Dinky Toys Club

A blast from the past...

Dinky Toys Club.

My brother sent me this certificate of mine in the post.  To be honest I don't remember joining! I was more into Matchbox Toys. These used to be 1s 6d  and came in packets like large matchboxes.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinky_Toys .

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matchbox_%28brand%29 .

Stroke frustrations

Although I can manage digital modes like WSPR, JT65 and JT9-1 OK, I find speech modes very hard work at present: my voice is hard to understand and tires easily. I make errors writing the blogs (usually corrected)  and am clumsy with almost all electronics building work, so the experimental field and bench work I enjoy are, for now, on hold.

By the end of August I was hoping to feel almost no giddiness, but a twice daily 366m walk makes me feel wobbly still. I am told this will eventually go. It can't happen soon enough. Improvements are happening but all too slowly.

To be honest, my stroke, a year on now, is getting me down.  There is so much I want to do but cannot.  It is hard on my wife, children and grandchildren.

10m WSPR - a different day ahead?

Having turned on 10m WSPR about 15 minutes ago, it looks like conditions today are quite different. No DX at all coming through yet, just G0LRD (25km) away spotting me.

Sunspot count is 75 (disturbed) and 20-30MHz propagation is forecast to be "poor". It feels poor although a look on WSPRnet shows some impressive DX into Europe. Maybe it is just a blip?

 Even the weather has changed! Outside it looks wet and autumnal for the first time.  Summer is ended.

Maybe I should try JT65 or JT9-1 on 10m or 20m today?

10m still WIDE open to the USA at 2100z

At 2104z I am still spotting loads of USA stations on 10m WSPR. It is likely the opening will go on for a while yet. This is F layer propagation and not Es. Today has been another excellent day on 10m.hrs

UPDATE 2230z:  No DX on 10m for almost 1.5hrs. Time to go to QRT and to bed - early start tomorrow to see how Scotland voted.

Low cost earth-mode beacons?

G1KQH has found some very low cost TDA2003 ICs.  I use one of these in my VLF beacon shown in my RSGB RadCom article and on my website. Best range is just short of 6km by "utilities assisted" earth-mode.  When fitter again (currently I am not allowed to drive and I am still too clumsy when on my feet and moving because of my brain bleed last year) I intend to continue my VLF experiments. I have used these ICs at 8.97kHz, twice, and sub-multiples of that frequency.  Beyond 20kHz would be outside their spec limits, but they may still work?

G3XBM 5W VLFearth-mode CW/QRSS beacon

Evening Roger,

Used in your LF PA 10p each nuts!

http://www.banggood.com/100pcs-TDA2003-10W-IC-Car-Radio-Audio-Amplifier-Integrated-Circuit-p-944202.html

Or you can buy in 10s @ 16p each inc delivery!

http://www.banggood.com/10pcs-TDA2003-10W-IC-Car-Radio-Audio-Amplifier-Integrated-Circuit-p-922620.html

Banggood sounds Chinese. I have no idea if these are genuine parts or not. They are advertised as 10W car radio audio parts.

10m - wide open

Loads of USA stations are spotting me, or being spotted, on 10m WSPR. Conditions on the band have been excellent again today. Forecasts for October 2014 are also very good. Enjoy the excellent conditions as a year or two from now it will be much harder going, although with WSPR DX reports should still be possible in the N-S direction.

UPDATE 1830z: Plenty of USA spots still. 4X1RF (3519km) has spotted me 25 times today so far since breakfast time.

Neglecting 630m

With good conditions on 10m, I have been neglecting 472kHz (630m) of late. On MF I run, as you know, 5mW ERP only whereas on 10m this is 2W.

I may go back onto MF this evening as 10m is becoming almost predictable of late. I am told (by G3WKW) that there are far more 10m stations on JT65 than on WSPR. It is certainly true that one does see the same stations again and again on WSPR. At least with WSPR I can set it running and monitor results on the PC in the lounge. This cannot be done so easily with JT65 or JT9-1 where you really have to be "on-hand" to answer calls. With my stroke, I find WSPR suits me well right now.

Sunspots

Sunspot count today is 91 and 20-30MHz propagation described as "normal".  Judging by 10m WSPR results I translate this to be very good. Certainly 10m conditions (using WSPR at least) are as good as I remember. Cycle 24 has a lot of kick in it still.

10m WSPR is "humming"

With 12 spots (already) of FR1GZ (9724km) in the log since before breakfast and he is spotting me too, and with KD6RF (7526km) in the log again 10m WSPR is again "doing the business". These are all F2 propagation I am sure. Nice to see transatlantics just about daily.

Overnight, M0EMM (193km) was a consistently spotted GDX station.

At 1210z  DU1MGA (10674km) in the Philippines was spotting my 2W at -25dB S/N.

This morning, an old colleague, Karen,from Sepura days, was spotted many times running 100mW to an indoor antenna on 10m WSPR: RA3APW (2443km) in Moscow. At best, he was -7dB S/N with just 100mW (measured carefully). Incredible.

Yet again, 10m is in good shape.

10m WSPR - USA again and Brazil

Yet again 10m WSPR has "come up trumps" with several spots of PT2WWV (8873km) in Brasilia by F2 and recently WG2Z (5600km) spotting my 2W. No other USA stations seen here, or seeing me, as yet.

The USA must surely be F2 or F2 backscatter rather than Es?  Interesting that propagation into the USA started coming through after Brazil. Almost like there had to be F2 over the equator for signals to get through, although, at the moment, it is just the one station copying me. I would have expected F2 or F2 backscatter to be far more widespread.

4X1RF and DK6UG are both still spotting me at just before 1800z.

UPDATE 1802z: I spoke too soon: KD6RF (7526km) near Dallas, Texas, running 5W, is now being spotted here at -20dB S/N at 1758z.  GM4WJA (624km) is spotting me now. If the Scots vote to leave the United Kingdom,  presumably they will have to have their own version of OFCOM and new callsigns. It will be interesting to see how Scotland votes.

UPDATE 1836z: Plenty of USA stations spotting me now e.g. WB8ELK/01 (6872km).  PT2WWV has been spotted 5 times already. He has spotted my 2W 2 times so far tonight.

UPDATE 2058z: All quiet on 10m (just locals) in nearly the last hour. Is that it for today? Clock checked and WSPR will be running overnight.