Yesterday we celebrated our son’s birthday. This was my main course.
23 Apr 2024
Pixie transceivers
I have built versions for 80m amd 40m and had QSOs with each. With something this simple there are compromises. The RX, in some cases, lacks selectivity and can be overloaded by strong broadcast stations. Nonetheless they do work and they are hard to beat for the price.
The cheapest I have seen is £1.35, which is less than the price of just 1 part if bought in the UK!
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/8040m-pixie-and-micro80-transceivers .
22 Apr 2024
How do they do it?
Both Ali-Express and the original manufacturer, I presume, make a profit!
I just cannot see how they do it. It is made in the Far East, shipped by air across the planet and easily cloned I am told.
21 Apr 2024
8m ISM WSPR (Sunday)
Shortly, I shall be turning on my 10mW ERP 8m WSPR under ISM rules on 40.680MHz USB dial.
This means my QRPP WSPR will be about 1450Hz higher. I am not really expecting any spots as I have yet to sort out my antenna.
I shall ask locals to check I am getting out.
UPDATE 1436z: No spots.
10m 500uW (0.5mW) WSPR (Sunday)
My QRPP beacon has been re-synced to Internet time, but no spots yet.
UPDATE 1437z: EA8BFK (2880km) has spotted my 500uW 10m WSPR 10 times so far today.
70cm UKAC activity contest results
You would not exactly say I am a contest nerd. One thing is certain: guess who will never win! If I come half way up the table I'd be very pleased!
I like to submit an entry into the activity contest even though I stay on very little time, use 10W SSB and a 2m big-wheel omni antenna. In the low power section I am 43rd out of 70, which is not bad.
See https://www.rsgbcc.org/cgi-bin/vhfresults.pl?Contest=432MHz%20UKAC&year=2024 .
20 Apr 2024
6m QRP FT8 (Saturday)
At about 1620z, I QSYed to 6m FT8. At 1630z, 4 stations had spotted my 2.5W FT8 to the V2000 vertical omni antenna.
UPDATE 1800z: 9 stations have spotted my QRP. On RX, the furthermost is EA9ABC (1873km) in North Africa.Knotted tree - NOT amateur radio
8m FT8 RX (Saturday)
Currently, I am monitoring 40.680MHz USB dial FT8.
UPDATE 1348z: No spots.
UPDATE 1621z: Locally I can see ZS1TX, ZS3/V51PJ and ZR1ADI were spotted but these did not appear on PSKreporter. For some reason, these spots were not uploaded.
10m QRPP 500uW WSPR (Saturday)
My 500uW (0.5mW) 10m WSPR has already been spotted multiple times this morning by EA8BFK (2880km). Perhaps this is not too surprising with the solar flux and sunspot numbers so good.
UPDATE 0948z: 12 spots already.
UPDATE 1808z: 34 spots of my 500uW QRPP WSPR, one with about 20dB in hand!! See table.
Ely last Thursday - NOT amateur radio
It is called "the Isle of Ely" as it is built on a rare hill in these parts.
Much of the Fens area is flat for miles. It is one of the most fertile areas in the UK.
630m QRP WSPR overnight
An average session with no real DX with my 10mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. 10 stations spotted me (see table) with a new reporter (I think) from Wales.