberry and apple. It’s delicious with the ice cream.

Vegan "steak" pie

Usually I am a meat eater, so I bought this Vegan pie as an experiment. 

I am sure if I was given a blind test, I would not have been able to tell which was which. It was excellent, but far less expensive. 

I shall buy these again.

Heathkits

In my youth these were a way of getting on the air for less by making your own gear.  

They were famous for their step-be-step assembly instructions. These days it is less expensive to buy Japanese or Chinese made gear either new or second hand.

I thought Heathkit had died, then I saw a website which had a few products. Compared with Heathkits of old, these were very limited and very expensive. I thought this "rebirth" was doomed to failure. It would appear it still exists, much to my surprise.

Unless they increase their range and drop their prices I just can't see them surviving for long. They must have a very loyal group of supporters.

See https://shop.heathkit.com/ .

President Trump's "private" visit to Scotland

It is reported that this visit is accompanied by huge security. 

As this is a private visit to his golf courses, shouldn't Mr Trump pick up the security costs? It seems grossly unfair if this has to be done by the Scottish taxpayers.

Instead, why does he not try a bit harder in his quest for a Nobel peace prize by helping to get a lasting peace in the Middle East and the Ukraine?

Sunspots - Sunday July 27th

 Solar flux is 143 and the SSN 136.  A=12 and K=1.

6m 5W FT8 (Saturday)

My IC-705 at 5W to the vertical omni V2000 antenna has been on since about 0750z.

UPDATE 1953z:  248 stations (mostly in Europe) have spotted me. Plenty of Es I think. On 10m QRP WSPR just 26 stations have spotted me by comparison.

UPDATE 2055z:  QRT

Canterbury

We spent some time in Canterbury with our son this week. Canterbury has some very old buildings.

End fed halfwave antennas

These antennas are popular as they cover many bands and are easily erected. Especially with high power, RF in the shack can be an issue.

At the end of a halfwave the impedance is high so they are usually fed via a wideband transformer to bring the impedance closer to 50 ohms.  Wideband transformers are usually 1:49 or similar. On their harmonics the radiation pattern can be very odd.

They can be useful antennas, but are a compromise.

The Es season

In the northern hemisphere the Es season is drawing to an end. The main season usually runs until about now. 

Although Es may occur at any time, it is most common in early summer. My recommendation is to "stick with it" on 6m and 10m Es to expect the unexpected.

UPDATE 0808z: Still plenty of Es I think.

Gaza

The dreadful situation in Gaza appals me.  The world agrees that what happened to Israel on October 7th 2023 was totally wrong, but the suffering in Gaza to innocents is on another level.

I am ashamed to be in England allegedly training IDF solders on UK soil and still selling weapons to the state of Israel.

In my view the following should happen:

• An immediate ceasefire.
• Humanitarian aid should be flooded into Gaza by UN agencies, not Israel.
• Press should be immediately allowed to go into Gaza.
• Palestine should be recognised as a country by the UK along side France irrespective of what Israel and the USA say. Enough is enough.
• Israel and its Arab neighbours should acknowledge their rights to live peacefully with their neighbours.
• Until there is a just peace, we should have nothing at all to do with the state of Israel.
• The USA should work for the good of innocents whatever their religion.

Is WSPR suffering to FT8?

Yesterday I was on 10m WSPR with 500mW and 6m FT8 with 5W. Now, WSPR is about 10dB better on weak signals than FT8, so these  should be comparable. WSPR needs almost 120 seconds whereas FT8 just 15 seconds. The other variables are the band and antennas.

Overall, I was spotted by far more stations on 6m FT8 than 10m WSPR. My conclusion is that FT8 is far more popular than WSPR. 

This is definitely not scientific, just my impression.

UPDATE 0801z: 99 stations have spotted my 6m FT8.  None on 10m WSPR.

Kite (bird)

 

A few years ago the sight of a kite flying overhead would have been unheard of. Since a re-introduction program these large birds are now common in England.

Yesterday, one flew overhead.

See https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/red-kite .

Sunspots - Saturday July 26th

 Solar flux is 148 and the SSN 133. A=8 and  K=4.

Yaesu cashback

Yet again, I see MLS is offering cashback on certain Yaesu rigs. With the discounts, these look good value for money.

UPDATE 1248z:  with the cashback the FT710 is well below £1000, whereas the FTX-1 is a stupid price. I  my view Yaesu has kicked itself in the shins with the stupid, stupid FTX-1F prices.

I think Yaesu has lost its way.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Friday)

My 500mW WSPR TX beacon was turned on mid afternoon.

UPDATE 1522:  11 stations have spotted me around Europe. This looks like Es. 

6m 5W FT8 (Friday)

My IC-705 at 5W to the V2000 vertical omni anenna was turned on at about 1350z.

UPDATE 1608z:  83 stations around Europe have spotted me. Mostly probably Es.

UPDATE 2025z: D2UY (6525km) in Angola is the furthest station spotted here on 6m FT8 RX. On TX, 303 stations, all in Europe have spotted me.

OFCOM, FCC and amateur radio

In the UK, the main authority dealing with amateur radio is OFCOM. I think in the USA it is the FCC. It is noticeable that many of OFCOM's publications are really about raising money. 

The feeling I increasingly get is that OFCOM is not really interested in amateur radio. This is probably true of many PTTs around the world. 

The impression created is that amateur radio is an embarrassing hangover from past times and they would rather it just went away.

Many times I have said that I suspect PTTs are tiring of amateur radio as it costs them money and creates no revenue.

It would not surprise me if amateur radio was deregulated in many countries.

"NOT amateur radio"

Since I stopped postings to my non amateur radio blog called "Miscellaneous Musings" a few years ago, I have appended "NOT amateur radio" when the posts are not amateur radio related items to this blog.  Usually I post several things that are not amateur radio related each week.

I propose to stop adding this to non amateur radio posts in future unless people strongly disagree.

CB - NOT amateur radio

In the USA CB radio started in 1958. In the UK it started in the early 1980s, although several people were involved illegally before then. 

In the UK it was very busy at first although I do not think this is the case now, although I have not been on CB for years. 

In the USA I have no idea of the situation. 

In the early days people came on CB for a number of reasons, many just to chat. These days people can chat for free with video across the world with the internet, so those who came on just for a chat have all but disappeared.

Friday plans

 Later, I plan to try again with 500mW 10m WSPR and 6m 5W FT8. The main Es season is drawing to a close.

The boys - NOT amateur radio

 

Our boys are now in their late 40s and their own sons are almost adults. 

They are all taller than me! 

Sunspots - Friday July 25th

 Solar flux is 156 and the SSN 137. A=15 and K=2.

Making Yorkshire Parkin - NOT amateur radio

My grandson making Yorkshire Parkin earlier.

It is lovely with cheese.

AliExpress - unsubscribed

Since purchasing something from them recently I seem to have been added to their mailing list and been bombarded with daily emails. I have now unsubscribed, so hopefully these will stop.

6m 5W FT8 (Thursday)

My gear was turned on after lunch.

UPDATE 1951z: 49 stations have spotted me. The furthest is LU2GPB (10405km). See map.

UPDATE 2000z: QRT.

10m QRP WSPR (Thursday)

 My 500mW TX beacon was turned on just after lunch. So far, just V51RS (8481km)  has spotted me with no signs of Es.

UPDATE 1601z:  Just V51 and ZD7 spotting me. No sign of Es. Is this a sign of things changing?

UPDATE 2000z: QRT.

Canterbury market - NOT amateur radio

 

We expected to find the prices in the market high, but they were very good.

If we lived here, I am sure we'd shop there.

Thursday plans

 After lunch I shall probably go on 10m 500mW WSPR and 6m 5W FT8. After lunch as my younger son is here. We don't see him that often.

The Old Cheese Shop - NOT amateur radio

This is in Rochester, Kent, UK and is supposed to be the last place ever mentioned by Charles Dickens in his novels. Charles Dickens lived in Rochester.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Dickens

6m 5W FT8 (Wednesday)

My IC-705 was turned on at about 1400z on my return from Canterbury. 79 spots of me. Mostly Es I suspect. 79 stations spotted me.

Sunspots - Thursday July 24th

 Solar flux is 150 and the SSN 85. A=27 and K=3.

10m 500mW WSPR (Wednesday)

My beacon was turned at about 1400z.

UPDATE 1718z:  So far, just V51RS (8481km). No Es.

Hartley 80m TX

 

This is how advanced technology looked 100 years ago.

Sunspots - Wednesday July 23rd

 Solar flux is 150 and the SSN 101. A=27 and K=4.

In Rochester - NOT amateur radio

This was our morning in Rochester with our son.

The Es season

 Whilst it lasts, the Es season is fun. In the northern hemisphere this usually peaks in May, June and July. After a while people get used to the openings around Europe and look further afield. Openings to North America seem to occur quite often. Some of these openings are multi hop Es although I believe some are some kind of E layer chordal hop. 

Floods - NOT amateur radio

 After several weeks of hot and dry weather we have had floods. This was where my son teaches in Kent yesterday.

Sunspots - Monday July 22nd

 Solar flux is 143 and the SSN 130. A=4 and K=2.

Is the UK complicit? - NOT amateur radio

This is aimed at people in the UK.

Let me start by saying many of my best friends are Jewish and I believe all humans are of equal value whatever their colour, beliefs etc..

Allegedly the UK is still supplying some arms to Israel and training IDF soldiers on UK soil. 

Until there is a fair and just peace between Israel and Gaza we should have no dealings with the Israeli state. 

Write to your MP. 

I am ashamed to be complicit.

Arsenal stadium - NOT amateur radio

 

On the train to London we go next to the Emirates stadium.

Sunspots - Monday July 21st

 Solar flux is 150 and the SSN 139. A=5 and K=2.

Swift (bird) numbers - NOT amateur radio

This is a quote from the RSPB page about swifts.

'Sadly, Swift numbers are plummeting, and they’re now on the UK’s Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern. For every ten Swifts zooming across our skies in 1995, there were only about three by 2022.'

On our local Facebook page I asked if people locally thought numbers were up or down on last year. Surprisingly, most thought numbers were up, not down. This may be very local or a UK trend. I am interested in the national trend.

See https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/swift .

10m 500mW WSPR (Sunday)

My QRP 10m WSPR has been on this morning.

UPDATE 1836z: Spotted by 84 stations in the last 12 hours. Es?

Peaceful protesting - NOT amateur radio

The Palestine Action group has been banned in the UK as a terrorist organisation.  Certainly most people will agree that what happened in Israel on October 7th 2023 was horrific.

Police have been arresting people, many who are old, who have been protesting peacefully against what they see as genocide in Gaza.

In my view this is the state being utterly stupid: everyone has a right to peaceful protest as long as inciting violence is not the aim.

Many of the protesters are elderly and just want justice and fairness.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c20rvdexj8jo .

6m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

My gear at 5W has been on most of the morning.

UPDATE 1326z:  393 stations have spotted me including 5 in Canada. Multi hop or chordal Es?

UPDATE 1416z:  9 stations in Canada and the USA have spotted my 6m 5W FT8 to the vertical omni antenna. Altogether, spotted by 603 stations.

Spots of my 5W 6m FT8
to the vertical omni today

UPDATE 1850z:  761 stations have spotted me in the last day on 6m 5W FT8. Even further west in the USA N0KB (6468km) has spotted me .

Butterfly - NOT amateur radio

This was seen at nearby Anglesey Abbey last week. It was sunning itself on a marble seat before flying off. 

Sunspots - Sunday July 20th

 Solar flux is 153 and the SSN 139. A=7 and K=1.

Meshtatic and MeshCore - NOT amateur radio

Some people look for ways to communicate that do not depend on the internet. I have no experience of these which use licence free Lora to join up stations without the internet. 

In theory, if the network is big enough almost anyone should be able to message anyone. I have no idea how large these meshes are.

The aim is to have nationwide (or even international) networks that allow text messages to be exchanged in public or as a private message without the internet.  

It looks like apps are available for Android or iOS phones.

There is a map of Meshtatic nodes.

UK swift (bird) numbers - NOT amateur radio

 According to conventional wisdom, the numbers of swifts should be down as there are fewer nest sites. Certainly around here in East Anglia we have seen far fewer swallows, although I have seen them elsewhere.

As far as I can tell, there are more swifts than last year here. This is a good sign and others have noticed this too locally.  Maybe they are adapting and finding new places to nest.  I really hope so. Some are erecting swift nestboxes or "swift bricks" to encourage them.

I would be interested to know what others in the UK are finding. Swifts screaming in feeding parties signify summer in England. They only come here for a few months to breed.

10m 500mW WSPR (Saturday)

 My beacon was turned on early morning.

UPDATE 1824z:  36 stations have spotted me. Mainly Es I think.

Do you speak Chinese?

My Chinese is non existent, but I see AliExpress is selling a multi-band crystal set with a Band II FM stereo radio included for good measure. All the markings appear to be in Chinese, so I cannot tell what they say. The price seems very high.

6m 5W FT8 (Saturday)

My gear has been on since about 0855z.

UPDATE 1827z: 270 spots of me. Also VO1SIX (3933km) has spotted me again. Es?

Tempted

 At the moment we have had very little rain and no storms. I am tempted to try 6m QRP FT8 and 10m QRP WSPR, if only for a few hours.

Early experiment

 

In 1924 an experiment was held in which an amateur radio station was set up on a moving train. I have no idea what the antenna was. Communication was established with several stations on the route.

Sunspots - Saturday July 19th

 Solar flux is 156 and the SSN 167.  A=11 and K=1.

Thunderstorm risks this weekend

The last few days here in East Anglia, UK has been very hot and humid. This could break tonight with heavy rain and thunderstorms. We need the rain.  It might be a "good idea"  to avoid amateur radio especially this next 24 hours.

See https://www.lightningmaps.org/ .

Oscar 100

It seems ages since I took a peek and updated you about activity on this geosynchronous satellite. 

It was designed in Qatar and has been up now for several years. Seeing that it has been around now for several years I am surprised how quiet it is. Maybe not, as this will not be of interest to "appliance" operators who really know little about the technology behind the rigs they use daily. Amateur radio becomes more like CB daily.

My last peek was late afternoon in Europe, on a Friday. I would have expected activity to have been quite good. Sadly not.

See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/ .

Fakes and counterfeit items - NOT amateur radio

One well known Chinese supplier is selling 256G flash drives for a small fraction of the price charged by other suppliers. I am a bit suspicious as these are supposed to be made by a reputable manufacturer. 

If things seem too good to be true then they usually are! 

If these are genuine, I am at a loss to know how they do it. At this price I do not understand how they do it anyway!

6m 5W FT8 (Friday)

My QRP FT8 to the V2000 omni antenna has been on since just after breakfast. One Far East station (I think genuine) has spotted me.

UPDATE 1443z:  Spotted by 142 stations on 4 continents. I suspect the station in Canada was a transitory patch of multi hop Es. At a similar time another station in Newfoundland was spotted on 6m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1917z:   349 stations have spotted me. See map. Amazing DX on 6m FT8 with 5W and a vertical omni antenna. 5 continents on 6m FT8 QRP today! Furthest is  LU2GPB (10405km) in Argentina. I suspect this is Es linking with equatorial spread-F.

UPDATE 2000z:  361 spots of me. Now QRT.

10m QRP WSPR (Friday)

My 500mW 10m WSPR beacon has been on since just after breakfast. So far, just V51RS (8481km) spotting my QRP. There is no sign yet of Es.

UPDATE 1445z:  Spotted by V51RS 18 times today!  Lots of Es now on 10m WSPR.

UPDATE 2005z:   52 spots of me today, mostly Es. Now QRT.

Sunspots- Friday July 18th

 Solar flux is 156 and the SSN 178. A=19 and K=1.

Quote - NOT amateur radio

Every day by email, I receive The Knowledge, which I find an easy, quick and unbiased read of the news. Every day they include a quote. Today's, by Benjamin Franklin, was excellent. How true.

Multiband HF antenna

 

Last week I ordered an antenna from Aliexpress. It has just arrived from China by airmail. It will get erected soon. I am amazed they can do it for the price.

Photobombed - NOT amateur radio

This morning we went for a walk at nearby Anglesey Abbey. 

Whilst taking a photo of this caterpillar I was photobombed by a ladybird! Can you see the ladybird?

6m 5W FT8 (Thursday)

My gear was turned on at 0550z today.

UPDATE 1550z:  149 spots of me. 

10m 500mW WSPR (Thursday)

My W5OLF beacon was turned on at 0550z today.

UPDATE 1119z: So far today 7 spots of me, presumably mostly Es.

6m article

Yesterday I wrote an article about my experiences on 6m. I have not decided where to send it yet. 

It is designed to encourage people to have a go on the band.  There is no doubt that high power and big beams help, but even a very modest station can achieve some amazing results.

UPDATE 1508z:  It has been passed to the editor of RadCom Basics for consideration, although I think it would benefit a wider audience, proving that a simple 6m station works. See Bo's comment below.

Sunspots - Thursday July 17th

 Solar flux is 156 and the SSN 182. A=20 and K=3.

Healthy dessert - NOT amateur radio

 

This is for our lunch dessert. We tend to eat our main meal at lunchtime. We top this with yogurt.

The wild blackberries are picked within 10m of home. Very fresh!  All washed first.

What you never realised you needed?

Ever since ordering something from Aliexpress I have been bombarded with emails from Aliexpress about things I might like. When my goods arrive I shall try to unsubscribe as I am obviously on a mailing list.

Now the prices are very keen, so some things warrant another look. In some cases prices are so low with free postage that it is even worth it even if it never works.

What amazes me is how they can do this and both Aliexpress and the manufacturer can make a profit.

10m 500mW WSPR (Wednesday)

My beacon has been on since just before breakfast. 

UPDATE  2050z:  118 stations mostly around Europe have spotted me. Included is V51RS (8481km).

6m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

 My 5W FT8 has been on since about 0650z.

These days I am more interested in seeing where my signal reaches than 2-way QSOs. This is partly because of my poor voice making SSB and FM QSOs far harder than they were and also because I have probably spoken with this country 40 years ago with 10m QRP!!

UPDATE 2051z:  1062 spots of me. Although I am mostly beaconing, I had one QSO with an Italian station that called me.

Sunspots - Wednesday July 16th

 Solar flux is 139 and the SSN 146.  A=23 and K=1.

Day off radio

As we went to Cambridge by bus (very good and totally free if you are old!) and did not return until mid afternoon, I did not go on the radio today.

Faroes beauty - NOT amateur radio

 

One of my friends on 365project lives up in the Faroe Islands. It is stunningly beautiful up there. 

This is one of his photos posted recently.

New shutters - NOT amateur radio

 

The windmill next door is having some new shutters in its sails. For this they bring in a “cherry picker “.

472 kHz transverter breadboarding

 

This was 2012 breadboarding my 472 kHz transverter in the back of the garage at the old QTH..

Sunspots - Tuesday July 15th

 Solar flux is 128 and the SSN 139. A=16 and K=2.

Gaza - NOT amateur radio

Apparently the BBC has removed a documentary on iPlayer as it breached editorial guidelines. 

Meanwhile in response to the horrific events of October 7th by Hamas against Israel, Israel is trying to destroy Hamas as a fighting force. It does not allow journalists into Gaza to see the destruction and over 50000 people have died. 

I am sure that the response is totally unjustified by any measure. The hate that must have built up against Israel has probably put peace back 50 years. Surely Israel 🇮🇱 must see this.

My wishes are an immediate ceasefire, a long term peace , the UK to stop all arms sales to Israel and no dealings with Israel until there is a just peaceful including IDF training.

10m QRP WSPR (Monday) - plenty of Es

My 500mW beacon was turned on mid morning. It looks like there is widespread Es .

UPDATE  2005z:  Spotted by 37 stations. Now QRT.

6m 5W FT8 (Monday)

My gear was turned on mid morning using the V2000 vertical omni antenna. 

UPDATE 2004z:  409 stations have spotted me mostly, I presume, by Es. See map. This includes 5 in the USA. Now QRT.

Thoughts on 8m

As many know, I decided not to renew my 8m TX permit. This was costing me £50 every year! 

I was hoping that OFCOM was going to issue a Notice of Variation to my amateur licence for a limited time around sunspot maximum. 

It would appear the RSGB was not prepared to support this, which I personally found extremely sad. In all my dealings with the RSGB I found them very against, not even neutral!! If ever there was a case for an NoV, this was surely it around sunspot maximum. I was hoping the RSGB would have been supportive of real research - not so.

In the event, and without the backing of the RSGB and OFCOM my 2.5W FT8 to a low wire dipole was spotted in Europe, South Africa, the USA, Canada, Caribbean and Asia . Continuing as the MUF declines would probably contribute less, hence my decision.

Instead I have concentrated on 6m, where my 5W FT8 to the V2000 omni has reached the Far East, Europe, South Africa, the USA, the Caribbean, Canada and Argentina probably by E layer, TEP and scatter. 

My outings on 8m have left me with a very bitter taste: if you want real experimentation in the true spirit of amateur radio do not expect to be supported in the UK by the RSGB and OFCOM sadly.

Monday plans

Where my 6m 5W FT8 was spotted on Sunday

After being spotted in Argentina 🇦🇷 yesterday with my  5W FT8 on 6m, I plan to go on QRP 6m FT8 and 10m WSPR today. 

Sunspots - Monday July 14th

 Solar flux is 128 and the SSN 102. A=23 and K=2.

40s day at museum - NOT amateur radio

 

Today was the 1940s day at the local museum . It is very popular.