Hilary Mantel - NOT amateur radio

The concluding part to this trilogy of historical novels was on sale at Heffers in Cambridge yesterday.

20m FT8 with the tiny indoor loop

Just before breakfast I decided to go on 20m FT8. Lots of RX spots and 1 spot on TX (10W) by YO9BXE (2005km). As I noticed I was co-channel with a station who probably did not know I was there, I have QSYed about 200Hz LF.

UPDATE 1012z : 11 spots on TX so far today.

UPDATE 1212z: Now 36 spots received of my 10W with 5 in the USA. On 20m FT8 RX 106 stations spotted so far today.

UPDATE 1650z:  50 stations, including 9 in the USA, have spotted my 10W to the tiny indoor loop today on 20m FT8 TX.

UPDATE 1710z: The map shows the stations spotting my 10W 20m FT8 to 1710z today. I am still totally amazed how well this tiny loop works! On 20m FT8 RX 265 stations spotted so far.

Corona virus, what next? - NOT amateur radio

Here in the UK, we are waiting.

Most of us expect some sort of lock down, but we are not sure what and when. The economic impact of all this is sure to be severe, even if things return to normal within a few months.

Travel firms and the hospitality industry will be most badly impacted. Would you want to be on a cruise now?

The UK budget is later today and the Bank of England has already slashed inter rates.

Sunspots - Wednesday March 11th 2020

Solar flux is 71 and the sunspot number 0. A=4 and K=1.

2m FT8

After giving up on the 70cm UKAC contest, I QSYed to 2m FT8.

So far this evening 14 stations in 4 countries have spotted my 10W to the big-wheel omni antenna on 2m FT8.

On 2m FT8 RX nothing yet spotted this evening. I am definitely getting the impression FT8 is less popular than it was. What I think is happening is stations have receivers monitoring 2m FT8, but fewer people are transmitting now.

UPDATE 2130z: Still absolutely nothing spotted on 2m FT8 RX this evening.

UPDATE 2304z: For the first time I can ever remember I spotted not a single station on 2m FT8 RX. There was a kind of pulse noise and I am wondering if this was partly to blame? Now QRT.

70cm activity contest

At 2000z for up to 2.5 hours is the 70cm UKAC activity contest. I usually stop on for 30-60 mins using my 2m big-wheel omni antenna and 5-10W SSB. Sadly my voice cannot take more than an hour these days. Unlike many contests, this is a very friendly affair. People are patient and kind.

UPDATE 2042z: After about 30 minutes I gave up. 2 fairly local stations worked and a couple of PA0 stations spotted.

20m FT8

At the moment I am on 20m FT8 using the tiny indoor loop on the windowsill indoors. So far, 3 TX spots (10W) and 4 RX spots. Later, when out, I may go RX only until I get back in.

UPDATE 1630z: After returning home at 1550z I went on 20m FT8 TX again (10W). So far today, 22 spots of me with the best DX report being by WW1WW (3255 miles). On 20m FT8 RX 287 stations spotted so far with best spotted being JF8QNF (8819km).

UPDATE 1903z: Still being spotted in the USA on 20m FT8 TX (10W).

High sensitivity crystal set

The ARRL website still has a public link to an old QST article on using a MOSFET as a high sensitivity crystal set. I have not duplicated this design, but should try it on HF. There is lots about crystal sets on my website.

See http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Technology/tis/info/pdf/culter.pdf
See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/crystalset

Black humour? - NOT amateur radio

This was posted on Facebook earlier. It made me smile although for those stuck on cruise ships it is anything but funny: it must be a nightmare.

We all hope that this virus will run its course, burn out and that a vaccine is made available as soon as possible.

South Orkney DXpedition

Southgate News reports that the DXpedition VP8PJ to Signy Island has set off.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/march/south-orkney-dxpedition.htm#.XmdY4Y6TK00

Returning sunspots

Over the last few days we have seen some new sunspots. These may indicate cycle 25 gathering momentum. We are seeing the more active regions swinging into view, but let us all hope we see more over the months to come. When the far side swings into view, it will be interesting to see if we get new sunspots.

More signs of spring - NOT amateur radio

Gradually the soil is warming and there are signs of new life.

Spring springing - NOT amateur radio

The photo shows the spring flowers at the weekend at nearby Anglesey Abbey.

In April the fields will be yellow with rape seed oil. Some hate this, but I actually like it. Until recent years it was far less common in the UK.

Sunspots - Tuesday March 10th 2020

Solar flux is 71 and the SSN 12. A=5 and K=1.

DXpeditions

Southgate News has a piece on some future DXpeditions to Sable Island (off Canada) and Willis Island (off Australia).

See Southgatearc.org/news/2020/march/willis-island-dxpedition-news.htm#.XmZphY6TK00

mcHF transceiver

Some years ago the mcHF transceiver kit was launched by M0NKA. Since then it has been "cloned" and has been sold as the RS918. Whilst I think the design credit should go to M0NKA, I have some sympathy for those who did not want to buy the kit or were unable to build one.

This video is of the cloned radio. For the price it is good value. It is still sold. The original mcHF is also sold in the USA only as an assembled unit.

IC-705 video

There still seems to be a lot of rumour, but few facts, about the release of this new QRP radio from ICOM.  Many expect it to be on sale at Dayton in May, although I expect it will be released in Japan first. As for UK and EU release dates, I have no idea, although late 2020 is my guess. They have to obtain CE approval first. In the meantime, this video, which I think has been on before, might whet your appetite.

Orchids - NOT amateur radio

My wife seems to have a way with orchids! One on our windowsill has flowered since 2012!

20m FT8

About 20 minutes ago I went on 20m FT8 with the tiny indoor loop on the windowsill. Although plenty of RX spots (30 including Japan), nothing yet on TX. The power was only 6W and I may have landed on a frequency that has a strong carrier I could not see here. I have since increased the power a bit and QSYed about 200Hz HF to see if that does the trick.

UPDATE 1140z: Moving HF did the trick as I now have 16 spots on 20m FT8 TX.

UPDATE 1530z: Now 25 stations have spotted me. 

Amazing!

UPDATE 2133z: In total, 73 spots of my 10W to the tiny indoor loop. The map shows the stations spotting me on 20m FT8 today. Quite amazing.

Conspiracy theories - NOT amateur radio

This latest coronavirus seems to be something that naturally occurred and has worldwide impact but....

Have you thought that a hostile state could use biological warfare against its enemies?

Just imagine if research led to a bacterium or virus that was deadly to certain ethnic groups? A nation could cause an outbreak that could be hard to stop in certain peoples. This could be hard to target (for example there are lots of Chinese people in the USA and Australia).

Just like cyber warfare, such things could be very hard to prove, but could be very damaging.

All I am saying is the world is a very different place from 50 years ago.

Anemone blanda - NOT amateur radio

My wife took this photo yesterday. It shows an anemone blanda at nearby Anglesey Abbey.

Sunspots - Monday March 9th 2020 - sunspots back!

Solar flux is 70 and the SSN 13. A=5 and K=2.

Earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground repair

Assuming it remains dry, I intend to fully replace the wire. A few weeks ago it broke and I suspect there may be breaks elsewhere. The wire has been there for over 6 years, so now is a good time to replace it. Some of the wire from the far ground runs just above the ground along the garden fence.

At the old QTH bringing this wire back to the house on the ground and using another ground close to the house (rather than the mains earth) seemed to make little difference at 472kHz. I think most radiation is from the loop formed in the ground. These findings seem to back this up.

UPDATE 1525z: As it has been raining I may have to wait until later this week.

20m FT8

A few minutes ago I went on 20m FT8 with the tiny indoor loop antenna. Already I have been spotted in Finland. On 20m FT8 RX 3 stations spotted so far today.

Although FT8 is still popular, I get the feeling this mode is going "off the boil" a bit.

UPDATE 1232z: I cannot believe how well this set-up works! Already 8 stations have spotted me with the best report of my 10W to the tiny indoor loop being K7BV (3897 miles). 27 stations in 3 continents spotted so far today.

UPDATE 1458z: So far today 22 spots of my 10W FT8 to the tiny indoor loop As there was a strong signal on my frequency I have QSYed HF about 100Hz. On RX 98 stations spotted so far today on 20m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1842z : 31 spots of my 10W today and 205 stations spotted.

Iris - NOT amateur radio

We went for a nice walk at nearby Anglesey Abbey in the spring sunshine. Most snowdrops have now past their best but the daffodils are looking great. This iris was on the winter walk.

Amateur TV streaming

The BATC streams quite a few ATV repeaters and other stuff. Although I have never got into ATV, it is worth a peek no and again. Ideally, it appears Flash is needed to view some streams. The photo shows the stream from GB3NV, the Norwich TV repeater.

See https://batc.org.uk/live/

Worldwide TV - NOT amateur radio

One of the external links on my website is to a place linking to TV stations around the world. Some definitely work. Watching TV from overseas can be educational.

See https://broadcast-live.com/television/englishusa.html

Sunspots - Sunday March 8th 2020

Solar flux is 70 and the SSN 0. A=5 and K=2 .

2m FT8

A few moments ago I decided to go on 2m FT8. On RX just 1 spot so far, but 12 spots of my 10W in 2 countries. Still using the big-wheel omni antenna.

The impression I am getting is that FT8 is getting fewer people now than a year ago.

UPDATE  1710z:  Still just the 1 spot on 2m FT8 RX and 12 spots of my 10W FT8 TX. No QSOs.

UPDATE  1715z: I was wondering what effect the of the Fly-Be (a mainly inter UK airline) collapse has had on aircraft scatter?  I think not much as I am still being widely spotted. I suspect there are just fewer active TX stations.

UPDATE 1801z:  Just one QSO with F5APQ (180km). Possibly stations are getting picky: if they have worked them before why bother? 17 spots of my 10W so far today. Best DX is yet again Cornwall G7RAU (461km), but another good report from GD3YEO (384km).

UPDATE 2011z: 21 stations spotted me this evening, but 3 QSOs in 3 countries. Only 6 stations spotted here this evening.

Stations spotting my
10W 2m FT8 TX today

UPDATE 2240z: 22 stations spotting me with 4 QSOs today. Soon it will be time to go QRT. Funny how 2m FT8 looks so different from 2m SSB with the same power. I seem to be able to be spotted and worked at ranges twice that of SSB at any time. If some QSOs are aircraft scatter, there must be lots of aircraft at lots of times. I am wondering if these long paths are some sort of scatter mode in which polarisation is less important and in which aircraft are not involved? As these paths seem to work at any time, I cannot believe the aircraft scatter theory.

Oscar 100 update

Every now and then I update the activity level on the narrow-band transponder on this geosynchronous satellite. It is a few weeks since I last did this. My very non-scientific survey suggests that activity levels are very similar to a few weeks ago.

See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/

World Book Day - NOT amateur radio

For World Book Day, one of our granddaughters dressed up as Ruby from "Anne of Green Gables", a book she is mad on!

The photo shows her about to go to school.

Cambridge Round Church - NOT amateur radio

There are very few round churches in the UK. Cambridge has one of them. These days it is a brass rubbing centre.

Years ago I used to go there, but that was a very long time ago!

Yaesu answer to the IC-705?

The pattern of recent years has been for ICOM to launch a new product and Yaesu to play catch up.

With this in mind we can expect Yaesu to launch a new transceiver at Dayton this spring to compete with the IC-705. Many were very disappointed with the FT818.

Unless they come out with a killer radio people will buy the ICOM IC-705 instead.

Goldfinch - NOT amateur radio

One of my Facebook memories from many years ago was of this goldfinch that stunned itself by crashing into a window at our old house.

After a few minutes it flew off!

472kHz transverter repairs

Just after tea last night I replaced the PA in my transverter.  It was damaged when my loop was broken a few weeks ago in the gales. Soldering is much harder these days.

Although it is replaced, the antenna current is still low, so more investigation is needed.

UPDATE 0910z:  I tried the earth-electrode "antenna" on a different rig on 160m and was still getting a high SWR. This suggests something is wrong outside still. More investigations needed!

UPDATE 1725z: A visual test indicated nothing untoward. Possibly tomorrow I may replace the wire in case there is something not visible that is wrong. I measured the DC resistance and this was higher than I was expecting, but not exceptionally high.

Peregrine falcons - NOT amateur radio

On the steeple of Norwich Cathedral is a nestbox for peregrine falcons. We were there on Thursday, but saw nothing of the peregrines.

The photo shows my brother's wife with me looking up at the steeple.

See https://hawkandowltrust.org/web-cam-live/norwich-cathedral-side

Sunspots - Saturday March 7th 2020

Solar flux is 70 and the SSN 0. A=4 and K=2.

Space weather

Southgate News has a piece on the space weather forecast  by expert Dr Tamitha Skov.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/space-weather/index.htm#.XmKtf46TK00

Oil price way down - NOT amateur radio

At 1230z today oil prices have dropped over 4%. This is a sure sign of low demand. The FTSI100 stock index has fallen about 1000 points. One UK airline has gone into administration.

UPDATE 1546z: It is now down 6.58%. Recession here we come....

UPDATE 1638z: Now down 8.96%.

UPDATE 2000z:  Oil ended the day 9.1% down.

UPDATE 2102z:  Oil prices are still falling. At the moment things are still bad.

Risk averse? - NOT amateur radio

Having just cancelled a 2 week holiday in Corfu, I am wondering if I am becoming more risk averse as result of my 2013 stroke or old age?   My basic concern was corona virus.

The thought of having to spend 2 weeks self-isolating abroad or in a Greek hospital filled me with dread.  In all, we would have to spend about 5 hours in planes and 4 hours in airports, plus the 2 weeks in the hotel. I decided that it would be better to self-isolate at home or, if required, be treated in a UK hospital. 

My wife is upset (as am I), but we can always have a 2 week holiday another year.