At about 1656z I QSYed to 2m FT8 using 2.5W to the big-wheel omni antenna. I was on 10m earlier. Just a spot by G0OFC (81km) so far and nothing yet on RX. As usual I can use the grabber at G0LRD to check on my signal. See http://82.71.9.63:8080/cap/ .
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| Stations spotting my 2m FT8 QRP this evening |
This autumn has been strange. With luck we should see a Covid-19 vaccine widely available and the health implications of our pandemic crisis should be largely behind us. It will take years for the economies of the world to re-adjust, but they will.
On the amateur radio front, we should be climbing up sunspot cycle 25 and North Americans should be reliably coming through on 10m. In the last peak there were VE and W stations on 10m AM coming though just above 29MHz. I even copied some well on a super-regen RX mobile! If the solar predictions are to be believed, the next solar cycle will be much like the last. Compared with the 1950s, this was a poor affair, but 10m was once again a good DX band.
This has been a strange year because of the Covid-19 pandemic. For open, clear and good summaries of the pandemic I turn to the videos produced by Dr John Campbell. These were recommended to me by a doctor many months ago.
UPDATE 1121z: 2 spots of me on TX with the best -7dB S/N by SV1AVD (2410km). With this tiny poorer loop (see photo), I find this incredible. 22 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX with the furthermost being UA4IU (3290km).
Steve G1KQH has informed me about a new Yaesu radio that will be sold by Martin Lynch. At the moment they will be taking deposits. It is called the FTDX10 and will be an SDR transceiver covering HF, 6m and 4m with 100W. Check the Martin Lynch website for more details.
Don't ask me why, but I keep a watch on the currency markets on the BBC website. At the moment, the UK pound is maintaining its value against the US dollar, the euro and the Japanese yen. Some would argue the currency market is just another form of gambling, bearing little resemblance to the real world. This is probably true.
See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/cx250jmk4e7t/pound-sterling-gbp
Since just before 1500z this afternoon, I QSYed to 10m FT8 using the poorer indoor loop and 2.5W. Every time I have tried 10m FT8 recently there have been South Americans spotted. Today was no exception. I am not sure if this is just F layer all the way or TEP linking with E layer further north. Interestingly, I was spotting EA1 (Northern Spain) at the same time. On TX briefly no spots of me.
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| Stations spotted today on 10m FT8 RX |
Steve G1KQH has told me of a link that I was not aware about. According to a video on the Essex Ham website OFCOM has held consultations which could mean in future radio amateurs may have to know their EIRP either by calculating or measuring it.
As a dedicated QRP man this does not bother me, but if OFCOM ever investigated an interference complaint they could ask for a risk assessment. Imagine if you ran full legal power and a big HF beam.
On my next birthday I shall be 72. When younger, life seemed endless and death was rarely on the radar. Nowadays more and more people of my age are dying, so death is more immediate. In the last few months several people that I know have died.
As a younger person, I had a quite strong faith. It was a bit "off the wall" though. These days I am aware of other faiths across the world and I just do not know. Our planet is just one of probably billions in the known universe. Maybe all religions are just attempts to come to terms with our existence.
I am puzzled by human consciousness. One thing is certain: our brains are small and incapable of answering the deep questions. Somehow I cannot believe that when we die we just cease to exist. Before we were born we knew nothing however. Death remains the ultimate mystery.
Puzzled.
The people of the USA vote for their next president next week.
Every American I have ever met has been kind and generous. On the whole they are warm and kind people. It is not my intention to interfere, but this is a once in 4 year chance to have your say. Vote!
I am disappointed that the choice is between two 70-80 year olds and am surprised that no-one younger could be found. To the rest of the world it appears like you have to be old to lead the USA!
Although I am not a great Trump fan, Joe Biden will be in his 80s if he is elected and serves a full 4 year term. It seems to me a choice of who will do the least harm rather than who will be the most dynamic and charismatic leader.
Today I am on 21MHz FT8 with the loop indoors and 2.5W. 38 stations spotted so far (at 1055z), but nobody has yet spotted my 2.5W.
UPDATE 1219z: 79 stations in 3 continents spotted so far on 15m FT8 RX with the furthermost being YB2MM (11920km) in Java. On TX 3 spots of me so far. Results with the indoor loop continues to astound me. This is the poorer loop too! On the loop with copper pipe it is several dB better. The first Caribbean station has just been spotted today.
UPDATE 1450z: 169 stations spotted on 15m FT8 RX so far today.
Stations spotted to 1450z today
I am more convinced than ever that WSJT-X has a bug with Windows-10. This never happened with earlier versions of WSJT-X. I am using the latest released version.
For some periods FT8 appears on the waterfall screen with smeary signals and no decodes. It is as if the decoder does not "get" the signals correctly. After a time it corrects itself and decoding starts.
This is a real pain.
I might try the latest release candidate to see if this is better.
APRS has never been used here, but Southgate News has a piece on using APRS for so much more.
See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/october/aprs-more-than-just-position-data.htm#.X5vZxruTK00
Solar flux is 85 and the SSN 35. A=14 and K=0. Things are definitely getting a bit better.
For the last few minutes (it is now 1900z) I have been on 2m FT8. So far, I have been spotted by 4 stations with the furthermost being G4HGI (244km). Although I have spotted some stations these appear not to have uploaded to PSKreporter.
UPDATE 2205z: QRT. 1 QSO Earlier.
Not unexpectedly, the Holsworthy rally in Devon, due to take place this Sunday, November 1st, has been cancelled.
Let us hope that things get better next year. They can hardly get worse. At least we know this is a nasty blip. We will get over it. It is hard to think that right now!
From my own limited experience, I can say that magnetic loops work and are small. They are not ideal where frequent changes of frequency are required (if efficient they are very sharp) but they are ideal for modes like FT8 or PSK where most of the time you are within a few kilohertz.
With high power, often vacuum sealed capacitors are needed. With QRP, ordinary capacitors are fine. Even though the voltages at the high impedance points are high, they are nothing like the kVs seen with higher power.
I suspect loops are down on full-sized antennas, but they work pretty well. Being narrow-band probably helps keep QRN down too. In the absence of external antennas they can be used in the shack. If making the loop yourself use the thickest material you can for the loop inductor: I use central heating copper pipe, but I suspect thick coax would be fine. You don't need much.
I see Southgate News has a piece on a new commercially available loop although it is quite easy to make your own.
See also https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/antennas/magloop
For about 20 minutes I have been on 17m FT8 (it is now 1020z) with the poorer indoor loop and 2.5W. For some reason (I have to investigate) the better loop is not tuning: something has fallen off or is broken.
So far today, 20 stations spotted on RX with the furthermost being R4PU (3262km) and nothing yet on TX.
UPDATE 1121z: 48 stations spotted so far today. Nobody has yet spotted me on TX and no QSOs.
UPDATE 1417z: 136 spots on RX and 16 spots of me on TX with the tiny indoor loop including N1NK (5327km).
UPDATE 1552z: 23 spots of me so far on 17m FT8 RX with 2.5W and the indoor loop. 192 stations spotted on RX today.
UPDATE 1845z: 28 spots of me so far on 17m FT8 TX. On RX 241 stations spotted.
It is some time since I saw a forecast for the magnitude of the next sunspot maximum.
We certainly seem to be on the up-slopes after the solar minimum. If there have been any recent forecasts, I have missed them! Please let me know if you know of any recent ones.
The last forecast I saw was expecting the next peak to be broadly similar to the last one. Compared with the huge peaks after WW2 (e.g. 1957), this was a pretty poor one, although 10m was very good at times. I remember a peak (in the 1980s?) when ZSs were coming in well on 6m SSB with just a wire dipole. It would be good to see that again.
See https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2020/what-will-solar-cycle-25-look-like-sun-prediction-model
Solar flux is 88 (highest for a very long time) and the SSN 36 (also highest for a long time). A=12 and K=3.
Apart from a brief outing this evening on the CDARC 2m FM net, I have had a day off from radio. Usually I go on FT8 on some band. Depending on how the mood takes me this can be anywhere from 30m to 70cm.
This net is being resurrected by 2E0WDN, Steve. It meet at 8pm.
Solar flux is 82, which is the highest for some time. SSN is 22. A=9 and K=3.
Just before tea I QSYed to 2m FT8 using 2.5W and the big-wheel omni antenna. I transmitted very briefly, but most of the time I was RX only. So far today 15 stations in 4 countries spotted.
UPDATE 2235z: QRT.
One example is the Ailunce product that retails at £389.99 with free post and packing from the Far East. The price drops even further if you buy more than one.
What has always bothered me is what happens when it goes wrong?
At this price, even if you add import duties and VAT it is way below the price of Japanese made products. When the Chinese really get into the amateur radio market (assuming they do) we can expect to see the big Japanese manufacturers really getting a shock.
I gather the UK designer did not register the design, hence the clones.
For about 15 minutes (it is now 1000z) I have been on 15m FT8 RX. So far, 15 stations spotted using the indoor loop.
Although I have been on 10m FT8 RX all morning with the loop, nothing spotted.It is now 1111z. I have just gone on TX (2.5W and the indoor loop). No spots of me so far.
UPDATE 1500z: Just European stations spotted on RX. Local G4BAO has spotted me on TX.
UPDATE 2250z: QRT. South America spotted every time I have been on 10m FT8 recently.
My loop tunes down to 30m. It may get to 40m, although I have not tried this yet.
On 30m FT8 RX 91 stations so far have been spotted (at 1845z) with the furthermost being R6JY (3414km). One station shown on the map as Iran, may have the wrong QTH locator. On TX 23 spots of my QRP (2.5W to the loop) so far. I think I shall have to see how low I can tune! 40m FT8 here I come.
UPDATE 1940z: On 40m I was unable to get a low SWR so I have returned to 30m FT8 RX. So far today, 161 stations spotted on 30m FT8.
