15 Apr 2018

Exhaustion: stroke or old age? - NOT amateur radio

Later this year I turn 70. In 2013 I had a stroke. At the moment 15 minutes of physical work leaves me totally drained. I am unsure if this is as a result of my stroke or just me getting older. Either way, it is no fun. In many ways I feel so much older than, say, 5 years ago. I try to remain positive, but it is hard.

Canada and 5MHz

The new frequency allocation table for Canada has been published reports Southgate News. As yet, Canadian amateurs are not allowed to use the new 15kHz wide WRC 5MHz allocation.

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2018/april/canada-new-100w-ham-radio-5-mhz-allocation.htm#.WtN4CkxFzIU

Personally, I think the sooner we all have a harmonised allocation at 60m the better. Additional channels would be a bonus. As a QRPer, I'd settle for 5W too!

137kHz Transverter

One of my videos describes my transverter for 137kHz, a band on which I had no suitable antennas. Best DX was a WSPR spot by G8HUH at 250km. This is also on my main website at www.g3xbm.co.uk  where you can also find a better quality schematic.

In the end this was converted into a RX-TX transverter, although the FT817 was very deaf on 137kHz!

See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHGLkA25MQA

Fallen tree - NOT amateur radio

A few days ago we went for a walk at Dalham. The photo shows our "London" grandchildren enjoying a fallen tree on the walk.

G3XBM video channel

A reminder that quite a few of my projects are shown in YouTube videos on my channel G3XBM. Many of my projects can be seen here in videos made over the years. Most are amateur radio related, but a few are not.

2m FT8 again

After a brief TX period just before breakfast with best DX a spot by G1IDZ (184km), although I was also copied in France, I am now on 2m FT8 RX. Again, I am using 2.5W and my big-wheel omnidirectional antenna. So far, 17 unique stations spotted in 4 countries (0930z).

UPDATE 1145z: Now 35 uniques in 5 countries on 2m FT8 RX today so far.

Stations spotted by 1452z
today on 2m FT8 RX
UPDATE 1452z: Currently 50 uniques in 6 countries on 2m FT8 RX today.

UPDATE 1820z: Now 66 uniques in 6 countries spotted on 2m FT8 RX today.

UPDATE 1840z: Now 73 uniques in 9 countries today on 2m FT8 RX. 2m!!!

UPDATE 2128z: Now QRT.  Best DX today on 2m FT8 RX was DJ6GK (607km) in Hesse, Germany.

Sunspots - Sunday April 15th 2018

Solar flux is 69 and the sunspot number 11.  A=6 and K=2.

14 Apr 2018

Amazon Prime - NOT amateur radio

Both my wife and I have been "caught" by Amazon Prime. Neither of us wanted this service and we both cancelled immediately.

As far as I can tell, I did everything possible to avoid signing up, yet still found I had joined! To this day, I do not understand how.

Amazon must be employing some very dodgy methods to make you sign up. Unless you manually opt out they will charge your card every month. To my mind "this is not cricket" as they say here. If you want to sign up then make this clear and simple. If you do not want to sign up then it should not allow you to sign up by mistake.

Money to burn?

On the Southgate News page it says you can now buy a companion loudspeaker for the ICOM IC-7610 transceiver. All you need, allegedly, is a spare £192!! For this price you can equip an amateur radio station capable of worldwide QSOs. To me this is silly money for what is after all just a LS. I guess each to his own.

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2018/april/new-matching-sp-41-speaker-for-the-ic-7610.htm#.WtJEuUxFzIU

Red-legged partridge - NOT amateur radio

After several months without seeing any, these handsome birds have returned to our Close. Earlier this week one nearly fed from my hand, coming about 25cms (1 foot) from my hand, curious.