8 May 2021
2m UKAC activity contest last Tuesday
10m FT8 RX with the IC-705
Since about 0820z, I have been on 10m FT8 RX with the tiny indoor loop antenna and the IC-705. No spots yet.
UPDATE 1037z: No spots.
FT8 TX and the IC-705
My new USB leads have come and I still can't TX FT8 with the IC-705. This is most probably finger trouble. It is just possible it is a rig issue. When less tired I shall investigate. CAT control seems fine and RX.
UPDATE 1604z: I am still struggling! I have had two offers of help, but so far no luck. One person has offered help over Zoom, and I may have to avail myself of his help if all else fails. I have reloaded the drivers, swapped leads to make sure they are carrying data, rechecked settings in the IC-705 and WSJT-X. At the moment, I just cannot understand why it does not work. RX works fine. Darn my muddled brain! Years ago this would have been so easy to fix, or at least understand why it is not working.
UPDATE 2045z: Solved!! My problem was RF getting back into the rig. When I tried 2m on the external antenna all was well. It seems that 10m on the internal loop is not acceptable. Now I know what the problem was, I can try chokes on the USB lead. It seemed odd that despite everything I was doing seeming OK things still would not function. First 2m QSO on FT8. Now QRT.
7 May 2021
South Africa - NOT amateur radio
Some years ago we had a holiday in South Africa with Saga. It was one of the best holidays we have ever been on.
Hotels and food were excellent and we were quite unprepared for the huge variety of scenery. In some parts it was like Scotland, others like the Med and others scrub.
We saw "the big five" wild animals and many more. I still can't get over seeing monkeys and ostriches on the beach on the way to the Cape.
I expected to see lots of insects, but we see far more in our garden!
G3XBM website progress
All being well, I shall swap my website to the new format in the next few days. It is mostly done, although I need to find a way of attaching some files and making some schematics clearer. On the old pages, clicking a schematic usually brought up a "pin-sharp" image. There must be a way to do this, but I have still not found out how yet, HI.
At some point I shall swap over, but some pages may not be complete yet. As time goes by I hope to iron out any omissions or errors.
Please give me feedback on the site when it "goes live". When the new site is ready I shall say so on this blog.
In the end, it should be at least as good as the old site and, I hope, better. Converting the pages appears to have been easier and faster than I expected.
You should still be able to go to www.g3xbm.co.uk as before. It is just that the pages you see will look different.
Shopping - NOT amateur radio
This morning, we went shopping at one of the larger UK supermarkets beginning with T. It wasn't too busy. We stocked up on the wine I like, which was very inexpensive. I do not have great tastes!
My wife drove as I was too giddy.
Also she was unable to find a certain yeast extract at the shop beginning with W. There were huge stocks at this shop today so we bought a jar!
10m FT8 RX with the IC-705 and indoor loop
Since breakfast, I have been on 10m FT8 RX with the indoor loop and IC-705. 2 stations spotted so far by 1002z.
UPDATE 1532z: So far today, 53 stations have been spotted on RX. My new leads (USB to USBmicro) are due before 1900z. I hope this solves my FT8 TX issue. Otherwise it is finger trouble or even rig trouble.
UPDATE 1732z: 111 stations so far spotted today on 10m FT8 RX.
6 May 2021
FT8 on the IC-705
It works on RX, but not (yet!) on TX. The drivers have been correctly installed on the PC and appear in the device manager. The audio CODECs appear too. Yet it still says the TX does not work as it cannot see the TX audio CODEC.
Perhaps the lead does not have the TX audio connection? I have a new lead (USBmicro to USB) coming and will try this tomorrow.
It could be finger trouble!
Looking busy
I speak to him on 2m FM most weeks.
He is using a Marconi 995 signal generator. These were common in the early 1970s. They drifted a lot and we had to wait hours for these to settle down!
Voting - NOT amateur radio
10m FT8 RX with the 10FT8R and tiny loop
At 0930z, I turned on the homebrew 10FT8R receiver and the tiny indoor loop. Just M0NKR (27km) spotted so far.
UPDATE 1208z: 7 stations spotted so far today.
5 May 2021
Unsuccessful field test on 137kHz TX CW
As it was a nice sunny morning we decided on a walk about about 1.5km from home. I put my 137kHz CW beacon on at home into the earth-electrode antenna and took my E-field probe and FT817ND with me. I put the EFP on the car roof. I listened without success for my signal. Not a squeek. I was expecting this to work.
This was my first field test on LF since 2013.
10m FT8 RX again
Once again, I am monitoring 10m FT8 RX with the 10FT8R and the tiny indoor loop antenna. No spots yet at 0759z.
UPDATE 1119z: Just one LA spotted so far today. An EA7 did not get uploaded to PSKreporter for some reason.
UPDATE 1230z: Just 3 spots so far today.
2m activity contest last night
I didn't realise that I needed the same connector for my big-wheel and the 10FT8R RX, so I only stayed on 2m for about 30 minutes last evening. 3 stations worked with the best DX being G4CLA (105km) with 10W and the big-wheel omni antenna.
10m FT8 RX with the 10FT8R yesterday
147 stations in all with the tiny indoor loop antenna yesterday with the best DX Sao Paulo in Brazil.
4 May 2021
Where are they? - NOT amateur radio
I saw one swallow in early April and none since. I have not seen a single house martin or swift.
At one time these were common, but not any more. This may in part be the wind direction, but I suspect global warming: their food supplies on their long journey north may have reduced as deserts grow.
To me, seeing screaming swifts overhead is an English spring and summer. Perhaps for not much longer?
Fresh green - NOT amateur radio
FT8 on the IC-705
I have the USB drivers and audio CODECs set up now on the rig, but have not got FT8 working yet.
Years ago this would have been a trivial task, but with my "brain fog" this is like doing it blindfold: tasks that would have been easy in 2012 are now really hard, taxing and exhausting. I also thought a USB-C was the same as a micro-USB!! It isn't! Luckily I had one around.
I think for FT8 on the IC-705 I shall need a lead with isolation as the PC introduces noise I think.
More on the 10FT8R RX
This afternoon, using the very slightly revised circuit (thanks for the circuit simulation Jay) I have been receiving yet more Es signals on the 10FT8R receiver with the tiny indoor loop. 22 stations just copied in southern Europe.
UPDATE 1604z: 67 stations spotted this afternoon.
Revised 10FT8R circuit - rev c
Attached is a revised circuit. Just 1 part has changed value (470n on the input to the first audio stage). For clarification, the caps feeding the PC mic input are 100n. Just for clarity I have made it clear this is my design G3XBM R.Lapthorn following the comment below by John Desmond EI7GL.
A proper CAD schematic will follow shortly.
Homebase10 dual band
10m FT8 RX (Tuesday)
At 0640z I turned on my 10m FT8 RX with the 10FT8R and tiny indoor loop antenna. No spots yet.
3 May 2021
New website ready soon (this week?)
As mentioned yesterday, I am working on a new Googles Sites website. All being well, it will "go live" later this week. You will still point to www.g3xbm.co.uk and it will automatically take you to the new pages when they are ready. Most pages have been done, but some remain to be done.
The main difference is pages will be accessed via drop-down menus at the top of the home page rather than the index on the left. It allows some new features including embedding, so my 10m FT8 grabber will be there too. I may be able to use this feature for other things as well.
All being well, there will be some new pages too.
10m FT8 RX with the 10FT8R
It is now 0948z. I have been on RX for about 25 minutes using the 10m 10FT8R receiver with the tiny indoor loop antenna. So far, just OM0ALE (1431km) spotted.
UPDATE 1014z: Now more stations being received by Es.
UPDATE 1129z: 10 stations received today so far using the 10FT8R RX and the tiny indoor loop antenna.
UPDATE 1547z: 20 stations spotted so far today. The 10FT8R seems to work well, even with the tiny indoor loop.
UPDATE 2128z: 47 stations spotted today on 10m FT8 RX with the 10FT8R and the tiny indoor loop.
Albania - NOT amateur radio
Some years ago we went to coastal Albania on a day trip from Corfu. We had a total surprise. We went by coach down the coast to one of their very ancient sites. After lunch we went to a place with the purest, clearest, water I have ever seen.
The main town where our boat landed was filled with empty beaches, awaiting visitors. Prices were far lower than on Corfu. They accepted Euros.
Other parts may still be backward. All I can say is do not let your old views get in the way. Albania is trying to change. We were very pleasantly surprised.
Updated solar data
If you are like me you will be keen to see the latest solar data. My favourite site (solan) for solar data has been updated. Numbers have been increased yet again. Hopeful signs. I have no idea what the latest peak will look like.
See https://www.solen.info/solar/ .
UPDATE 0834z: At the moment this solar cycle looks very similar to the last one.
Tree roots - NOT amateur radio
2 May 2021
Progress
As mentioned in an earlier post, I am working on a new website. Things are progressing well so the new pages could be up soon. All the old stuff should be there plus some new stuff.
For creating "all new" sites Google Sites is very user friendly. It is a pity that just migrating classic sites is appallingly bad.