8m UK permits

It looks like at least 4 UK stations will be on 8m TX this summer. OFCOM has issued permits (or is about to) to the first bunch of applicants. Others may follow. 

In the coming Es season, it is highly likely that some, or all, will be spotted in Europe. Especially with FT8, there is a good chance of stations being copied by other modes too.

I hope others across Europe apply for special access as well. 8m, being between 10m and 6m, is at a very interesting part of the radio spectrum for experiments. It is mid-way between HF and VHF.

The ZS6WAB 8m beacon has been copied in Europe (including in the UK) on several occasions.

All being well, my first 8m transmission will be April 2nd.

Miss Piggy? - NOT amateur radio

 

This painting was in a Cambridge shop window this morning. I think it is of Miss Piggy from the Muppets.

Alexa - NOT amateur radio

We have 2 Amazon Dot devices. We love these and are very impressed that they seem to be good at voice recognition, even managing to understand my poor voice. 

Some get very worried about it spying and harvesting all sorts of private data. The answer is simple: turn it off when not in use!

We like the idea of news, weather and any kind of music on tap and the timers, which are really useful when cooking.

I bought mine really cheaply when they were on offer.  My wife thought I was mad, but she uses Alexa far more than me!

10m FT8 QRP (Tuesday)

It is now 0823z and I have been on 10m FT8 RX for about 10 minutes. So far, 21 stations have been spotted.

UPDATE 0834z:  25 stations spotted with the furthermost YC3ERZ (12282km).

UPDATE 1148z:  148 stations spotted with the furthermost VK6BAS (14442km).

UPDATE 1444z: 255 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX today.  My QRP (2.5W) TX about 30 minutes ago resulted in spots around Europe, but no QSOs.

Stations spotted at 1637z

UPDATE 1637z: 365 stations spotted today on 10m FT8 RX.

 

UPDATE 2002z:  625 stations spotted. The band is still open.

Near Salcombe - NOT amateur radio

As I have said before, I spent my childhood years near here. This is South Pool Creek. I am not sure what year this was. 

Sunspots - Tuesday March 29th 2022

Solar flux is 156 and the SSN 125.  A=10 and K=2.  These are good numbers. 

South Hams in Devon - NOT amateur radio

My brother lives in the South Hams in Devon and plays golf at Thurlestone. This was the view from the 1st tee earlier today. I used to play here a long time ago!!  A very long time ago I remember having a birdie on the 1st hole. That must have been in the 1960s.

South Americans?

Recently I have been on 17m and 15m FT8 RX with the tiny indoor loop antenna. Whilst plenty of stations have been spotted across the world, it is noticeable that I'm seeing very few from South America.

Now, I am no expert on propagation and this may just be when I am on. I am pretty sure it is not antenna directivity as I get plenty on 10m FT8. 

RadCom articles - lost?

Last October, I submitted 3 articles to RadCom. One was published, but the other 2 seem to have disappeared down a black hole. Today, I chased them. 

It is fine to not publish them, but it is also good to know why. As I recall, they were short fill-in articles, but it was so long ago I cannot recall what was in them!

With Giles Read dying suddenly they must be in a pickle in the short-term.

UPDATE 1500z:  The articles have been found. 

Wisdom and old age? - NOT amateur radio

It seems 5 minutes since I was a young teenager! 

Old age has descended on me suddenly. These days I feel older and frailer, as much as I do not seek this.  Some say you get wiser as you get older, but I seem as stupid as ever! 

My advice to those far younger is "you will be old yourself one day".  Milk life whilst you can.

I think one of the things I have to do is accept the "me" I am now and not the "me" I used to be. As we age, it is natural that some of the things we could do we can do no longer. There is still so much I can do. As long as I am able, I intend to enjoy doing the things I can do. 😄