Brain fog - NOT amateur radio

In the last year we have heard a lot about "Long Covid" and brain fog.

I have a lot of sympathy for sufferers as I have had brain fog for 7.5 years following my stroke. Every day, along with the near constant tiredness and giddiness, I have brain fog. 

It is like doing things in a near constant state of exhaustion and drunkenness. Things mental and physical that would have been easy years ago are now hard. Doing any amateur radio design and building is now incredibly taxing.

My best description is like being drunk all the time: it is hard to do even the simplest task. With willpower jobs gets done, eventually. As an example, I am trying to find an intermittent fault on my son's electric lawnmower. I have had this all winter, but have not felt the energy to undo the screws and take a look.

I have great sympathy for anyone with a hidden disability. Outwardly we look fine to the world whereas inwardly it is a totally different story: we do all in our power to seem fine, but we struggle.

We do not like to moan, but it is very hard when others think you are fine.

Cowfield NOT amateur radio

This meadow is owned by the village. Years ago there were cows in here that we heard every summer morning. This an ancient meadow with Roman remains (there was a Roman villa here) and the remains of a castle going back to King Stephen nearly 1000 years ago.

Sunspots - Friday March 5th 2021

Solar flux is 81 and the SSN 32. A=11 and K=2.

2m FT8 QRP (Thursday)

At about 2030z I went on 2m FT8 QRP with 2.5W and the big-wheel omni antenna. At 2037z I had been spotted by 9 stations already.

Elecraft K1

Many years ago I had an Elecraft K1 4 band CW transceiver. This was about 5W output. It was sold some time ago.  In its day, it was quite a good rig, but I think Elecraft has stopped doing them. Although simple, FT8 now does a better job for me.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/k1. As this page is very old, I cannot guarantee links work still.

Village walk - NOT amateur radio

We have just returned after a village walk. The BBC weather app said 1% chance of rain, so of course it rained! 

The photo shows our churchyard coming to life with daffodils and birds busy. Spring has sprung.

Low cost crystals

Steve G1KQH recently pointed me to a supplier of crystals in the USA which should be suitable for my latest FT8 RX project. 

I ordered some last night. At $1.50 each they are excellent value and they have already been dispatched. As international shipping costs were high I ordered 4 of them.  It is not clear how these will come, but it gives me plenty of time for building if these come by sea.

Even with shipping they are good value. I hope I don't get stung for duty and VAT.

See https://kc9on.com/product/14mhz-hc49u-tall-crystals/ .

17m FT8 QRP (Thursday)

This morning I am on 17m FT8 with 2.5W and the tiny indoor loop antenna. 

8 stations spotted so far on RX, but nobody has yet spotted my QRP TX.  It is now 1005z and I have been active for about 15 minutes.

UPDATE 1244z:  38 stations spotted on RX and 1 spot of my QRP TX - SV3AQT (2284km).

UPDATE 2026z: 92 stations spotted on RX. 5 stations have spotted my QRP today on TX.

Look what I found! - 136kHz beacon

 

This morning I was looking for the original WISPY receiver. I opened the case and found this! It is the 136kHz beacon I used about 8 years ago. 

I thought it was in the loft. This was a chance find and it has never been used at this QTH. 

At some point I must try it with the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground.

This afternoon I connected it to my earth-electrode antenna and listened on the FT817ND. It still works! 

Local walk - NOT amateur radio

One of our favourite walks is around the village of Dalham near Newmarket. This is the view of the church. 

Amateur VLF

The photo shows the signal from Germany on sub 9kHz. It was taken in 2011. Amateur VLF DX requires very stable signals, very narrow filters and long integration periods. Integation periods are hours or even days so casual listening will not work!! 

Sunspots - Thursday March 4th 2021

Solar flux is 74 and the SSN 30.  A=23 and K=3.

2m FT8 QRP (Wednesday)

This evening, I am almost exclusively on 2m FT8 RX with the big-wheel omni antenna. As usual, any brief TX periods will be at 2.5W. 

I think there is a contest as the FT8 chunk is very busy. On RX, 40 stations already spotted and my very brief TX session was spotted by 4 stations. 

The photo shows the activity on G0LRD's grabber a little while ago - busy!!

See http://82.71.9.63:8080/cap/ .

UPDATE 2225z:  118 stations in 9 countries spotted on RX.

A mug .....me? - NOT amateur radio

You will be pleased to hear that I will get over $360k in my account if I just tell them my bank details.

Oh yes!! ...I am in such a rush to tell them.

17m FT8 QRP (Wednesday)

Since just after 1200z, I have been on 17m FT8 QRP with 2.5W and the tiny indoor loop. So far, 9 stations have been spotted on RX and 2 stations have spotted me on TX with the furthermost being CU2GI (2575km)

UPDATE 1710z: 17 spots on RX and 4 stations have spotted me on TX.

Original Fredbox 2m transceiver photos

Whilst clearing the loft, my XYL came across the original photos of the original 2m AM Fredbox made back in the mid 1970s. It was rebuilt some years ago. The original photos are attached here.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/fredbox

10FT8R - 10m receiver for FT8

As my fine motor skills are not as good as they were, I have decided to start with a receiver based on WISPY for 10m FT8 using 14.040MHz crystals pulled very slightly to 14.037MHz and a Polyakov mixer.  Polyakov mixers need oscillators running at half the received frequency. This also means the radiated signal from the oscillator is very low.

At some point later, I will extend this to a full FT8 transceiver. The receiver will work with free WSJT-X software running on the PC.

As 10m gets better, the whole world should be spotted on a receiver that is unbelievably simple costing the same as a few drinks out.  Of course during the Es season 10m is good out to about 1500km at any point in the sunspot cycle, so this RX may be used at other times too without tying up the "big rig".

53 years ago - NOT amateur radio

My wife and I met 53 years ago. How time flies! We met in 1968 and married in 1971, so our 50th wedding anniversary is later this year.

We have 2 children and 4 grandchildren.

160m FT8 RX overnight

Last evening and overnight I was on 160m FT8 RX using the FT817ND and the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. 160m FT8 seemed very busy as the photo shows. Once again, there were many N. American stations in the log which has 355 stations logged on 160m FT8 RX.

Quantum Entanglement - NOT amateur radio

One of the aspects of quantum mechanics that fascinates me is quantum entanglement. According to quantum theory, quantum entanglement suggests that particles completely separated (even at the other ends of the universe) can share something in common. One day, this may be a clue to teleportation. There are aspects of this which are totally weird. 

In my view, we still have a lot to learn about physics. Quantum mechanics and relativity seem to be imperfect descriptions and I can imagine in the next 100 years we will find other more integrated, theories that better describe things.

In 100 years you can imagine our descendants looking back at our theories in amazement.

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

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.

Sunspots - Tuesday March 2nd 2021

 Solar flux is 71 and the sunspot number 0.  A=26 and K=4. Pretty poor again.

630m (472kHz) WSPR RX

This evening I am on 630m WSPR RX from about 2045z.  So far this evening, 3 stations spotted with furthermost LA8AV (1012km). Still using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground.

Wicken walk - NOT amateur radio

The photo shows another view of our walk at Wicken last week.  It was a delightful walk.

New webpage created - 10m FT8 QRP transceiver

I am keen to have a go at this, but fear my energy levels and fine motor skills may not be up to it these days. Years ago, this would have been trivial for me. 

Imagine, working the whole world on a very simple rig, low cost, smaller than a pack of cards that you have built yourself! 

I just hope QRPguys take this further and do a kit. It would be so popular that someone has to do it.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/10ft8

QSY to 17m FT8 QRP (Monday)

As 15m seemed pretty quiet here, I have QSYed to 17m FT8 QRP with 2.5W and the tiny indoor loop antenna. It is now 1358z. So far, just 2 stations spotted on RX and nobody has spotted me on QRP TX yet.

UPDATE 1445z:  9 stations spotted on RX with furthermost E21EIC (9481km) in Thailand. Nobody has yet spotted me on QRP 17m FT8 TX.

UPDATE 1800z: 4 stations have spotted my QRP today on 17m FT8. The map shows the stations spotted here. 

UPDATE 1852z: 40 stations spotted.

New OFCOM EMF rules coming in

If you use over 10W, the new OFCOM rules on EMF may apply to you, especially if you are investigated over complaints by neighbours. As a QRP man, I am not bothered! 

If you have a big tower, beam and full power you may have issues. You have to show that people can't be harmed by excessive EMF. If I had my way, all UK licencees would be limited to 100W, or even 10W!

See the OFCOM website for more details.

I quite like the Eire approach. In Eire, amateurs have access to much of the Band 1 spectrum. Why not grant all UK radio amateurs access to big chunks of spectrum at, say, 100mW ERP on a strictly non-interference basis? If you cause interference you get closed down, otherwise carry on. Oh silly me, this requires people with brains!!   

Personally, I'd like access to some VLF spectrum and 40MHz. I guess the main issue is military access. I still don't understand why so much UK spectrum is reserved for the military when most is unused for most of the time.  Views?

15m FT8 QRP (Monday)

It is now 1050z. Today, I am on 15m FT8 with 2.5W and the tiny indoor loop antenna. So far, 7 stations spotted on RX and 1 spot of my QRP on TX by SV1HAB (2412km).

UPDATE 1211z: With just 8 stations spotted on RX and just 1 spot of me on TX, I may QSY to 17m FT8.

Updated solar data

My favourite website for solar data is usually updated early each month. Often this is on the 1st or 2nd of the month. Included, usually, is a forecast of the climb towards the next solar peak. It is worth checking.

See https://www.solen.info/solar/ . 

Simple circuits

Inspired by "Hot Iron" edited by Peter Thornton GW6NGR I see reference to Rick Andersen KE3JJ. He has several very simple designs on his site.

See http://www.ke3ij.com/ .

Sunspots - Monday March 1st 2021

Solar flux is 78 and the SSN 13.  A=6 and K=6.

It is hard to think we are in March already. According to the UK Met Office we are now in spring. The Es season is only a few months away now.