Sunspots - Saturday June 29th

 Solar flux is 181 and the SSN 162. A=59 and K=2.

Bedroom view - NOT amateur radio

 

This is the view from the bedroom window at my brother’s cottage in Devon.

Sunspots- Friday June 28th

 Solar flux is 183 and the SSN 146 . A=9 and K=4.

Devon golf - NOT amateur radio

My brother plays golf ⛳️ in South Devon several times a week. The views are amazing.

Sunspots - Thursday June 27th

 Solar flux is 181 and the SSN 135.  A=9 and K=2.

8m TX permit

 Just got this from OFCOM......

Hi @Roger Lapthorn,

I’m afraid we can’t make any changes to the application.

We simply go of the dates provided in the application – You can of course apply again in the new year if you need more time for your project.

...and of course pay another £50!! Need I say more? Brain? Think? I am left feeling they really are stupid or brain dead.

Just to do experimentation? In the past they would just have issued an NoV to my amateur licence for free!! Meanwhile 2 MHz of VHF spectrum is available for radio amateurs by NoV. I am asking for just a few kilohertz at low power. I cannot contain my anger!

QMX+ cures

In the time I am away, I have ordered another USB-C to USB data lead as Ken's cure (suggested in a comment yesterday) did not work. 

To rule out the possibility of a lead problem, I shall replace the lead. This will have to wait until next week before I can try this.

Devon tomorrow - NOT amateur radio

All being well, I hope to travel to South Devon tomorrow by train to see my brother. My wife is staying here. I am coming back on Monday. 

This will mean fewer posts on this blog and means I cannot be on the radio.

Demise of amateur radio?

More than ever, I am convinced that amateur radio will die out.  It can't be long before many PTTs tire of amateur radio as it ties up people and generates no revenue.  

I can see the day coming when CB and amateur radio merge and callsigns are allocated (if at all) by national societies. It would not surprise me if all non-licenced things are merged at the same time e.g. ISM.   The golden rule is no harmful interference must be caused and any interference accepted.

Personally, I am not bothered as long as I can continue experimenting.

Fewer and fewer "amateur" radio operators know how their rigs work and even fewer actually experiment i.e. they are much like CB operators.

12 years ago

This was me operating in the garden of our old home using 2.5W CW into a small loop antenna. As I recall it worked remarkably well.