2 Nov 2017

Left-over daffodil bulbs

We had a few bulbs left over, so these have been planted in these pots and in the garden where we had sweet peas over the summer. Hopefully they will come out sometime in the winter or spring. At the moment they look pretty boring!

UK interest rate rise - NOT amateur radio

UK interest base rates have gone from 0.25 to 0.5%. This is the first rise in 10 years. Modest, but upwards. What will it do for the UK Pound?

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41846330 .

UPDATE 1300z: At the moment, the UK pound is down against most currencies. Perhaps they were expecting a bigger rise?

Well, I have come to the conclusion that the best advice is to do the opposite of whatever I suggest! By now, I was expecting the Euro to lose value against the UK Pound.

UPDATE 2215z: So the UK Pound - Euro exchange rate has worsened by 1.74% today. This completely the opposite of what I expected! Will it get even worse tomorrow?

BBC Click

Southgate News brought to my attention a post on the BBC "Click" technology programme about amateur radio.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05lmbhy .

Fleeing wars - NOT amateur radio

Sometimes, most times, we take for granted our freedoms and lives. This video on the BBC really brings this home. I hope after 3 years they get granted permanent residency.

We must all work towards a free, fair and inclusive society, wherever we are on Earth. There is no place for hate and unkindness.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/stories-41835112/starting-a-new-life-in-a-foreign-country-at-13 .

630m WSPR overnight

Overnight my 10mW ERP 630m WSPR was spotted by 17 unique stations and I spotted 13 uniques with best DX again EA4GHB (1300km).  I am sure many weaker signals are buried in my noise, so I am just copying the better signals.

10m FT8 RX

Apart from OK1KT (1104km), all spots so far have been Russians. I have been on 10m FT8 RX since 0646z. Best DX is currently R9WJ (3662km).

UPDATE 1106: Twelve 10m FT8 spots so far. Some spots are quite near in Europe, so probably not F2. Ranges vary from France, Germany, Turkey, Holland, Switzerland, Denmark to Russia.

UPDATE 1215z: Now 13 spots - all Europe, Russia and Turkey. No "real" DX as yet on 10m FT8.

UPDATE 1405z: 14 spots on 10m FT8 so far, but still no "real" DX.

UPDATE 1515z: Still no "real" DX on 10m FT8 today.  At 1539z EA8GF (2973km) was spotted in the Canary Is..

UPDATE 1630z: I am getting the feeling that there will be no South Americans today on 10m FT8. I'll leave things running, but I am not too hopeful.

UPDATE 1810z: Still no South Americans on 10m FT8. Soon be time to QSY to 630m WSPR - I'll maybe give it another hour?

Sunspots - Thursday November 2nd 2017

Solar flux is 73 today and the sunspot number zero. A=4 and K=2.

1 Nov 2017

Don't QSY yet!

So, I was about to QSY from 10m FT8 to 630m WSPR, but I see very recent South American spots, so left 10m running. In another hour or so, I shall QSY to MF.

UPDATE 1847z: Best DX today on 10m FT8 RX was LU8XAF (13413km). As there has been now DX for over an hour, I think it is time to QSY to 630m.

630m WSPR last night

As is my usual pattern, I was on 630m WSPR last night. My own 10mW ERP signal was spotted by 6 unique stations and I spotted 12 unique stations with best DX EA4GHB (1300km).

Cambridge - NOT amateur radio

Like many towns, Cambridge has a fair number of shops which you can see in any UK town.

In Cambridge the M&S store is on 2 sites and they have just widened the path to 1 of these, as the photo shows.

Like most clothes retailers, M&S is struggling on the high street. All retailers are facing competition from on-line suppliers. It is anyone's guess what our high streets will be like in 20 years' time.

10m FT8 RX

So far, and I have been on since breakfast, more spotted than yesterday with quite a few South Americans spotted already on 10m FT8: it seems these are coming through earlier. I guess this is to do with the seasons.

4 continents spotted so far today on 10m FT8.

Sunspots - Wednesday November 1st 2017

Solar flux is 74 today and the sunspot number 11. A=3 and K=0.

31 Oct 2017

QSY to 630m WSPR

As of a few minutes ago, I have QSYed to 630m WSPR transceive (10mW ERP, 20%).

UPDATE 2118z: So far an average evening on 630m WSPR with my QRPP being spotted by 4 unique stations. I have managed to spot 4 uniques too.

UPDATE 2300z: Best RX DX on 630m WSPR this evening is IW4DXW (1190km).

A good God? - NOT amateur radio

As I write, my son's brother-in-law is clinging to life after suffering horrific injuries in Australia whilst a pedestrian crossing a road on green. A car struck him with the driver going through a red light whilst fiddling with her phone. He is dying.

It is hard to believe in a just God at these times. The sisters and parents are living in limbo and clearly are in a living hell. In history, the past is littered with cruelty such as the mass extermination of Jews in Europe not that long ago.

Can someone please explain to me how God is good? All the evidence is life is random and at times deeply cruel.

10m FT8 RX

Since breakfast, I have been on 10m FT8 RX. A few Europeans spotted with the best DX being UN7AB (3825km) near the Caspian Sea in Kazakhstan, presumably by F2.

UPDATE 1938z: For the first time in many weeks, 10m FT8 resulted in just Europeans and Russians - no ""real" DX. Shortly, I shall QSY to 630m WSPR.

630m WSPR overnight

Overnight I was again on 630m WSPR (10mW ERP, 20%). In all, I was spotted by 14 unique stations with best DX LA3EQ (769km) in Norway. In turn, I spotted 12 unique stations.

Sunspots - Tuesday October 31st 2017

Solar flux is 75 today and the sunspot number is 22. A=3 and K=0.

30 Oct 2017

630m WSPR

As usual, I have QSYed to MF WSPR (10mW, 20%). So far, 4 spots of my QRPP with best DX spot of my signal by PA0RDT (243km).

UPDATE 2017z: For a brief period after 2000z I tried calling CQ on 630m FT8 hoping for a 2-way QSO.  Sadly no-one heard me! Just before, I did see the trace of a weak FT8 signal. Obviously I was just too weak. I have since gone back to WSPR.

In the field

Southgate News links to a very informative video from OH8STN on operating in the field i.e. out portable away from the home QTH.

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2017/october/getting-started-in-amateur-radio-field-communications.htm#.WfdYILp2vIU .

Lack of 10m DX?

Today, there has been a distinct lack of real DX on 10m FT8. Although I saw plenty of Russians and Israelis this morning, I have not (yet) seen any Africans or South Americans on 10m FT8. There is still time for this to change.

UPDATE 1640z:  Just one South American, so far: LU6HWT (11346km) in Cordoba, Argentina.

UPDATE 1652z: Maybe conditions or post CQWW blues, but definitely less activity on 10m FT8 today.

Who can you trust? - NOT amateur radio

Quite a lot of politicians and their associates across the world it seems cannot be trusted. They are in high office and should be "whiter than white". Time and again we find out they are "dodgy". I am sure some seek high office for the right reasons, but sadly not all.

I am a great believer in "innocent until proved guilty". Too many have had their good names ruined even before any offence is proven. As they say, "mud sticks".

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41804740 .

Autumn leaves - NOT amateur radio

"Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness" and all that. Today we went for a stroll at Brandon Country Park, Suffolk, UK. It was quiet and there were definite signs of autumn, as the photo shows.

Overnight on 630m WSPR

As usual, I went on 630m WSPR (10mW ERP, 20%) overnight. My own QRPP signal was spotted by 11 unique stations and I spotted 15 unique stations on RX. There seem to be a few more active stations on 630m WSPR.

Sunspots - Monday October 30th 2017

Solar flux is 76 and the sunspot number 23. A=4 and K=1.

10m FT8 RX

As usual, I am on 10m FT8 RX for the day. So far, 8 Russians with best DX R9CU (3878km). I presume these were F2 propagation. In addition some Gs and a PA which were either tropo or aircraft reflection. I am using the latest released version of WSPR-X V1.8.

29 Oct 2017

QSY to 630m WSPR

I've left 10m FT8 and am now on 630m WSPR transceive (10mW ERP) until breakfast tomorrow.

CQWW SSB contest

There were a few South Americans coming through on 10m SSB earlier and I worked EF8R in the Canary Is whilst using my 5W on 10m SSB. To be honest, these days my voice is not up to SSB contests, so I returned to 10m FT8 digital .

10m FT8 RX

I have been using the latest formal release of WSJT-X (v1.8) in the last few minutes. Best DX is EA3KU (1265km).

UPDATE 1254z: VK6XN (14463km) is currently the best 10m FT8 RX DX. So far, 4 continents spotted on 10m FT8 today.

UPDATE 1605z: 5 South Americans now spotted on 10m FT8. 5 continents spotted on 10m FT8 today so far.

Sunspots - Sunday October 29th 2017

Solar flux is 76 today and the sunspot number 23.  A=6 and K=1.

WSJT-X V1.8 now properly released

For some time various release candidate versions have crept out, but V1.8 is now formally released. I have just got this for my Windows 10 shack PC.

See http://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/wsjtx.html

Be sure to get V1.8 and not V1.7.

28 Oct 2017

4m (70MHz) allocations

It is some years since I last tried 4m using my homebrew transverter and a wire dipole in the loft. Since those days many more countries are on the band. I imagine working Es DX in the summer is quite fun on the band.  The IC7300 even has 4m coverage.

I am not up to date with which countries have 4m, but I seem to recall a CEPT move to allow national organisations like OFCOM to allocate (part of) 4m to amateurs.

With the lower VHF bands being less popular with commercial users (big antennas on portables and Es interference), the chances of more countries allocating 4m to amateurs must increase.

In the USA the FCC might even allocate the band - well, by the 22nd century!

See http://www.70mhz.org/ .

QSY to 630m WSPR transceive (10mW ERP)

A few moments ago I QSYed from 10m FT8 RX to 630m WSPR transceive. My first transmission got spots from 4 unique stations even though the transverter crystal was still drifting. Encouraging. Best DX was F5WK (364km).

UPDATE 1954z: LA3EQ is active and has spotted me before this autumn. Let's hope he stops on until the middle of the night and spots me again. With the earth-electrode "antenna" my best DX on TX was over 1000km. It would be good to better this this season.

UPDATE 2045z: Now 6 unique stations have spotted me and I have spotted 12 unique stations so far this evening on 630m WSPR. EA5DOM was regularly spotted here on 630m WSPR earlier this season and was always a good signal with me, although I have not spotted him recently. Either he is using a different mode or a different band.

Parkin making - NOT amateur radio

The picture shows our younger grandson (8) in our kitchen making parkin with my wife. He was really keen, eating much of the first lot.

See https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1940684/parkin .

CQWW Contest and 10m FT8

Looking this afternoon on 10m SSB, I heard nothing at all, whereas 20m was very busy with contest stations. I'll look again tomorrow.

Sorry, but I have no interest in contest exchanges on 20m SSB. In the meantime, I have gone back to 10m FT8 RX.  Perhaps all the keen 10m operators have moved to FT8?

UPDATE 1534z: So, most think 10m is dead and have moved to lower bands for the CQWW SSB contest. Meanwhile, plenty of DX on 10m FT8 as the photo shows.

UPDATE 1558z: More South Americans and best 10m FT8 DX (currently) LU7DAF (11197km).

Gove - NOT amateur radio

He is a satirist's dream. This UK politician has (allegedly) put his foot in it again.

For some reason, I always think of him with a school cap and school satchel. I am sure he is really an astute politician.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41787710

Dad's seat - NOT amateur radio

My dad died in 1987. In his last years, he worked for the National Trust running a job creation scheme with young people maintaining the South West Coastal Path.

He loved this part of Devon and when he died they erected a couple of seats in his honour.

This picture was taken a few years ago and shows me sitting on one of them on Bolberry Down.

10m FT8 RX

Although I am on 10m FT8 RX at present with best DX RA6HN (3245km), I intend to go on 10m SSB later in the CQWW contest. As my voice is poor, this will probably just be short periods today and tomorrow.

UPDATE 1348z:  Best DX on 10m FT8 RX today is ZS2I (9845km) in South Africa. A 5 minute TX period by me at 2.5W got no spots!

Sunspots - Saturday October 28th 2017

Solar flux is 75 today and the sunspot number 23. A=5 and K=2.

27 Oct 2017

QSY to 10m FT8 RX

After a day on 6m, I have switched to 10m FT8 and will be on overnight. If there is any early 10m FT8 DX, I have a chance of spotting it.

6m produced just a single DX spot from northern Spain, although several Gs were spotted on 6m FT8 at quite decent ranges.

CQWW SSB

Just in case you missed my earlier reminder, this weekend is the CQWW SSB contest. Although I am unable to join in as I once could, this is always a chance to work some new countries, even if you do not submit a score - I never have. Funny how bands which seemed "dead" come alive.