Sunspots and 10m - Tues Aug 25th 2015

Sunspot number has dropped a little to 71 (K=2) and 10m propagation is expected to remain "fair". Certainly here, there was no sign, on 10m WSPR, of any F2 propagation. Es seems to have died down on 6m WSPR although there is still Es on 10m WSPR. I am still awaiting some nice F2 openings on 10m WSPR.

UPDATE 0906z:   No Es today on either 10m or 6m WSPR so far this morning.

UPDATE 1216z:   Still no Es seen here on either 10m or 6m WSPR today.

East Anglian Churches blog updated - NOT amateur radio

Last week we called at delightful Aylsham in north Norfolk on our way to Blickling (National Trust). We visited the church there and I have updated our East Anglian Churches blog.

See http://eachurches.blogspot.co.uk/

More on the IC7300 and the FT817 replacement

See http://yo9irf.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/icom-reveals-first-sdr-ic-7300.html .

YO9IRF has been collecting data on the ICOM IC7300. Although no 2m or 70cm it looks like the first true SDR radio from the big players in Japan.

He also tells me the Yaesu personnel dropped a hint that the long awaited FT817 replacement would be launched at Dayton next year. Personally, I think Yaesu badly misjudged the market and should have launched this when the peak of cycle 24 was still building. They are 3-4 years too late! What a sales opportunity wasted. Now, with waning solar activity that could last for 30-40 years, who will buy it? They had a ready market for half a million units worldwide. It had better have some really strong features if it is to sell in 2016 onwards.

Stroke "truth drug" - NOT amateur radio

Another after-effect of my stroke seems to be a degree of lack of inhibition. Sometimes this is seen as being tactless, but maybe I see things "as they are" more clearly now and am prepared to express this? There is no doubt this gets me in to trouble at times.  In many social situations it is better to say nothing than the wrong thing.

BTW, I am on no medication for my stroke, just statins which I have taken for years which keeps my cholesterol in good limits with no side effects.

Sunspots and 10m - looking better - Mon Aug 24th 2015

Sunspot number is 93 today (K=2) and for the first time in weeks 10m propagation is "fair" rather than "poor". Are things looking up?

UPDATE 0852z:  On 10m WSPR just spots by M0MVB (30km) and no 10m Es yet.

UPDATE 0900z:  Just the usual spots by G0OQK (98km) on 6m WSPR and no 6m Es yet. On both 6m and 10m WSPR I am seeing no sign yet of any F2 propagation on WSPR, but of course activity is way down on last year. 10m and 6m are just to hard work for many. There are currently about 1/3rd of stations active on 10m and 6m compared with last year.

Met Office and the BBC - NOT amateur radio

Next year, the BBC will no longer use the Met Office for its weather forecasts. I have no idea who they will use instead. I very much doubt the forecasts will be any better, but at least they will be able to buy better seaweed, HI.

For a long time I have been critical of our weather forecasts. Yes, I know UK weather is complicated but as a minimum they should give a level of confidence in any forecast. Sometimes they are useless with even the forecast for a few hours hence being wrong. Often it is as good to look out the window.

Es today on 10m WSPR, but not 6m WSPR

There has been plentiful Es around on 10m WSPR today, especially from northern Europe, but no signs of Es - well not yet - on 6m WSPR. It feels like the end of the main Es season now.

UPDATE 1900z:  Still no signs at all of any Es on 6m WSPR.  In fact all day I have just been exchanging spots on 6m WSPR with G0OQK (98km).

My main website

Although I write a couple of blogs most days (one amateur radio related and a more general one), my main website with far more details about the projects and things that interest me is at http://www.g3xbm.co.uk . It has not been properly revised for some time as my health has not been too good for a while now. As I have said several times on my blogs, I hope to get back to field work as soon as I can.

Buying an antenna pole

About 2 weeks ago I filled in an online request form for our local TV/antenna erection Company called Fenway. No reply, nothing.

So I tried emailing the contact name given - again nothing back.

So, they have lost my business for this and anything else. They deserve to go bust.

I will get my antenna pole from someone else. Rubbish service.

Sunspots and 10m - Sun Aug 23rd 2015

Sunspot number is 72 today (K=3) and 10m propagation remains "poor". Es will again be the main hope on 10m and possibly 6m WSPR.  We are still in summertime conditions and at the back end of the Es season in the northern hemisphere.