31 Dec 2020
Cold - NOT amateur radio
6m FT8 QRP (Thursday)
At 0854z my 2.5W FT8 to the V2000 vertical was turned on. So far, just a spot by G0PQO (50km) of my QRP signal. 2 Gs spotted on RX.
UPDATE 1130z: 3 Gs have spotted me on TX and I have spotted 7 stations on RX with the furthermost being DL9MG (650km). The latter could be Es or aircraft. Most spots were Gs.
Sunspots - Thursday December 31st 2020
The end of a momentous year for the whole world. At least the sunspot count has started to rise.
Sunspot count is 83 and the SSN 26. A=9 and K=1.
OS maps - NOT amateur radio
In the UK, the definitive maps for over 200 years are produced by the Ordnance Survey.
We have a local nature reserve near here. I have the latest paper 2.5 inches to the mile OS map and it makes no mention of this: it is as if this is a top secret place! No wonder so many locals have not a clue it is there.
On the OS map app it is only there if you zoom in.
30 Dec 2020
Yesterday on 6m FT8
Yet again, yesterday was a good day on 6m. Although not as many as the day before, there was still evidence of winter Es with spots of my QRP from stations in Europe on QRP TX (2.5W to the V2000 vertical omni), and several Europeans spotted here on RX.
Local church - NOT amateur radio
Already at the end of December the corvids are nest building! I think these are rooks.
6m FT8 QRP (Wednesday)
At 0900z, I turned on the 6m FT8 QRP gear with 2.5W to the V2000 vertical omni antenna. Already, after just a few minutes, spotted by 4 G stations. Nobody yet spotted on RX.
UPDATE 1515z: Certainly up to now, just UK stations spotting me and being spotted with no winter Es.
UPDATE 2202z: My QRP was spotted later in Portugal and Sardinia, so there was winter Es later. Not as good today as yesterday. Now QRT.
Astronomical Numbers - NOT amateur radio
According to Google there are 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 planets in the visible universe. This is a huge huge number.
Only some of these planets may have intelligent life, but even if this is just a tiny fraction of the number of planets, this is still a huge number.
I find it mind blowing that I am here at all. One of the greatest puzzles is human consciousness. On Earth we have about 8000,000,000 people. In such a vast universe, you would think kindness and love would have no meaning, yet nearly every human knows this is not the case.
Although we have being trying for about 50 years via project SETI, we have still not found any signs of interstellar intelligent life as far as I am aware.
Covid-19 vaccine approvals - NOT amateur radio
In the last hour the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has been approved. This can be stored at normal fridge temperatures and is low cost.
29 Dec 2020
7 years ago - NOT amateur radio
Zoom - NOT amateur radio
2020 will go down as the year of Zoom. Until earlier this year many of us had not heard of this. Now most of us are familiar with it. Many of us have used it for virtual family meetings. Some have used it for work and some for school lessons.
Whatever, 2020 will go down as the year of virtual meetings, not all of which went to plan as this BBC video shows!
Overall, I have been impressed by Zoom meetings. When the pandemic is over I quite expect Zoom meetings to still be popular.
Backpacker's beach party in Australia - NOT amateur radio
The BBC news is carrying photos of a backpacker beach party in Australia. People are understandably appalled by such stupid people flouting the rules. Many were from the UK.
Some may get deported. Quite right. So they should for such crass stupidity.
At the moment there have been new outbreaks in Sydney which the authorities are trying to contain.
15m QRP CW
6m FT8 (QRP) Tuesday
After a really good day yesterday, I am again on 6m FT8 with 2.5W (FT817ND) and the V2000 vertical omni antenna. It is now 0940z and I have been on for about 3 minutes. Already spotted by G0PQO (50km), with just G0DYW (77km) spotted on RX.
UPDATE 1149z: 4 spots of my QRP TX in 2 countries and 17 spots in 4 countries on 6m FT8 RX today. Definitely winter Es about on 6m FT8.
UPDATE 1435z: 27 stations in 6 countries spotted so far on RX, and I have been spotted by 8 stations in 3 countries on 6m FT8 QRP TX.
28 Dec 2020
USA spoilt child? - NOT amateur radio
Without mentioning any names (I am sure you can guess) there appears to be a really spoilt child throwing his toys out of the pram in the USA. Does this person not realise the harm to his future reputation? Please, stop being so childish!! Just grow up.
Label making video
Jason M0NYW has sent me this video on how to make professional looking labels. Well worth looking at. Look at Jason's example, which looks good to me.
G3XBM video channel
Some of the videos on my YouTube channel may be of interest, as are some of the pages on my main website. Many of these are quite old and probably are in need of an update!
See https://www.youtube.com/user/G3XBM
See also http://www.g3xbm.co.uk
Memories - NOT amateur radio
At breakfast my wife and I were counting up how many walks we had been on this odd year. We keep a record each month. At one point she said a figure and I said she had miscalculated. Without a recording, we can never be sure who was wrong.
This makes me wonder what other memories may be wrong. Memory is an odd thing: as I said some weeks ago, we think we remember things in the past, but it is entirely possible time is a human construct and each day is new with memories we think we have. This is getting too heavy!
My apologies - 136kHz transverter
Some time ago, I was asked by email if the technique to make this into a full TX-RX transverter as used on 472kHz could be adapted on 136kHz. What happens sometimes with emails is that they get filed and forgotten about. I do not remember replying to this question. So, if I did not answer this please accept my sincere apologies. I just cannot remember.
Yes, the same techniques would work on 136kHz, suitably scaled. This could be a simple way to get on this band. I have to confess I have never been on 136kHz TX from this QTH!
See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/mflf/137khz_tvrtr .
6m FT8 QRP (Monday)
After breakfast I hope to go on 6m FT8 with 2.5W and the V2000 vertical omni antenna. This is now the winter Es season, so it is possible some European stations will be spotted. Yesterday was very promising on 10m.
UPDATE 0907z: Already spotted in Sweden by SM4CHK (1138km) on QRP FT8 TX and 16 stations spotted on RX from Scandinavia. This definitely looks like winter Es.
UPDATE 1100z: Already spotted by 6 stations on QRP 6m FT8 TX right across Europe! No QSOs. 27 stations spotted so far on 6m FT8 RX again right across the continent with the furthermost being LB7FA (2008km).
UPDATE 1316z: I have been spotted by 10 stations across Europe with my 2.5W QRP 6m FT8 TX and I have spotted 45 stations on 6m FT8 RX.
Stations spotted to 1515z on 6m FT8 RX |
10m (28MHz) - my best band
Although, at the moment, 10m is not a great DX band, this will soon change. Within a few years it will again be one of our greatest DX bands. Even with simple antennas and low power, worldwide DX should be possible. Being 1.7MHz wide there is space for all modes. Even a wire dipole is very small.
With my poor voice I find FT8 better than SSB or AM or FM. It will be interesting to see the impact of FT8, which is already very popular on many bands. I like it as most DX is concentrated in a few kHz and there are lots of people monitoring. It works with signals weaker than SSB or CW. Being a very narrow-band mode (each TX takes about 50Hz only) it seems better with man-made noise than wider band modes.
I suspect there may be less AM activity this cycle, which would be a pity: often operators use old "boat anchor" rigs with beautiful modulation. In the last (poor) sunspot cycle several USA AM stations were copied well in the car with just a super-regen RX and a base loaded whip.
In the past I have well exceeded DXCC with 10W SSB on 10m with low dipoles.
27 Dec 2020
Homemade trifle - NOT amateur radio
Village houses - NOT amateur radio
Muddy walk - NOT amateur radio
10m FT8 RX
It is now 1013z. A short while ago I turned on my 10m FT8 gear using the FT817ND at the tiny indoor loop antenna. So far 24 stations spotted here on RX. Winter Es?
UPDATE 1623z: 79 Europeans spotted. Good.
UPDATE 1724z: 88 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX. Unless there are surprises I expect this is it for the day. Still, this is good for 10m in winter at this part of the solar cycle.
UPDATE 2047z: QRT. 95 stations spotted today on 10m FT8 RX.
26 Dec 2020
Morons? - NOT amateur radio
IC-705 warranty again
20m FT8 RX
This morning, I am on 20m FT8 RX with the FT817ND and the indoor loop. The gear was turned on at about 0815z. It is now 0926z. So far today, 257 stations have been spotted already.
UPDATE 1046z: 432 stations spotted so far.
Stations spotted today at 1749z |
Sunspots - Saturday December 26th 2020
Solar flux is 88 and the SSN 30. A=5 and K=2.
25 Dec 2020
472kHz (630m) WSPR
At the moment I have not tried 472kHz (630m) WSPR TX for a while as I need to replace the wire in my earth-electrode "antenna". In past winters I have had lots of fun overnight with low ERP WSPR. I really should try again during January, February and March.
I still have a quiet noise floor on 472kHz WSPR RX. With AM on 160m, 80, and 40m, the noise floor is S8. WSPR being a narrow-band mode seems to do much better.
The magic of Christmas - NOT amateur radio
2m FT8 QRP with 2.5W and the big-wheel omni (Christmas)
Whilst Christmas is going on I am on 2m FT8 using 2.5W and the big-wheel omni antenna. So far today I have been spotted by 9 stations with the furthermost being G7RAU (461km) on 2m FT8 TX. On 2m FT8 RX just a couple of Gs spotted. It is now 1045z.
UPDATE 1853z: 15 stations have spotted my QRP on TX and I have spotted 12 stations on RX with the furthermost DL6YBF (471km). As most spots of me are G and near France, these could be flat band tropo.
UPDATE 2220z: QRT.
Christmas Day - NOT amateur radio
Christmas can be a magical time for children.
As an old man, I find Christmas hard. It is a time when we are expected to be happy, whereas I find everything amplified and pain harder to take. To me, I am glad when it is all over.
This year is particularly hard with Covid-19 and many unable to meet loved ones and give them a hug. Next year things should be more normal. I hope so. In the next few months we have some hard times ahead. Then we should start to see the light.
Whatever your situation I wish you a happy Christmas.