6m FT8 RX

Since breakfast, I have been on 6m FT8 RX.

As the antenna is free, I am on 10m WSPR TX (500mW) at the same time.

UPDATE 0902z: No spots on either band.

UPDATE 1600z: No spots on 10m. Just G6ZRV (79km) in the Reepham area near Norwich spotted on 6m FT8 RX - tropo?

UPDATE 1750z: G4PMZ (123km) was spotted this afternoon late. I shall be staying on 6m FT8 RX all night long, hoping to catch some Leonids activity, if there is any. I shall give 630m WSPR a miss tonight.

UPDATE 2200z: M0VXX (175km) now spotted on 6m FT8.

Sunspots - Friday November 17th 2017

Solar flux is 74 today and the sunspot number 15. A=14 and K=2.

630m WSPR

As usual, I have gone on 630m WSPR (10mW ERP, 20%) for the evening and overnight. Things are pretty promising so far.

6m FT8

Starting tomorrow for a few days, I shall be leaving 10m FT8 RX and trying 6m FT8 RX instead. It will be interesting to see how much "local" inter-G traffic is now on 6m FT8.

For the rest of the afternoon, I shall be sticking with 10m FT8 RX, although I am not too hopeful.

10m FT8 - disappointing

Since breakfast I have been on 10m FT8 RX, but it has been disappointing with just one G spotted so far today. No Europeans, no "real" DX.

UPDATE 1434z: Now a couple of Gs spotted in the London area and nothing else today on 10m FT8. The latest is G4YBI (83km).

UPDATE 1612z: DL1PV (601km) spotted on 10m FT8. Aircraft?

UK Rally

18 NOVEMBER 2017 : RADARS TRADITIONAL RADIO RALLY
St Vincent de Paul's, Caldershaw Rd, off Edenfield Rd (A680), Norden, Rochdale OL12 7QR Doors open at 10.30am with disabled visitors gaining access 15 minutes earlier. Admission is £2.50 with those under 12 years free. There will be a Bring & Buy as well as commercial traders, a junk stall and amateur radio sellers. Traders can set up from 8am. Pitches must be booked at least 2 weeks beforehand with prices starting at £5. There will be refreshments available including bacon and sausage butties. Dave, G3RIK by email to rally@radars.me.uk www.radars.me.uk
A list of rallies can be found at http://rsgb.org/main/news/rallies/

Black Friday - NOT amateur radio

I know retailers are having a hard time, but this recent import from the USA makes me want to vomit. It is purely about profits and how to encourage people to spend more. If you can, boycott it. 

In my view retailers have to adapt or go out of business. Online sales are a reality. Those that adapt will remain and those that do not will close. Maybe a good model is a mix of retail places and online? Models like John Lewis comes to mind. You often browse in the shop, but buy online then collect from a John Lewis or Waitrose store.

Like the commercialisation of Christmas, Easter and Halloween, I think Black Friday has no place in UK society. If you like this sort of thing in the USA, by all means keep it there. I for one hate it. It is retailing of the worse sort.

Leonids meteor shower

The Leonids meteor shower peaks this week. I think I'll look on 6m FT8 RX to see what I spot.

See http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-leonid-meteor-shower .

More DX on 630m WSPR

Last evening and overnight, I was again on 630m WSPR (10mW ERP, 20%). Yet again LA2XPA (1310km) spotted me. Honestly, have a go with whatever you have. You will be surprised. I am sure an optimised antenna and ground system would be better, but even a totally bad system will work. You cannot get a more basic system than mine!

All change - NOT amateur radio

In the UK, the large retailer BHS has closed its doors. Many of the shops are now being occupied by other retailers. This one in the Grafton Centre, Cambridge, UK is undergoing extensive changes.

I have no idea who is coming here next. Boring to many, but a reminder to me of when these changes happened. Picture taken from a moving bus.

George GM3OXX - SK

It was saddening to read in the latest RadCom that George GM3OXX has died.

He was a stalwart of QRP and I have one of his QSL cards on my wall for a QRP contact on CW many years ago. This was either 80m or 40m. George made most of his equipment at home. Apparently he was also on the microwave bands.

Sadly, a lot of our old-timers are going to leave us in the coming years.

I think he died some time ago.

Sunspots - Thursday November 16th 2017

Solar flux is 74 today and the sunspot number 14. A=11 and K=3. Sunspot number is slowly rising. I guess this is due to the sun's rotation. Long-term, solar conditions are sliding downwards.

Rainy Cambridge - NOT amateur radio

Most Tuesdays and Wednesdays I travel into Cambridge for my U3A courses. Today it was a typical showery November day. The photo shows Cambridge Market with the university church behind. There are few visitors.

I am studying "Weather and Climate" and "Samuel Pepys". We are lucky in Cambridge having so many things to choose from. Many on my Tuesday course are doctors, not of the medical sort! Usually the questions and discussions are interesting. It is nice to learn for fun too - no exams, no vivers.

The Pepys Library is in Cambridge along with the world expert. We visit this library in a couple of weeks.

See https://www.magd.cam.ac.uk/pepys .

10m FT8 RX

Although I have been on 10m FT8 RX from just before breakfast, nothing spotted as yet.

UPDATE 1440z: Today looks more promising with PP5JP (10026km) spotted at 1310z. This is the first South American spotted here on 10m for several days. Lots of EUs plus the Canary Is too on 10m FT8.

UPDATE 1850z: No more South Americans on 10m FT8 today and I have now QSYed to 630m WSPR.

630m WSPR overnight

In all, I was spotted by 9 unique stations with the best DX LA3EQ (769km) in Norway. As usual, my ERP is 10mW.

Sunspots at last! - Wednesday November 15th 2017

Solar flux is 74 and the sunspot number 14 (not zero!). A=11 and K=3.

New student flats - NOT amateur radio

Years ago we bought a car from West's garage in Cambridge. They moved and now they are building new student flats on the site. This photo was taken from a bus tonight in the dark. No doubt these are "posh" with en suite facilities: not like we had!

630m WSPR

For a little while I have been active again on 630m WSPR (10mW ERP, 20%). So far,  4 unique spots of my QRPP signal, all in England. I shall remain on overnight probably.

70cm UKAC contest

This 70cm activity contest, organised by the RSGB, was tonight.

Although I worked a couple of stations and heard several more, the limitations of my system were apparent tonight (just 5W, lossy coax, 2m halo).  To take this seriously I need a 70cm beam and a rotator! Best DX this evening was only 57km. In all, I think I was active for less than 30 minutes. In past 70cm UKAC (activity sessions) I have worked a lot further.

Also, because of my poor voice I was not on very long. Disappointing.

Gearbest

A little while ago I ordered 2 UHF transceivers from them. A few weeks later a package arrived containing just 1 transceiver. My original order was  very, very, clear that the order was for 2pcs (transceivers). After a great many emails to them it is clear they do not understand English and insist I ordered just 1!

In the end they have agreed to a full refund. I shall not be doing business with Gearbest ever again, despite their good prices. If you order things online beware: the company may not understand!

5MHz

According to Southgate News, Germany now will get access to the WRC 5MHz allocation and an extension of their 50MHz band.

I wonder when the WRC 5MHz band will become available in the UK?

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2017/november/german-radio-hams-get-5-mhz-band-and-50-mhz-extension.htm#.WgrA77p2vIU .

Copied in Scotland on 630m WSPR

Overnight, I was spotted by 12 unique stations including GM0UDL (659km). This is my first report from GM this season. I am not sure how many stations have spotted my 10mW ERP from my crap antenna, but it is probably more than 40 now in 8 countries. All I can say is that if I can do it then, honestly, anyone can.

Sunspots - Tuesday November 14th 2017

Solar flux is 72 today, but the sunspot number remains zero. We will see many days or months without spots in the years ahead. We could even see years with a sunspot number of zero! A=6 and K=3.

10m FT8 RX

As is usual, I've been on 10m FT8 RX since before breakfast. Just a single spot so far - PD0HCV (422km). This could be aircraft reflection?

UPDATE 1105z: With just 2 Gs and one PD0 spotted this looks like another bad day on 10m FT8?

UPDATE 1235z: Now 4 G stations spotted plus 1 PD0. Maybe people are realising 10m FT8 will also be useful for inter-G QSOs even when it behaves more like a VHF band?

UPDATE 1925z: Another dismal day on 10m FT8. More G stations spotted plus one other from Holland. Time to QSY to 630m WSPR!

Made in China - NOT amateur radio

In the west we have become addicted to low cost goods. It seems almost everything is made in China these days. Try it: look on the label of almost anything and the chances are it says, "made in China". I just don't understand how they make things at such low prices and still make profits.

All this come at a price and that is we are exporting our CO2 emissions! China has a high reliance still on coal and is the greatest contributor to the recent rise in global CO2 emissions. They are moving to renewables, but not fast enough it seems. The USA government policy on coal seems flawed too.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-41941265 .

2m UKAC entry - almost forgotten!

Usually, I send an entry in for this contest the very same evening, but this time I forgot. My XYL tidied up and my logbook was hidden. Luckily, I was in time. My entries never come anywhere near winning, but it is good voice training for me and I often work new squares on 2m. These are fun contests best taken not too seriously.  Usually I manage under 1 hour of operating. Then my voice says, "stop".

Tomorrow is the 70cm contest (UKAC). I usually use my 2m halo for this as  have no horizontal 70cm antennas. Start time is 2000z and the contest lasts for 2.5 hours, if you are keen. As you can tell, I am a fair weather contester who operates from home! A coffee or whisky is about 10m away!

Stained glass - NOT amateur radio

We visited the Stained Glass Museum in Ely Cathedral yesterday. It was fascinating to see a range of stained glass from the Middle Ages to more recent times.

This stained glass panel was made in 1979 by Paul San Casciani and is his interpretation of hydra tissue taken from an electron photomicrograph.

10m FT8 RX

Since breakfast, I have been on 10m FT8 RX. Just one spot so far in G4HZW (208km), probably by aircraft reflection. No real DX seen here for several days.

UPDATE 1450z:  It looks like another dire day on 10m FT8 here. So far, just a couple of Gs and no DX - not even a European - spotted today on 10m FT8.

A good night on 630m WSPR

Last night I managed my greatest distance this season (10mW ERP, 20%) to LA2XPA (1310km) and this with my really poor antenna! He copied me 3 times. In all, I was spotted by 12 unique stations and I spotted 10 unique others on 630m WSPR.

Sunspots - Monday November 13th 2017

Solar flux is 69 today. Sunspot number remains zero. A=6 and K=2.

630m WSPR

For the last few hours or so I have been on 630m WSPR. So far, 5 spots of my 10mW ERP WSPR. This is average.

Sunset - NOT amateur radio

As we drove back from Ely we were treated to a great sunset. This photo was taken from our moving car. It is quite flat in the Fens, but we do get some great skies.

Grumpy old man - NOT amateur radio

You can tell I am getting old!

Have you noticed that most young people go up at the end of a sentence? You can almost tell how young someone is by this, not forgetting "like" liberally sprinkled throughout sentences.  It is, like, annoying like, you know what I mean?

I try hard to ignore this, but find myself counting "likes".

Grumpy old man - definitely.

10m FT8 RX

Since breakfast, I have been on 10m FT8 RX. So far, just M0SSK (75km) spotted.

UPDATE 1158z: Best DX is now IZ2MHO (996km) in northern Italy.

UPDATE 1910z: Nothing outside Europe spotted here today on 10m FT8. The last was DM1FL (495km) in the Cologne area.

630m WSPR last night

In all, 11 unique spots of my 10mW ERP with best DX again Norway. I spotted 12 uniques. Not bad.

Sunspots - Sunday November 12th 2017

Solar flux is 68 today and the sunspot number remains zero. A=8 and K=2.

New WSPR beacon

SOTAbeams has a new product that can be used from 630m to 6m with a suitable low pass filter. This is a bit more than the original WSPRlite, but likely to be popular. A great deal of fun can be had with WSPR. The external LPF is a must.

See https://www.sotabeams.co.uk/wsprlite-flexi .

Solar cycle 25 - what will it be like?

"As of April 2017 the strength and trend of the southern polar field hints at a cycle 25 with a magnitude close to that of cycle 24. " 

This was a quote from http://www.solen.info/solar/.  It is expected to be a weak affair. If anyone knows of a better forecast please let me know. As it will probably be my last, I hope it is better than cycle 24, although I think this is unlikely.

An early QSY to 630m WSPR?

As 10m FT8 seems poor again, I am tempted to QSY early to 630m WSPR.

UPDATE 1525z: Well it is done! I've QSYed to 630m WSPR (10mW ERP, 20%). It will be interesting to see what happens in daylight.

UPDATE 1550z: Several spots already given and received on 630m WSPR. My best spot (of my 10mW ERP) is by G4CPD (232km).

UPDATE 2246z: So far, an average evening on 630m WSPR.

Rallies

It must be the time of the year when few, if any, rallies take place in the UK. I guess it is too wet and too cold to attract the punters. Certainly, I have not received notification of any. Time to draw the curtains, stoke the fire and watch TV?