Solar Panels? - NOT amateur radio

Just received this from Steve G1KQH. I thought about solar panels on the roof but decided not to in the end. Our electricity bill is well below average already due to widespread use of LED and economy lights. I doubt solar panels would repay the investment in my lifetime. Also they have a finite lifetime too. Also new panels are getting smaller and more efficient all the time.

"The washing stacked up there wasn’t enough produced to heat the kettle? Soon the subs will be nowt..

 

Only once in Summer did the output peak at 3.9KW read on:

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news/article-3281593/Why-shouldn-t-solar-panels-ve-saved-hundreds-driving-poor-wife-twist.html

 

Glad I have never bothered.

73 Steve
http://www.g1kqh.talktalk.net/"

More 10m F2 DX

At 1324z I got a spot from FR1GZ (9724km) on 10m WSPR.  A few minutes later he spotted me again twice. It looks likely that my little 10m WSPR beacon will be spotted in the USA later.

UPDATE 1855z:   USA spots started today at 1542z. There seem to be spots from the USA on 10m WSPR most days now.

UPDATE 1924z:  Lots of Germans on 10m WSPR. Out of season Es?

UPDATE 2010z:  All quiet now on 10m and 6m WSPR, although I shall be on both bands overnight.

6m Es?

At 1104z IK1WVQ (1076km) was spotted on 6m WSPR. This may well have been Es, even though it was at an odd time of the year.

UPDATE 1425z:  I think this was Es as it was only the single spot. Out of the blue then gone again. I was glad to be around for this. This is where WSPR scores.

More quangoese?

The latest from OFCOM to justify their existence? Really I have no time for bureaucrats who add no real value. Sorry if I am being harsh but my own dealings with OFCOM have been crap.  All they do is hide behind "the law" and to a man/woman they seem unable to make decisions. Bring back pragmatists and sack the rest! Unless they add value they serve no purpose.

See http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/general-policy-on-information-gathering/?utm_source=updates&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=general-policy-on-information-gathering

Another UK Rally

I have been notified of another UK rally. Please note this is this weekend. I get sent these reminders by the Cambridge Club.

Saturday 24 OCTOBER : 6th FOG ON THE TYNE RALLY
Whitehall Road Methodist Church Hall, Bensham, Gateshead NE8 4LH, organised by Angel of the North ARC. OT 10.30am, £2, TS, B&B, RSGB bookstall, C, CP. Nancy Bone, G7UUR, 01914 770 036 (eves), nancybone2001@yahoo.co.uk. www.anarc.net.

A list of rallies can be found at http://rsgb.org/main/news/rallies/

Back on 10m and 6m WSPR

Rather later than planned I have been on 10m WSPR and 6m WSPR since about 1100z. It takes about 15-20 minutes for the 10m beacon crystal to stabilise, whereas the 6m WSPR (which uses the FT817 and PC) usually stabilises more quickly.

UPDATE 1112z:  Quite a few 10m spots from Europeans by F2 (I think), but nothing further yet. As there was 6m propagation to Italy I wonder if we there was some Es today?

UPDATE 1204z:   Recent 10m spots of 4X1RF (3519km) are probably F2.

Sunspots and 10m Thurs Oct 22nd 2015

Sunspot number is 73 today (K=2) and 10m is expected to be "fair" again. 10m propagation should mean my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon will be copied in the USA again. A sunspot number of 73 and K=2 implies reasonably settled conditions.

The Search for Life in the Universe - NOT amateur radio

This afternoon I have my U3AC course on the above subject. We have a great variety of courses in Cambridge. We are very lucky having many ex-university people with a wish to share their vast knowledge.

Someone turned the switch on!

Although the locals are not active or they have their beams away from me, I can see clear evidence of F2 spots on 10m WSPR appearing. EA8/LA3JJ (2870km) and LZ1OI (2153km) have both spotted me lots of times today already on 10m WSPR this morning. It bodes well for the day.

UPDATE 1635z:  Plenty of USA 10m WSPR spots now. This is the 4th day in a row that I've had 10m WSPR spots from the USA.

CQWW Contest

Although I am not a great contest fan - although I do like the VHF and UHF RSGB UKAC contests on Tuesday evenings - I usually go on 10m SSB for the CQWW SSB contest. The SSB leg is this coming weekend. Last year I forgot it (doh!) and the year before I was in hospital. Although we have visitors for some of the time, I hope to be on Sunday PM and occasionally beforehand. It is a good chance to work lots of stations.

Even in quiet sunspot years CQWW usually brings out the stations.  It is a good contest although I have never used much power or actually submitted a score. See you there?

Next autumn will be very interesting: sunspot numbers will have fallen but I bet CQWW will prove 10m is open despite this. Often lack of activity on 10m makes a band seem "closed". All it needs is a bit of activity to prove this. This is where 10m WSPR should prove its worth.

See http://www.cqww.com/ .