7 May 2019

OFCOM - Communications Monthly Update - April 2019

OFCOM has produced its monthly update of this. See their website.

6 May 2019

First cuckoo heard - NOT amateur radio

At about 10am today UK time, I heard my first cuckoo this year up here. They have been around for a few weeks, but this was my first heard. This one was not too close. They quite like reed warbler nests.

6m FT8

Plenty of Es about early today. Already 20 stations spotted by 0830z with best DX spotted SP5AOZ (1398km).

Sunspots - Monday May 6th 2019

Solar flux is 75 today and the SSN 14. A=4 and K=1.

5 May 2019

G3WMS SK

Yesterday I mentioned my happy days at Liverpool University and how one mad keen radio society member had done great things and gained an MBE. That amateur was Ian Vance, G3WMS (wild man of Somerset). Sadly today I found his obituary:  he died over a year ago. At one time he was the boss of STL. RIP Ian.

10m WSPR TX (500mW)

At about 1130z, I QSYed to 10m WSPR TX. It usually takes about 20 minutes to settle. I am running 500mW, 100% TX, randomised frequencies.

UPDATE 1630z: No 10m WSPR spots so far today.

UPDATE 2025z: Just a single 10m WSPR spot all day!  This was by DK6UG (633km) at 1802z.

6m FT8 RX

At about 1130z I QSYed to 6m FT8 RX. So far, just G spots.

UPDATE 1552z: Some Es about with a couple of Italians spotted at lunchtime. 21 stations spotted so far today with the best DX on 6m FT8 RX IZ2CPO (1004km).

UPDATE 2027z: Quite some Es today on 6m FT8 RX with a total of 32 EU stations spotted.
Stations spotted here today on 6m FT8 RX

Choir

Last evening, my wife's choir was singing in the chapel of Trinity College, Cambridge, UK.

See www.cambschoral.org.uk

On 10m FT8 again

Later, I might try 6m FT8 and 10m WSPR (100% TX, 500mW), but for now I am on 10m FT8 RX. There are already 14 stations spotted with evidence of widespread Es propagation.

UPDATE 1121z:  So far, 23 stations spotted today on 10m FT8 RX. All EU stations, mostly Es.

Sunspots - Sunday May 5th 2019

Solar flux is 74 and the SSN 12.  A=10 and K=1.

4 May 2019

G3OUL

Many years ago I was a student at Liverpool University. At the radio club was a very keen amateur from Nailsea, near Bristol. He got a 2:2 degree, but went on the get an MBE and was a director of a very large UK company. In his career he was very successful. In my mind he had that rare gift: an instinctive "jizz" for RF design. In my experience very very few people have this. I am not in the least surprised he did well.

I realise I have not seen him in over 40 years. He might even be dead now. What I realise is how we age. He must be over 71 now, yet in my mind he is still that mad keen amateur back in the late 1960s.

Oscar 100 - still bags of space

This geosynchronous satellite has been operational for nearly 2 months. Using the Goonhilly SDR, I took another look at the narrowband transponder a few minutes ago. I know it takes time assemble suitable microwave gear, but I am still surprised by the low level of activity.

It is the weekend when I might have expected more activity, yet I only counted 8 stations at one time. An EA8 was calling CQ and getting no takers! A round trip of nearly 45000 miles is needed for the up and downlinks, but dishes are fixed and DX from South America to Thailand is available at any time without QSB, I remain surprised it is not really busy. Just a few watts seem to be enough.

TM1MOON (IN78) seems to be working quite a few stations from Brittany with 5W and a 70cm diameter dish.

Storms?

As usual, I get quite nervous when there are storms about, ever since a work colleague who lived in a very ordinary house, not too high, in the middle of a housing estate had his house hit doing huge damage. Whenever there are storms in the area, I disconnect rigs, PC, PSU and antennas "just in case". Consulting the thunder maps a short while ago suggested the storms were moving away, but I shall disconnect if there is any chance.

See https://www.lightningmaps.org/blitzortung/europe/index.php?bo_page=map&bo_showmap=uk&bo_period=2&lang=en

Rain! - NOT amateur radio

This afternoon we actually had some rain!

There was rain briefly yesterday and again today, but we have hardly had any rain at all this spring. The soil is very dry.

Although I hope for a decent warm summer, I hope it is not very hot and very dry as it was last year. What would be ideal is warm, dry days and plenty of rain after dark!

Miracle antennas

This was originally the idea of someone from Canada who is now a SK. For some years these were available commercially and I think they are still available from other sources as clones.

The idea was to simply attach to the rig and then match the short whip by rotating the knob. They always work much better with a decent earth or counterpoise. They can only work as well as a short whip: there is no magic. Having said that, I have worked Argentina from indoors on 10m with 5W SSB using just a Miracle Whip antenna on the back of an FT817 and a central heating ground.

On the higher HF bands, when used with a counterpoise or ground, they are only a few S points down on a dipole.  On QRP SSB they should be fine for some Es QSOs. They certainly are convenient. Years ago, when I still had my IC703 10W transceiver, I even worked an LA on 80m SSB indoors. With the internal ATU on the IC703 I managed to get a match on 80m!

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/antennas/mwhip

Annual concert - NOT amateur radio

Every year, my wife's choir performs a major choral work (or works) in a well known venue in the Cambridge area.

Tonight, at 7.30pm, they are in the wonderful chapel of Trinity College, Cambridge. This is a very central location and tickets can be bought at the door. It should be a very enjoyable evening.

If you are in the area, you may want to come along.

See www.cambschoral.org.uk

10m FT8

Although I remained on 10m FT8 RX overnight (laziness, not intent!), no spots today yet.

UPDATE 1442z: 23 stations in 7 countries spotted so far today on 10m FT8 RX. Yesterday was very good on 10m FT8 RX with 276 stations spotted including 22 South Americans. At the moment today does not appear so good. Best DX so far today is IZ8VYU (1604km). The Es today seems much more limited.
Station spotted here yesterday on 10m FT8 RX
UPDATE 2200z: Yet again, South Americans were coming through on 10m FT8 today. In all 33 stations were copied, far fewer than yesterday.

Sunspots - Saturday May 4th 2019

Solar flux is 68 and the sunspot number zero. A=12 and K=0.

3 May 2019

Ely - NOT amateur radio

This lunchtime we were treated to a meal at the Almonry in Ely next to the cathedral. The Almonry dates from the 1300s. The cathedral is known as "the ship of the fens".

10m FT8

At the moment, I am on 10m FT8 RX. Es is already in evidence, with spots of 3 southern European stations already and it is only now 0920z.

UPDATE 2130z:  A very good day with hundreds of EUs plus several (22) South Americans.

Sunspots - Friday May 3rd 2019

Solar flux today is 69 and the SSN 0. A=13 and K=2.

2 May 2019

/MM via Oscar 100

HS10KING/MM on 10.489.768.600 now. Just heard him working a Dutch station. Now working a UK station.

Carbon capture? - NOT amateur radio

There is no doubt that our burning of fossil fuels will change in the next 30 years. I expect the use of fossil fuels in vehicles will go down as electric cars get better and cheaper. However, we are still likely to burn fossil fuels, so carbon capture technology is important to reduce nett carbon emissions. There may be some progress.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-47638586 .

OFCOM update

Apparently OFCOM has updated its Connected Nations  report.

Rallies

Sunday 5 MAY : THORPE CAMP HAMFEST

Open for traders who camp over to set up from 29th April. More information in the events page of thorpecamp.org or Sylvia or Ant on 0795 665 4481.


6 MAY 2019 (New Venue) : 35th DARTMOOR RADIO CLUB RALLY


The Butchers Hall, Pannier Market, Tavistock. Entrance to the rally will be from the square and doors open at 10am. Admission is £2. There will be traders, a Bring & Buy and an RSGB bookstall. Refreshments will be available. Contact Roger, 2E0RPH on 07854 088 882, or by email to 2e0rph@gmail.com.

A list of rallies can be found at http://rsgb.org/main/news/rallies/.


Before you ask, I have no idea where Thorpe Camp is. I shall have to click the link to find out. Well, I clicked the link - it is in Lincolnshire. Now you know!

Latest solar predictions


As you can see, this site is still predicting the minimum has been passed. If you access the blog via https you may not be able to see the image. In which case try here

Once we are definitely over the minimum the climb up the slope is quite rapid.

Our windmill - NOT amateur radio

Many times I have said we overlook a windmill. This was a photo taken yesterday "up the close" with buttercups in the foreground.

End of season on 472kHz?

Yet again, I was on 472kHz WSPR last evening and overnight. In all, 3 stations spotted me. I definitely get the feeling that many are leaving the band until the autumn. Last night fewer stations were copied than for many months. DX wise, I was still copying I and EA.

The table shows the 472kHz WSPR activity here last evening and overnight.
472kHz WSPR here overnight

10m FT8

Although I have been on 10m FT8 since before breakfast, calling CQ initially (2.5W), no spots at all yet.

UPDATE 0900z: Just PA3BGQ (272km) spotted so far. This could be tropo or aircraft.

UPDATE 1037z: Now 4 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX with best DX DJ1AA (660km).

UPDATE 1230z: Now 7 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX with best DX LZ2II (2093km).

UPDATE 1740z: Now 72 EU stations spotted today on 10m FT8 RX. Presumably Es. No "real DX" here as yet on 10m today. I was half hoping we'd see some Es linking with F2 further south, meaning we might get some South American DX on 10m FT8 RX.

Sunspots - Thursday May 2nd 2019

Still the pits!  Solar flux is 67 and the sunspot number zero. A=10 and K=4.

1 May 2019

472kHz WSPR

At about 1930z I decided to go on 472kHz WSPR (10mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground). I am on TX for 20% and on RX the other 80%. At the moment best RX DX is EA4 and DL. On TX just M0TAZ (99km) spotting me.

Es blog

A friend Richard G3TFX has just sent me this link. Jim Bacon G3YLA was a well known BBC weather forecaster. He has a keen interest in sporadic E (Es) propagation. He is a well known radio amateur. 

You need to chose the date you want.

See http://www.propquest.co.uk/blog.php?date=2019-05-01

Electric cars, not yet? - NOT amateur radio

As a low power radio enthusiast (they call us QRPers), I want to buy an electric car, but still feel it is a technology that is not quite there. I feel sure there will be a tipping point when prices fall and ranges are much better. This point is still some years away, unless there is a really significant breakthrough in battery technology. At the moment electric cars are expensive and ranges are not good enough. Give it 5-10 years and things could be much different.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_electric_cars_currently_available

Burwell museum and windmill - NOT amateur radio

Please be aware that Waitrose (Newmarket) is making our local Burwell Museum one of its community projects for May. If you shop at Waitrose (Newmarket) you may want to support your local museum by putting your green tokens in the museum "pot".

Easter profits - NOT amateur radio

Even though Easter was very late this year, it has now gone. One of our leading UK supermarkets, John Lewis, was selling Easter goods soon after Christmas. This is pure commercialism and sick.

In my view, Christmas goods should not be displayed or sold before December and Easter goods no sooner than 1 month before Easter. Baa humbug :-( 

10m FT8

After a brief (2.5W) CQ call at 0825z (I was not spotted), I am now RX only on 10m FT8. As yet, no spots. It is very early, so unless there was strong Es, I might only expect near Europeans and Gs by tropo or aircraft reflection.

UPDATE 1250z: Just three G spots so far today on 10m FT8 RX. Poor.

UPDATE 1530z: Today really has been the pits! Just 4 G spots all day on 10m FT8 RX. I shall stay on until dark, just in case there is a late opening.

UPDATE 1855z: Some Es from Southern Europe around teatime.

Solar predictions

As yet, my favourite site for solar details has not yet been updated for April. This usually happens early in the new month. It will be interesting to see the forecasts for solar minimum and cycle 25 maximum dates. At odds with some other forecasts, this site was predicting we had already passed the solar minimum.

See http://www.solen.info/solar/

UPDATE 1248z: It has now been updated and still shows that we have passed the solar minimum.

160m FT8 RX overnight

Last night I was on 160m FT8 RX. As well as loads of EU stations, 1 North American was spotted. Conditions seem less good than a few months ago on 160m, but I am no expert.
160m FT8 RX overnight on the 
earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground

Beyond meat - NOT amateur radio

I am a meat eater, but I could quite happily be a vegetarian and never eat meat again. An American company called Beyond Meat is about to float and the shares are in high demand. If the world it to feed itself in years to come we may have to eat far more non meat foods.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-48110704 .

Sunspots - Wednesday May 1st 2019

May already! It hardly seems possible.

Solar flux is 67 and the SSN zero. A=5 and K=2.