At the moment I am on 80m FT8 RX using the electrode antenna in the ground. I think 80m is probably the highest frequency where it will be any good as an antenna.
Maybe I should try 20m FT8 RX with the endfed antenna?
UPDATE 1545z: So far, 428 stations spotted on 20m FT8 RX. It's too easy on 20m FT8 RX.
A few minutes ago I QSYed to 80m WSPR RX using the coax to my 2m big-wheel antenna via an ATU.
UPDATE 2107z: 5 Europeans spotted.
Whilst on 10m WSPR TX, I realised there is nothing stopping me going on 80m WSPR RX with my Zachtek WSPR RX and my earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground, so at 1135z I turned on 80m WSPR RX.
Many years ago I designed and built this transceiver for 80m CW. It has been on the blog before. It is also on my website. It just goes to show what is possible with just 14 parts!
When I was fit (before my stroke!) I liked the challenge of "something for nothing". This is how this little 80m CW transceiver came about. It is hard to get much simpler.
My main issue was netting the TX to the RX frequency. I am sure this is a solvable issue. This has been on before, I know.
I think it was in GQRP SPRAT many years ago, but I honestly cannot remember.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/80m-feter-transceiver
In the last day my QRP 80m FT8 has been spotted by 58 stations across Europe using just the outer of the coax up to my 2m big-wheel tuned with my ATU. 355 stations have been spotted on RX from across the world on 80m FT8 RX.
One of the aspects that I enjoyed was seeing how few parts were needed to make QSOs. This is one of the simplest circuits.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/80m-xbm80-2 .
This is a complete transceiver using just a single FET and very few components. It is detailed on my website.
This was another of my attempts to get something for nothing!
It worked remarkably well, but I struggled with netting the RX onto the TX frequency so I was afraid of clobbering someone else. It was an adaption of a circuit for 40m by W2UW but made even simpler. It appeared in SPRAT some years ago.
Some have duplicated it and achieved some remarkable DX.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/80m-feter-transceiver .
Crickey - 2008! I must be old HI 😀
It is always good to see others trying their hand at my designs. DX Explorer has a video of him breadboarding my 2 transistor 80m transceiver. My designs are always a starting point. Pretty sure you will be able to improve them!
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/80m-xbm80-2 .
As I mentioned in an earlier post today, 630m WSPR seems to have "gone off the boil" and I may try something new over the spring and summer.
I want to try 8m QRPP WSPR using 10mW and ISM rules (open to anyone in the UK without a licence, possibly in your area of the world too?). This is mainly a daylight challenge.
Is there a new nighttime challenge? A band that remains good at night. Possibly 160m or 80m using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground? I could try FT8 on these bands perhaps.
My 80m QRP (2.5W) has been on for the last few hours. My "antenna" is the (almost invisible) earth-electrodes in the ground on which the match is very good. I do not know the ERP on 80m. 2 QSOs have been made with one being PE4BAS, Bas, (450km). Results on TX and RX are far exceeding what I expected. My furthermost spot on TX is UN7MAU (3446km) - quite amazing.
UPDATE 2015z: QSYed to 630m QRP WSPR.
Some years ago, I wanted to see how simple one could make a rig that actually worked. There is no doubt at all that the rig can be made better with more experimentation with values and other things, but I was quite surprised that something this simple worked.
Please do not (ever) be afraid to use my designs as starting points. If you can make something better, great. If it totally fails, just start again!
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/80m-xbm80-2 .
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| 80m FT8 spots of my QRP using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground |
Later, I may try calling into the CDARC (Cambridge) 80m net.
UPDATE 1000z: I tried to go on the CDARC 80m net, but heard nobody. Noise level was S9, so I QSYed to 10m FT8 instead on the FT-710 at QRP level. Plenty of spots on TX and RX.
Just might try 80m FT8 TX this evening after dark when 10m is no good. It means matching the FT-710 to the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground and setting WSJT-X for use with the FT-710. For the last few days I have been using the QDX.
UPDATE 1606z: As 10m does not exactly look great, I might swap to 80m FT8 quite soon.
As 6m was so poor, I QSYed to 80m FT8 using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. Although I am receiving spots of my signal from right across Europe, it says I am receiving none. This is rubbish as I can see loads of stations locally. Either there is a delay with uploads from me or, more probably, my spots are not getting to PSKreporter. Shortly I shall do reset to see if this cures it.
UPDATE 1922z: The reset did the trick with lots of spots on RX. On TX 36 unique station spots of me so far.
