• [G3XBM] 10m QRP WSPR TX (Thursday)

    From G3XBM via rec.radio.amateur.moderat@21:1/5 to All on Thu Apr 14 06:12:21 2022
    XPost: rec.radio.amateur.moderated, uk.radio.amateur, free.uk.amateur-radio

    Roger G3XBM's (Mainly) Amateur Radio Blog

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    10m QRP WSPR TX (Thursday)

    Posted: 14 Apr 2022 02:41 AM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2022/04/10m-qrp-wspr-tx-thursday.html


    At the moment I am on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW from the W5OLF beacon. So far just G4KPX (14km) spotting me (44 spots by 0940z).

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    8m tests (Thursday)

    Posted: 14 Apr 2022 02:23 AM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2022/04/8m-q65-tests.html


    My 8m station was turned on at about 0800z. Initially, I tried sending some
    Q65 for a test with a station in Bath without success. I am was on 8m FT8
    with just a local spot.
    UPDATE 0924z: Currently monitoring 40.680 MHz USB dial FT8.

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    Sunspots - Thursday April 14th 2022

    Posted: 13 Apr 2022 10:58 PM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2022/04/sunspots-thursday-april-14th-2022.html


    Solar flux is 99 and the SSN 37. A=9 and K=3.

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    70cm activity contest (UKAC)

    Posted: 13 Apr 2022 09:22 AM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2022/04/70cm-activity-contest-ukac.html


    Last evening I took part in the 70cm activity contest with 10W and my 2m big-wheel omni. I did not stop on long as my voice was poor.
    In all, I made 3 contacts with the best G4CLA (105km). These UKAC sessions
    are good fun.
    See https://www.rsgbcc.org/cgi-bin/contest_rules.pl?contest=70cmsukac .

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From G3XBM via rec.radio.amateur.moderat@21:1/5 to All on Thu Jun 23 09:00:08 2022
    XPost: rec.radio.amateur.moderated, rec.radio.amateur.space, uk.radio.amateur XPost: free.uk.amateur-radio

    Roger G3XBM's (Mainly) Amateur Radio Blog

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    10m QRP WSPR TX (Thursday)

    Posted: 23 Jun 2022 01:42 AM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2022/06/10m-qrp-wspr-tx-thursday.html


    Already at 0836z, today is far more promising than yesterday. 3 stations already spotting my 500mW QRP WSPR beacon.

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    Sunspots - Thursday June 23rd 2022

    Posted: 23 Jun 2022 01:34 AM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2022/06/sunspots-thursday-june-23rd-2022.html


    Solar flux is 129 and the SSN 80. A=11 and K=3.

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    8m experiment (Thursday)

    Posted: 23 Jun 2022 01:30 AM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2022/06/8m-experiment-thursday_23.html


    My QRP TX has been on 40.680 MHz USB dial FT8 TX since just after 0800z. Already spotted by HC02 in southern Portugal.

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    Poor Es day?

    Posted: 22 Jun 2022 12:57 PM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2022/06/poor-es-day.html


    Certainly here, today was a very poor Es day, with no spots of me at all on
    10m WSPR or 8m FT8.
    As the season progresses, I guess we will get more poor Es days. Hopefully tomorrow will be better, although with sporadic-E (Es) things
    are "sporadic".
    I have seen 6m Es QRP SSB as late as September. The main season is May,
    June and July.

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    10m QRP WSPR TX

    Posted: 22 Jun 2022 08:35 AM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2022/06/10m-qrp-wspr-tx_22.html


    Although I have had my 500mW beacon on most of the afternoon, nobody has
    yet spotted me. It almost feels as those long days of Es are coming to a
    close. Es will still be around, but we have to expect days when it will be absent.
    In my experience, I have worked 6m SSB QRP DX as late as September.

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    Oscar 100 activity

    Posted: 22 Jun 2022 08:18 AM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2022/06/oscar-100-activity.html


    Every few weeks, I give an update on activity on the narrowband transponder
    of this geosynchronous satellite. The last time I checked was early evening
    in Europe on Wednesday. Activity is still low.
    As an example, 3B8GL was calling CQ on SSB with a decent signal for ages
    with no takers!
    See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/ .

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    Friedrichshafen

    Posted: 22 Jun 2022 06:43 AM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2022/06/friedrichshafen.html


    This is the biggest amateur gathering in Europe and runs from June 24-26th. See www.hamradio-friedrichshafen.de

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    8m experiment (Wednesday)

    Posted: 22 Jun 2022 08:03 AM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2022/06/8m-experiment-wednesday_22.html


    Later, I hope to be on 8m TX on 40.680 MHz USB dial FT8 (first). It is now 1243z.
    UPDATE 1439z: Now on 8m FT8 TX. Intensely frustrated that in the UK we have
    to pay for access to 8m, when OFCOM could have allocated 40.680-40.685 MHs (just 5 kHz), by NoV, to the amateur service, narrow digital only, no
    speech, to encourage self training and research. Frankly I find the OFCOM
    and RSGB position totally and unbelievably bizarre! No, totally STUPID!!!

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    Accessing DMR via your PC for free ?

    Posted: 22 Jun 2022 12:45 AM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2022/06/accessing-dmr-via-your-pc.html


    There are great opportunities with DMR. However, like many, I have no wish
    to get a DMR portable or external to the PC unit to act as a bridge.
    What I am wondering is is it possible to access DMR via the PC alone using
    some kind of gateway? If you know of a way, please let me know.

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    Sunspots - Wednesday June 22nd 2022

    Posted: 21 Jun 2022 10:19 PM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2022/06/sunspots-wednesday-june-22nd-2022.html


    Solar flux is 139 and the SSN 104. A=8 and K=2.

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    OFCOM consultation

    Posted: 21 Jun 2022 05:17 AM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2022/06/ofcom-consultation_21.html


    OFCOM is consulting on extentions to the Ku band spectrum available to satellites. See the OFCOM website for details.

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    10m QRP WSPR TX

    Posted: 21 Jun 2022 12:07 PM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2022/06/10m-qrp-wspr-tx_21.html


    My QRP (500mW) beacon was turned on at 0808z. No spots yet of me.
    Yesterday, I only had spots from the Canary Isles on 10m. These could have
    been F2.
    UPDATE 0824z: One spot from Denmark.
    UPDATE 1326z: 11 stations have spotted my QRP WSPR today. These look like
    Es.
    UPDATE 1905z: 38 unique stations spotting my 10m WSPR today. Not bad.


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    8m experiment (Tuesday)

    Posted: 21 Jun 2022 12:32 PM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2022/06/8m-experiment-tuesday_21.html


    My QRP TX was turned on at 0807z on 40.680 MHz USB dial FT8.
    UPDATE 0815z: No spots.
    UPDATE 1257z: 3 stations have spotted me so far on 8m FT8.
    UPDATE 1920z: 6 unique stations have spotted my 8m FT8 TX today. I have
    now been spotted in 11 countries. Not bad for a few watts and low wire
    dipole. I just wish the UK had a very small 8m amateur allocation by NoV, digital only. Stupid, short-sighted, OFCOM and stupid, short sighted RSGB.
    We need self training and research....and real RF engineers!!

    UPDATE 1932z: This will probably not happen with my low ERP, but I still
    hope for an FT8 spot by a station in the USA. I live in hope!!

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    Super DX at VHF, UHF and microwaves?

    Posted: 21 Jun 2022 12:54 AM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2022/06/super-dx-at-vhf-uhf-and-microwaves.html



    On my website there is a page about super DX on VHF and UHF. Most, or
    every, summer there are 6m openings from Western Europe to the Far East.
    These are thought to be linked to noctilucent clouds in the mesosphere. It
    is possible these openings may occur at far higher frequencies. I am
    surprised nobody seems to be trying as there could be new records galore.
    I am not sure how FT8 works with noctilucent clouds, although I have
    certainly copied Japanese stations on 6m FT8 by this mechanism with a very
    poor setup.
    See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/super-dx .



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    Sunspots - Tuesday June 21st 2022

    Posted: 20 Jun 2022 10:51 PM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2022/06/sunspots-tuesday-june-21st-2022.html


    Solar flux is 137 and the SSN 112. A=10 and K=2.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)