10m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

My IC-705 at 6W FT8 has been on since about 0800z.

UPDATE 1533z:  17 stations have spotted me today.

Quiet moment - NOT amateur radio

This was one of our grandsons enjoying a few moments of peace last week.

North Devon cottage 2012

 This is where we stayed in 2012. It was a small cottage with a wood burning stove.

Wednesday plans

Although it looks like conditions will be disturbed, I hope to go on 10m QRP FT8 later.

Sunspots - Wednesday April 16th

 Solar flux is 153 and the SSN 86. A=34 and K=5.

6m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

My IC-705 has been on 6m 6W FT8 since the second half of the morning.

UPDATE 1921z: 19 spots of me.

10m 500mW WSPR (Tuesday)

 Been on for the second half of the morning, but no spots of me.

UPDATE 2056z;  2 stations spotted me today.

Sunspots - Tuesday April 15th

 Solar flux is 153 and the SSN 86. A=24 and K=6.

Tuesday plans

  Probably 10m 500mW WSPR and 6m QRP FT8 later.

Habitable planets - NOT amateur radio

There are an unbelievable number of planets believed to exist in the universe. Human consciousness should just cease when we die. The truth is we have no idea what happens. If anyone claims to know, I don't believe them.

There are estimated to be more planets in the known universe than grains of sand in the whole world!  I find this and life totally mind blowing. We really know so little.

See https://www.livescience.com/space/how-many-planets-are-in-the-universe .

It is estimated there are 100 sextillion (10 followed by 23 0s!!!) planets. This is a huge number.

Considering the huge advances in AI in just a few years, it is hard to be certain what we find is sentient life.

Maine - NOT amateur radio

One of the aspects I enjoy about 365project.org is getting glimpses of other parts of the world such as this excellent photo of Maine by one of the members called Joan Robillard.

10m QRP FT8 (Monday)

My IC-705 at 6W FT8 was turned on at 0645z.

UPDATE 1534z: 97 stations have spotted me. See map.

UPDATE 2200z: 166 stations have spotted me my QRP today.

Sunspots - Monday April 14th

 Solar flux is 164 and the SSN 80. A=15 and K=4.

Exhibition - NOT amateur radio

At the moment there is an exhibition doing the rounds in the UK. At the moment it is in our church in Burwell. It shows stories from the Bible in knitted figures.

10m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

My IC-705 at 6W 10m FT8 has been on since breakfast. 

UPDATE 1750z:  241 spots of me so far. Furthermost is Western Australia. The USA has started to come through now. See map.

Ephemeral beauty - NOT amateur radio

 

The spring blossom does not last long. 

The blossom on our ornamental cherry lasts about two weeks only.

Sunday plans

 After breakfast my plan is to go on 10m QRP FT8. 

Sunspots - Sunday April 13th

 Solar flux is 165 and the SSN 120. A=20 and K=4.

"Our" windmill next door - NOT amateur radio

As mentioned before, we live immediately next door to a fully restored 200 year old windmill. 

Earlier this week our son took this photo at night.

The future of amateur radio in the UK

 It is hard to predict the future, but some trends are clear:

• Amateur radio is, in the main, a hobby of white older men.
• People less often use amateur radio for chatting, preferring the internet.
• The hobby is attracting and keeping fewer young people.
• There is far less building and experimenting.
• The national society (RSGB) depends heavily on old men volunteering.
• Far fewer transceivers will be sold in the future as we age.
• Japanese manufacturers will increasingly question if there are still profits in amateur radio.
• The licencing authority (OFCOM) gains no revenue from amateur radio, just costs.
• We increasingly rely on fewer UK dealers.
• Some dealers will retire and close.
• Some magazines depend heavily on advertising revenue and would really suffer if this revenue stream stopped.

Take together, things will inevitably change.  The same situation is likely in many countries e.g. the USA and Germany.

It is my view, quite possibly totally wrong, that deregulation is the most likely outcome. One possibility is:

• Amateur radio will cease in its current form.
• All amateur radio bands will be deregulated so no licence will be required.
• Callsigns will become optional, but allocated by the RSGB if still needed.
• No interference must be caused.
• Amateur radio will merge with other licence free services like CB and ISM.

It is far from clear what the future holds, but change will come. One possibility is than any frequency may be used with the exception of certain restrictions such as frequencies allocated to the military or commercial services and broadcasting as long as no harmful interference is caused.

Am I concerned?  No. My interest has always been experimentation and any such changes are unlikely to make things worse. Also, most amateur radio operators are appliance operators these days, buying their transceivers from a dealer with little or no idea about how it works! I know of one local who does not know how to even use the transceiver he bought!