Roger G3XBM's (Mainly) Amateur Radio Blog

10m 2W FT8 (Sunday)

2026-04-19T12:18:00.004+01:00

My gear was turned at about 1100z.

UPDATE 1118z: 2 English stations have spotted me and 3 stations spotted here on RX.

Running QRP

2026-04-19T10:11:00.002+01:00

Some say life is too short for QRP.

There is no doubt that running high power to a beam will be copied more often than QRP. It will also break pile-ups more easily.

However, running QRP is often much better than you might think as this video shows.

The difference by ear between high power and QRP is often much smaller than you think. Try it! In another video he tries it with SSB.

Iran war - Joe Blogs video

2026-04-19T09:50:00.001+01:00

The situation in the Middle East seems very much in a state of flux.

Sunspots - Sunday April 19th

2026-04-19T09:33:00.000+01:00

Solar flux is 106 and the SSN 44. A=33 and K=3.

The nature of time

2026-04-18T09:38:00.000+01:00

Our brains have limited size and to most people time is a mystery. Certainly my experience is that time passes faster as we get older. Some believe in some sort of life carrying on after we die. I remain agnostic.

It would be great to be able to experience again some of the good things in our lives. This brings to mind the famous poem called "A Shropshire Lad" by A.E. Housman.

Into my heart an air that kills
From yon far country blows;
What are those blue remembered hills,
What spires, what farms are those?
That is the land of lost content,
I see it shining plain,
The happy highways where I went

And cannot come again.

I think this was written overseas, knowing the beloved country of his birth would not be seen again, except in memory.

10m 2.5W FT8 (Saturday)

2026-04-18T09:37:00.006+01:00

After a brire period on TX around breakfast (2 English stations spotted me), I am RX only.

UPDATE 0736z: Just I UK stations spotted in G0FWX (135km).

UPDATE 2000z: 23 stations spotted here today. Now QRT.

Frontline for Times Radio

2026-04-18T06:40:00.000+01:00

There are rumours that Russia is looking for an off-ramp in the war against Ukraine. Time will tell. Will Crimea go back to Ukraine?

Sunspots - Saturday April 18th

2026-04-18T06:39:00.007+01:00

Solar flux is 107 and the SSN 50. A=4 and K=3.

Pirate?- I think so!

2026-04-17T16:31:00.002+01:00

At totally the wrong time of day and an unbelievable strength, I was supposed to have spotted a station in North Korea on 10m FT8 RX.

I think we can assume this was a pirate, probably in Europe.

Little things please little minds.

Punting on the Cam

2026-04-17T15:08:00.000+01:00

When people come to Cambridge, UK they often like to go on the River Cam in a punt. Even better is to be gently punted by a guide whilst you sip a glass of Pimm's. There are even punts selling Pimm's!

QMX from QRP Labs

2026-04-17T14:50:00.005+01:00

This is a tiny transceiver that now includes SSB. Many are using it for SOTA and POTA activations.

Where are they?

2026-04-17T11:37:00.001+01:00

For years we had red-legged partridges in our garden.

For a long time now, they have not been seen.

Apparently these introduced birds were bred and released a few miles away, but this has now stopped.

Trump Report

2026-04-17T11:18:00.000+01:00

Some think President Trump was insane to go to war with Iran. Many were upset by some of his "falling out" with the Pope. Many in the MAGA movement want him not to get involved in foreign wars and concentrate instead on the USA.

Solid state batteries?

2026-04-17T11:11:00.001+01:00

A lot of excitement (and incredulity!) was created at CES26 when a small start-up company announced it had created a sold-state battery with amazing claims.

Many just don't believe it, when huge companies with massive manpower and investment have failed. They also claim the battery does not use lithium!

Since then, they have been using an independent lab to carry out a series of "drip feed" tests. The only real test will be a tear-down of an actual production battery. If solid state batteries with enormous ranges come to market soon, this could be truly trasformational.

If true, many would be interested in the IP. Tests so far suggest it is indeed a solid state battery. I think "the jury is still out" although we should soon know.

10m 2W/3W FT8 (Friday)

2026-04-17T06:41:00.009+01:00

My gear was turned on at about 0505z.

UPDATE 0810z: Just spotted by just one local. Nobody spotted here on RX.

UPDATE 1101z: Increased the power slightly to 3W and back on TX. I have been RX only most of the morning, but still no stations on RX. 2 stations have spotted me with one in Denmark.

UPDATE 1825z: Spotted by 11 stations (see map) and 28 stations spotted here. QRT soon.

Sunspots - Friday April 17th

2026-04-17T05:29:00.003+01:00

Solar flux is 108 and the SSN 65. A=3 and K=0.

15m 5W FT8 yesterday

2026-04-17T05:27:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I spotted 198 stations on 15m FT8.

At the moment we seem to be between pretty good winter F2 conditions and the Es season.

It looks like people have started to move lower in frequency to chase DX.

15m 5W FT8 (Thursday)

2026-04-16T16:20:00.004+01:00

After a very brief TX period (no spots - RF feedback from the end-fed?), I am RX only on 15m FT8.

Although things are better on 15m, I am still convinced that conditions are not great. So far, just 14 stations spotted . See map.

UPDATE 1750z: 147 stations spotted here.

RSGB Monday talks

2026-04-16T09:28:00.005+01:00

On Monday nights at 8pm, the RSGB gives a series of talks with people expert in their field.

I have seen some, but manage to miss quite a few.

Some are talks at past RSGB conventions. Many (all?) have to be watched on YouTube.

Iran war - Trump Report

2026-04-16T09:06:00.005+01:00

This was posted about 17 hours ago, which would have been Wednesday afternoon in the UK.

10m 200mW WSPR TX (Thursday)

2026-04-16T09:03:00.009+01:00

My TX beacon was turned on at about 0755z.

UPDATE 1510z: No spots all day, so QSYed to 15m 5W FT8.

Proctors

2026-04-16T09:01:00.005+01:00

This was Trinity College in Cambridge, UK.

Proctors are like college policemen. They wear bowler hats.

Heathkit Twoer 2m AM transceiver

2026-04-16T07:35:00.005+01:00

It is amazing how your wishes change!

Back in the 1960s I really wanted a Heathkit Twoer transceiver. In those days most people on 2m used AM and the band was quiet. It used a sensitive super-regen RX, but these were broad. In their day they were fine. Looking back I am amazed how bad they were!

Versions were made for 10m 11m CB and 6m too.

To this day I still like the style. They were known as the "Benton Harbour Lunchboxes" as they resembled a lunchbox.

In their day they were "state of the art".

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/vhfuhf-commercial-rigs/hw30

Sunspots - Thursday April 16th

2026-04-16T07:35:00.004+01:00

Solar flux is 105 and the SSN 57. A=4 and K=1.

Es yet?

2026-04-15T14:14:00.000+01:00

Today there were a couple of southern European stations spotted on 10m FT8.

It is about now that Es (sporadic E) starts to happen in the northern hemisphere. I guess they could have been all sorts of modes.

In the next few months we can expect lots of stations via Es short skip in the northern hemisphere. At times far further is possible via E layer, either by multi-hop or chordal hop.