Calais migrants - NOT amateur radio

See https://crowdfunding.justgiving.com/sophie-besse-bus?utm_campaign=20160229_66903&utm_medium=email&utm_source=ExactTarget .

The migrant crisis in Europe is a real headache. The only viable long-term solution is a fair and just peace in Syria plus fairness and peace in other countries. As I write, the ceasefire in Syria is largely holding.

In the meantime, some continue to try to make life bearable for these poor people, many of whom have left everything in their bid for peace. The link shows an example of practical help on the ground.

No, no-one chooses to uproot everything and live/walk in harsh and dangerous conditions unless there is little hope left. Most of these people are truly desperate people, true refugees in need of our help.

See also http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35731325 .

Belgium 60m and 4m

Southgate News reports that Belgium has access to the 5MHz allocation and extended access to the 70MHz band. It is a pity they only allocated the 15kHz and not a wider allocation at 5MHz. I very much hope CEPT allocates a contiguous 100kHz band across Europe at 5MHz.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2016/march/belgium_gets_wrc15_5mhz_allocation_and_4m_extension.htm.

Our son turns 40 - NOT amateur radio

It is hard to believe our elder son is 40 this week. Our other son is 2 years younger. This weekend the whole family came up and we all enjoyed a meal out. The photo shows our elder son, with us, with all our little grandchildren about to share in a cake in our kitchen.

Mortality - NOT amateur radio

This has been mentioned here before.  As we get older, I guess we think of mortality more and more. With not having been well for 2.5 years I guess you think about this even more, knowing that it is likely you will die before too long. It could be next week or it could be in 30 years. Currently I am 67.

It comes to us all. No-one really knows what happens. Maybe it is just to dust that we turn, even though most religions talk of an afterlife. We knew nothing of before we were born so would nothingness matter?

I guess no good is done by worrying about this. It all depends on individual consciousness. Does anything exist after our bodies turn to dust? What is the nature of that thing we call the mind? One thing is certain, we have small brains and the mysteries of life are great and mostly beyond our understanding.

Life after death? Honestly, I think no-one knows.

10m WSPR to Australia yet again

Yet again there were early spots on 10m WSPR from Australia with VK2KRR (16789km) spotting me at 0810z. VK6XT (14719km) was spotted here at 0934z.

My old work colleague G3TFX in Cambridge worked a string of USA and Canadians on 40m SSB around breakfast with 30W.

UPDATE 1154z:  Mostly short skip on 10m WSPR with nearer Europeans, plus Gs. Spots exchanged with SV1DAR (2414km). No other real DX other than the Australians earlier.

Sunspots and 10m - Sun March 6th 2016

Solar flux is 96 today and sunspot number 68 (K=2). The forecast for 10m propagation remains "poor", although I had been spotted in Australia on 10m WSPR just after 0800z.

Not bad on 10m WSPR today

With spots both given and received today from the USA and Australia and received from South America with 2W, today must go down as a pretty good day on 10m WSPR. In a year from now these conditions will seem exceptional, so I am enjoying 10m whilst I still can. As I have said before, even with very low solar activity, 10m can still be decent on N-S paths. We now have a new tool: WSPR. I am convinced the band is "open" far more often than people realise and with low activity they leave the band. It is important that we stick around 10m WSPR even in the quiet times ahead. There is much to be learnt.

Sunspots and 10m - Sat March 5th 2016

Solar flux is 100 today and the sunspot number has shot up to a 95 (K=2). Although the 10m propagation forecast remains "poor", I have already been copied in Australia, so things can't be that bad.

Many times I have said that 10m is often better than many people think. Today is a case in point and where 10m WSPR is so useful at "smoking out" openings that might have been otherwise missed.

10m WSPR - early spots from Australia

Already this morning VK2KRR (16789km) has spotted me 5 times already on 10m WSPR. Definitely promising!

UPDATE 1116z:  Since the Australian 10m WSPR spots, G4KPX (14km) has spotted me and I have spotted M0XDC (65km), the latter with lots of Doppler, so probably involving aircraft reflections, although this could be him settling on frequency. No other DX spots, well not as yet. With the relatively undisturbed conditions, good solar flux and a high sunspot number, I am surprised not to have seen lots more on 10m WSPR.

Late 10m WSPR spot

G4CUI (172km) has been spotted not long ago. This is probably tropo with aircraft reflection. t this time of night I am pleased to spot anyone on 10m WSPR. The best I can hope for is tropo or aircraft reflections for G or the near continent. These were all the 10m WSPR spots today: