10m JT65

For the day I have returned to 10m JT65 (2W), but no spots as yet. I have been active for about 30 minutes.

UPDATE 1052z: A spot from DG0OPK (730km) of my signal. Winter Es I think.

Is that it? - NOT amateur radio

We had some snow this morning here, but it has stopped now. Barely a covering on the ground! In some ways I am pleased, but it was nice to see a snow covering for a week or so. Not these days.

If people tell you the climate is not warming on average they must be blind or stupid. The evidence is that this is largely due to us. A Maunder Minimum may help in the short-term, but only a bit. The trend is a warming world. That this is just due to natural fluctuations is a myth and the sooner we wake up the better.

UPDATE 1246z: It has all gone and the sun is shining in a cold, blue sky.

472kHz overnight

My theory is surely correct: the MF noise floor is rising and my 5mW ERP signal is becoming much harder to see unless the RX station has a low noise level, either as a result of  optimising antenna and antenna position or good luck. G8LCO (58km) who always gives me a good report uses a well positioned E-field probe antenna. Overnight best DX on TX was LA3EQ (769km) but his report was -30dB, so "only just".

I am seriously thinking of abandoning 472kHz TX until I can get the ERP well up by getting a better antenna up in the air. I shall try 472kHz RX without the SMPSU. Turning this off gives me a 7 S-point improvement on RX!! Without the SMPSU charging it, my PC battery should manage a night. Certainly several hours.

472kHz WSPR

I decided to return to 472kHz (630m) WSPR at 1756z. The transverter is still settling, so it may be a few minutes before I start getting spots.

UPDATE 1804z: G0VQH (15km) spotted me, even though I am still drifting.

Snapes Point (Near Salcombe) - NOT amateur radio

Our latest National Trust (2017) Handbook has just arrived. We were amazed to see Snapes Point near Salcombe is not shown on the map of Devon and not listed. It is about a 2km walk with some of the best views in Devon! Every time we go back to Devon we do this walk.

See https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/east-soar/features/snapes-point .

Chinese satellite

There is probably an English version of this page. Perhaps someone will point me to it?  There is a fairly new Chinese amateur satellite BY70-1. It has been in orbit for a few weeks.

See http://lilacsat.hit.edu.cn/ .

Snow? - NOT amateur radio

Usually when the Met Office predicts snow here we get rain. We may get snow here tonight or tomorrow, but I'll believe it when I see it!

Last winter we had just one day of snow and our "London" grandchildren made a tiny snowman. I think this was the first time they had seen snow on the ground. Years ago we had several days of snow each winter, but things have changed. The climate is, on average, getting milder and wetter here. Mind you, we have had more frosts this winter than last season, so who knows?

New Zealand blog - NOT amateur radio

My wife was cleaning a shelf and came across a photo album of our 2009 trip to New Zealand. In those days I was fit! Now, I seem to be tired a lot of the time.

It is amazing what you forget. Luckily, I did a blog and we can look back and recall the visit.  It is a magical place, although I doubt we'll ever get back there.

If you get a chance, do go. At every turn it is beautiful and the people are warm and welcoming. It is NOT like the UK. Yes, the people speak English and lots of the birds in towns are English ones, but the wild places are different with wild tree ferns and many trees quite different. 4 million people instead of more than 60 million helps!

See http://roglap.blogspot.co.uk/

10m JT65

For about 25 minutes now I have been on 10m JT65 rather than 40m WSPR. So far, no spots.

UPDATE 1802z: Although I have now gone QRT on 10m, I see I spotted EU7FBB (1931km) in Belerus this afternoon several times.

40m WSPR overnight

As mentioned in an earlier blog post, I was on 40m WSPR all last evening and overnight. Nothing outside Europe spotted or spotting me.

Sunspots and 10m - Thursday January 12th 2017

Solar flux is 73 today. Sunspot number is again zero. A=8 and K=0. Will 10m be any good? Who can tell?

Other bands WSPR or JT65?

As I am unlikely to be able to erect a better MF antenna before next autumn, I wonder what band I should use overnight on WSPR or JT65? 5MHz (60m) I can manage as I've resonated the antenna before. My noise floor is bad on 5MHz, but I should be able to TX (beacon) with either WSPR or JT65. I know 40m or 30m are possible (but little challenge), but in "quiet sun" years 5MHz (60m) is likely to be "open" more.

I may give 5MHz a go tonight. I have still to decide WSPR or JT65. As usual, I'd use 2W.

UPDATE 2008z:  I could not load my antenna up on 60m, so  have gone on 40m WSPR this evening and overnight.

40m WSPR spots this evening

UPDATE 2230z: Most spots of my 40m WSPR (2W) are from Germany. Best DX on TX was SA6BSS/RX (1059km). My antenna is far from ideal on 40m. It is very low.

10m JT65

Since just before breakfast I have been on 10m JT65 (2W), but no spots given or received as yet. Although the chances of catching N-S F layer DX is not great (but possible) there is still a chance of winter Es around Europe.

UPDATE 1415z:  Another quiet day with just G4CJC (73km) spotted on 10m JT65.

472kHz WSPR

Last evening and overnight until breakfast I was on 472kHz WSPR (5mW ERP). Yet again, very few spots received (4 uniques) making 472kHz hard work.

The noise floor is going up at most RX stations. As an example my own RX noise floor was S1 on 472kHz. It is now S8 with the PC I bought a year ago on its SMPSU. Sadly, this is fairly typical and RX stations are struggling more now. QRP is harder than it was even a few years ago, especially on LF, MF and lower HF. Luckily my noise floor is OK on 10m upwards into VHF and UHF, although I know others struggle.

Sunspots and 10m - Wednesday January 11th 2017

Solar flux is 72 today and sunspot number remains 0. A=10 and K=2.

OFCOM

More to justify why they are there? They must add some value?

See http://ofcom.cmail19.com/t/ViewEmail/i/103888809ED4609A/59D1BD3EA2F08127C67FD2F38AC4859C

Tests at even lower frequencies

DK7FC has been testing at even lower frequencies:

Hi ULF,

Since a few hours i'm running 15 mA antenna current on 970 Hz, the 309 km band. This requires to apply 5 kV to the antenna. You can see a very faint trace on the lower image at http://www.iup.uni-heidelberg.de/schaefer_vlf/DK7FC_VLF_Grabber2.html

Just about 10 dB SNR in 424 uHz in 3.5 km distance, or in 0.011 lambda distance. The receive antenna is a H field antenna that is not even pointing to the transmitter. Also the preamp noise is dominating the background noise on that frequency. So the RX is deaf on that band. Anyway, there is something.

The ALC into SpecLab does a very good job, it holds the antenna current stable during all the changes and working point drifts. The plot can be seen at http://www.iup.uni-heidelberg.de/schaefer_vlf/VLF/TX.png
15 mA results in an ERP of  3 nW.

My new preamp circuit is waiting for a first test together with the large loop. I hope to pick up the signal in at least 5 km distance with that preamp which is really low noise down to the lower Hz range.
An E field reeiver would be a better choise for the reception from that E field Tx antenna, at least in the lower near field. Maybe that will give another test then.

With 30 kV i could reach 0.3 uW. Not sure where this could be detected? And who knows the advantages of this part of the spectrum for our purposes!?!

Since 21:20 UTC, a 2 character EbNaut message is running. It will take 2h, 2min, 40s. Hopefully the tree grabber is available until the message ends. It will shut down in a few hours due to lack of solar energy in these days (an improvement of this system has already been prepared and waits for the installation).


73, Stefan

Work - NOT amateur radio

When I started work (1970), most worked 37.5 hours a week and no more. We went home and enjoyed life.

Today the work ethic is to work longer and longer hours, but I doubt people are any more productive. Longer working hours, like the paperless office, are a myth.

If you are in a job, I know you have to do things to "look busy" and "please the boss", but stand back for a minute - look at yourself and ask yourself, "am I really adding any value?". If not, change the way you work or get a different job.

Back on 472kHz

This evening, I am back on 472kHz WSPR with the earth-electrode "antenna" and 5mW ERP.  Best DX on TX is PA0RDT (243km). So far, just 4 unique spots received.

70cm UKAC and FMAC

As this is the second Tuesday, it is the 70cm leg of the RSGB's UKAC this evening starting at 2000z. As I have no 70cm horizontal antennas I shall use my 2m halo omni and the FT817ND. Because my voice is poor, I usually do not go on for very long, with 30 minutes being usual on 70cm. UKAC runs from 2000-2230z.

In the hour before the UKAC is the first 70cm FM contest of the year - the 70cm FMAC. I shall try my V2000 vertical for this. Again, this will be a brief outing for me. FMAC runs 1900-2000z.

See http://www.rsgbcc.org/cgi-bin/contest_rules.pl?year=2017&contest=70cmsfmac&seq=
and http://www.rsgbcc.org/cgi-bin/contest_rules.pl?year=2017&contest=70cmsukac&seq=

UPDATE 2100z:  70cm UHF UKAC contest this evening. 7 contacts in 20 minutes (before I had to stop) with 5W and a 2m VHF halo fed with lossy coax. Fun. Best DX was G4CLA (105km). Nothing at all heard or worked in the FM contest.

10m JT65 - quiet so far today

Since about 1000z I have been on 10m JT65 (2W).

UPDATE 1200z: So far today, just G4CJC (73km) spotted on 10m JT65 with no sign here of F layer or winter Es, well not yet. My antenna is not brilliant and others may have done better.

UPDATE 1505z: Still no DX on 10m today here.

The Road Not Taken - NOT amateur radio

As I get older, I must think about things more. Often I wonder what life would have been like had I taken a different fork in the road: gone to a different university, done that PhD, taken a different job, not had children, married someone else, taken the job offer in California and so on. I expect everyone wonders this sort of thing. In a multiverse, maybe we do follow all possibilities but we are not aware of them. I often wonder.

See http://www.bartleby.com/119/1.html .

Sunspots and 10m - Tuesday January 10th 2016

Solar flux remains at 72 and yet again the sun is spotless. A=12 and K=2. We are now definitely entering "quiet sun" times and these could last for many years. Es may liven 10m a bit.

Even in very quiet years there can be some N-S F layer DX on 10m. JT65 or WSPR should be ideal modes as long as people stick with the band. All too often, people go on SSB, see no activity, then go down to a band where there is more activity. Meanwhile, 10m is open and the DX gets missed.

Overnight on 472kHz WSPR

Last evening and overnight I was again active on 472kHz WSPR. I only went QRT at about 1000z this morning.  Fewer spots than ever!

I am really beginning to think that my QRPP 5mW ERP is buried in man-made noise now, whereas a few years ago it was not. So, either I need to raise the ERP so my signal rises above the crud, or abandon the band. A few years ago a lot more were able to copy me.

Winter - NOT amateur radio

There is an outside chance we may see some snow by the weekend. Eastern Europe has been exceptionally cold. Everywhere locally looks wintery. In a few weeks' time the daffodils will be pushing out and there will be clear signs of spring on the way.

Earth-electrode antennas at 472kHz

Some 4 years ago I posted this based on my results at 472kHz:

These were my conclusions in Jan 2013:

1. The earth-electrode antenna at 472kHz (2 earth rods in the soil 15-20m apart fed from the TX output) behaves like an H-field loop transmitting antenna. At the present QTH the spacing is less.
2. It has directivity, with strongest signals in the line of the loop and weakest signals at right angles to it.
3. It works as an effective RX antenna too.
4. In my environment the loop looks like about 50-60 ohms resistive, so a good match to my transverter directly without matching. At this QTH it looks a higher impedance, presumably because the soil and rock are different.
5. The structure works because much of the return current flows deep within the soil and rock beneath the earth-electrode antenna. In my case Rik OR7T calculated that the loop area in the ground is effectively 290m sq with a radiation resistance of 0.017 ohm and a loss resistance of 66 ohms.This is a BIG loop! I think the loop is smaller at this QTH.
6. Performance compared with my 9m high top loaded Marconi antenna averages only around 8dB down, not a bad figure at all, even with the connecting wire on the ground and not elevated at all.
7. Where no other antenna option is available, the earth-electrode antenna is well worth trying both on 472kHz and on 136kHz both for RX and TX. Although it works well here, your geology may be different and results not the same.

Return to 10m JT65

After an evening and overnight on 630m WSPR (best DX with 5mW ERP was F1AFJ/1 at 607km), I returned to 10m JT65 just before breakfast. No spots yet on 10m JT65.

UPDATE 1248z: G4CJC (73km) spotted by tropo or aircraft on 10m JT65. DL0ZB (601km) copied by 10m Es I assume.

Sunspots and 10m Monday January 9th 2016

Solar flux is 72 today and sunspot count is zero yet again. A=16 and K=2.

QRP and QRP Club

More from Oleg:

Dear Club 72 members and friends,

Weekly QRP Rendez-Vous report (January 8, 2017)
Visitors  of the week: UA1ADF, UA1CEG, R2FAE, UR4MME, UR5EFD, DL8BDF,
G4MLW,  US3EN,  IK2RMZ,  UT5EDU,  OK2PDT/p, UR5IFM, UA1CEX, RV3DSA/0,
UR0ET,  OM6TC,  OH6NPV,  RU3NJC, UA0SBQ, EA6BB, R1CAF, UR7VT, US5ERQ,
SM2BYW, SM2FIJ, G3XJS, UA9MLY, DM4EE, RV3GM, DK1HW
See  full  Visitors  and  Frequenters lists on the Club 72 web page
Comments...
See full report on the blog page - http://qrp-club72.blogspot.ru/
See you all QRPers on next QRP Rendez-Vous round tables!

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.

Alibris UK still game playing - NOT amateur radio

This organisation is still offering discounts every week. I doubt anyone pays the full price.

Plymoth Argyle - NOT amateur radio

Well, my old local football team Plymouth Argyle (League 2) held Liverpool to a 0:0 draw in the FA cup match today. This earns them a replay (and money) in Plymouth.

Microwave TX and RX modules

I have just seen this site, although I have never used it so cannot say how good the service is.

See http://www.13cm.co.uk/index.php

German Callbook

My friend Steve G1KQH has sent me a link to the German Callbook. I am unlikely to use it, but the link is attached in case you need it.

See https://www.bundesnetzagentur.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/DE/Sachgebiete/Telekommunikation/Unternehmen_Institutionen/Frequenzen/Amateurfunk/Rufzeichenliste/Rufzeichenliste_AFU.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=24

10m JT65

Late morning, I returned to 10m JT65.

UPDATE 1406z:  Just spotted by G0LRD (25km). No Es or F2 seen here on 10m as yet today.

UPDATE 1606z:  G1IKH (123km) near Nottingham spotted on 10m JT65, but still no DX today here.

Sunspots and 10m - Sunday January 8th 2017

Solar flux is 71 today and sunspot number zero. A=20 and K=2.

Although 10m has not been great of late, at least the mornings get lighter here from this date. Already, the evenings are getting darker later. By the end of the month things are starting to get a lot better.

At least there has been some winter Es to liven things up on 10m.

472kHz WSPR analysis by PA1B

Bert, PA1B, has done some analysis of my 472kHz WSPR to see how little power (ERP) would be needed to be still copied. Of course, this assumes reception is not external noise limited.

Return to 472kHz WSPR

Although my transverter crystal is still settling, hence the drift, I returned to MF a little while ago. So far, just local and semi-locals spotting my 5mW ERP WSPR. All these stations have spotted me before, sadly.

UPDATE 2238z: Still only 4 unique stations spotting me. Nothing DXy with best TX DX just 80km so far this evening.

Early lightbeam tests

Waverley Rd, Kingsbridge, Devon, UK

My interest in light-beam communication goes right back to the 1960s when an old school friend and I used a torch bulb as the TX and an OC71 transistor with the black paint scraped off as the RX detector.

One of our first tests was across the street shown in this photo. I lived in the first house on the RHS and we received the test in the house with bay windows on the left. DX was about 25m! We AM modulated the torch bulb biasing it at half rail if memory serves me correctly. It had a very low frequency response as the torch bulb had a poor HF response, as I recall.

We moved to this house in 1959 but the photo is years and years earlier.

More news about IHSG

Southgate News reports that IHSG (the new amateur radio group) is to become the sole UK reseller of Beko amplifiers. I think this is good news for the amateur community.

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2017/january/ihsg-becomes-beko-elektronik-sole-uk-reseller.htm#.WHEALoXXLIU

The New Year - NOT amateur radio

January is an odd month. Kids have gone back to school, the post is quiet, nights are still long and everywhere feels "dead".

By the end of the month things have already started to change with first signs of new life in the garden, days getting longer and the hope of spring not too far away. January always seems a long, dark, dreary month.

By contrast, February flies by! We'll blink and wonder where another year went.