31 Jan 2017

Weather forecasts in the UK - NOT amateur radio

OK, people keep telling me how complex and difficult it is to predict the UK weather. But we still buy millions of pounds worth of super-computers so we can do a better job.

Today (this very morning) the local forecast for Burwell and Cambridge both said dull, but dry until after dark. At 2pm this afternoon it rained when I had to walk 0.5 miles in Cambridge. You would expect TODAY's local forecast would be correct!

The only reliable forecast seems to be to look out of the window. Super-computers? Met Office, please spend the money on something more useful and stop pretending. Wet seaweed is a lot less expensive!

More 6m MSK144

Only Eire, France, Germany and England spotted on 6m MSK144 RX today with the FT817 and omni vertical and poor coax. 6 countries this last few days. Amazing what this mode produces.

Solar hole

Southgate News reports on a Spaceweather post that a solar hole is spewing the solar wind towards Earth. The worst should hit around Feb 1st, which is tomorrow. Obviously, this could impact HF conditions.

See http://spaceweather.com/ .

Burwell Cottage - NOT amateur radio

Although our village (Burwell, Cambs, UK) has grown a lot in recent years, it still has some lovely cottages like this one.  Some parts of our church are around 1000 years old and the oldest house dates from around 1200AD. I suspect this cottage dates from the 1700s, so is quite new!

6m MSK144

Nothing copied overnight, but EI4DQ (576km) in IO51 near Cork, Eire was again spotted this morning. I am monitoring on 50.280MHz. Aircraft reflection? I  think so.

One more day and night on 6m, then time for a new challenge.

With such a simple system here I am amazed to spot so much.

UPDATE 1216z: France and Germany spotted on 6m MSK144 this morning.

UPDATE 1325z: EI4DQ (576km) was recently spotted on 6m MSK144. At the moment, this is the furthermost.

Sunspots and 10m - Tuesday January 31st 2017

Solar flux is 76 today and the sunspot number 35. This cycle is far from over! A=6 and K=3.

30 Jan 2017

East Cambridgeshire 2m FM Net

A reminder that the East Cambridgeshire Net is on 2m (144.575MHz), yes one four four, at 8pm clock time on Mondays on FM vertical. Everyone welcome.

Usually we are on the air for about 30 minutes. If the channel is already busy, we usually QSY down 25kHz. This started life as an AM net on 144.55MHz.

As this uses the same antenna I use on 6m, I'll try loading up my long wire for 6m for the duration of the net.

6m today so far

6m has not disappointed again today with quite a few stations spotted by MSK144 on 50.280MHz RX. Judging by the distances, I think these were tropo or aircraft reflection and not random MS. I shall probably remain on this band and mode overnight. It is fascinating to see who just pops up, especially by MS.

Italy, Switzerland and Eire on a flat band? Can't be bad with just an omni vertical, FT817 and lossy coax! I assume this sort of DX is there at any time in the solar cycle too.


Cambridge - NOT amateur radio

We are very lucky to live within very easy reach of Cambridge which is about 10 miles away "as the crow flies". I used to work in the city. It has a rich academic history with its world famous university, Kings College Chapel, Samuel Pepys Library and probably the highest concentration of Nobel Prize winners on the planet! People come from all over the world to see what we can see for free at any time. As a local, we can get into the colleges for free. And we take it all for granted.

As an "oldie" we can take advantage of the vast number of University of the Third Age (U3AC) courses on offer. Often the lecturers are ex-university staff, who give their time without charging. It is great learning to simply find out knowledge without exams or pressure.

At some point we will realise just how lucky we are.

See http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/chapel/index.html

6m overnight and early today

EI4DQ (576km) was spotted on 50.280MHz (6m) on MSK144 at 0819z. Overnight nothing copied. I shall remain on 6m MSK144 RX all morning, reporting to PSK Reporter Maps what I pick up.