Yesterday, I chanced upon a Facebook page of a radio shack. The guy had all manner of radios and linears. I would guess there was over $30000 worth of kit. Now, how people spend their money is entirely up to them.
For months that was the only rig I used.
It looks like Iran and the USA (for different reasons) are tired of fighting and the Strait of Hormuz will be open again. With or without tolls, oil, natural gas and fertilizer will move again. What Israel will do may put a "fly in the ointment".
Personally I am not impressed by the current administration in the USA. I cannot see anything positive as a result of the recent war. Others may disagree.
My beacon was turned on at about 0850z.
UPDATE 1104z: Spotted by 4 stations.
These videos are created using AI. Sometimes there are mistakes, but overall they give a good impression of life in a given period. They are very clever and will only get better.
Just watched this video about the "memorandum of understanding" NOT a peace deal between the USA and Iran. It would appear President Trump has just caved in.
It would not surprise me at all if it is scuppered by Israel before it is signed on Friday.
For several months I have watched YouTube videos about the Iran war.
In all that time, despite looking, I have been unable to find any that support President Trump and the USA! Not even one!
Almost all these videos suggest a grave mistake has been made. Certainly from the outside, I fail to see any positives, just negatives.
The moral seems to be to listen to your experts.
These days, worldwide communication is easy using the internet. The advantages are families and friends can keep in touch wherever they are. The disadvantages are people can be more easily spammed and people abused online.
Sadly image manipulation is far easier these days. Every time an image is shared it can be abused.
In the UK people under 16 are to be banned from social media. This happened in Australia but many young people have found ways to get around the ban.
Personally, I think some means must be found to prevent young people from being harmed by accessing social media, even if using VPNs and other services. I am unsure how you do this, but the answer probably has to include biometric data and strong age verification, Maybe all people under 16 worldwide have restricted access time to social media?
It seems to me that a simple ban is not enough. I have a young granddaughter who needs to keep in touch with family and friends. At the same time I do not want her to come to any harm.
I am sure the big tech companies and phone manufacturers could and should do much more.
Yet again (more in hope than expectation) I am again on 40.680MHz FT8 RX.
UPDATE 0905z: Just EA7Y (1831km) spotted (on the wrong antenna at my end!). I am sure it is mainly lack of activity rather than poor conditions that prevents more stations being spotted. Despite that, I seem addicted to 8m!
UPDATE 1816z: Just EA7Y and EI2IP (605km) have been spotted.
My 6m gear was left on RX overnight in the hope I might spot some Far East stations on 6m FT8 around breakfast.
UPDATE 0820z: Just lots of Europeans on Es. Now QRT.
My gear was turned on at about 0800z.
UPDATE 0915z: Plenty of European stations (Es I presume) spotting me. Now QRT.
My beacon was turned on about 0800z.
UPDATE 0992z: Plenty of spots by EA8BFK (2880km). Now QRT.
It seems odd that the longest day is next weekend, then it starts to get shorter again! You would think by now I would be used to this cycle, but spring seems to get shorter every year 😞.
One consolation is that the shortest day will be here soon enough! Every time of year is good.
Many years ago people came into amateur radio because it was seen as magic.
With amateur radio you could talk to people all over the world. Politics really didn't come in to it. One day you could be talking with somebody in the USA and the next to somebody in Moscow. Bands were busy.
These days people, in the main, really see amateur radio as a way of getting DXCC on FT8. There is far less chatting. Build your own gear? Experiment? Never.
These days you can speak with others across the world for free with the phone in your pocket without a licence.
I give amateur radio a limited future.
It looks like there may be a "memorandum of understanding" coming that may pause the war. Overall, nothing much has been achieved. I am sure that, had he had his time again, President Trump would not have gone to war.
It looks like the following have been achieved:
1. Strait of Hormuz open (it was before the war).
2. Higher fuel prices around the world.
3. No regime change in Iran.
4. Poorer approval ratings for President Trump.
5. Even worse outcomes for Republicans in the mid-term elections in November.
6. The USA even less trusted in the world.
Well done.
With the "special military operation" in Ukraine, the Russian economy is on a war footing. There are a number of indicators suggesting the Russian economy is suffering, despite what official statistics might say.
My father's line can be traced without break back to the mid 1500s in Hope Cove, Devon, UK.
In the next parish I have one record from 1427!
We have probably been hereabouts for thousands of years.
After the last few days, I think it is unlikely that 6m will open again today as it has for the last 2 days to North America.
Early in the mornings some have been lucky enough to catch those seasonal openings on 6m from Western Europe to the Far East. These openings seem to coincide with the formation of noctilucent clouds high in the atmosphere. I think I read somewhere that these are becoming more frequent with global warming, so maybe these openings will become more frequent?
In a few moments I expect to be on 6m 3W FT8
UPDATE 1936z: 191 stations have spotted my 3W FT8 and I have spotted 237 stations here. For the third day running, the USA has been spotted here on 6m FT8. This could be multiple hop Es, but I think some sort of chordal hop E is more probable personally. Signals were strong.
Very shortly (it is now 0845z) I expect to go on 10m QRP WSPR for most of the day.
UPDATE 1939z: 27 stations around Europe have spotted me today.
Years ago I was able to work on complex circuits and anything involving soldering was trivial.
All I had to do today was solder 2 off 6.35mm mono plugs to allow me to test my HW8 bought recently.
After about 15 minutes I was totally exhausted yesterday!
The good news is the HW8 appears to work on RX and TX.
My beacon was turned on at about 1055z.
UPDATE 1117z: Spotted by 7 stations.
My gear was turned on just after 1100z. It would appear that 6m is again open to the USA.
UPDATE 1305z: So far, 130 stations have spotted me and I have spotted plenty of Europeans and 3 stations in the USA. My best report is from D4L (4517km) in the Cape Verde Islands.
Some say that it will lead to the death of high street shops. I have mixed views.
On Tuesday I ordered some 9V batteries. They arrived from Amazon on my doorstep just 14 hours later! No doubt as they had no shop to maintain, they were also far less expensive. The alternative would have been a 2 hour bus ride into Cambridge and back.
Yes, home shopping results in fewer jobs, especially for young people, which is a bad thing. However, this is how we shop these days. In my view the high street shops that will survive are those that adapt to the new reality. Those that fail to adapt will close.
Human interaction is important: no doubt places where people can meet, like coffee shops, will become ever more popular in future.
With AI, robot bots, cash machines and self-service check-outs, there is less human interaction. In my view these will be replaced by some other form of human interaction in future.
The world is changing.
Earlier this year, to massive interest, a European company, with great fanfare, announced a new rechargeable battery with some remarkable properties. If true, this promised a real breakthrough which would have a massive impact on electric vehicles, mass storage batteries etc..
Although I have only secondhand information, allegedly, it looks like a scam to draw in investors.
Meanwhile, major battery companies like CATL in China are making huge strides and investing greatly.
If true, that this was a scam, many will be saddened.
Today I have three objectives. As rain is forecast, and no thunder is expected, today is a good day to do these.
1. Test the Heathkit HW8 transceiver. This requires 6.35mm mono jacks for the headphones and CW key. I have no idea where my CW key is! Probably I shall have to tap the wire ends together and look on the RBN.
2. Go on 10m with my 200mW beacon.
3. Go on 6m 3W FT8.
Yesterday we bought the remaining pot plants from the garden centre, which we hope to plant before the rain!
UPDATE 0937z: Drizzle.
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| Stations spotting me today on 5W 6m FT8 |
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| Nearby storms |
Clearly, an issue with rechargeable batteries based on lithium is availability as lithium is a rare earth, so resources are limited. CATL has said sodium batteries are dropping in price dramatically. This could help EV sales and that of mass storage batteries.
One theory is that everything possible exists and that in some form each possibility is real. At any time we are only conscious of one of these.
What is clear is how little we know. We are straying into philosophy!
There are many videos about this. I just do not know.
For those unfamiliar with this rig it was a QRP CW transceiver dating from the 1980s I think. I owned a built one many years ago and had a lot of fun with it.
When I saw it on the market locally I had to buy it, working or not. I have still to test it fully, but so far it seems to be working. If it is fully working, I shall keep it.
Last evening was the 70cm UKAC activity contest organised by the RSGB. I was only running 10W to my 144MHz big-wheel omni antenna. Just a couple of stations were worked.
The impression I had was that activity was down. Perhaps people were on 6m enjoying the Es?
Until thunder rudely stopped play, I went on 8m FT8 RX. A couple of Spanish stations were spotted before the storm came and everything had to be disconnected after just a few short minutes.
I guess it must date from pre-WW1? Wouldn't they be amazed by modern technology!!
As I write this there is a very fragile peace in the Middle East.
There is a distinct lack of trust between the various parties.
Let's hope, given time, things can improve.
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Then the sun shone!
Just enough time to catch the amazing sky around the windmill next door. That's our hedge in front.
UPDATE 1053z : A red kite (bird) just flew over but sadly didn’t land on the windmill. That would have been a great photo.
At the moment I plan to go on 10m 200mW WSPR TX and 6m 3W FT8 later.
With noctilucent clouds having been seen this is a good time for 6m super DX from Europe to the Far East.
Allegedly, the Donut battery is not living up to expectations.
It would appear that the battery is not what we were all hoping for.
At one time, judging by the hype, this was the breakthough we had all been awaiting.
This is just one video. I have no way of telling if it is AI.
Today, I decided to try 2m 3W FT8 instead of 6m in the hope of some Es.
UPDATE 1043z: 3 Eire, English and Welsh stations have spotted me with the best EI2FG (563km). 5 English stations have been spotted here. EI2FG has spotted me several times this morning - scatter?
UPDATE 1425z: In the last hour I reduced the power still further to 2W FT8 to the big-wheel omni antenna. Despite this, I am still being spotted in Eire and N.Ireland. No sign of Es here today on 2m FT8.
To me, it seems inevitable that we will evolve to electric vehicles (EVs) in the coming years.
There has been a lot in the press about a breakthrough promising huge ranges, lower costs and fast charging times. It would appear that there are many competing approaches and it is far from clear which will emerge as winners.
There is clearly a wish to move away from rare earth materials, to ensure safety and move away from fossil fuels.
In my view we are not (quite) there yet, but we are now getting very very close to a breakthrough.
My beacon was turned on before breakfast.
UPDATE 1014z: 22 stations spotting me. Some have spotted me over 60 times!
As I write this piece Israel and Iran are in the middle of a shooting match that will get the world nowhere.
All that will happen is yet more distrust and hatred.
When will people ever learn?
UPDATE 1049z: Yes, they ARE all mad!! Israel, USA and Iran. Mad and stupid.
At the moment I don’t have any plans to return to 8m FT8. Instead I plan a return to 3W 6m FT8 and 200mW 10m WSPR …as long as there is no thunder!!
The Es season is well with us again. The usual sport is working loads of short skip on VHF.
Later in the season people get excited by far more distant E layer propagation such as across the Atlantic.
Often DX may be worked with really low power . Signals can be fleeting but strong and often quite localised.
When I first came to Cambridge I recall hearing 2m AM signals from Italy as strong as locals.
UPDATE 0914z: It looks like 2m Es in Eastern Europe. Today, I may try 2m 3W FT8 rather than 6m FT8.
In the past I had no problems with spelling.
Either as a result of my 2013 stroke or old age, it would appear that I can no longer just see by looking how some words are spelt. It is as if my built-in spell-check no longer works as well as it did.
To close the day, I have QSYed to 8m FT8 on 40.680MHz RX.
UPDATE 1821z: No spots. QRT soon.
If there are copyright issues let me know and I’ll remove it.
Iran has been viewed by many as an evil state, but there are better ways to deal with them.
In the past I have always found the people I have met in and from the USA to be kind and generous. The current situation saddens me.
Just like the dotcom bubble, lots are putting money into AI. In many ways those gambling on the stock markets are behaving as if we are living in a world without crises.
In reality, we have the Strait of Hormuz still blocked, the wars in Iran and Ukraine continuing, high fuel prices, higher than expected inflation, high interest rates etc. The world is in a mess.
All the signs are appearing that the markets are about to crash. Many of us (whether we know it or not) have money invested in the stock markets via pension funds. Many invest in the stock markets as individuals.
Wear your hard hats!
UPDATE 1013z: So far, spotted by 108 stations. Good Es.
UPDATE 1824z: 223 stations have spotted me. Now QRT. See map showing stations spotting me today on 6m FT8.
My beacon was turned on before breakfast.
UPDATE 1824z: 88 stations have spotted me. QRT soon.
Allegedly, the US secretary of state for peace made a speech at the ceremony celebrating D-Day criticising European immigration.
This is NOT the place.
During WW2 the USA 🇺🇸 was a reliable friend. Sadly this cannot be said anymore.
Later I shall probably go on 6m 3W FT8 and 10m 200mW WSPR. At some point I may check if the Heathkit HW8 I bought works.
Battery technology is improving year on year with CATL, China's biggest battery manufacturer, working towards batteries that would end "range anxiety" for ever.
Despite being half the day, not a single station spotted. If this had been 6m or 10m I would have spotted quite a few stations.
It would appear US politicians are, more and more, seeking to interfere in European politics, conveniently forgetting that the USA was originally mostly migrants and they have a huge issue with gun deaths.
As was once said (I paraphrase) "look at the plank in your eye first".
Basically keep out until your own house is in order, and don't lecture us.
It was obviously in danger of falling down.
My gear was turned on at about 0815z.
UPDATE 0953z: Spotted by 17 English stations. No Es yet.
UPDATE 1835z: 43 stations have spotted me today. See table.
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I think she was looking for a recipe on the iPad. At one time she loved cooking.
We hope the war in Ukraine will end soon and lives stop being needlessly lost.
Most ordinary folk in Russia and Ukraine (and in Gaza and Iran) just want to live in peace.
It seems that rich and stupid people want to conquer the world.
There was news today of a vaccine partly created using AI. All being well this technique could be used to create a flu vaccine and Covid 19 vaccine that protects even when the virus mutates. On the face of it this is a good thing.
It is also ominous. I think that it means a rogue state could produce a virus that is harmful to certain individuals or certain racial groups.
Welcome to the brave new world! 😒
All good fun, but FT8 is much easier for me.
At the moment I am monitoring 8m FT8. As there are far fewer stations active than 6m, this is harder going.
UPDATE 1400z: Just spots of EA3ERE in Catalonia. I think I'm going back to 6m FT8.
My gear was turned on just after 0800z.
UPDATE 0814z: Spotted by 6 English stations.
UPDATE 1752z: Returned to 6m FT8. Spotted by19 stations and I have spotted 20 stations here.
It would appear that Russia is not having it as easy as they once thought it would be.
Militarily Russia should be far superior, but increasingly Ukraine is bringing the war to Russians in Russia.
The interview with Professor Scott Lucas in Eire is revealing.
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The photo shows the current set-up.
It is much more likely that any future wars would be very cyber based, with people heavily dependent on the internet for banking, communications and so much these days. Just imagine if we were suddenly without this!
Some countries are way ahead of the UK and USA in preparing for this eventuality.
My advice? Have plenty of cash and tinned food around.
Last night was the 2m FT8 activity contest. Running just 5W it was much easier! Again I was only on for a very short while (less than 30 minutes). The map shows the stations that spotted me.
UPDATE 1852 z: Spotted by 220 stations with the best PY5KD (9884km). See map of stations spotting me today. 347 stations spotted here. Now QRT.
As we are now on the downward slope of the solar cycle it’s worth checking the latest solar data.
UPDATE 1434z: 4 stations in Europe spotted in 4 different countries.
At one time I held a UK TX permit for 8m that I had to pay for. Comparing 8m with 6m, I decided not to renew it. I do not regret my decision.
My beacon was turned on at about 0805z.
UPDATE 2011z: Spotted by 101 stations. Amazing Es. Now QRT.
The photo, taken by our son, shows us walking back to his car with our granddaughter.
UPDATE 1120z: Spotted by 264 stations here so far today. See map. Best Es yet.
For about 30 minutes, as usual, I went on the 2m activity contest. I worked 4 stations with my 10W, poor voice and big-wheel omni antenna.
Just before finishing, just for fun, I put out a call with 5W 2m FT8. Immediately I was spotted by PA2M (312km).
It is so much easier on FT8. In all my years with 10W in the 2m activity contest, I don't think I have worked a single station in mainland Europe. I think the main issues are my low ERP, my short time active and my poor voice.
It would appear there is a big push to smaller ICs and lower power consumption. Huawai may have made a breakthrough in how ICs are made. See this video from 2 bit DaVinci.
My gear was turned on at 1215z:
UPDATE 1246z: Just one spot of a station in northern Spain - EB1B (1050km).
There appears to be a general lack of activity on 8m. I know my antenna is not the best and is fixed. I do not regret re-applying for a TX permit.
It would appear President Trump of the USA is in a mess. Iran is making life hard for US negotiators.
There would seem to be no easy way out with the USA coming out with power and believing this is a victory.
Yes, they have inflicted a heavy blow to the Iranian navy and air-force, but the Iranians still have drones and control of the Strait of Hormuz.
In my view, this was a war that should not have been fought.
It seems, allegedly, the US administration was banking on regime change to a regime more in support of western values. This has not happened.
Arguably, Iran has emerged stronger on the global stage and the USA weaker.
It has been hard for people to be clear of the objectives for this war. One of the videos I enjoy is the Meidas Touch.
My gear was turned on just after 1000z.
UPDATE 1016z: Spotted by 34 stations already and 29 stations spotted here.
UPDATE 1447z: After seeing rumours about a 6m opening to the USA, I gave up on 8m and returned to 6m FT8. No joy so far. 105 stations have spotted my 3W 6m FT8 today - mostly Europeans.
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I mixed my own compost with some commercial compost.
Imagine my surprise when a toad was spotted in the commercial compost.
It may be the one I spotted a few weeks ago.
I was a bit concerned about thunder, but at the moment it is clear here, so my beacon was turned on at 1000z.
My gear has been on much of the morning.
UPDATE 1645z: Spotted by 147 stations with the best D4L (4517 km) and 159 stations spotted here including my first from the USA this summer on 6m.
My beacon was turned on just after breakfast.
UPDATE 1405z: 6 European stations spotting me.
Nvidia has announced a new chip for PCs that brings AI to home PCs in a big way rivalling big chip manufacturers like Intel.
We are now on the downward part of the solar cycle with the peak a few years ago. Conditions are still quite good, but will decline later. Often the higher bands are better than activity suggests.
Many people think of 6m as the "magic band". Openings occur when least expected. Other times all that can be heard is white noise.
Around this time, as regular as clockwork, 6m opens to the Far East from Western Europe, probably linked to the formation of noctilucent clouds.
At this time of year Es often links with F2 propagation further south bringing really long distance communication within range such as yesterday when stations well south in Brazil were copied on 6m. Stations in the Caribbean were also being worked, so perhaps the first hop was some sort of chordal hop E layer propagation.
I’m only using a V2000 vertical so those with high gain beams could have done much better.
I can see why many call it the "magic band" !!
What happens when we die is a mystery. On a purely biological level our brain cells die so there are no neural connections left. With this analysis we just cease to exist.
In many cultures there is a belief that something of us lives on somehow. We like to think we, and our loved ones, are "still there" in some form. The truth is our brains are too small to comprehend.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/commercial-rigs/heathkit-hw8
Many people have iPhones. I had no idea (until seeing it in Amateur Radio Weekly yesterday) how many apps there are for Apple and Android. Many of these are free and very useful.
Check the iPhone app store.
My gear was turned on at about 0905z
UPDATE 1700z: Spotted by 199 stations (mostly European) and I have spotted 259 here, presumably Es mostly.
UPDATE 2130z: At last, 3 stations way down in Brazil were spotted with the best PY5XT (9891km).
My beacon is on.
UPDATE 1341z: So far 46 European stations have spotted me. Es I guess.
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As long as the material does not saturate, i.e at very low power, they may be used in TX antennas as well, e.g. in WSPR beacons. Some years ago I carried out some experiments to prove they worked. They would be far down on a "proper" antenna, but they do work. As I recall my antennas were effectively loaded E field antennas rather than H field loops.
As I often say do not be afraid to experiment! This is one area of experimentation that has really been neglected.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/antennas/ferrite-rod-tx-antennas .
The largest nuclear power plant in Europe (I think) is in a war zone.
In rural areas the problem is often coverage gaps. Such a node might help.
I have not experimented, but am tempted.
After a few days away with my son and family in Kent I am now back home and on 10m QRP WSPR.
UPDATE 1921z: Spotted by 17 Europeans, presumably by Es.
Maybe I am just a grumpy old man!! The fashion with young people now seems to be to get a tattoo.
To me, they seem horrible. Some even have tattoos on their face. I can imagine these in 50 years time being all wrinkled!
The basic problem appears to be that there is no trust between opposing parties.
In my view nothing much will happen until this happens.
In the meantime the world suffers. ☹️.
This really conflicts me.
For those unable to enjoy amateur radio in the conventional way (maybe in a care home, hospital or hotel room) it allows connections into many repeaters around the world. At the same time I find it unsatisfying as it lacks experimentation, which I find the best part of the hobby.
There are other amateur radio substitutes that use the internet to entirely replace radio! I find these even less enjoyable.
I would be interested to hear the views of others.
Most days, I watch the Joe Blogs videos on Iran. At the time of writing peace looks as elusive as ever and the world suffers.
It would appear both President Trump and President Putin are likely to get even more desperate and reckless. The next 12 months could be very consequential for the world.
The Chief Executive of the Scottish National Party (SNP) who was at one time married to the Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, has pleaded guilty to embezzling £400k of party funds.
If it was my partner "splashing the cash" I am certain I would know. £400k is a huge amount.
Why did he do it?
My gear was turned on just before breakfast.
UPDATE 0840z: So far just spotted in England by several stations.
UPDATE 1328z: My station has been spotted by 249 stations despite running just 2W. 191 stations spotted here. Es produces some very strong signals! At first the novelty is having all of Europe on VHF. Then people start looking further afield.
UPDATE 1908z: Now QRT. 359 stations spotted my 2W FT8 and 343 stations spotted here.
My beacon was turned on before breakfast.
UPDATE 0837z: Spotted in Finland and Sweden.
UPDATE 1310z 58 stations have spotted me. When Es is good it gets all over Europe. Indeed some reports suggest low mW would have been enough.
UPDATE 1913z: Now QRT. 62 stations spotted me today. Mostly Es.
My IC-705 still produces no audio on USB-D TX but does on USB! For now I am using USB for FT8 rather than USB-D which seems to work fine. I assume the RX filtering is different?
It would appear that lithium-ion batteries look optimal for range and weight. The disadvantage is that lithium is a rare earth material with limited supplies.
It looks like sodium-ion batteries might be answer. Sodium is widely available. CATL, the worlds's largest battery manufacturer, has a huge order for sodium-ion batteries.
Often you hear that renewable energy is OK, but what happens when there is no sun for solar panels or no wind for wind farms?
These are fair comments. Of course, this energy could be stored in chemical batteries, but people are looking for other solutions. One of these might be using old mines for gravitational energy storage. Around the world there are millions of abandoned mines.
As technology improves, I am sure solutions will be found.
When I was younger and fitter, I enjoyed experimenting "at the boundaries". These days I cannot do that much.
In the past I have enjoyed amateur radio below 10kHz, over the horizon with 481THz red light, experimenting with earth-electrode antennas, earth-mode VLF TXing with 5W, 8m, extreme QRP, etc.. Most of my fun has been pushing the boundaries.
Sadly, few in our hobby are interested these days, which is sad. At the moment I try to do things I can experiment with at home. I just wish I was younger and fitter!
Because of falling numbers and costs to keep it going I understand that the BBC is turning off its longwave broadcast transmitters towards the end of June. Sad, but understandable. I am not sure what is happening to the utilities that depended on the 198kHz signal
I wonder what will happen to LW spectrum? Maybe they will introduce a service like in the USA where anyone (part 15?) can operate a station as long as they run less than 1W to short antennas? Probably not in the UK!
Today I shall probably stick with 8m FT8 RX.
UPDATE 0500z: Just G8VER spotted so far.
UPDATE 0830z: 2 stations have been spotted with the best S57TW (1237km).
As Es seemed good on 10m and 6m, I thought I'd try 8m FT8 RX.
UPDATE 1442z: So far, EA3GCV (1231km) spotted using the well off tune V2000 vertical.
UPDATE 1513z: 3 stations in Spain and 1 in Sardinia spotted.
UPDATE 2130z: 18 stations spotted in 4 countries.
My shack PC was not TXing. Following several suggestions (thank you) I reset the TX USB audio to default and that seems to have fixed it. As far as I could see the output and sound mixer settings were correct beforehand! Anyway, it is now working again.
I went briefly on 6m TX and was widely copied in Europe and the Canary Isles with 5W.
I quite enjoy QRP (low power) and like finding out how far really low power goes.
As an example, today one station was giving my 200mW WSPR beacon a report of -3dB S/N suggesting the even microwatts might have been enough.
I have been a member of the GQRP club for very many years. Their quarterly SPRAT magazine (A5 colour) is usually packed with ideas for simple circuits. As I have said many times, if all other radio magazines had to go, SPRAT would be the one I would keep.
Back issues of SPRAT are available on a flash drive.
The RSGB has a page about QRP. See https://rsgb.org/main/technical/qrp-low-power-operating/
It must be a combination for several things, but most times doing anything I get exhausted. In the UK we are experiencing a heatwave (>30 deg C), I am getting old and I experienced a stroke some years ago. It is probably a combination of all three!
What seem to be best for me is short, sharp periods of activity followed by rest.
Things that were done quickly often wait until tomorrow. My PC does not TX FT8 for example. I could have looked yesterday or today. Instead, it has to wait until I gather energy. Maybe tomorrow?
To me, it seems that the USA and Israel have come out far worse from their war with Iran than had they not started it. Few dispute that the regime there is bad, but I fail to see how this can be classed as a win for the USA/Israel. By most measures the outcome is worse than the 2015 agreement that President Trump did not agree with!
My beacon has been on all morning.
UPDATE 1321z: 74 European spots of me, presumably by Es plus EA8BFK (2880km).
It seems certain that the world has suffered a shock by the closure of these straits controlling access to the Gulf though which 20% of the world's oil flowed, to say nothing of jet fuel, natural gas, diesel and fertilisers.
Oil products are limited. Even if we use them sensibly, they will be exhausted eventually.
To some extent the world will adapt, but I think it will take years and years, if ever, for the USA to come back as the beacon of liberty and democracy it once was. In my view, they have made a huge mistake on the world stage. They have made no new friends and, sadly, alienated many, who will not forget.
Recently a battery manufacturer in Taiwan (ProLogium) opened its doors. They seem to have made breakthroughs in solid state batteries.
I am unsure about how this ties in with getting rid of rare earth materials like lithium. Must watch the video again! The ultimate would be a solid-state battery without using rare earth materials.
My beacon was turned on at about 0815z . When I checked WSPRnet appeared not to be working? Which begs a question - is there a real alternative? In the past I have found PSKreporter poor for WSPR.
The USA 🇺🇸 is putting pressure on Cuba.
They made a mess in Iraq and Afghanistan and appear to be in a mess over Iran now.
They don’t exactly have a good record!
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As I recall we had 109 students in our year with just one woman and I don't think she is even in the photo!
To think I had hair then 😄. I am on the left a few rows back. Perhaps you can spot me? Happy days.
By the way, I chose Liverpool as it had the best amateur radio society (G3OUL) at the time! I don't think it is there now?
When I was there Liverpool University had about 7000 students. It now has about 22000 .
My beacon was on before breakfast.
UPDATE 1846z: 80 stations spotted me. Best Es day so far this season. Now QRT.
There seems to be a scapegoating of migrants in the UK at present.
Like many countries the level of net immigration is actually falling despite what you might be led to believe.
Also, without immigration our population would be falling and many jobs would be unfilled .
We need some migration into the UK to sustain our society.
Many years ago I tried to compare my vertical Marconi vertical with my earth-electrode antenna in the groundi on 472kHz.I think these tests were mainly in 2012 and 2013.
My conclusion is that on the LF bands it is a very few S points down. If you have problems erecting a big antenna and extensive ground do not ignore this antenna as it is surprisingly good.
Here we are now all in our late 70s enjoying a meal together in Letchworth earlier today.
Most days I take a look at the Trump Report. Recently President Trump visited China. I was left underwhelmed.
Although the USA claims victory in Iran, why are so many ships unwilling to transit the Strait of Hormuz?
My beacon has been on for hours.
UPDATE 1915z: Spotted by just 2 stations all day. If there was any Es at all, it was marginal.
To the uninitiated running QRP is like a masochistic activity!
Actually, it is surprising how little difference running low power makes. 100W down to 5W is only a couple of S points which most times would not be noticed.
With modes like FT8 and WSPR the world can be spanned with amazingly low power levels.
Yesterday, I chanced upon a Facebook page of a radio shack. The guy had all manner of radios and linears. I would guess there was over $300...
