630m WSPR RX this evening

For most of the evening I have been on 630m WSPR RX. So far, 15 unique stations have been spotted, which is quite good for this time. As the shack PC battery is almost fully charged, I shall be looking almost until breakfast. I am surprised not to have spotted a single USA station when most EU stations are being copied on the earth-electrode "antenna".

Snow showers - NOT amateur radio

Most winters these days are mild. This has been the exception with quite a few frosts. Today we have about 3 inches of snow (6-8cms). It has been snowing on and off much of the day. At the moment it looks nice.

The EU and BREXIT - NOT amateur radio

So the EU has published its draft bill on the UK leaving the EU. Since it was published, the UK pound has lost value against all major currencies. No doubt it will recover, but at the moment the UK seems to be fumbling around over what it really wants once we leave.

Why did we not say the referendum would not be binding unless the majority was x %? As it is the margin of "leave" over "remain" was a small 4%, with almost a half not wishing to leave the EU. I suspect fewer would vote leave now. Many want controls over immigration but still want the tariff-free trade with the EU.

UPDATE 2152z: At the end of the day, the UK pound was 0.76% weaker against the euro

Maplin administration

Allegedly, Maplin has gone into administration.

I was in a company that went into administration many years ago. It is very unpleasant as it means your pensions and severance deals can count for nothing. I expect the administrators are trying to find a buyer for, at least some of, the stores.

Sadly, Maplin is another example of the way we shop now. Fewer go into stores and more and more of us buy online at lower prices, often from the Far East with free postage.

As I have said many times, those that adapt have some chance, whereas those that do not adapt will fail. I suspect those that will survive have a good online store and a high street chain to allow browsing. John Lewis comes to mind.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-43223175 .

Amazon failure - NOT amateur radio

As part of my wife's Christmas presents I ordered a CD from Amazon on Nov 11th 2017. Despite many new dates it has still not arrived.

If this was a rare CD of Mongolian folk music I could understand this, but this is a very simple CD of common music. I am still struggling to understand why this should take so long.

In this time (nearly 4 months) this could have been handmade in China! At the very least "a human" (these seem in short supply) could have said they cannot get it, sorry. As it is, they are still trying to get it.

Maybe Christmas 2019?

OFCOM and short range devices

Today, OFCOM published a new document about short range devices.

I have no idea if this affects the access by amateurs to different parts of the radio spectrum, but I think not. OFCOM would have to think, and make decisions. Surely not possible!

Like many OFCOM documents it looks like it was written by a 1st year Law student who hides behind the law as he/she knows nothing about RF. If I am being grossly unfair, I am sorry, but that is how I read it.

See https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0023/111677/Implementing-the-Commission-Decision-on-Short-Range-Devices.pdf

Still snowing - NOT amateur radio

As I write, it is still snowing here. This is the heaviest snow we have had for several years. Definitely a day to stay at home and keep warm!

WRC-19 and amateur radio

The next World Radio Conference is next year (2019). At it, spectrum will be discussed. I have to admit that I have not been following preparations too closely, but I expect the amateur service will be way down the list of priorities. Much more important to the national administrations will be spectrum for satellite services and for 5G. Basically, if it generates money they will be interested. If not, it will play second fiddle.

For the amateur service what would I like to see?

• Extension of the 5MHz allocation made at WRC-15.
• A 4m band throughout region 1 (possibly elsewhere too).
• A 6m band everywhere 50-52MHz minimum (50-54MHz ideally).
• Clarification that spectrum below 8.3kHz can be used by anyone anywhere on a non-interference basis.
• Access to 40MHz and 60MHz for Es research. Even a very small allocation would be useful.

Now, probably most of these will not happen!

10m FT8 RX

At the moment, I am monitoring 28.074MHz FT8 RX. Realistically, I am not expecting great things, but I have been surprised in the past.

UPDATE 1025z: No spots as yet.

UPDATE 1347z: Just spots of G4CJC (73km) in north London so far.

UPDATE 1654z: SQ4OJD (1359km) spotted earlier this afternoon. So far the only no-G spotted.

UPDATE 1735z: Now CT1GFQ (1684km) being spotted.

UPDATE 1826z: ZP5FIA (10287km) in Paraguay copied. There is still DX on 10m.

630m WSPR RX overnight

In all, 17 unique stations spotted on 630m WSPR in the last day. Nothing outside of EU, but a couple of new countries for me in the form of 9A3KB (1290km) and HF7A (1294km).

Snow - NOT amateur radio

This is a photo of our grandson enjoying the snow on his birthday. It is still snowing now and this winter has been the coldest for several years.

Sunspots - Wednesday February 28th 2018

Solar flux is 69 and the sunspot number 15. A=19 and K=2.

More on WSJT-X V1.9.0

Southgate News has more information on the latest version of WSPR-X, free software available for download. The FT8 weak signal, narrowband, mode has really "taken off" and has amazed me. The software for this is in WSJT-X and is totally free. All you have to do is sit on a given USB dial frequency and watch the DX appear. QSOs are formulaic, but the mode allows low power to reach great distances. Yesterday for example my 2m 4W ERP was spotted in north Devon quite easily.

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2018/february/wsjt-x-version-1-9-0.htm#.WpXVPkx2vIU

Joining the dots - NOT amateur radio

This may be because I am getting older or an artefact following my 2013 stroke.

Sometimes I mishear things or simply misunderstand and my brain tries to make sense of it by subconsciously "joining up the dots". Sometimes I completely get the "wrong end of the stick". Today, I misunderstood my wife saying an old friend was coming tomorrow afternoon when in fact he was coming this morning. I guess this happens several times a week.

The moral is to make sure I heard correctly and don't interpret things incorrectly. At times my brain plays tricks.

Cambridge bikes - NOT amateur radio

When crossing roads in Cambridge you have to be careful: there are lots of bikes and often cycles are allowed to go down roads against the traffic flow. It is all too easy to walk into bikes. I have the dubious distinction of causing a cyclist to crash off his bike when I was a pedestrian buckling his front wheel. That was in 1971, but the nickname "crash" was still with me well into the 2000s! Cambridge is synonymous with bikes.

630m (472kHz) WSPR RX

If I can successfully download the latest version of WSPR-X (V1.9) I may give 472kHz WSPR a go this evening and overnight.

UPDATE 1422z: Well, it looks like WSJT-X V1.9 rc2 has successfully downloaded and installed. Currently, I am on 472kHz WSPR RX, but no spots yet.

UPDATE 2115z: 10 unique stations spotted so far this evening including 9A3KB (1290km) which is a new country for me on this band. Best DX so far is LA2XPA (1310km). The shack PC is on battery power.

UPDATE 2155z: The shack PC battery is charging until about 2300z. Thereafter, I shall be on 472kHz WSPR RX through the night with the shack PC on battery power. The PC usually stays working until about 0600z.

UPDATE 2310z: Everything is now set up for an overnight look on 472kHz WSPR. Yet again, I am hoping for some USA spots. Well, I can hope. After about 10 minutes, 5 uniques spotted.

2m FT8 RX

Yet again, I am monitoring 2m FT8 RX. I was on overnight. In the last 12 hours 15 unique stations in 4 countries with the best DX being DK0IZ (643km) north of Hamburg.

The map shows the stations spotted on 2m FT8 in the last day.

Sunspots - Tuesday February 27th 2018

Solar flux is 71 today and the sunspot number is 16. A=7 and K=2.

OFCOM announce bidders

Today, OFCOM announced the people who will be allowed to bid for 3.4GHz spectrum in their forthcoming auction.

See http://ofcom.cmail20.com/t/ViewEmail/i/FAF3B1CF960D46302540EF23F30FEDED/59D1BD3EA2F08127C67FD2F38AC4859C

New version of WSPR-X released (V1.9)

According to the Princeton site, a new improved version of WSPR-X has been made available. Better LF and MF WSPR decodes are supposed to be possible.

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

When I looked this was this was a release candidate, so there might still be some bugs?

Beast from the East - NOT amateur radio

Today, we had a few snow showers. During the week it is likely to get worse. I like the look of snow for the first day or so. After that it normally turns brown and slushy.

10m WSPR TX beacon

My 10m WSPR TX beacon (500mW) has been active all day, but as yet no spots.

UPDATE 1556z: Still no spots. I suspect this is going to be another day without WSPR spots.

UPDATE 2210z: The beacon went QRT at 2000z.

365project - NOT amateur radio

As many will know, both my wife and I do the 365project and take a photo each day. Most of these photos would not win prizes, but it is fun to look back on several years day by day. There is no connection with Microsoft Word365.

Battery technology

Although hard to admit, I am behind in battery technology. When I left commercial industry some 10 years ago, lithium polymer batteries were new.

What I do know is that electric cars still have insufficient range to allow "normal" people to be interested. Electric cars are still expensive and the ranges generally insufficient for a long journey, although probably fine for most domestic journeys such as shopping and local travel.  I note the "new" FT818 portable from Yaesu still talks about a NiMH battery pack.

There is no doubt that a breakthrough is needed still, especially for electric cars. Until the price of batteries comes down a long way, charging times are slashed and capacity dramatically increased, we are going to struggle.

Batteries need to improve on many fronts. I am sure technology has moved on, there is lots of research, but what is needed is a real breakthrough. I am pretty sure I have not missed this.

See https://www.ft.com/content/46adb98c-d8ef-11e7-9504-59efdb70e12f .

2m FT8 RX

Overnight I remained on 2m FT8 RX. Just this morning in the last few hours, I have spotted 7 unique stations in 4 countries. Best DX currently is F8COD (424km) east of Paris. Sync to internet time was checked about 50 minutes ago.

UPDATE 1215z: Currently 18 uniques in 5 countries spotted here in last 3 hours on 2m FT8 RX. Best DX is currently DF8JO (535km).

UPDATE 2152z: Earlier this evening I was briefly on 2m FT8 TX. I was copied in Devon by G4RRA (334km) as my best DX. Not bad for 2.5W and an omni antenna

Sunspots - Monday February 26th 2018

Solar flux is 69 and the sunspot number zero. A=4 and K=2.

Painted Pebbles

This was the painted pebble my granddaughter found this morning. It will be re-hidden. Finding these painted pebbles has become a craze, especially with youngsters.

Getting colder - NOT amateur radio

It is a bright and sunny day, but it is cold. This was the ice from the bird bath at noon.

2m FT8 RX

It is still good this morning. I am amazed by the stations I am spotting. It is loads and loads. Already today 20 unique stations spotted in 4 countries. Best DX is currently PD0HCV (420km).

UPDATE 1235z:  33 uniques in 6 countries so far today on 2m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1517z: 40 uniques in 6 countries in the last 12 hours. 12 uniques in 3 countries spotted in the last hour. 144.174MHz USB dial is the spot.

UPDATE 1830z: DF7DX (564km) is the  best DX currently on 2m FT8 RX.

At Chippenham Hall - NOT amateur radio

This could almost be a Greek vase, but we saw it last week at Chippenham Hall, near Cambridge. The grounds were filled with snowdrops.

Sunspots - Sunday February 25th 2018

Solar flux is 70 today. Sunspot number is still zero.  A=9 and K=1.

Cold snap - NOT amateur radio

OK, I know our friends in the USA and Canada will be having a laugh, but apparently we are in for a cold snap in the UK with a good chance of snow in the east. This is all due to a big high pressure system out east feeding Siberian cold winds in the direction of the UK.

We seem to get few really cold snaps these days with little snow. Although this winter has been colder than for a while, it is nothing like 1947 and 1963 when it was very cold and snowy for months.

There is little doubt that the climate is changing and generally things are getting warmer, even if we do get a cold spell now for a while.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43167583 .

Growing - NOT amateur radio

Our amaryllis from last winter continues to thrive.

This picture was taken a few minutes ago. Barring any disasters (like the grandchildren tipping it over) it should flower in the next few weeks.

And to think we nearly gave up on it!

Maplin

There are rumours going around that Maplin is in trouble. Over the years I have bought the odd things from their Cambridge store including coax.

These days you can buy many things directly from China at lower cost, often with free postage. In the last week I bought 3 lens caps for a camera from Hong Kong for a total price of £2.97 with free airmail postage. They fit perfectly and I cannot fault the service. A while back, I bought a 40m CW Pixie transceiver from China for less than the price of just the crystal here in the UK.

If Maplin goes it will be a sad day. However, the retail market is changing. If we don't use these shops they will close, like bookshops, Woolworths, BHS, banks and other stores. Those that adapt have some chance. Those that do not, or cannot, will fail.

472kHz

For the last few nights I have given this band a miss. I seem to spot the same stations again and again. Someone pointed me towards 2m FT8 and that is where I have been looking lately. There is no doubt I shall return to 136kHz and 472kHz, but I think I need to sort out a better antenna on these bands!

2m FT8 RX

Overnight, I stayed on 2m FT8 RX. Even in the last hour I have copied 13 unique stations in 6 countries with best DX DK2DTF (644km).

The map shows the stations copied on 2m FT8 RX in the last day.

UPDATE 1212z: 26 unique stations in the last 6 hours!

UPDATE 1325z: Now 30 uniques in last 6 hours..

UPDATE 2100z: Just checked clock is sync'd to internet time, so I can remain monitoring overnight on 2m FT8. Still spotting lots of stations.

Sunspots - Saturday February 24th 2018

Solar flux is 70 today and the sunspot number remains zero. I expect it will be zero, or close to zero, for years now until we start cycle 25.  A=16 and K=3.

FT818 MLS Price

The first indications of price are out. MLS says deliveries are expected April and their price £599.95.  From the specs provided by MLS it uses a NiMH battery pack, 6W RF (big deal), superhet RX and no mention of DSP or speech compression. Either MLS don't know much or these features are absent.

Are Yaesu getting desperate? Reading what is published, this a seriously unimpressive radio. I very much hope there is more - a lot more or this will bomb and Yaesu too.

There is so much riding on this and all Yaesu can do is provide a minor upgrade to a transceiver that is 18 years old? Yaesu, please get real! Look at your competitors!

Honestly, I am seriously under-whelmed.

See https://www.hamradio.co.uk/ .
See also: http://qrznow.com/yaesu-ft-818-6w-hfvhfuhf-all-mode-portable-transceiver/

Treat time - NOT amateur radio

Last week we treated our grandchildren to meals at our local farm shop. This is 2 of them enjoying a rather special drink.

Declining solar activity

We are heading downwards to the next solar minimum with plenty of spotless days ahead. What the next peak will bring is not clearly known, but don't hold your breath!

According to Southgate News we were grazed by a solar outburst which caused some unusual activity in the Earth's magnetic field.

See http://spaceweather.com/ .
See http://southgatearc.org/news/2018/february/unusual-oscillations-in-earths-magnetic-field.htm#.WpBGv0x2vIU .