Alibris (again) - NOT amateur radio

This crowd is yet again offering special discounts. Like buses, wait a while and along come 3.

Sunspots and 10m - Friday September 30th 2016

It seems amazing that we are already at the end of September. Time flies by!

Solar flux is 83 today. Sunspot number is 17. K=4. The forecast for 10m F2 propagation is, yet again, "poor".

10m WSPR and 6m JT65 again

As in recent mornings, I decided to go on 6m JT65 (a couple of spots by UK stations) and 10m WSPR (nothing yet) initially. I will probably switch to 10m JT65 only later this afternoon in the hope of catching some DX. Best DX on 6m JT65 RX is 107km at present.

OFCOM consultation on DECT

See http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/DECTGB/#utm_source=updates&utm_campaign=DECT&utm_medium=email .

OFCOM are consulting on DECT.

365project - NOT amateur radio

For several years now, my wife and I have done a photo each day as a kind of visual diary. You can see these at:

http://365project.org/g3xbm/365  (me)
http://365project.org/foxes37/365 (my wife)

For $19.99 a year you can make your pictures private and have more albums. We have the free membership, which anyone can sign up for. It is great fun to look back and see what we have done. My wife's favorite trick is to say when friends and relatives came to see us. She can usually pinpoint the exact day. Sad?

Some people use this to show off their excellent photography skills. I'm afraid our photos are more mundane. Some pictures are good, but most are very average. To us it is a visual diary. It is a good discipline too. I have much enjoyed doing it.

QSYed

At about 1426z I went QRT on 6m JT65 and 10m WSPR and am now active on 10m JT65 only. I took the opportunity to check the PC clock was synchronised to internet time.

UPDATE 1728z:  PU3AMB (10431km) in southern Brazil has been spotted on 10m JT65. Even with very disturbed conditions and low sunspot numbers 10m JT65 still reaches deep into South America.

UPDATE 2056z: A couple of stations from Belarus now being copied. Es? No further South Americans copied tonight.

630m Transverter

A reminder that there was a 4 page article in Sept QST on the design of my simple transverter for 630m. This is also on my main website at www.g3xbm.co.uk. I use it with my FT817, but other rigs could be used.

630m is a good band and the transverter puts out 10-15W into 50 ohms. Even with my earth-electrode "antenna" it has spanned most of western Europe on TX with a measured ERP of about 5mW on WSPR.

6m JT65 and 10m WSPR

Because of the internet outage, I have only just returned to 6m JT65. I have been on 10m WSPR since 0600z synchronising time using the radio BBC pips rather than internet time, as I had no choice.

UPDATE 1238z: G4KPX (14km) spotted me on 10m WSPR and G0LRD (25km), G3YDY (65km) and G6GEI (73km) are spotting me on 6m JT65. No Es or F2 seen here yet.

Rallies

30 SEPTEMBER & 1 OCTOBER : NATIONAL HAMFEST
Newark & Nottinghamshire Showground, Lincoln Road, Winthorpe, Newark, Nottinghamshire NG24 2NY. Brought to you by the RSGB in association with the Lincoln Short Wave Club. The venue has free car parking and has disabled facilities. There will be trade stands, a Bring & Buy, car boot area, flea market, special interest groups and RSGB bookstall. There will also be representatives from the RSGB Services and committees. Morse proficiency test will be available. The venue has catering outlets and a seating area. www.nationalhamfest.org.uk.

Saturday 1 OCTOBER : LAUGHARNE 'TIN SHED' RALLY
Tin Shed Experience, Clifton St, Laugharne, Carmarthen SA33 4QG Doors open from 10am to 2pm. There will be traders, a Bring & Buy and a flea market. Refreshments are available including bacon sandwiches. Details from Matthew, GW6KOA on 01994 427 581 or by email to matthew.twyman63@btinternet.com

2 OCTOBER BRITISH VINTAGE WIRELESS SOCIETY AUTO JUMBLE 
The Angel Leisure Centre, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1SF. Doors open from 10.30am to 4.30pm. Stalls £30, admission £5 with early admission from 9.30am available at £10. For bookings/enquiries please ring 01892 540 022 (8pm to 9pm only). www.audiojumble.co.uk.

A list of rallies can be found at http://rsgb.org/main/news/rallies/

Sunspots and 10m - Thursday September 29th 2016

Solar flux is 84 today and the sunspot number 20. K=5. The forecast for 10m F2 propagation remains "poor".

Lack of internet - NOT amateur radio

We lost our Virgin Media broadband and TV yesterday and it has just come back. I rang up to complain, saying I was leaving to go to another provider, and was upgraded to a faster internet speed for free and my monthly bill was slashed. They will also compensate me for the loss of service. If you are not satisfied with your bill or service tell your service provider!

There is STILL some Es around

EA1FAQ (1249km) has just spotted my 500mW WSPR on 10m, so there is still Es about. Once again, it pays to have some presence on 10m. WSPR and JT65 are ideal modes needing only low power (no TVI) and they can run in the background.

Tomatoes - NOT amateur radio

To be honest, I am no plant expert. Yesterday our son Tim came to see us. He took back to London the tomatoes our granddaughter grew. We expected these to turn red, but they stayed green. Maybe this is a variety that is meant to stay green? This is our son with my wife Lis outside our home.

Sunspots and 10m - Wednesday September 28th 2016, and cancer research

Solar flux is 83 today. The sunspot number is 21. K=5. The forecast for 10m F2 propagation remains "poor". With disturbed conditions I am not expecting much DX today on 10m. Mind you, thing change!

Had my mother survived cancer she would have been 99 today. It is still not too late to give, even a little, towards cancer research.  If you want, you can hide your name and give, just a little even, anonymously. Cancer effects many people of all ages. Thank you to the kind person who donated earlier. Your gift may just make a difference.

Only last week a radio ham friend, Paul G8GML, died of bowel cancer. He died too young.  When I first came to Cambridge we talked and talked on 2m FM most nights. RIP Paul. In more recent times he enjoyed amateur TV and 160m.

One day this could be you and the research you help to fund might save your life.

OFCOM Crowdsourcing

See http://media.ofcom.org.uk/news/2016/Calling-all-android-users/?utm_source=updates&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Ofcom-launches-research-app&utm_term=Research%2C%20Ofcom%20Mobile%20Research%20app%2C%20Mobile%20coverage%2C%20Consumers%2C%20App%2C%20P3%20

OFCOM are crowdsourcing Android users.

Return to 6m JT65 and 10m WSPR

Following my pattern of recent days I am active (QRP of course) on 10m WSPR and 6m JT65. G4KPX (14km) has spotted me on 10m WSPR and 3 UK stations have spotted me on 6m JT65. As yet, no sign of F2 or Es DX. Later in the day I shall swap to just 10m JT65.

It is funny how I always get better inter-G results on 6m JT65 rather than 10m WSPR. This is purely down to activity levels I think.

Cancer research. Can you spare just a little please?

It is still not too late to give, even a little, towards cancer research. 

If you want, you can hide your name and give, just a little even, anonymously.  I posted something similar a few weeks ago and was blown over by your generosity. Nothing!!! Yes, that's right - not a single penny was donated.

People happily spend £10k on rigs, linears, towers and beams, but seem unwilling to spend a very little towards research that may one day save their life.

Please think if you can spare something, however small. You can use your credit or debit card.

40MHz (8m) Band

Yesterday I heard from LY2YR that there is a small 8m allocation in Slovenia as well as in South Africa.

There is an IARU meeting next year, so please lobby your national society to press for such an allocation! There are already beacons in this band in the UK and Denmark.

Being mid way between 10m and 6m this would be really really useful for Es radio science. Just 50kHz wide would be enough I am sure.This band would not be heavily used (a secondary allocation would be fine even with a low ERP limit), but it would certainly help with "self training" and research. It is a real chance for radio amateurs to lead the way. As no commercial amateur gear covers this frequency, special antennas and rigs would be needed.

See http://www.hamradio.si/images/dokumenti/zakonodaja/splosniakt2013.pdf. Now my language skills are not that good, but I see the Slovenian amateur allocation is 40.66 to 40.7MHz.

Ice Cubes - NOT amateur radio

When on holiday, we enjoyed several drinks in the hot sun in the hotel garden in Corfu. I quite liked this photo of ice cubes!

Now just on 10m JT65

A few hours ago I went QRT on 10m WSPR and 6m JT65 and am now just on 10m JT65 with 2W. As yet, no spots. Yesterday was quite good on 10m, so I remain hopeful for today on 10m.

UPDATE 1635z:  Still no 10m JT65 spots given or received.

UPDATE 1818z: Still no spots on 10m JT65 here according to the PSK Reporter Map.

UPDATE 1842z:  HA9AL (1454km) in Hungary has been spotted on 10m JT65 by Es.

UPDATE 1846z:  CX8ABF (11123km) in Uruguay (GF15 square) has just been spotted on 10m JT65. He has also spotted my 2W on 10m. Yet again 10m is open for QRP DX. As yet this autumn, I have not spotted, or been spotted by, any USA stations on 10m JT65.

UPDATE 1914z:  PU2OOC (9596km) is now being spotted on 10m JT65.

UPDATE 1920z: Now Argentina is being spotted on 10m JT65 here.

UPDATE 2020z:  With 10 South Americans spotted on 10m JT65, this has again been a good day, but I think the days now done.

Sunspots and 10m - Tuesday September 27th 2016

Solar flux is 86 today. Sunspot number has climbed a little to 23. K=4. The forecast for 10m F2 propagation remains "poor", although there were a lot of South Americans and South American spots on 10m JT65 yesterday.

10m WSPR and 6m JT65

This morning, I am QRP as usual, on 10m WSPR and 6m JT65. G0LRD (25km) is spotting me on 6m JT65, but nothing at all yet on 10m. Later in the day I may switch to just 10m JT65, which proved very good yesterday.

"This could take a while" - NOT amateur radio

And they are not kidding!!! Usually the "perfect" Windows 10 updates take a few seconds to install. The latest took a full hour and a half! They must have redone Windows 10 in its entirety. If Windows 10 is supposed to be that good, why was such an update needed? Impressed? Not at all. Now I wonder if I switch off this PC will it ever switch on again?

Leaves - NOT amateur radio

The weather is turning chillier, the nights are drawing in and the leaves are starting to turn in colour. This picture was taken yesterday by my wife at nearby Anglesey Abbey.

My 10m QRP reaches deepest South America

My 2W 10m JT65 has reached Argentina and Uruguay this evening. Several South Americans spotted here too, as well as several Europeans by Es.

With a low sunspot number and K=4 it proves that DX is still possible on 10m JT65 with QRP.

UPDATE 1854z: LU3VCC (12470km) is the best DX so far on 10m JT65 RX.

QRP and QRP Club

From Oleg:

Dear Club 72 members and friends,
Weekly QRP Rendez-Vous report (September 19 to 25, 2016)
Visitors  of  the  week:  UA1ADF, RV3GM, UR7VT, UR0ET, UR5EFD, DK1HW, RU3NJC,  GB2IWM, DK9LO/m, EA3JUK, G4RJA, US3EN, S57TX, S52GP, UA1CEG, OK2BPU, R8AT, HA7REM, RK4CY, SM5LNS, RW3AA/p, UA9MLY, UR5FA/mm, R1CAF,RK3AF,  UA0SBQ,  SV1RHL/p,  OH6NPV,  Z35M/p,  UA4NU,  DL8DZL, US5ERQ, UA1CEX, RA1M/mm, IK2RMZ
Congrats!
DK9LO, EA7JUK, S57TX, HA7REM, SM5LNS, UR5FA became Honor Frequenters
See full Frequenters and Visitors lists on the Club 72 web page.
See  full  report including comments and pictures on the Club 72 blog
page - http://qrp-club72.blogspot.ru/
See  you  ALL  on  next  QRP  Rendez-Vous  each  Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays at 9.00 UTC on 14060kHz (CW Net) and at 10.00 UTC on 14285kHz (SSB Net)
72! Oleg RV3GM / KH6OB "Mr. 72"
This is a periodic Newsletter of the Club 72. Don't reply to Newsletter address! Send any requests or news to mr72@club72.su please.

10m JT65

At breakfast time I checked internet synchronisation. So far just local Richard G4KPX (14km) spotting my 2W 10m JT65 signal.

UPDATE 1032z: There is some 10m Es about. IZ0AIS (1506km) has spotted me twice already. May, June, July for Es? Yes, but as this proves, there is still Es about on 10m JT65.

UPDATE 1052z:  EA7EDP (1737km) has been spotted on 10m JT65.

Sunspots and 10m - Monday Sept 26th 2016

Solar flux is 82 today. Sunspot number has dropped to 18. K=3. The forecast for 10m F2 propagation remains "poor".

Staying with 10m JT65 overnight

Although I now think it unlikely I'll see any more real DX on 10m tonight, I have decided to stay on the band overnight. There is an outside chance of some more Es and I may get a few UK and near European spots by aircraft reflections. I guess it will be morning before I have any chance of F2 propagation.

UPDATE 1940z:  I have just checked synchronisation to internet time.

UPDATE 2022z:  No further spots on 10m JT65. I think this is it for the night, although I am still on 10m JT65 overnight.

Brazil (already) on 10m JT65

PY2JEA (9596km) has already been spotted on 10m JT65 from Sao Paulo in Brazil. I wonder if my QRP will reach South America on 10m JT65 today? The K index has dropped from 5 to 3.

UPDATE 1512z: Now LU2FHX  (11304km) in Argentina has been spotted on 10m JT65.

UPDATE 1516z: F4GUK (416km) was probably aircraft reflection I think.

UPDATE 1520z:  Best 10m JT65 DX today is reception of CE3GDR (11768km) in Chile. 7 South Americans spotted on 10m JT65 so far today. 9 copied in the last day. Who says "10m is dead"?

10m JT65 log this afternoon

UPDATE 1600z: There seems to be Es now on 10m JT65 with lots of Europeans being copied on 10m. I am also copying ZS6EA (9084km) in South Africa.

UPDATE 1620z: The first report of my own 10m JT65 QRP signal was from SV1JSM (2413km) a few minutes ago.

UPDATE 1624z: It is as if 10m has "woken up" and there are now stations all over the place monitoring 10m JT65. It would be really good to be copied in the USA!

UPDATE 1635z: Now another South African ZS1CF (9649km) is being copied on 10m JT65.

UPDATE1752z:  No more stations copied.  Is that it for today on 10m JT65?

Last Corfu picture - NOT amateur radio

This was a sunrise in Corfu, Greece last week. As we are now home again, this is probably the last Corfu picture that I shall post on this blog.

Sunspots and 10m - Sunday Sept 25th 2016

Solar flux is 83 today and sunspot number 47. Conditions are quite disturbed with K=5. The forecast for 10m F2 is still "poor". We are now in autumn so we may be in for better conditions if the solar activity holds up a bit longer.

6m JT65 and 10m WSPR

This morning I decided to go on 6m JT65 (2 local spots so far, no Es) and 10m WSPR (nothing yet). I shall probably QSY to 10m JT65 only later this afternoon.

UPDATE 1238z:  Still just local spots on 6m JT65 and nothing on 10m WSPR so far today. No Es and no F2 as yet.  Soon be time to QSY to 10m JT65 only. It is funny how there are usually more spots (from the UK) on 6m than 10m.

UPDATE 1242z:  Now active only on 10m JT65 (TX and RX).

Google going backwards? - NOT amateur radio

"We recently announced that the Google Feed API would be retired. As a result, the Slideshow gadget will no longer function and we will remove it from your blog by 29 September 2016."

Funny how Google announces changes to its blog "features". See https://developers.googleblog.com/2016/06/announcing-turndown-of-google-feed-api.html . It seems that they withdraw features more often than they introduce new ones. "Turndown" means the feature is going!  Sorry, "retired" is the euphemism I should be using.

More Rallies!

Sunday 25 SEPTEMBER : CHIPPENHAM & DAR MINI-RALLY
NEW VENUE: Kington Langley Village Hall, Church Road, Kington Langley SN15 5NJ. The doors open at 10am, with disabled visitors gaining access 30 minutes earlier at 9.30am. Admission is £2.00 with under 16s free. There is on site car parking. There will be trade stands, a car boot area and refreshments will be available. The new venue is 1.5 miles south of the M4 J17. Details from Brian, G6HUI on 0772 224 2741. www.g3vre.org.uk.


Sunday 25 SEPTEMBER : BELGIUM AMATEUR RADIO & COMPUTER RALLY
Hall 'Louvexpo', 7 rue du Hocquet, La Louvire. Direct access from the motorway (50km south of Brussels). Open from 9am. to 4pm. Talk-in on local FM repeaters 145.600MHz, 438.875MHz and DSTAR 439.4375MHz. Features 4000m, trade stands from United Kingdom, Holland, Germany, France and flea market. Michel, ON7FI, +32 475 45 45 78, michel.dewyngaert@skynet.be. www.on6ll.be.

A list of rallies can be found at http://rsgb.org/main/news/rallies/

Very Quiet on 10m JT65

At the moment, things are very quiet on 10m JT65 with no spots given or received at all so far. No Es and no F2. As well as this, no UK stations copied. I did a re-sync recently and everything is connected and working. Great shame. Maybe things will look up later?

UPDATE 1640z:  Plenty of monitors on 10m JT65 in South America but no spots given or received here so far.

UPDATE 1658z:   I am still awaiting 10m JT65 spots to/from the USA this autumn. As yet I have not been lucky. The solar activity levels suggest this will happen. 

UPDATE 1706z:  See http://www.solen.info/solar/ .

UPDATE 1906z: LU5CQC (11211km) in Buenos Aires, has been spotted on 10m JT65.

UPDATE 1924z: I have now spotted Brazil and Paraguay on 10m JT65, but I have not been spotted in South America.

More Corfu - NOT amateur radio

Fruit and Vegetables For Sale in Corfu Old Town

As you will have read, we enjoyed a lovely week on Corfu last week. We went with my brother-in-law and his wife and had a great hotel just outside Corfu Old Town. We ate sometimes in the town and sometimes in the hotel. It was a great spot to relax and read. Now back home.

Rally and BATC Convention

23 - 25 SEPTEMBER : WACRAL FELLOWSHIP WEEKEND
Elim Conference Centre, De Walden Road, West Malvern, Worcestershire WR14 4DG. Guest speaker on Saturday evening Don Field, G3XTT (Editor of Practical Wireless. Details from Shirley on 01924 229 630.

24 & 25 SEPTEMBER : BATC CONVENTION
RAF Museum Cosford, near Telford.

BATC is the British Amateur Television Club. If you cannot get there, then you can watch it streamed live at https://beta.batc.tv/live/cat16 .

A list of rallies can be found at http://rsgb.org/main/news/rallies/

As I have said many times, if travelling any distance check details are correct.

QRP and QRPclub

As I have been away these posts from Oleg were not published earlier.

Dear Space Friends,
remind the rules - www.club72.su

Devoted  to  Sputnik  and  Vanguard launches and to HAMs copied their signals.
Dates: October 4 to 18 annually
Mode - CW, output power less than 5 watts
Bands  -  all,  including  WARC  (it's  not  a  contest),  around QRP frequencies recommend
Categories:

"Sputniks"
-  use old type valves (50'th)  TX, output power recommend less than 1watt.  To  identification  add series of "dit" (beep-beep-beep...) in start or/and finish of transmission

"Vanguards"
-  use  old  type  Ge (germanium, 50'th) transistors TX, output power recommend  less  than  100mW. To identification add series of "V" in start or/and finish of transmission

SWLs
- copy time and freq of Sputniks and Vanguards (CQs or QSOs). Use main callsign as SWL.

Each  operator  may  take  a  part in any categories sending separate reports/logs for each category. Any QSOs in account. Same station may operate on other bands or in other category on the same band.
Reports/logs  must be send daily (preferably) to the "Center of Space Communications" :-) to - mr72@club72.su
Add  photos  of equipment, antennas including any comments. Dead-line for reports/logs before October 25. Memorably certificate will be sent to each station/SWL.

Ask  "Mr  72"  to add your e-mail in the special "Sputnik" discussion group (reflector)
Enjoy last years results, logs, pictures -
http://club72.su/sputnik-res.htm

72! beep-beep-beep...
Deep Space Communications Center
operator on duty -
Oleg ("Mr. 72") RV3GM / KH6OB


Dear Club 72 members and friends,

Weekly QRP Rendez-Vous report (September 12 to 18, 2016)
Visitors  of  the  week:  RU3NJC, US3EN, R1OA, UR0ET, UA1CEG, IK5ZWN, EA5DNO,  HA2BFO,  DK1HW,  DL1VTL,  SM2FIJ,  RW3AA/p, RX3DIT, RA1M/mm, RN4AO,  R1CAF, LZ1TS, UA9MLY, DL1FU, DL2ASG, UA1CCA, RV3DSA/0, RV3UF, OH6NPV,  UR5EFD, UA0SBQ, Z35M, RW9TN, ON6KZ, LZ2RS, UR5FA/mm, IT9IFI, SA4BLM, CT1DBS/p, DK3WX
Congrats! DK1HW became Rendez-Vous Frequenter
Comments: ...... Read more and see pictures at Club 72 blog/news page-
http://qrp-club72.blogspot.ru/

72! Oleg RV3GM / KH6OB "Mr. 72" 

10m JT65

Since before breakfast I have been on 10m JT65 but no spots at all so far.