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Roger G3XBM's (Mainly) Amateur Radio Blog

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PW 2m QRP contest today (Sunday)

Posted: 13 Jun 2021 01:59 AM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2021/06/pw-2m-qrp-contest-today-sunday.html


Later, I hope to be on 2m SSB briefly to give away a few points in the PW
QRP contest. I entered last year and will do so again, although with no
chance! It is on 0900-1600z. I know G2XV will be active for the Cambridge
Club (CDARC)
See http://www.pwcontest.org.uk/ .

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6m FT8 RX (Sunday)

Posted: 13 Jun 2021 01:52 AM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2021/06/6m-ft8-rx-sunday.html


Monitoring 6m FT8 again with the FT817ND and the V2000 omni vertical
antenna. Most are UK so far this morning with just a couple of EU stations
by Es.

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Sunspots - Sunday June 13th 2021

Posted: 13 Jun 2021 01:46 AM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2021/06/sunspots-sunday-june-13th-2021.html


Solar flux is 78 and the SSN 0. A=10 and K=3.

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New Chinese portable transceiver?

Posted: 12 Jun 2021 02:49 PM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2021/06/new-chinese-portable-transceiver.html



It looks like the Chinese manufacturer Xiegu is going to launch a new
product called the X6100.
Apparently their quality control on earlier products was not good. At the moment this still puts me off Chinese made amateur radio products. If I was spending good money I would expect it to be reliable.
They'll get there, but still not there yet.


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OK I failed

Posted: 12 Jun 2021 02:20 AM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2021/06/ok-i-failed.html


This photo was taken in 2010. It shows our grandson who was 2.5 years at
the time in my workshop at the back of the garage in our old QTH.
He is now 13 and shows no inclination towards engineering!


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Oscar 100 activity

Posted: 12 Jun 2021 01:36 AM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2021/06/oscar-100-activity.html


Regular readers will know that every few weeks I check activity on the narrowband transponder of this geosynchronous satellite.
The last time I looked was at 0832z on a Saturday, which is when I would
have expected it to be quite busy in Europe, being a weekend Saturday
morning.
It was quiet. If anything, activity is lower than it was with very few
stations on. I guess it is just too hard for black box operators!! I have
no doubt that if Yaesu or ICOM made a simple solution then activity would suddenly rocket!
See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/ .

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Yesterday (Friday) on 6m FT8 RX and Japan on 6m maybe?

Posted: 12 Jun 2021 01:42 AM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2021/06/yesterday-friday-on-6m-ft8-rx-and-japan.html


The Es season is in full swing. 388 stations spotted yesterday.
This is the time of the year when better equipped 6m EU stations make
contact on 6m with Japan. This regularly occurs at this time of year and
may be linked with the formation of noctilucent mesospheric clouds that
form at this time of year.

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6m FT8 RX (Saturday)

Posted: 12 Jun 2021 01:16 AM PDT http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2021/06/6m-ft8-rx-saturday.html


Once again I am monitoring 6m FT8 RX with the FT817ND and V2000 omni. So
far, in the last 2 hours, 10 stations spotted.

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