Sunspots - Wednesday March 3rd 2021

Solar flux is 75 and the SSN 28. A=20 and K=5.

Quiet corner - NOT amateur radio

Since we moved to our village in 1975, it has grown quite a lot. When we came the population was just over 4000 whereas it is nearly 7000 now.

Despite this, it still feels like a village. It has some lovely quiet corners as the photo shows. Here, they have really blended new houses with the old.

IC202 2m SSB/CW

Nostalgia time again....

Way back, I owned an ICOM IC202. This was a 2m SSB/CW VXO controlled rig. The VXO covered 200kHz and behaved like a VFO.  It had a very "military" look. 

Later, it was replaced by the IC202S. Many still use these today to drive microwave transverters. I used mine on 10m with a homebrewed transverter. It worked some impressive DX with 1W pep on 10m SSB with just a low wire dipole antenna.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp/Home/ic202 .

As this is my old website and not maintained, do not follow the links on the left as these are not maintained.

Blossom - NOT amateur radio

Every year, we look forward to the blossom on the tree near our village Post Office. 

It is now coming out at last, a sure sign of spring and better days ahead. 

It normally lasts for a few weeks, then is gone. At the moment, it is glorious.

OFCOM Communications Monthly

Every month OFCOM updates its "Communications Monthly" with the latest statistics it holds. See the OFCOM website for more details.

New 2m webpage

Although I am as guilty as others for not using the band as often as I once did, I have created a webpage about 2m operation on my main G3XBM website. 2m is a good, but much under-used, band.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/2m .

472kHz (630m) WSPR RX overnight

 Yesterday evening and overnight I was on 472kHz WSPR RX with the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. 9 stations were spotted with the furthermost being EA4GHB (1300km).

2m activity contest this evening

OK, I must set an alarm on my phone so I don't miss this! 

At 2000z this evening is the March leg of the 2m UKAC activity contest run by the RSGB. Although the contest runs for 2.5 hours I usually stop on for less than an hour with my 10W, poor voice and omni antenna. 

It is not like most contests - it is fun and activity is usually very high on SSB. With conditions likely to be good tonight, you may want to give it a go. 

Although I usually submit a score, you do not have to. Exchange is just report, serial number and QTH locator e.g. 59012, IO91FB.

In the end 11 QSOs made before I had to go QRT.

Dalham near Newmarket - NOT amateur radio

The photo collage shows the village of Dalham near Newmarket on this day 4 years ago. It is a pretty village with lots of thatched cottages. 

17m FT8 QRP (Tuesday)

At the moment I am on 17m FT8 with 2.5W and the tiny indoor loop antenna. 17m FT8 is usually quite good and is often open when I go on during the day. 

So far, just a single spot on RX of TA2UIL (2826km) and nobody spotting me on TX.

UPDATE 1116z:  28 stations spotted on RX with the furthermost 5Z4VJ (6858km) in Kenya. Still no spots of me on TX.

UPDATE 1140z: 41 stations spotted on RX and 2 stations have spotted me on TX with the furthermost being RA3BE (2437km).

UPDATE 1300z:  70 stations spotted so far on the band (see map).

UPDATE 1605z:  110 stations spotted on RX. 1 QSO and my QRP spotted by 2 stations.

UPDATE 1822z: 116 stations spotted on RX.