Kings Lawn - NOT amateur radio

This probably has a real name, but it is the lawn separating Kings College from the River Cam in Cambridge, UK. In the summer, there are lots of tourists taking photos of punts or Kings College Chapel, but this is a cold January morning. Memories of John Betjeman's famous poem "Sunday Morning, King's Cambridge"

"...The white of windy Cambridge courts, the cobbles brown and dry,..."

Telling Lies? - NOT amateur radio

A Member of Parliament in the UK has been found guilty of telling lies over who was driving her car when it was caught speeding and both her brother and her have been imprisoned. I have no facts, so cannot comment on this specific case. However, it is wrong for any MP to tell lies to save his or her career.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-46596588

Homelessness - NOT amateur radio

One thing you notice in Cambridge is there are more homeless people on the streets than a few years ago.

Now, many of these people are on drugs and/or have a mental illness. Some beg as it is quite lucrative in a popular tourist destination like Cambridge. Whatever the reason, it should not happen in this day and age. In Helsinki, they have tackled the issue another way, with a lot of success.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-46891392

OFCOM Consultations

OFCOM is consulting on 700MHz and 3.2GHz spectrum.

See https://www.ofcom.org.uk/consultations-and-statements/category-1/award-700mhz-3.6-3.8ghz-spectrum

10m FT8 RX

In recent days 10m has not been good here.  As of a few minutes ago I went on 10m FT8 RX, although my hopes are not high! As yet, no spots, although I am not surprised. At least I am looking.

UPDATE 1200z: No 10m FT8 spots yet.

UPDATE 1315z: Just a couple of UK spots so far. I think these are either tropo or aircraft reflections.

UPDATE 1440z: Now 3 UK spots. No EU and no "real DX".

UPDATE 1542z: Now 4 UK spots on 10m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1834z: More by accident than design I am still on 10m FT8 RX. About an hour ago EA1JAZ (1197km) was spotted.

160m FT8 RX

A good night with 21 North Americans and 1 Caribbean station spotted overnight on 160m FT8 RX.  Best DX was V31YN (8346km) in Belize. This station was widely spotted, so I think is genuine.

160m FT8 RX spots here overnight

Sunspots - Thursday January 31st 2019

Solar flux is 75 and the sunspot number 15. A=2 and K=0.

Cambridge in the snow - NOT amateur radio

As the photo shows, there was a thin covering of snow in Cambridge earlier. This photo was taken at about 1000z today.

How to lose £39 billion? - NOT amateur radio

According to Michel Barnier, the EU will not re-negotiate the so-called "backstop". Me thinks this is brinkmanship as, on the face of it, the EU stands to lose out on £39 billion in funding, and lots of trade, if we leave without a deal. It is as much to the EUs benefit as the UKs to reach a deal.

As a "remainer" I can quite understand why so many voted to leave this "club".

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-47061650

Still on 160m FT8 RX

All day today, I remained on 160m FT8 RX. So far an Italian and a couple of Germans spotted this afternoon.

UPDATE 1625z: Now 8 stations spotted in 5 countries this afternoon on 160m FT8 RX.

Beautiful music - NOT amateur radio

On May 4th my wife is singing in Trinity College Chapel as part of the Cambridgeshire Choral Society. Among the pieces is a work by Faure - Cantique de Jean Racine. There is a sample linked below.

See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB_3rG7KZyU
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel_Fauré
See http://www.cambschoral.org.uk

160m FT8 RX overnight

Stations spotted here 

overnight on 160m FT8 RX

Quite a decent night on 160m FT8 overnight with 9 North Americans, 1 Caribbean and 1 South American who was widely copied, so I think is genuine. Best DX spotted was VP8EME (12773km).

Snow - NOT amateur radio

A thin coating of snow, but bright and sunny here.

Sunspots - Wednesday January 30th 2019

Solar flux is 75 and the SSN 15. A=2 and K=0.

Electric cars - NOT amateur radio

Let me start by saying I want to buy an electric car, however I think the technology is not quite there yet.

As with flat screen TVs and digital cameras, I am sure there will be a tipping point when most people will opt for electric and forget cars powered by fossil fuels. Personally, I think this will happen when realistic ranges exceed 300 miles and the price drops. At the moment, you have to be an early adopter or do mainly local driving. I guess if fast charging was very common and plentiful that would help. Although most of my journeys are short, the range today would require me to recharge once even to travel to north Norfolk and home again. This is just too stressful.

No, my view is this is a "not yet" technology. Maybe in 5-10 years?

160m FT8

After a dismal day on 10m FT8, I have now QSYed to 160m FT8. After a brief CQ Call (2.5W) in which I was spotted by M0NPT (124km), I am now RX only.

At the moment, the band is quiet, although I expect this will dramatically change in the next hour. As before, still using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. S57U (1294km) spotted on 160m.

UPDATE 1620z: It has started! RZ6LY (2943km) is currently the best DX with 6 stations spotted on 160m FT8 RX so far.

UPDATE 1725z: Now 47 stations spotted this evening on 160m FT8 RX, all over Europe.

 

Stations spotted on 160m FT8 RX 

so far this evening.

UPDATE 1850z:  Best DX so far this evening on 160m FT8 RX is RU8W (3643km).

Ice - NOT amateur radio

Although we had no signs here of a frost, there were frozen puddles at nearby Wicken village where we did a walk earlier.

10m FT8 RX

Although I have been on 10m FT8 for about an hour, no spots as yet.

UPDATE 1540z:  Still no 10m FT8 spots today. At the moment, today looks like a bad day on 10m. Time to QSY to 160m FT8.

160m FT8 overnight

Perhaps my internet was off overnight so some of my spots were not uploaded to PSKreporter?

Last night, just a couple of North Americans were spotted and these were before midnight. Initially, I had high hopes for the overnight period. Others may have been much luckier!

Sunspots - Tuesday January 29th 2019

Solar flux is 74 and the sunspot number 22. A=3 and K=0.

Sunspot minimum - when?

One forecast says we are just past the minimum. Another one says it will be 2022 before we start the climb! The indications are that we have already passed the minimum, but this could just be a blip. The truth is it is usually some time after the minimum that we can be sure.

See https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/solar-cycle-progression
See http://www.solen.info/solar/

QSYed to 160m FT8

About 10 minutes ago I QSYed to 160m FT8. Initially I called CQ (2.5W) to the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. No QSOs, but spots from 3 UK stations with G8BCG (394km) in IO70 being the best. On RX just a couple of Norwegians spotted so far. I expect this will change dramatically after dark.

UPDATE 1640z:  It is still bright here, but already 8 stations in 5 countries spotted on 160m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 2045z:  As on previous evenings, loads (271 so far this evening!) of EU stations spotted. It will be interesting to see if there are any North Americans spotted on 160m FT8 RX. It sounds like just before breakfast is the best time at this time of year. Best DX so far this evening on 160m FT8 RX is RU8W (3643km).

UPDATE 2046z: If you are lucky enough to have a very low noise floor on 160m (mine is S0 with the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground, there is no doubt that FT8 on 160m is very effective at the moment.

UPDATE 2242z: Now 360 stations spotted so far this evening on 160m FT8 RX.

BREXIT plan B - NOT amateur radio

It is by no means certain that Theresa May (UK Prime Minister) will get her "plan B" or any of the amendments approved in the UK parliament tomorrow night when these are voted upon. With regard to BREXIT, it is a case of "who blinks first" I think. The EU seems in no hurry, but risks lots of business and £39 billion.

I cannot for the life of me understand why agreeing a deal beneficial to both sides should be so hard. Surely it is in the best interests of the EU and the UK to forge a good deal. We are leaving, so let us go with good feelings on both sides.

The main issues are, as always, politicians with vested self interests.

Where's my lunch? - NOT amateur radio

This black headed gull was on next door's TV antenna earlier. You can almost see it thinking, "now where shall I go for lunch?". It has been a bright, very cold day here. We just got back from a winter walk.

10m FT8

As of a few minutes ago, I have QSYed to 10m FT8. Initially, I was calling CQ (2.5W). Now I am RX only.

UPDATE 1551z: No spots yet. Soon be time to QSY to 160m FT8.

472kHz WSPR TX - daytime

As a way of testing my new install of WSJT-X V2.0. I went on 472kHz WSPR TX with my 10mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. Although I have yet to spot anyone, I have now received several spots of my QRP with best DX being spots from G0MRF (139km).

I see that DK7FC has being having success with an indoor loop on that band using 10mW ERP, proving again that a big antenna is not a prerequisite for 472kHz TX.

UPDATE 1114z:  Doh! Guess who forgot to tick the "upload spots" button. G1GKN was spotted loads of times, but nothing appeared on WSPRnet, so I was getting suspicious. He is now being spotted on WSPRnet.

Daytime 472kHz WSPR

WSPR-X 2.0 issue?

By accident, I found out that WSPR-X 2.0 was saving 8GB of wav files (even though I had ticked the box to save nothing!). I deleted all these from the "save" directory, but now all my 160m spots overnight failed to upload. The internet connection to PSKreporter seems fine. I shall de-install and re-install later to see if this fixes things. I am pretty sure that only those wav files were removed.

Later it said I experienced a sub-process error code 2, whatever that is. I deleted WSJT-X V2.0 and re-installed. I went on 40m and still no uploads!

Panic over! With the new install I have to tick the box saying "enable PSKreporter spots" or whatever it says. I had forgotten to do this! I seem to be getting plenty of 40m FT8 spots now and they all appear on PSKreporter.

Sunspots - Monday January 28th 2019

Solar flux is 74 and the SSN 22. A=5 and K=0.

160m conditions are changing?

As I have said before, I am no 160m expert. Last night was the first time this winter when not a single North American was spotted on 160m FT8 RX. Just one South American spotted: HK3W (8507km). The impression I am getting is 160m conditions are changing.

10m FT8

After a brief CQ call (2.5W) I have been on 10m FT8 RX. As yet, no spots on 10m FT8 on  RX and TX.

UK Garden Birdwatch

Every winter for the last 40 years the RSPB (our national bird society) has organised a Garden Birdwatch. You simply sit watching the birds in your garden or park for any one hour and record the maximum number of each species seen in the hour at one time. This year I saw 9 species, but missed some quite common birds usually seen. As in earlier years, larger birds seem to dominate. We have plenty of starlings as these congregate on the nearby windmill. They do not roost there, but seem to use it as a stopping off point.

XBM80-2 in Dutch

Frank PA3CNO tells me my XBM80-2 appears in the Dutch "RAZzies" magazine for February. Frank asked my permission first - thank you Frank. As I speak no Dutch I cannot understand a word!

See https://www.pi4raz.nl/razzies/razzies201902.pdfs

Sunspots - Sunday January 27th 2019

Solar flux is 75 today and the sunspot number 26. A=7 and K=1.

160m FT8

For several hours now, I have been on 160m FT8 using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground.

On TX I ran 2.5W. Best DX on TX was a spot by LA2XPA (1281km) in western Norway. 5 further stations in 4 countries spotted me.

On 160m FT8 RX the best DX currently is RU8W (3643km).

Film "Roma" - NOT amateur radio

We just watched a film on Netfix called "Roma". It is a 2018 film in Spanish with English subtitles. It has won several awards at film festivals around the world. It is set in Mexico City in 1970/71 and is a "fly on the wall" film about a live-in house servant. Slow, but well worth seeing.

G3TFX

One of my old work colleagues moved to our village a few months ago. Here he is on his radio. We went to his house today as his XYL was celebrating her 70th birthday.

Windmill - NOT amateur radio

Before, I have mentioned that we live next door to a windmill that is about 200 years old. It was fully restored a few years ago thanks to a Heritage Lottery grant. When we have breakfast, we look at the windmill. The photo just shows our hedge. I guess the windmill is about 10m away.

10m FT8 RX

Most of the day I have been on 10m FT8 RX. As yet, no spots here, although I expect to be monitoring until dark.

UPDATE 1645z: Still no spots here.

Overnight on 472kHz WSPR

Overnight, I stopped on 472kHz WSPR using 10mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. I was on TX 20% of the time with the rest on TX.

In all 6 stations spotted  me with best DX a spot by PA0O (440km).

472kHz WSPR TX spots overnight

On RX, 12 stations spotted with best DX LA2XPA (1310km).

472kHz WSPR RX spots overnight

Sunspots - Saturday January 26th 2019

Solar flux is 76 and the SSN is 27. These are higher numbers than we have seen for a long time. A=13 and K=2.