I am truly fed up with the after-effects of my stroke. Most of the time on my feet I am exhausted and giddy. My voice is still very poor. Nobody, and I mean nobody, seems to comprehend the hell I am living through. Outwardly I look "normal" and healthy. Inside is a different matter.
All I want is for things not to totally exhaust me and not to feel so wobbly. I feel so useless inside. Sitting down on the PC is fine, but the moment I try to do anything physical or mental I am soon "done in".
It seems a long time since I was my old self.
24 Nov 2015
Made in China - NOT amateur radio
Today is my XYL's birthday and one of her presents was a Cath Kitson 3-tier cake stand for the table. Even this is marked "Made in China". Surely suppliers can source this from the UK? It is just 3 slabs of plates, a few screws and some wood.
In the end this "Made in China" rubbish has to end. The wealth of the UK depends, in the end, in adding value and making things. They must make huge profits on this stuff. A few pence more to source from the UK would mean a few pence less profit. So?
John Lewis - try harder!
It is very hard to find anything that is made anywhere in Europe or the USA these days.
In the end this "Made in China" rubbish has to end. The wealth of the UK depends, in the end, in adding value and making things. They must make huge profits on this stuff. A few pence more to source from the UK would mean a few pence less profit. So?
John Lewis - try harder!
It is very hard to find anything that is made anywhere in Europe or the USA these days.
Sepura - NOT amateur radio
Shares never fail to amuse me. I finished working for Sepura in 2008. Today they gave interim results for the last 6 months and these exceeded expectations. A betting man would expect their shares (SEPU) to rise. Oh no, they have fallen!!
Sepura is a FTSE listed company. They make profits every year. They recently bought their Spanish rival Teltronic. Sepura specialises in TETRA and DMR, mainly secure radios.
UPDATE 1745z: Shares in Sepura ended the day down to 174.75, down 1.5% on the day. Totally perverse!
Sepura is a FTSE listed company. They make profits every year. They recently bought their Spanish rival Teltronic. Sepura specialises in TETRA and DMR, mainly secure radios.
UPDATE 1745z: Shares in Sepura ended the day down to 174.75, down 1.5% on the day. Totally perverse!
Sunspots and 10m - Tues Nov 24th 2015
Sunspot number is 77 today (K=0) and solar flux is good at 119. Sadly the 10m propagation forecast is "poor" today. It will be interesting to see how 10m WSPR is today.
UPDATE 1017z: From Australia VK2KRR (16789km) has already spotted me 4 times today on 10m WSPR! Ignore that "poor" forecast, HI. I find it quite amazing how a "poor" 10m forecast is given and yet my little W5OLF 10m 500mW WSPR beacon is spotted right around the planet. 6m and 10m are "magic bands" as sometimes they spring real surprises. Wolf's 10m beacon does not need a PC and would fit in a very box. It is great. I have had mine a year and I have had such fun with it. It never fails to amaze me how something so small on the desk is regularly spotted at great distances, even with a very small, modest, wire antenna. The antenna is hardly visible. Spots from the USA are almost daily and it has been spotted in Australia on 8 different days (I think) this autumn. -18dB S/N (twice today from Australia) suggests even 40mW might have been enough! Quite amazing.
UPDATE 1052z: No further 10m spots and all quiet so far on 6m WSPR.
UPDATE 1017z: From Australia VK2KRR (16789km) has already spotted me 4 times today on 10m WSPR! Ignore that "poor" forecast, HI. I find it quite amazing how a "poor" 10m forecast is given and yet my little W5OLF 10m 500mW WSPR beacon is spotted right around the planet. 6m and 10m are "magic bands" as sometimes they spring real surprises. Wolf's 10m beacon does not need a PC and would fit in a very box. It is great. I have had mine a year and I have had such fun with it. It never fails to amaze me how something so small on the desk is regularly spotted at great distances, even with a very small, modest, wire antenna. The antenna is hardly visible. Spots from the USA are almost daily and it has been spotted in Australia on 8 different days (I think) this autumn. -18dB S/N (twice today from Australia) suggests even 40mW might have been enough! Quite amazing.
UPDATE 1052z: No further 10m spots and all quiet so far on 6m WSPR.
Early 10m WSPR spots
RA3UDF (2693km) has spotted my 10m WSPR beacon several times this morning already starting at 0938z. This is single hop F2.
UPDATE 1200z: VK2KRR spotted me 4 times earlier and now I am being spotted by OE6PWD (1232km) and I4ZTO (1185km). I am unsure whether this is F2 backscatter or even Es. All quiet on 6m WSPR.
UPDATE 1200z: VK2KRR spotted me 4 times earlier and now I am being spotted by OE6PWD (1232km) and I4ZTO (1185km). I am unsure whether this is F2 backscatter or even Es. All quiet on 6m WSPR.
23 Nov 2015
Happiness - NOT amateur radio
Seen on Facebook. Written by 92 year old lady.
Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.
Not bad advice.
Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.
Not bad advice.
472kHz WSPR
I have closed down on 6m and 10m WSPR and have been on 630m (472kHz) WSPR for about an hour with 5mW ERP and no preamp using the earth-electrode "antenna". Best DX on RX is DH5RAE (995km). For the second night in a row GW0EZY (251km) has spotted my 5mW ERP WSPR.
UPDATE 1946z: We definitely need a few new stations on 472kHz WSPR. I am rapidly exhausting stations "in range".
UPDATE 1946z: We definitely need a few new stations on 472kHz WSPR. I am rapidly exhausting stations "in range".
First USA WSPR spot on 10m today
K9AN (6505km) was the first to spot me today on 10m at 1334z.
UPDATE 1642z: Surprisingly, 10m is quite poor to the USA so far today on WSPR. So far, just 2 unique stations spotting me with KK1D (5455km) spotting me at 1538z. Nothing since then.
UPDATE 1642z: Surprisingly, 10m is quite poor to the USA so far today on WSPR. So far, just 2 unique stations spotting me with KK1D (5455km) spotting me at 1538z. Nothing since then.
Sky Box Questions?
This came via Steve G1KQH:
Is
the new Sky Q box just about to spoil our hobby?
Sky
Q PLT interference maker?
Sunspots and 10m - Mon Nov 23rd 2015
Sunspot number has climbed again to 76. K=1. The daytime forecast for 10m propagation remains "fair", so reasonable 10m conditions can be expected today. Solar flux is a respectable 122.
UPDATE 1022z: So far, the 10m WSPR spots have been from RX3DHR (2533km). All quiet on 6m WSPR so far.
UPDATE 1024z: As the above indicates, I am again active on both 10m and 6m WSPR and QRT on MF until after dark this evening.
UPDATE 1135z: 3 spots of G8VDQ (93km) so far on 6m WSPR, but no further spots yet on 10m WSPR. Despite higher sunspot numbers, good solar flux levels, and undisturbed conditions, 10m WSPR is quiet this morning. 10m is definitely a band of surprises: when you expect it to be good it is not and vice versa.
UPDATE 1022z: So far, the 10m WSPR spots have been from RX3DHR (2533km). All quiet on 6m WSPR so far.
UPDATE 1024z: As the above indicates, I am again active on both 10m and 6m WSPR and QRT on MF until after dark this evening.
UPDATE 1135z: 3 spots of G8VDQ (93km) so far on 6m WSPR, but no further spots yet on 10m WSPR. Despite higher sunspot numbers, good solar flux levels, and undisturbed conditions, 10m WSPR is quiet this morning. 10m is definitely a band of surprises: when you expect it to be good it is not and vice versa.
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