Covid-19 videos

In these strange days it can be hard to see reliable data. I was recommended the videos of John Campbell. These are updated most days.

 

OFCOM Communications Market Report

OFCOM  has just published this. See the OFCOM website for more.

2m FT8 (1W to the big-wheel omni)

 At about 0835z I decided to go on 2m FT8 with 1W from the FT817ND. Already (0843z) spotted by 5 Gs.

UPDATE 1530z:  36 stations in 6 countries spotted and I have been spotted by 9 stations so far.

UPDATE 2115z : QRT. 

In Norwich - NOT amateur radio

The photo shows my wife and I on a recent trip to Norwich. 

Sunspots - Wednesday September 30th 2020

 Solar flux is 73 and the SSN 0. A=16 and K=4.

MLS trade-in

As many know, I am a dedicated QRPer. Apart from the price, the ICOM IC-705 as a 5/10W radio appeals. It supports GPS, D-star and WiFi. It can be used for FT8 which is one of my main modes since my voice deteriorated after my stroke.  Results today on 2m FT8 with an omni antenna and 1W confirm that QRP is usually fine.

I asked MLS (a major UK dealer from whom I bought the FT991A a little over a year ago) if they were interested in a trade-in for the IC-705. They have offered me a good trade-in price ,which I am considering. In these difficult times it pays to think which dealers will survive and which may not. 

New replacement for WSPR coming?

Joe Taylor has released a release candidate for WSJT-X that has new modes to replace WSPR. One is a QSO mode and one a beaconing mode. I am not sure when these will be formally released.

See https://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/K1JT/wsjtx.html for more details. My thanks to Bob G3WKW who alerted me.

2m FT8

For a change I am on 2m FT8 with 1W from the FT817 to the big-wheel omni antenna. At the moment after about 15 minutes (it is now 1047z) 5 stations have spotted me with the best G4MSA (222km) and on 2m FT8 RX the best DX spotted is DO1KRT (522km). 5 stations in 3 countries spotted so far.

UPDATE 1122z:  Now best DX with 1W TX is GW8ASD (242km). See photo.

UPDATE 1636z:  31 stations in 5 countries spotted on 2m FT8 RX. 12 stations in 2 countries have spotted me so far today on 2m FT8 TX (1W).

OFCOM plans

 OFCOM  has updated its plan of work. See its website for details. I bet you can't wait.

Pye days - NOT amateur radio

In 2008 I retired after about 40 years in the Philips empire. When I started it was still Pye Telecom. The photo shows some of our products. I worked on the design of several. 

Old graffiti - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday we were in Norwich Cathedral. On the walls of this fine Norman cathedral is some graffiti that is very very old as the photo shows. 

Sunspots - Tuesday September 29th 2020

Solar flux is 74 and the SSN 0. A=33 and K=3. Wednesday could see G2 solar storms.

Thurlestone Devon - NOT amateur radio

The photo shows one of the beaches at Thurlestone, Devon. This  is where my ancestors lived at least 500 years ago. In the distance is an iron age hill fort at Bolt Tail. It is entirely possible that one of my ancestors manned this thousands of years ago. Quite humbling. It is still very beautiful.

Valve QRP

Some years ago a friend of mine, Andrew G6ALB, built a QRP TX with Russian miniature valves as shown in the photo. The first CQ call resulted in a Stateside QSO. from memory the power was less than 1W.

Sunspots - Monday September 28th 2020

 Solar flux is 74 and the SSN 0. A=24 and K=5.

More eHam IC-705 reviews

The last time I looked there were 2 eHam reviews of the ICOM IC-705 transceiver. Last week there were none. As more people outside of Japan get them, we can expect quite a few more.

See https://www.eham.net/reviews/view-product?id=14776

There is more news of this transceiver on: https://www.fbnews.jp/

Views - NOT amateur radio

My brother plays golf at Thurlestone, Devon. The photo shows the view from the 12th hole. 

The weather was better there than here!

How simple can you go and communicate?

Some years ago I wanted to see how few parts are needed to make a viable transceiver that really worked. The result was the FETer transceiver for 80m. This appeared in GQRP "SPRAT" magazine and copies were made. G3XIZ worked as far as Switzerland with his!

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/feter-80m-qrpp-cw-transceiver

Modern life - NOT amateur radio

 

We have an old friend staying with us this week. The photo shows him relaxing with his paper and phone this morning. It has been dull and wet here most of the day.

Sunshine in the west - NOT amateur radio

My brother seems to have had better weather than us this weekend. 

Here it is cold, dull, windy and wet. 

There, it seems far sunnier. This photo shows him on the beach with 3 of his grandchildren.

6m FT8 today

For a short while I have been on 6m FT8 with 10W and the V2000 vertical omni. I have had spots from a couple of G stations and I have spotted 1 G.

UPDATE 1641z:  13 spots of me today. 6 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1915z:  QRT.

Yesterday on 6m FT8

Yet again we saw the benefits of FT8 on 6m. Whilst getting on with other things I was on 6m FT8. There was some Es around that would have been missed by casual listening. Some argue that FT8 is not "real radio" and  it has resulted in less chatting. I agree that many prefer FT8 these days, but it's been a godsend to me with my poor voice and does enable very modest stations to hear and work DX. 

Sunspots - Sunday September 27th 2020

 Solar flux is 73 and the SSN 0. A=20 and K=4.

Vegetables NOT amateur radio

Yesterday my wife went to a farm growing organic vegetables. It is run by people with learning difficulties. 

6m FT8 (10W to the V2000 vertical omni antenna)

As Friday was quite successful, I am again on 6m FT8.  I was even spotted in North Africa!  No spots yet at 0754z. 

At the moment I am not even getting spots from Gs, although it is early on Saturday.

UPDATE 0930z:  3 spots received on TX and 3 on RX. So far, all Gs.

UPDATE 1435z: 22 stations have spotted me today so far. Some of them seem like Es. 

UPDATE 2152z: QRT. 

Logbook of the World (LOTW)

One of my winter projects should be to find out how to use LOTW.  I see Southgate News has a link to a guide. I must read it! Although I use eQSL, I am way behind, so need to update things. 

LOTW seems the way to go in future. I may transfer some of my old QSOs when I join. I can't do them all as this could take days and days!

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/september/lotw-user-guide.htm#.X27tsd7Yq00

Sunspots - Saturday September 26th 2020

Solar flux is 73 and the SSN 11. A=20 and K=4.

2m FT8

At about 1900z I QSYed to 2m FT8. Already a QSO with a station in Brittany and my 10W to the big-wheel omni spotted by 15 stations in 4 countries.

UPDATE 2117z:  26 stations in 5 countries have spotted me so far, as well as several QSOs on 2m FT8.

Solar farm - NOT amateur radio

A UK company wants to build a large solar farm with back-up batteries around villages in the area. I have replied to their questionnaire on line. If eventually approved building will start in 2022 and the farm will be operational in 2025. 

Although I have few concerns overall, I have raised the issue of RF pollution if they design and fit power converters "on the cheap". This unlikely to affect me, but could make life tough for those trying to detect weak signals nearer these sites.

That wind - NOT amateur radio

Today has been very windy in East Anglia. A local friend took this picture from a bus that was delayed 45 minutes because of a fallen tree across the road.  He had to direct the driver on an alternative route.

Our tree - NOT amateur radio

For several years now we have watched a nearby tree though the seasons. It is starting to turn autumnal. In a few weeks most leaves will have gone until the spring.

Another Zoom meeting

The Cambridge radio club (CDARC) is holding another Zoom talk tonight at 8pm. This is a talk about noise cancelling by ex RSGB president Bob Whelan G3PJT. Details are on the CDARC website. Zoom meetings suit me well. Last time we had a very large number of people.

Autumn cyclamen - NOT amateur radio

We saw these yesterday on our walk at Anglesey Abbey.

IC-705 in the UK

From reports I am seeing, it looks as if UK customers are getting IC-705 transceivers from UK dealers at last.  Most seem pleased. The first review has appeared on eHam.

See https://www.eham.net/reviews/view-product?id=14776

6m FT8

 At about 0800z, I turned on my 10W 6m FT8 to the V2000 vertical. So far, just 1 G spot of me - G0PQO (50km) and nothing on RX.

UPDATE 1105z:  9 stations have spotted me so far with the best being EI2FG (565km) in southern Eire. This could be aircraft scatter. 3 stations (all G) spotted on RX.

UPDATE 1550z:  Now 16 spots of me with the best DX spot being by CN8LI in Morocco (2114km). 

UPDATE 1800z:  20 stations spotted my 10W today. Several were probably Es.

Old workshop

I came across this photo of my old workshop at the back of the garage at the old QTH. Although I have a workbench in my current shack, my health precludes much building. 

Sunspots - Friday September 25th th 2020

Solar flux is 74 and the SSN 0 again. A=19 and K=4.

Wireless charging and noise

 It occurs to me that the HF noise issue is going to get far worse.

At the moment I am lucky having a fairly low noise floor, but more people will, rightly, be getting cars that don't depend on fossil fuels. Wireless charging of these could raise local noise levels still further. There is a danger that HF bands and down could become unusable with weak signals. Narrow-band modes could be better. In the future there could be a big market for noise cancellers to help reduce noise from certain sources. Noise nullers usually work with one noise source and not white noise.

Oscar 100 activity (or lack of it)

As regular blog readers may know, I take a very unscientific peek at the Goonhilly web SDR to judge activity on the narrowband transponder of this geosynchronous satellite. Activity levels remain low with plenty of space for new users. When I looked just now, there were only 2 QSOs going on! OK, some are at work, especially in Europe, but in many places people are not.

See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/

Get together - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday my wife had a few friends around (socially distanced!) to help celebrate a couple of birthdays. Here they are by the windmill next door to us.