My gear has been on most of the day.
UPDATE 1908z: So far, spotted by 176 stations, mainly Es in Europe. I think I need to try re-installing WSJT-X or get a new PC. It seems to fail to upload spots I make and cannot access certain memory locations as if my hard drive is failing. Never seen this before. Seems to work fine unless the program tries to use these memory locations.
My beacon has been on all day.
UPDATE 1800z: 97 stations have spotted me today with the best 5Z4GO (7269km).
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However, I like the smell and the taste always seems better if you grow them yourself.
I wish mine looked like these seen at the nearby village of Lode.
Let me say from the very outset that I abhor violence of any kind.
Recently, in the UK, there has been an uptick of anti-semitism with attacks on synagogues which is totally unacceptable.
This is what I wrote on Facebook in 2015!!
“Israel - as a nation SHAME ON YOU for the attack on a Palestinian home in the occupied territories. No amount of apologies from the Israeli head of government can make this other than STATE terrorism.”
See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpvwjmme3p0o . Hmmm...and Israel will agree??
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At the moment the Es season in the Northern Hemisphere is still good.
In my experience it peaks May, June and July but continues with less force into August and even September. As time progresses the openings get fewer and fewer.
Usually Es means short skip on 10m, 6m and 4m, and even 2m at rare times.
We also see far more distant E openings, but I am less sure about the mechanism: some may be multi-hop Es, but I am sure some must be some sort of chordal hop E layer. Maybe this is more common in the Es season?
The USA constitution prevents a president running for office more than 2 times. Sadly, Trump and his friends could change this so this could happen.
As mentioned before, my beacon was already on.
UPDATE 0901z: So far today, 33 stations have spotted me. Good Es.
UPDATE 1127z: 10m opened to the USA again. 37 stations have spotted me today.
My gear was turned on at about 0851z.
UPDATE 0856z: So far, 5 spots with some Es.
As an experiment, I left my beacon running (suitably supervised) overnight. Quite surprised to get several spots at daft times!
Just now I found another great internet resource. It lets you see a driver's eye view of cities around the world. It is amazing.
At the back of my mind is a worry.
We depend increasingly on the internet. If that was hacked or to collapse we would be in real trouble.
Many in the West increasingly pay by card rather than cash. Many of our bills are paid by bank transfer, airlines take bookings over the internet. Probably our energy, water and sewers depend on the net. Most communication is by email. Banking depends increasingly on the internet. Financial trades depend on the internet.
And so it goes on.
It bothers me that all this could come tumbling down.
Now, humans are resourceful and given time we would find a way of managing, but this would be a shock.
My gear was turned on after breakfast.
UPDATE 1333z: 37 stations have spotted me.
UPDATE 2129z: By chance I went back on 6m FT8 this evening. My 1W FT8 was spotted across the Atlantic by VO1SIX (3931km) and VO1NC (3755km). Now QRT on 6m.
My beacon was turned on at about 0615z.
UPDATE 1335z: So far spotted by 18 stations with the best VE3HOA (5384km). Most were EUs via Es.
Sodium rechargeable batteries are coming on stream. They will rival lithium-ion batteries and need no rare earth materials.
Since after WW2 and the Breton Woods meeting, the US dollar has been the reserve currency in the world. Oil is priced in US dollars.
However, the world is changing. The US dollar is no longer considered such a safe haven. Arguably, the USA is on the way down and China is on the way up.
Maybe the Chinese Yuan will become the currency everyone will trust and trade in?
A few days ago I read that 27.265MHz was a popular spot for CB FT8, so I am monitoring it.
UPDATE 1436z: 329CZ045 (1020km) has appeared on PSKreporter screen from the Czech Republic. I guess I must mug up on CB callsigns!
UPDATE 1556z: Spotting several CBers in southern Europe. Many of the callsigns mean nothing to me! I need to search these on Google.
UPDATE 1559z: A useful resource appears to be https://www.radio-workshop.co.uk/pdf/cb-callsigns-table.pdf.
My beacon was turned on at about 0715z.
Often, they just go and it takes a few days to realise they are no longer around. Their return each May always gladdens my heart.
UPDATE July 28th: Still swifts here.
In the last few months Ukraine has changed its method of fighting the war with Russia.
Increasingly Ukraine is hitting oil refineries in Russia leading to a fuel shortage. Russia continues to hit Ukraine, but the strikes in Russia are leading to real problems.
When I was younger a popular non-fiction book was "Chariots of the Gods" by Erich von Daniken. I see it is still available from Amazon.
The premise of the book, as I recall, was that we might have been visited by aliens from other worlds that people interpreted as supernatural. Remember we still believed in witches not too long ago!
The premise might be wrong, but remember people would not have known how to interpret such events back then.
It is possible that many past things and religious events could have had a non-supernatural origin. This is true in the Jewish and Christian traditions and in other great religions around the world.
I am not saying these great events were not supernatural, but they could have been something totally outside of the experiences of people at the time.
It is true to say, I am agnostic.
Sadly there are fewer experimenters around these days.
In the early days of amateur radio everyone had to build their own gear as commercial products simply did not exist. In more recent times people, in the main, have bought transceivers mainly from Japan.
One person stands out as a real experimenter, VK3YE, who has always been prepared to "roll up his sleeves" and try things. He has made lots of videos, written books and runs a website. To my mind he is a real radio amateur. Thank you.
The nature of LF, MF and shortwave is changing.
As mentioned before, it would not surprise me if the military in many countries "reserves" access rights "just in case" satellites are not available for any reason.
Hopefully, experimenters could be granted access except in times of conflict.
In my view, this is NOT just radio amateurs. I would like to think that anyone could be granted access to wide chunks of spectrum, for experimental work, with strict rules about ID and closing down in cases of emergency or interference. You would expect PTTs to want emails, addresses and phone numbers in case anyone had to be notified to close down.
Shortly I expect to go on 10m WSPR TX with my little beacon.
UPDATE 1710z: 91 stations spotting me with the best Israel.
These magazines were on this blog some years ago. They were bought at a bookshop in Hay-On-Wye which is famous for its bookshops.
Reading them you get a sense of just how exciting radio really was back then.
This weekend I heard about the death of a school friend.
I guess as we get older this will be more common. At one time it was another generation. Now it is my generation! He died suddenly and as far as I know without pain.
I guess this is a wake-up call: we all have a finite time. Milk life.
In China, the sale of cars, especially petrol cars, has fallen dramatically. Cars in China are far lower in price than in the West.
The war between Russia and Ukraine has been going since 2022. Recently Ukraine has been attacking targets deep in Russia, so ordinary Russians are beginning to feel the pain.
After WW2 Italy was praised for its healthy diet and was the model of the world for its Mediterranean diet and very low rate of heart disease.
These days have gone and many Italian children are obese.
My beacon was turned on at about 0902z.
UPDATE 1715z: 41 stations have spotted me, most by Es. Best is EA8BFK (2880km).
Although I have not tried it apparently FT8 is becoming a popular mode for CB DX chasers. I have not tried CB for years, but might try monitoring for fun as I cannot TX on the CB frequencies.
There has been an announcement made that Samsung is in pre-production with a solid state battery.
At first these could be expensive. As production ramps up prices will drop dramatically. Range could be huge and charge times fast.
My gear was turned on at about 0600z.
UPDATE 0625z: Just UK spots so far.
UPDATE 0803z: Plenty of Es stations from southern Europe. Power set at 1W (was 5W).
There has always been a reluctance in the UK to tax really big landowners; the fear is they will up and leave the country. The answer is surely to increase their tax just enough to bring in what is needed (say 1% more) but not enough to really "rock the boat".
In the UK there are some really big land owners like many of the Cambridge Colleges, the Duchy of Cornwall, the Duke of Westminster and the Church of England. If all these were taxed just a little bit more I am sure they would hardly notice. I am sure this could finance social care and defence.
It is unfair to put the burden on the average person or those in greatest need. Those with the broadest shoulders should carry the heaviest load - always. Why should people have to sell their homes to pay for care?
Based on some comments that YouTube algorithms might be pointing me to anti-Trump videos, I searched YouTube for "Trump supporters". This appeared. It might help to explain things.
Still the vast majority of videos question why he was elected. Assuming everything was fair, I guess his election is a reflection of over half those that voted.
I had always assumed the USA was a fair minded country interested in justice for all.
Xiegu has announced the G7250 transceiver. At one time Chinese radios were considered inferior to Japanese transceivers. Quality has improved from China and prices are always very good.
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| Stations spotting my 3W 6m FT8 today at 0810z |
UPDATE 0810z: 66 stations have spotted me. I see Europeans (better equipped than me!) are working the Far East on 6m FT8.
Stations spotted here today on 6m FT8
UPDATE 1813z: Spotted by 357 stations with the best UN0GY (5528km). Yet again 6m was open to the USA and Caribbean. Although I could spot stations, my 1W was not enough.
My shack PC had a PIN . The trouble was that Windows had a glitch and frequently forgot it! Carefully following Google, I have removed it. It was a right pain.
Still plenty of Es on 6m.
UPDATE 1923z: So far today, my 500mW 6m FT8 has been spotted by 201 stations.
My beacon has been on since breakfast.
UPDATE 1924z: So far, spotted by 113 stations.
It was late afternoon before I went on.
UPDATE 1845z: Spotted by 27 stations in Europe.
Whatever your views, the Iran war is now going on for months and fuel prices are rising again.
In my view, this war was a mistake.
Iran is (arguably) no wonderful land of peace and love. Judging by the videos I have seen it is (was?) a beautiful place, that nobody has a right to destroy. This war has put back efforts to convert this country away from being considered a warmonger to a peace loving nation.
We have seen vandals in the past who have destroyed things of beauty just because the rulers at the time did not approve - think of the UK King Henry VIII and the English Civil War and actions in Syria and Afghanistan by the Taliban.
According to Google Adsense my blog had nearly 1 million views yesterday in one day. There is no way at all this is correct! It's very flattering (!) but totally wrong! Not sure what algorithm is being used, but it is very very wrong.
My 200mW WSPR beacon was turned on mid morning.
UPDATE 1900z: So far today, 53 stations have spotted me.
Recently Toyota announced a car with a solid state battery. The solid state battery has been delayed and delayed.
This (somewhat sceptical) video examines the claims. Yes, solid state batteries could unlock far less expensive EVs with great range.
Yesterday was another good 6m day.
My 500mW FT8 was spotted widely by 358 stations in the last day including KP4AA (6905km) in the Caribbean. So my 500mW 6m FT8 has now been spotted across the Atlantic twice in 2 days!
I have looked for videos and people supportive of President Trump, but I have totally failed. I have found not one video and not one person outside his inner circle that supports him - not a single one! I would have expected some that would support him, but I cannot find any!
If he really is this hated, why is he still there?
In the interest of fairness, please would those that do support him make a comment? It would be good to hear what "Joe Public" has to say.
My gear was turned on mid-morning.
UPDATE 1026z: Spotted by 69 stations with the best D4L (4517km) in Cape Verde Islands. Good Es again today with 500mW.
UPDATE 1533z: Spotted by 281 stations today. On 6m FT8 RX quite a few stations in the USA and Caribbean have been spotted.
This is far from scientific, but the impression I get with Es is that 6m QRP FT8 TX is more productive than 10m QRP WSPR. I know this is like comparing apples with pears, but it seems easier with 6m FT8 than 10m WSPR. On 10m I run 200mW whereas on 6m 500mW. I would guess ERPs are similar. WSPR can decode far weaker signals, but needs far longer. I guess Es conditions often are fleeting and less suited to WSPR.
My 200mW beacon was turned on early this morning.
UPDATE 1511z: So far spotted by 84 stations. Good Es mainly around Europe.
There were lots of USA stations spotted on RX and 80 stations spotted overall after a mid-afternoon start.
500mW seems quite enough!
Although not a great football fan, I watched some of the matches. The best team, Spain, won.
Overall, I do not think this will go down in history as a great set of games: some venues were hot and humid, tickets were very expensive and the fans had lots of travel.
President Trump, allegedly, knew little about the game and overall FIFA appeared grovelling. I am not saying they were, but that was how it appeared to me.
I was glad President Trump did not make a speech at the end.
My gear was turned on at about 1415z.
UPDATE 1428z: Spotted by F6BNX (1099km) and EA8JF (2831km).
At one time it was weddings, then Christenings. Soon it will be funerals!
It seems many of my friends are now starting to show the signs of old age.
My shack PC is playing up again.
When I try to enter my PIN, it thinks I am offline. Apparently this is a common issue with Windows. Last time it just fixed itself, so I shall try again later with fingers crossed.
My intention was to try 500mW FT8 today on 6m.
In the Northern Hemisphere, after the summer solstice, evenings start to get darker earlier. At first, this is slow, but by September it becomes obvious. This year, rather than long for the return of brighter evenings, I intend to just accept them and enjoy them.
Every season has something good.
At present we have summer to be enjoyed.
UPDATE 1351z: 31 stations have spotted me.
Kierkegaard was a famous Danish philosopher. One of his famous sayings (been on before) was:
Despite England being out of the FIFA World Cup final they were clearly hoping plenty would turn out for the third place match which they won 6:4.
I hope that Spain win in the final and President Trump says nothing.
The trouble with YouTube these days is that it is very hard to tell what is real and what is just AI clickbait. I am still on Windows 10! This appeared yesterday.
This is a philosophical question.
We experience time as flowing from the past into the future obeying the laws of thermodynamics that things get more disordered following entropy.
All this could be an illusion in our finite brains.
At the quantum level current theories show some things independent of time and that time does not just flow forward.
I think we just have to admit we do not know.
In my view, President Trump has made matters in the Middle East and the world far worse.
With Israel, he started a war. I assume President Trump was expecting a more pro-Western government to emerge? This has not happened. Iran has emerged stronger.
Iran has long been known as having a nasty government, but the USA is, sadly, seen by many in the world as a bully. This is so sad as when I have been involved with people in the USA they have, without fail, been warm, kind and generous.
The world has been cushioned by the release of strategic reserves, but these cannot go on for ever.
The world is in great danger of a financial shock as a result of the war against Iran, that badly misfired.
My gear was turned on at about 0620z.
UPDATE 1924z: Spotted by 241 stations today. Tomorrow I shall probably try 500mW FT8. QRT soon.
My beacon was turned on at 0620z.
UPDATE 1923z: 49 stations have spotted my little beacon. QRT soon.
You can tell we’re in the Es season as I was widely spotted across Europe on 6m FT8 yesterday.
In all, 237 stations spotted me.
Outside the Es season mostly it’s white noise.
Especially when the weather is good (as in most of the UK recently), many enjoy portable operations with SOTA and POTA becoming popular.
It is not uncommon to leave something at home, especially if lots are being packed.
MLS has produced a video recommending some of the products they sell.
For a change, I am on 2m FT8 with 5W to the big-wheel omni antenna.
UPDATE 1537z: So far, spotted by 10 English stations. Furthest is G7RAU (460km) in Cornwall.
In his time Sir Clive Sinclair was a real innovator.
In my early days at work, I was once asked for my advice from Sir Clive about antennas for his pocket TV. I think there was a possibility of my company developing ICs jointly with Sinclair.
Wisely, I think he chose a different antenna, but it was a highlight of my early years!
For those unfamiliar with these license free mesh systems, the jury is out.
It reminds me a bit like VHS v Betamax. It also reminds me of the early days of the internet, when things were far from mature. It would not surprise me if things quickly mature and one system soon dominates.
In cities where the coverage is good, these systems. that do not depend on the internet, probably work quite well. In rural areas or where coverage is poor, it is probably of limited use at the moment.
I have never used either ...... yet. At the moment I am waiting! I hope it's better than pocket calculators where I waited and waited.😊
We always have some with breakfast and my wife makes a lovely blackberry and apple crumble which is great with ice-cream.
Every Thursday there is an hour long edition of the Trump Report with Professor Scott Lucas.
They were still around in the skies overhead when we had coffee outside just now.
I am pleasantly surprised by the numbers holding up. Numbers have fallen in the last 30 years and they are on the RSPB's red list of endangered species.
My gear was turned on about 0900z.
UPDATE 1817z: So far spotted by 152 stations today. Mostly European Es.
It’s a while since I peeked at activity on this satellite. Activity remains low.
Yes, that is an SMA antenna connector and USB-C charger socket.
My beacon was turned on at about 0520z.
UPDATE 1423z: Spotted by 10 stations by Es.
My beacon was turned on at teatime.
UPDATE 2013z: 23 stations have spotted me.
My gear was turned on at teatime.
UPDATE 2010z: Spotted by 78 stations this evening.
Worldwide, the price of electric vehicles (EVs) is falling.
Batteries are far less expensive and getting better with more range and faster charging.
The USA is in danger of being left behind.
The war in the Middle East is also accelerating this change away from fossil fuels.
When I find my CW key (!) I must try my HW8 (2W) on the Reverse Beacon Network (RBN) if the bands are dead.
The RBN logs SDR reception and collects the data, so you can see where your CW signal gets.
Very useful when there is little activity.
See https://www.reversebeacon.net/
Our brains don’t cope with infinity.
We struggle to think of an infinite universe or an infinite number of universes.
With infinity every choice we have ever made may actually exist even though we choose one path.
No, infinity is impossible to imagine.
Shortwave use is changing.
When I was young, there was a raft of shortwave broadcast stations in multiple languages. Many broadcasters have closed for good as most people now get their information by other means including the internet. Some broadcasters have closed to save costs.
Also many amateur bands are far quieter as a result of modes like FT8.
No, things are very different today.
People may think of shortwaves as a backup when the internet or satellites are not available. It would not surprise me if the military reserves multiple frequencies.
FT8 is a popular mode, especially if you are chasing DX. This video gives some tips to optimise FT8. I think sometimes people use FT8 in preference to SSB or FM. This is good in the short-term, but most are very unlikely to find the hobby by chance.
Gmail puts things in a SPAM folder that it thinks is junk. Maybe 1 time in 1000 it gets this wrong so I always do a quick check before deleting.
Most times it tells me (again) that all my photos are about to be deleted and someone has a wet "cat" and desires my company 😂 .
Overall, it does a good job.
There is a real possibility that Spain could win the FIFA Football World Cup .....in the USA.
President Trump allegedly hates Spain. Hmm.... Interesting.
It would seem allegedly that President Trump has made a mess in the Middle East. Iran still has a hard-line government, and the Strait of Hormuz is a choke point.
President Trump claims a victory and says Iran is desperate for a deal .... I have lost count how many times he has said this!
My beacon was turned on just before breakfast,
UPDATE 2048z: 43 stations have spotted me. I am being spotted in the USA with the best KQ2Y (5476km). This station is in Connecticut.
Have you noticed how we are being bombarded by adverts that push proteins? It would seem this is the new fad in advertising.
It would appear many powerful leaders are ignoring future war crimes prosecutions.
Many of the most potent leaders in the world face possible war crimes and (I think) could face prosecution and imprisonment if they landed in certain countries.
No doubt this would lead to diplomatic incidents but could lead to careful travel planning.
Because of the football, I was on later than usual and then only a short while. 4 stations were worked.
Good fun in the football hydration break!!
My beacon has been on since mid-morning.
UPDATE 2041z: 44 stations have spotted me today. Now QRT.
Long after I retired, I found out lots about him I never knew in my work days. He was a brave man involved in the D-Day landings and was a POW.
He was awarded a medal by the French and died in his 90s. If only I had known years before.
This piece appeared in a newspaper some years ago although I have no idea which one!
Often you really know very little about people: you don't really know what their history was or the pain they are going though now.
I know what we are having for breakfast!
You may recall I bought a much modified HW8 some weeks ago. If I could find my CW key I might use it on TX!
This video is years old. In its day the HW8 was a very good rig.
I bought one already made but later sold it back to the person I bought mine from. It worked plenty of DX despite 2W and low wire antennas.
I judge numbers by the number I see in the sky. It has been rare to look up and not see swifts.
People expected numbers to be down as there are fewer nest sites.
They only stay in the UK for a few months. I hope to see them next May. They are still here at the moment, but one day we'll look up and realise they have gone.
It seems we are all becoming more angry.
At one time it was quite normal for people to have different views (often widely apart), but to respect the different views and discuss them amicably.
In particular politics has be come angry. It was far better when we respected views that differed from our own and learned from them. There is no reason for people with different views to get angry.
This is not only true in politics. In society we seem to treat those who hold views that differ from our own with anger.
I am not sure if this is a result of social media, but it is sad. People can hold different views but still be friends.
My beacon was turned on at about 0815z.
UPDATE 1947z: Spotted by 32 stations, presumably Es. Now QRT.
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It was still hot!
This photo was from the bus.
My beacon has been on since mid-morning.
UPDATE 2056z: 28 stations have spotted me. These were probably Es. Now QRT.
Perhaps one of the upcoming rechargeable battery technologies will be based on sodium (i.e. salt).
It is my view that we are on the cusp of a revolution.
Although it has a lower energy density than the best lithium ion batteries, sodium is very plentiful and might make an ideal material for mass storage batteries.
Yesterday, one of the largest UK dealers talked about second hand linears.
Now, each to their own, but this is NOT my idea of amateur radio!
Even the second hand prices are about a hundred times the cost of my first transceiver that worked plenty of DX with simple, low antennas.
As I said "each to their own", but count me out please.
They have matured early with the recent heat.
They are delicious with breakfast.
As mentioned before, I left my beacon running overnight.
UPDATE 1950z: So far today, spotted by 124 stations, most via Es. Best DX are spots in the Canary Is.. Now QRT.
Most of us are now retired.
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As an experiment I left my 200mW 10m WSPR beacon running through the night, suitably supervised. It would appear that Es was there through the night with regular spots from Central Europe when sensible people were asleep.
Fires in EV batteries are very rare.
Nonetheless China has made fires in batteries illegal by law, meaning EV batteries will be even safer. This increases costs slightly, but probably means the take-up of EVs could be greater.
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As I have said before, if I had to give up every other amateur radio magazine, SPRAT would be the one I'd keep.
Back issues are available on a CF stick that represents incredible value.
GQRP membership costs are very modest.
My shack PC runs Windows 10 and has a log-in password. Even though it is connected it insists it is not and is asking me to log-in some other way. How do I do that?
My beacon has been on since breakfast.
The UK company SDRplay make a range of SDR receivers including one which can be used over the internet remotely. I have the RSP1B, which I have hardly used yet.
MLS has a video about the networked version which also says a lot about the SDRconnect software.
President Trump is now in his eighties. It is normal for health to decline as we age. There are several signs that President Trump has passed his best.
Most days I watch the Trump Report on YouTube. The trouble with YouTube now is there are many AI created videos so you have to be careful about sources.
It would seem that a certain leader is very good at annoying his so called allies. He seems to lack tact and manages to leave a sour taste.
This is sad, as I have found everyone in the USA I have had dealings with to be kind and generous. Certainly those visiting the USA for the football have found a warm welcome.
He was correct in asking European NATO allies to pay more. About Spain and Denmark (and Greenland) he is, in my opinion, totally and utterly wrong.
In my view, everything he seems to touch gets worse and not better.
All I ask is:
My beacon was turned on at 0815z.
UPDATE 1711z: 46 stations (probably Es) spotting me.
My gear has been on since 0815z.
UPDATE 1425z: 11 stations spotting me so far. Most are English with, perhaps, one by Es. It would seem there is less Es today on 6m.
A visit to the App Store on my iPhone SE should have taken me straight to the Apple Carplay app so I thought. Wrong. Instead I was faced by a barrage of apps that supposedly allow me to connect my iPhone to the car.
What I am after is the Apple app. assuming there is one? I do not want to download the wrong app.
Surely a giant like Apple would be able to direct me to the correct app immediately on their own app store!
Apparently not.
Anyone know the correct app please?
An Australian company may have the answer to dramatically increasing the range of electric vehicles.
My gear was turned on at about 1133z.
UPDATE 1942z: 336 stations have spotted me today.
My beacon has been on since about 1133z.
UPDATE 1940z: Spotted by 70 European stations.
See https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/radio-propagation-maps/europe-sporadic-e/
Today, I am trying 8m FT8 RX. I might spot a few stations!
UPDATE 1130z: Nobody spotted. This afternoon, I may try 6m 3W again. It seems that interest in 8m is low now we are way after the sunspot maximum.
Yesterday was brilliant on 6m.
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| Stations spotted yesterday on 6m FT8 RX |
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| Stations spotting my 3W 6m FT8 yesterday |
The news was released today that a long-term UK politician (Nigel Farage) has resigned as an MP. He has been questioned recently about payments to him. He claims these donations were for personal protection and did not need to be declared.
Allegedly, one of the UK newspapers published a photo (I think) of where his daughter (?) lived. I am not a supporter of his party, but I am totally opposed to this sort of gutter journalism. It is totally uncalled for.
I have been on 6m FT8 since just before breakfast.
UPDATE 0845z: So far 103 stations have spotted me with the furthest TF2CT (1927km).
These days, with Es, I seem to get better success with 3W FT8 on 6m than 200mW WSPR on 10m.
My little beacon has been on since just before breakfast. Most were spotted by Es.
UPDATE 0847z: Spotted by 25 stations so far.
The spirit of soccer was dented yesterday by the intervention of President Trump. Despite this, the USA was eliminated by Belgium. Personally, I think the game was hurt by this intervention.
Yesterday I was on 10m QRP WSPR. In all, 100 stations spotted me, most by Es.
My beacon has been on since just after lunch.
UPDATE 1244z: 32 stations have spotted me most by Es.
The fences on two of the boundaries were replaced. You can hardly see them now!
At about 0930z, I QSYed to 8m FT8 RX. I think I just missed EA3ERE.
UPDATE 1125z: Just G4FKI spotted. I may go back to 6m FT8 later.
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| Stations spotting me at 1637z |
UPDATE 1637z: Back on 6m FT8. Spotted by 23 stations. Es I presume for many.
My beacon was turned on after breakfast.
UPDATE 1452z: Went QRT, but now back. So far spotted by 4 unique stations, presumably by Es.
Assuming the trains are running smoothly, I should be home later. I have enjoyed my time with my brother in my old haunts.
Back on 6m and 10m probably tomorrow.
When I was still at university I still had hair and was a lot slimmer, HI. I hope the link works as it its a photo of me about 55 years ago!
As mentioned yesterday I went to see an old work colleague who retired here.It’s a lovely place.
Today I am going to Dartmouth to visit an old work colleague who moved here. He’s a licensed radio amateur and very bright.
UPDATE 1554z: Really good catching up with G4IUG.
Yesterday we visited the Pannier Market in Tavistock, UK which sells just about everything!
It started in 1105 and has been going ever since since!!
BYD (allegedly) has just filed some new patents. BYD is working towards a future electric car that is designed for the mass markets (i.e. lo...
