8m experiment (Wednesday)

Later, I hope to be on 8m TX on 40.680 MHz USB dial FT8 (first). It is now 1243z. 

UPDATE 1439z: Now on 8m FT8 TX. Intensely frustrated that in the UK we have to pay for access to 8m, when OFCOM could have allocated 40.680-40.685 MHs (just 5 kHz), by NoV, to the amateur service, narrow digital only, no speech, to encourage self training and research. Frankly I find the OFCOM and RSGB position totally and unbelievably bizarre! No, totally STUPID!!!

Ely Cathedral - NOT amateur radio

 

A view across the meadow. 

Tallinn - NOT amateur radio

This photo shows the capital of Estonia 4 years ago. 

Accessing DMR via your PC for free ?

There are great opportunities with DMR. However, like many, I have no wish to get a DMR portable or external to the PC unit to act as a bridge. 

What I am wondering is is it possible to access DMR via the PC alone using some kind of gateway? If you know of a way, please let me know. 

Sunspots - Wednesday June 22nd 2022

Solar flux is 139 and the SSN 104. A=8 and K=2.

OFCOM consultation

OFCOM is consulting on extentions  to the Ku band spectrum available to satellites. See the OFCOM website for details.

10m QRP WSPR TX

My QRP (500mW) beacon was turned on at 0808z. No spots yet of me. Yesterday, I only had spots from the Canary Isles on 10m. These could have been F2.

UPDATE 0824z:  One spot from Denmark.

UPDATE 1326z:  11 stations have spotted my QRP WSPR today. These look like Es.

UPDATE 1905z: 38 unique stations spotting my 10m WSPR today. Not bad.

8m experiment (Tuesday)

 My QRP TX was turned on at 0807z on 40.680 MHz USB dial FT8.

UPDATE 0815z: No spots.

UPDATE 1257z:  3 stations have spotted me so far on 8m FT8.

UPDATE 1920z:  6 unique stations have spotted my 8m FT8 TX today. I have now been spotted in 11 countries. Not bad for a few watts and low wire dipole. I just wish the UK had a very small 8m amateur allocation by NoV, digital only. Stupid, short-sighted, OFCOM and stupid, short sighted  RSGB. We need self training and research....and real RF engineers!! 

UPDATE 1932z:  This will probably not happen with my low ERP, but I still hope for an FT8 spot by a station in the USA. I live in hope!!

East Anglian skies - NOT amateur radio

East Anglia is famous for not having hills. Well, there are some! 

However, we have some great skies as the photo shows. 

Super DX at VHF, UHF and microwaves?

On my website there is a page about super DX on VHF and UHF. Most, or every, summer there are 6m openings from Western Europe to the Far East. These are thought to be linked to noctilucent clouds in the mesosphere. It is possible these openings may occur at far higher frequencies. I am surprised nobody seems to be trying as there could be new records galore. 

I am not sure how FT8 works with noctilucent clouds, although I have certainly copied Japanese stations on 6m FT8 by this mechanism with a very poor setup. 

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/super-dx .