10m FT8 QRP (Sunday)

Since about 1140z, I have been on 10m QRP FT8 with 2.5W and the indoor loop. No spots yet.

UPDATE 1644z:  No spots today on 10m FT8. 

UPDATE 1715z: Just a single local QSO all day.

Muddy walk - NOT amateur radio

The photo shows our walk last week. It was muddy! 

G3XBM history

My history in amateur radio goes right back to the early 1960s.  On my main website is a page about my history. In all those years we have seen many changes in our hobby. I still enjoy it.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/history

Sunspots - Sunday January 10th 2021

 Solar flux is 74 and the SSN 0.  A=3 and K=1

Less meat? - NOT amateur radio

Although I enjoy meat I am sure I could be perfectly happy as a vegetarian or even vegan. Looking at non-meat recipes they look just as good and are no doubt better for the planet. Over time I am sure that adverts will persuade us to eat less meat. It doesn't bother me. Quite a few people are trying to go meatless in January. They probably save money too. 

Oscar 100 activity

Activity levels on the narrowband transponder of the geosynchronous satellite Oscar 100  seem to be quite high today. My quick look on the Web SDR at Goonhilly Downs in Cornwall was late afternoon in Europe.

2m FT8 RX (Saturday)

It is now 1339z.  A short while ago I went on 2m FT8 RX with the FT817ND and big-wheel omni antenna. So far G4YTM (179km) spotted and 3 other Gs. Furthermost is 2E1EMK (182km).

UPDATE 1353z:   Now 6 stations in 2 countries spotted.

Spots of me to
1620z on 2m FT8
TX (2.5W)

UPDATE 1620z:   47 stations spotted so far today on 2m FT8 RX. Now on TX (2.5W) and 16 spots of me so far today.

UPDATE 1700z:  20 spots of my QRP (2.5W to the big-wheel omni) 2m FT8 today so far.

Stations spotted
today on
2m FT8 RX

UPDATE 2147z: 74 stations spotted on RX and 33 stations have spotted me on QRP TX today. 

UPDATE 2152z:  QRT. 2m FT8 QRP never fails.

Hope - NOT amateur radio

Cheerfulness cheer us up at this time of year. See photo.

The snowdrops are appearing  now, and the daffodils will soon be out.

Sunspots - Saturday January 9th 2021

 Solar flux is 75 and the SSN 0. A=2 and K=1.

2m FT8 QRP (Friday)

At about 1920z, I QSYed to 2m FT8 with 2.5W to the big-wheel omni antenna. So far this evening, I have been spotted by 5 stations on TX  and I have spotted 1 station on 2m FT8 RX. It is now 1926z.

Winter Walk - NOT amateur radio

This morning we went for a walk around Anglesey Abbey. The photo shows the winter walk. 

There were a few snowdrops and daffodils out.  Another month things will be very different.

15m FT8

This morning I am again monitoring 15m FT8 RX with the FT817ND and indoor loop. So far (at 0949z) 22 stations spotted.

UPDATE 1415z:  43 stations spotted on RX. Now on QRP TX (2.5W), but nobody has spotted me.

Stations spotting my
QRP FT8 TX
to the tiny indoor
loop on 15m today

UPDATE 1906z: This afternoon my QRP 15m FT8 TX was spotted by 9 stations including 3 in the USA with the furthermost being AK4QR (6846km).  Not bad with my FT817ND and the tiny indoor loop.

Sunspots - Friday January 8th 2021

Solar flux is 75 and the SSN 0. A=6 and K=0.

Trump - NOT amateur radio

It amazes me that so many people within the USA voted for Trump. Clearly he has a following in the USA whereas many outside of the USA think him stupid. 

Banana warehouse - NOT amateur radio

This photo is over 100 years old. It shows the banana warehouse in Sheffield owned by the great grandfather of my wife. Years ago my wife visited it and remembers the smell of all those bananas.

New carpet cleaner - NOT amateur radio

 

We bought a new carpet cleaner this week. We tried it out in a small, little used room. It seems to be fine. 

The photo shows me using it.

QSY to 2m FT8 QRP (Thursday)

At 1700z, I QSYed to 2m FT8 QRP as 15m FT8 was quiet. It is now 1740z. So far, 7 statioms have spotted my QRP TX and I have spotted 4 stations on RX.

UPDATE 2123z:  Now QRT . Spotted by 9 stations on TX with 1 QSO. 11 stations spotted on RX.

2m FT8 contest last night

Last night 2m FT8 was very busy with 95 stations in 9 countries spotted. 

I am pretty sure there was a contest on as several were calling "CQ TEST".

Remember, this is with an omni antenna - no beams here!

15m FT8 (QRP) Thursday

At about 1050z, my QRP 15m FT8 was turned on (2.5W and the indoor loop). So far (it is now 1100z) 4 stations have been spotted on RX, but nobody has spotted me on TX.

UPDATE 1654z: 104 stations spotted.

OFCOM updates

 According to the OFCOM website they have shown the names of the bidders for their spectrum auction coming up. See the OFCOM website.

Sunspots - Thursday January 7th 2021

 Solar flux is 74 and the SSN 0. A=11 and K=1.

2m FT8 QRP (Wednesday)

At about 1825z I QSYed to 2m FT8 using 2.5W and the big-wheel omni antenna. At 1842z, I had been spotted by 8 stations in 3 countries with the furthermost EI8KN (518km). 4 stations spotted on RX.

UPDATE 2250z :  95 stations in 9 countries spotted this evening. Contest? 

Foxfire (fungus that glows green) - NOT amateur radio

The other night my son noticed some glowing fungus on a tree at night. I have never seen this. Apparently it can grow on decaying wood.

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

Signs of life - NOT amateur radio

On our walk this morning we came home via the churchyard. There are stirrings in the ground (no, not ghosts!) with aconites just coming in to flower with their yellow flowers. Most snowdrops and daffodils have yet to come. These are a sure sign of better weather and lighter evenings on the way.

Incidentally although the late afternoons have been getting gradually lighter, the mornings get darker for a while into January. From this point onward it gets lighter here morning and afternoon. A corner has been turned.

15m FT8

It is now 0922z. For about 5 minutes, I have been on 15m FT8 RX. So far,  6 stations have been spotted. When on TX I use 2.5W to the indoor loop.

UPDATE 1525z: 259 stations spotted so far with the furthermost being YB6UAF (12009km) in Indonesia.  5 continents spotted.

Sunspots - Wednesday January 6th 2021

Solar flux is 75 and the SSN 0. A=11 and K=3.

2m activity contest

The first UKAC 2m activity contest organised by the RSGB was last night. I was on for about 50 minutes with 10W and the big-wheel omni antenna. 

In my view, conditions were poor and activity low. There were no portables (presumably because of lockdown). My best DX (lost before we could complete) was G4RRA in Devon. Had we completed, this would have been a good contact. It is much easier on FT8!

20m FT8 QRP (Tuesday)

Since about 1545z, I have been on 20m FT8 with 2.5W and the indoor loop antenna on the shack windowsill. So far, 1 spot on QRP TX and 10 stations in 3 continents spotted on RX, mostly in the USA.

UPDATE 2131z: QRT. 127 stations spotted today on 20m FT8 RX.

2014 FaceBook Memory - NOT amateur radio

One of my FaceBook memories today was this photo of me shortly after 3.5 months in hospital following a brain bleed. 

The hedge behind me is now fully mature and much bigger. 

Although still giddy all of the time and with a poor voice, I am otherwise in good shape. The Zimmer frame soon went! 

For several months I had most of my food and drink via a peg directly into my stomach. For many years now I have been able to eat and drink normally. Until you cannot, you don't realise how eating and drinking normally is so important. In hospital I used to dream about simple food!

20m FT8 WISPY RX?

A few days ago I showed the schematic for my WISPY RX. The photo shows the actual 10m WISPY RX. 

With a couple of low cost GQRP 7030kHz crystals in parallel this could probably allow a very low cost 20m FT8 RX to be made using the same idea and pulling the crystals upwards. 

If you have a source of low cost 7040kHz crystals, just one will probably allow you to get to half 14.074MHz. A 14.074MHz simple DSB based FT8 RX would be a fun winter project, guaranteed to spot lots of DX every day.

Just think - for the cost of a couple of coffees out (those were the days!) and you have a low cost way of spotting DX from across the world.

Come to think of it, a full 20m FT8 transceiver could be made for the price of a bag of fish and chips! Surely someone is up for the challenge. 

10m FT8

It is now 0950z. For the last hour I have been on 10m FT8 with 2.5W and the indoor loop on the shack windowsill. No spots yet on RX or TX.

UPDATE 1356z: I have just turned on the QRP TX again: it has been off for several hours whilst we went for a walk and had lunch.  On RX, just a couple of spots with the furthermost being MM0ZBH (482km).

Simonsberg South Africa - NOT amateur radio

 

This photo was taken in November 2020 in South Africa.

KW2000 series

When I was at the University of Liverpool (1967-70) we had a very good amateur radio society with the call G3OUL. A member at the time was Ian Vance G3WMS who later headed a major electronics company. I think he was made an MBE too.

Whilst there we had a KW2000. At the time we thought it was wonderful. I can recall working some impressive DX with it. I cannot remember the antenna we had, but I don't think we had a beam.  In the following years, we had a later version of the KW2000 and a KW linear. I think the original version was 90W pep. There was an article in Short Wave Magazine on the KW2000B.

I took my morse test in the Liver Building and used an El-Bug on CW with the KW2000. I also recall working ZB2VHF on 4m AM from the club on 70.26MHz with 4W.

See http://www.radiomanual.info/schemi/Surplus_Radioamateur/KW_Electronics_KW-2000B_review_1971.pdf

Sunspots - Tuesday January 5th 2021

 Solar flux is 78 and the SSN 0.  A=3 and K=1. 

2m FT8 QRP (Monday)

At about 1940z, I QSYed to 2m FT8 QRP with 2.5W and the big-wheel omni antenna. 

I was briefly on TX and was spotted by just 1 station G0LRD (26km) and I have spotted a couple of G stations. 

At the moment I am RX only as I need to go on 2m FM TX with the other radio for the East Cambs Net on 144.575MHz.

Chickens - NOT amateur radio

The photo shows 2 of our grandchildren with the chickens they look after. It was a Facebook memory today. 

These grandchildren are far older these days! This must have been several years ago.

Christmas over - NOT amateur radio

Just now we put away all the Christmas decorations, cards and the Christmas tree. Everywhere looks bare. Monday is our usual housework day, so today, rather than January 6th, made more sense.

This Christmas was odd and it did not feel like Christmas. We all hope Christmas 2021 will be much better.

20m FT8 RX with the tiny indoor loop

At about 0905z, I went on 20m FT8 RX. Immediately, stations were spotted.  At 0940z 76 stations already spotted.

UPDATE 1219z:  176 stations spotted with WW1WW (5237km) the first North American spotted at 1123z.

UPDATE 1402z:  287 stations spotted with 11 North American stations spotted so far. 

UPDATE 1528z:  356 stations in 5 continents so far spotted today. The furthermost spotted is PY2LCD (9686km) in Brazil.

Heathkits

Back in my early teenage years I was given a Heathkit electronics workshop for Christmas 1961. This was earth shattering and started me in the radio hobby and radio career in later life. The online Heathkit Virtual Museum seems to have closed, but the pages were archived and can still be seen.

Heathkits were famous for their excellent building instructions and quality. They tried to make a comeback in recent years, but what was on offer was not that impressive.

See https://web.archive.org/web/20190206173903/http://www.heathkit-museum.com/hvmhstory.shtml

Radio (and other) magazines online

Long gone companies
and rigs!

There is a wonderful resource online if you are after old publications. Some may have been withdrawn following protests by publishers.

See https://worldradiohistory.com/

As an example, see https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-DX/Ham-Radio-Today/80s/HRT-1988-11.pdf

Many of the companies advertising, and rigs, have long gone. In the future, I can see many other companies going out of business.