Chinese SPAM and British Gas - NOT amateur radio, just amateurish

I am sorry to report that most of my SPAM messages (deleted at the earliest opportunity) come from the Far East and most are from China. I am now getting expert at spotting these, which have no relevance to the actual post. Most want to advertise a link. Sorry, you are wasting your time as these comments rarely get
as far as being published even. Many are probably generated by computers anyway.

By the way, weeks after waiting in for British Gas to install smart meters I have received many emails but no explanation why no-one turned up in the agreed 5 hour slot. British Gas seem hopeless, but so are many energy suppliers here in the UK. "Arse and elbow" comes to mind: they only seem able to communicate with customers by computer and they do not seem to know what other divisions in the same company are doing.  Despite billing me at the new QTH for 2 years, they have my wrong details on their system. I can only change this if I say I've moved house. Doing this would probably just throw their system into total confusion, so for now I am still awaiting a phone call from a human being. Smart meters? Oh I forgot to mention that their system says smart meters will not be available here for several years to come.  Despite this, it was British Gas who contacted me to arrange the date for installation that never happened. Basket case? You bet they are! I can remember when you could actually talk to people who knew. Same with my bank. You used to be able to talk with a  local bank manager. Nowadays you get a call centre 5000 miles away. We have moved backwards.

In my business life, people would have been retrained or even sacked for the sort of customer service that seems to be the norm these days. Does no-one really care about customers any more? I guess not.

British Gas - more like British Crap based on my recent dealings with them. British Gasbags maybe?
Barclays - your friendly local bank?  Only if you want to talk with people in India who have no idea who you are at all.

Furthermost G on 6m WSPR

G4IJM (271km) was spotted on 6m WSPR at 0908z today. This is the furthermost G that I have copied on 6m WSPR by any propagation other than Es or F2. I suppose it could have been some form of backscatter or aircraft assisted tropo?  Interesting distance. Unfortunately I was too late checking the trace to see if there was any evidence of aircraft reflections. Most signals  in the last hour from G0OQK (98km) have had some evidence of aircraft reflections - usually multiple traces every time the signal decodes.  IU1DZZ (973km) has been copied multiple times this morning by Es on 6m as has IK1NET (981km).

UPDATED 1343z:  Spots exchanged both ways with CN8LI (2113km) just after lunchtime on 6m WSPR.

UPDATE 1652z:  So far today CN8LI (2113km) has been spotted 9 times (sometimes very strongly) and he has spotted me twice.  I shall be going QRT on 10m and 6m late this evening and not stopping on overnight.

UPDATE 2028z:  CN8LI (2113km) has been spotted 14 times today so far and he has spotted me 10 times on 6m WSPR.

UPDATE 2125z:  I have only just seen that I was (yet again) spotted by 4X1RF (3519km) at 0738z this morning.

Terrorism - NOT amateur radio

It is now 10 years since many people were killed in a terrorism attack in London. Terrorism is not the way and will never, ever, result in good.  No,  hearts and minds are changed by acts of true love and kindness, and by forgiveness.  This may take a long time, but it ultimately is the best way.

I am moved to tears when I read of Japanese soldiers and their captives in WW2 forgiving past wrongs. In the past nearly every nation has done great wrong. The world would be a happier place if we were all able to forgive and work constructively for a fairer, just world. Each of us has a small part to play by doing our bit to make a kinder world.

Although not a Quaker, I have much sympathy with their quiet way of peace. It was the Quakers who encouraged both sides to work constructively for peace in Northern Ireland. Who would have thought that Martin McGuiness and Ian Paisley would sit together and enjoy a laugh? 15 years before this would have been unthinkable.

No, in the end talking true peace and reconciliation is the only way, not bombs and bullets. Bombs and bullets ultimately stir up more hate.

Sunspots and 10m - Tues July 7th 2015

Sunspot number is 131 (K=1) and 10m is expected to remain "fair" today.

UPDATE 0912z:   This was a screen shot of my WSPR received near Moscow earlier this morning before we had breakfast.  It was received by Alexander UA3ARC from his country QTH (which looks very nice Alexander).  It is always interesting to see how my signal is being received.  It is also interesting to see what else Alexander was copying, presumably by Es.  I use 500mW on 10m WSPR from a tiny little single board beacon (WSPR-AXE-CW by W5OLF). The little beacon makes the FT817 rig look big, HI. The tiny beacon is totally stand-alone and needs no PC. It has been copied all over the world. I love it and use it most days. One of these days I must get one for 20m too.

UPDATE 1512z:  Plenty of Europeans by Es on 10m WSPR this afternoon.

6m and 10m WSPR overnight

Since the Es openings yesterday only G stations overnight on both bands. I shall probably stop these overnight sessions as they have proved rather unproductive.

Best DX overnight was a report from G4CUI at 172km on 10m WSPR.

I see that I am now getting reports from Russia and Italy on 10m presumably by Es (see later post).

Chinese rip offs - NOT amateur radio

Sorry, but the Chinese should not be allowed to do this, in my view. Pariahs? They get away with this because we allow them to. Allow them free reign and all western businesses will be ruined.

See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx5zdf-bG4c .

Elecraft K1

One of my least used rigs (it has still to be used at this QTH!) is my 4-band Elecraft K1 CW transceiver. This covers 40m, 30m, 20m and 15m CW at up to about 7W. It has the auto-ATU built in so just needs a 12-13.8V supply, CW key and end-fed antenna to be on the air.

At my old QTH it has worked lots including the USA on all bands with a simple end-fed wire antenna down the garden.  I really should consider selling it or trading it in as it is not being used.

Cranial osteopathy for stroke - NOT amateur radio

Some people think that cranial osteopathy is a "snake oil" treatment. I have now had 4 sessions in Cambridge to help me with my remaining stroke related issues and I think it is helping me to relax.

Certainly the massages are very relaxing. Although I still have problems with speech and swallow of thin liquids and I still feel drunk (wobbly) when walking,  I do seem less tired than I was.  For now, I am continuing the sessions in the belief they are helping. Overall, I desperately want to get back to normal.

6m and WSPR settings

CN8LI (2113km) has been very strong with me but often just outside the lower band edge on my WSPR setting. I have readjusted my frequency so CN8LI is now appearing 20Hz higher. I assume this is Es propagation but it could just be F2 propagation. This is probably my settings being off rather than CN8LI as I had the same issue last summer.

Sunspots and 10m - Mon July 6th 2015

Sunspot number has risen to 131. K=4 which suggests quite disturbed conditions. For the first time in a while 10m propagation is described as "fair" rather than "poor".