Beans - NOT amateur radio

A vegetable expert I most definitely am not! 

However, I surprised myself last year with good crops of tomatoes, crab apples and runner beans. The secret seems to be to ensure the soil has plenty of goodness in it. This year, I have put beans in the same spot as last year (having added lots of goodness to the soil first) as well a 4 bean plants in a pot. I shall grow some lettuce and tomatoes shortly.

If I get as many as last year, I shall be pleased.

8m FT8 TX (Monday)

Yesterday I got my first report from a station in Scotland bringing my country count to 10. 

This proves that even a very simple station can give useful results, although those with much higher ERP are achieving some remarkable results.

Later today I expect to be on 8m TX again. 

UPDATE 0816z: On 40.680 MHz USB dial (first) FT8 now.

Shetland - NOT amateur radio

This photo was on 365project recently. It shows a sunny day in the Shetland Islands in Scotland. Normally, it is windy and cold this far north!  At one time, these northern islands belonged to Norway.

10m WSPR QRP TX (Monday)

 Yesterday 76 stations spotted my 500mW QRP 10m WSPR. I think these were Es. Later today, I expect to be on again.

UPDATE 0822z:  On 10m QRP WSPR TX now. Already 2 spots of my QRP from EA8BFK (2880km) in the Canary Is. This could be F2 propagation.

UPDATE 0828z: I am wondering if the very first spots from EA8BFK were with the PA off, so at sub 1mW level? When the PA is first turned on there is usually about 20 minutes of drift. I have just turned the PA off to see if I get spots!

UPDATE 1116z:  Having got no spots from the Canary Is since the PA was turned off, I think it unlikely EA8BFK was spotting me on extremely low power. Since turning the PA on again, I am again getting lots of spots.

Sunspots - Monday June 13th 2022

Solar flux is 121 and the SSN 63. A=9 and K=3.

10m WSPR QRP TX (Sunday)

Yesterday was one of my best days ever on 10m WSPR TX with over 70 stations spotting my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon.

At the moment, I am on 10m WSPR TX using 500mW to the tiny W5OLF beacon.  No spots yet today.

UPDATE 1943z:  74 stations spotting my 500mW WSPR today with the furthermost FR1GZ (9724km).  Most were by Es. This is even more than yesterday.

Where our grandson rang this morning - NOT amateur radio

This is Cherry Hinton church where our grandson rang the bells this morning. 

8m experiment (Sunday)

 It is now 1032z I have been on 8m FT8 TX on 40.680 MHz USB dial for about 30 minutes. 

UPDATE 1712z: 4 stations have spotted my QRP today with the furthermost EA8BFK (2881km) in the Canary Is. Also, G4APB (88km) spotted on RX, I think for the first time on 8m FT8; at -22dB S/N he was marginal here. I have lost count of all the stations now spotted on 8m FT8, but they are in 5 countries. We could do with a few more countries active on TX.

Sunspots - Sunday June 12th 2022

 Solar flux is 112 and the SSN 41. A=8 and K=2.

2m halfwave antennas

Most people opt for 5/8th wave antennas when they want better ranges on their 2m handhelds. Some years ago now I made a half-wave antenna for 2m. It was widely used on my many 2m rigs. It was first used in the 1970s, so must be about 50 years old! 

The idea was simple: the end is a high impedance so I just added a tuned circuit tapped at the 50  ohm point to match to the rig. It got me across the English Channel with a 10mW AM handheld (160km), so it must work! The antenna was actually on the Fredbox.

Clearly this would work on 70cm if scaled.

One photo shows the matching arrangement and the other the full whip.