Amateur satellites

In all my time in amateur radio I have only had 1 QSO through a satellite and that was many years ago from 10m to 15m. I have rarely used low orbit satellites. In my early days I had fun listening to the download frequencies of Oscar 6 and 7. I recall hearing North Americans on 2m on late passes.

Sunspots - Monday July 29th 2019

Solar flux is 65 and the SSN 0.  A=4 and K=2.  Basically rubbish.

6m propagation from Europe to Australia

When I first heard of this I was sceptical, but the more I read the more I think this is true.

Apparently several stations were worked, so this very unlikely to be pirates. This appears to be E layer propagation, but multi-hop Es seems to be very unlikely. I am sure some of these long "real DX" paths are not multi-hop Es. As this was at the same time as a 6m opening to Japan on 6m, there is some speculation that this is whatever E layer propagation gets to Japan plus some TEP.

See southgatearc.org/news/2019/july/unusual-opening-from-europe-to-australia-on-50-mhz.htm

See also https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/2019/07/unusual-50-mhz-opening-from-australia.html

Oscar 100 - geosynchronous amateur satellite

As many will recall, I take the occasional peek at the Goonhilly web SDR, which monitors the narrowband transponder on Es'hail satellite, also known as Oscar 100.

In my view activity seems lower than a month ago. Certainly activity is not great and has definitely not increased as I once expected. Looking just now on a Saturday afternoon, the most I saw were 5 stations active on SSB at one time. By now I was quite expecting the main issue to be too many stations, possibly overloading the transponder.

It seems people have fun getting a signal through the satellite, then lose interest.

See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/

Scrabble - NOT amateur radio

It was a dull, wet day today, so we played Scrabble with the grandchildren. Our younger granddaughter kept score. She is better this time! The last time she played she forgot to record some scores.

Where I come from - NOT amateur radio

The photo shows where I come from in South Devon. It is a very beautiful and unspoilt part of the UK.

Pye PF8 transceiver

In its day, this was a "state of the art" transceiver made by Pye Telecom. One of my early jobs was being part of the design team for this. We had all sorts of issues with the DC-DC converter noise. On my website is a PDF of the manual which may help some who convert these to 70cm amateur use.

They are quite rare and hard to find. Before you ask, I do not have one and do not know where to find one! Your best chance is on eBay I guess.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/pf8

6m FT8

So far this morning, 11 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX in the last 6 hours. As I write it is 0848z. So, early Es on 6m.

UPDATE 1413z: Now 54 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX today.

UPDATE 2000z: Now 71 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX today. All European and just one Moroccan spotted.

UPDATE 2040z: Although it is unlikely I shall spot much overnight, I am still on 6m FT8 RX, in the (slim) hope of a late opening or very early Es tomorrow.

Sunspots - Sunday July 28th 2019

Solar flux is 67 and the sunspot number 0.  A=5 and K=2.

Early logbooks

On my main website are some of my early logbooks. These are available as PDF files. These copies were made years ago. I have no idea why only some are there. Perhaps I was unable to locate some at that time. This must have been 12 years ago or more.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/logs

York Chocolate Story - NOT amateur radio

One of the things we did in York with the grandchildren was go on a one hour tour called "The York Chocolate Story". It was very good. At the end of the tour the little ones got to make chocolate lollipops.

Overall, the stay in York was very successful with the little ones having a very good time. For the first few days it was very hot, with high temperatures, although we had rain and (a bit) cooler weather on the last couple of days.

Back on 6m FT8

For the last few days, we have been in York with 2 of our grandchildren.  Since returning home I have been on 6m FT8. This has been mostly RX, although a brief CQ got no 2-way QSOs, but was spotted by 6 stations including 3 in eastern Europe. On RX 21 stations spotted with the best being 9K2YM (4714km) in Kuwait.

UPDATE 2124z: Now 31 stations spotted since we returned mid-afternoon.

Sunspots - Saturday July 27th 2019

Solar flux is 68 and the SSN 0.  A=3 and K =1

York - NOT amateur radio

This street is the shortest in York but it has the longest name.

Rallies this Sunday

Sunday 28 JULY : WILTSHIRE RADIO RALLY AND ELECTRONICS FAIR 

Kington Langley Village Hall & playing fields, Church Road, Kington Langley, Chippenham SN15 5NJ. 9am-1pm (disabled: 8.30am), admission £2. Car boot sale, catering, flea market, talk-in, trade stands. For more information, please visit our website or use the contact form to register your interest in booking trading space. Operated and run by CDARC. Brian Tanner, G6HUI, ‪0772 224 2741‬, rally@g3vre.org.uk.

Sunday 28 JULY : HORNCASTLE SUMMER RALLY 

Horncastle Youth Centre. Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6DZ. This will be the last radio rally at the Horncastle Youth Centre as the county council are closing the building and a new venue is being sought. Entry is £2 and the doors open at 10am. All on one level. Refreshments are available. Contact Tony Nightingale, G3ZPU on ‪01507 527835‬ or by email to Tony.nightingale@yahoo.co.uk.

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

Sunspots - Friday July 26th 2019

Solar flux is 68 and the SSN 0. A=3 and K=0.

More spectrum available to share

OFCOM today announced that additional spectrum is expected to be made available. See OFCOM's website for more details. As far as I can tell this is just certain microwave bands.

Heat - NOT amateur radio

In the UK we are not used to the heat. In London it has been in the high 30s.

Grandchildren - NOT amateur radio

This was 2 of our grandchildren enjoying ice-cream yesterday.

DXpedition to St Paul Is

There is a DXpedition to St Paul Island off Canada at the end of the month and early August. There is a piece on Southgate News about this.

Sunspots - Thursday July 25th 2019

Solar flux is 67 and the SSN 0. A=4 and K =1.

Storm risk

We had thunder and lightning here last night but the storm risks have, for the moment, decreased as they have moved further east.

Sunspots - Wednesday July 24th 2019

Solar flux is 67 and the SSN 0 . A=6 and K=2

Thunder risks

Over the next few days it is expected to get very hot in the UK. So hot that records could well be broken. With this can be a risk of thunderstorms, so I am QRT at the moment "just in case". The risks may be low, but I tend to disconnect antennas and power plugs.

See https://www.lightningmaps.org/?lang=en#m=oss;t=2;s=0;o=0;b=;ts=0;y=43.5804;x=3.999;z=5;d=2;dl=2;dc=0;

Yet more houses - NOT amateur radio

It seems that every spare space in our village is used to build new homes. There are very few homes that "ordinary" folks can afford. This is a common story in many parts of the UK. Most being built are "executive" homes i.e. those that give the highest profits for the developers.

"Our" windmill - NOT amateur radio

This video was taken from our lounge window earlier.

6m FT8 Es DX

At the moment (simply as it is convenient) I continue to monitor 6m FT8 RX. Already at 0800z there is plenty of Es DX coming through from southern Europe. So far, in the last 6 hours, 15 stations spotted.

UPDATE 0840z: A single 15 second CQ brought 8 spots with the best being CT1ILT (1436km).

UPDATE 1043z: Now 45 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX in the last 6 hours, many by Es. All Europeans.

UPDATE 1525z: Supposedly TU2EZ (5209km) spotted. This could be genuine, but most of his spots were in the UK, so I am suspicious.

6m FT8 RX 

spots here today

UPDATE 1852z: A recent CQ resulted in spots from all over southern Europe. My best spot was by CU2GI (2575km) in the Azores. So far today, 193 stations spotted, mostly Europeans by Es. Now QRT as we may have lightning later.

Es (sporadic E) propagation

Although in the northern hemisphere this tends to be best around May-August, it can occur at any time of the year bringing huge ranges on the VHF bands.  There tends to be a smaller peak around December-January.

Southgate News has a link to a piece on Es. In my view, despite having experience of Es since (at least) the 1930s, the world still has much to learn about it.

See https://www.electronics-notes.com/articles/antennas-propagation/ionospheric/sporadic-e-es.php

Sunspots - Tuesday July 23rd 2019

Solar flux is 67 and the SSN 11. A=8 and K=1.

Swifts - NOT amateur radio

Swifts are gathering in great numbers. This evening there must have been 50 or more on the wing eating insects on the wing over our heads. Many must be this year's youngsters. In about a month most will be gone. The screaming will stop one day and we will realise the great migration has happened. It amazes me that these birds fly so far every year. Then we will have to wait until next April to see them again.

French animal deaths - NOT amateur radio

It seems (according to the BBC) that animals in France are dying in numbers far higher than expected for unknown reasons. Some of these deaths are near wind farms and mobile phone masts. Research has so far been inconclusive. It is odd and unexplained.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/video_and_audio/headlines/49045742/mystery-surrounds-animal-deaths-on-france-s-farms

The next US president? - NOT amateur radio

Here is a puzzle. Enough people in the USA loved President Trump to get him elected whereas almost everywhere outside the USA he is viewed as a fool and incompetent.

It is honestly true that I have interacted with not a single person outside the USA that has a good word for him. Truly. Perhaps his "make America great again" mantra finds favour in the USA. Perhaps he will even get a second term in office.

There seems a great lack of real leaders in the world currently. Most seem to seek power for their own good rather than because they seek a greater good and are great statesmen. Given time, I hope this will change.

We need leaders with vision to see beyond their own self interest to the greater good of their nations and the world.

Great Es on 6m

Currently I am on 6m FT8 RX and there is a great Es opening, if not the best this summer. Although it is only 0853z 113 stations from all over Europe already copied.

Sunspots - Monday July 22nd 2019

Solar flux remains stubbornly at 67 and the sunspot number still 0. A=8 and K=2.

This feels, very much like sunspot minimum. At least we can look forward to better times, if not the great times of 60-70 years ago.

New friend? - NOT amateur radio

My daughter-in-law and 2 of our grandchildren are staying with friends in Suffolk.

Our granddaughter seems to have made a new friend that comes every time she calls it! Earlier in a video chat it sat on her shoulder then the phone!

Es' Hail satellite

As many will recall, I occasionally look at the activity on this geosynchronous satellite using the Goonhilly web SDR. As far as I can tell, activity levels are much the same as a few months ago. Some new people have come and some have gone. Most times there are around 6-8 active stations. At the moment I am not inclined to assemble gear for Oscar 100.

See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/

Surprise visitor - NOT amateur radio

We had a surprise visitor on our washing line. It was a large dragonfly.

As soon as my wife went for the better camera it flew off!  😖

Another 50th wedding photo - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday, I mentioned that we had been to the 50th wedding anniversary celebrations of our delightful neighbours. Here is another photo.

Sunspots - Sunday July 21st 2019

Solar flux is still 67 and the SSN 0. A=3 and K=1.

6m FT8

Good Es this morning on 6m. My brief CQ was spotted by 16 stations (no QSOs) as far away as Sardinia. On 6m FT8 RX 19 stations from all over Europe copied so far in the last few minutes.

UPDATE 0848z: 36 stations so far spotted this morning on 6m FT8 RX. My theory about most Es openings late in the season being to northern Europe is being tested! 😕

UPDATE 1400z: Now 158 stations spotted today on 6m FT8 RX with best DX being N4BP (7118km) in Florida, USA. A good day on 6m.

UPDATE 1614z: Now 206 stations spotted today on 6m FT8 RX. Just recently, Israel spotted.

UPDATE 1802z: Now 280 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX today in 4 continents.