Summer bird migrants returning - NOT amateur radio

The wheatears have started arriving back in Devon and soon it will be martins and swallows. The long winter will soon be behind us.

See http://www.devonbirds.org/news/bird_news/devon_bird_sightings .

The image below is not on this site but at the link below. It will be removed if a problem.
http://www.devonbirds.org/images/library/dbn/public/stoke_point_male_wheatear_10617_0.jpg.

Wheatear in Devon

Our hobby in 30 years?

Although I cannot speak for other countries, here in the UK ours is a hobby mainly of older people and mainly men.  When I was fitter, I gave several talks to local radio clubs in East Anglia and without exception it was mainly OAPs who came along. OK there were a few youngsters and women, but the vast majority were older men.

Amateurs and SWLs are a dying breed, unless we can attract young people into the hobby. I am 67 and will be dead within 30 years, probably a lot sooner. An aging population will not buy so many rigs, will not support magazines etc. Numbers will fall, activity will fall, interest will drain away.

In 20-30 years we will be very much in uncharted territory. What will our hobby be like in years to come?

Sunspots and 10m -Tues March 16th 2016

Solar flux is 93 today. Sunspot number is 44 (K=2) and the 10m propagation forecast remains "poor", although I rarely find an absence of 10m DX even when the forecast is "poor".

A lot of 10m seeming dead is people taking a casual look, hearing no stations, and moving down the bands. If on SSB or CW call CQ.  Better still, go on WSPR - little power is needed and if DX is about you will find it!

10m WSPR again

After being on 630m (472kHz) WSPR overnight - no new stations - I have now returned to 10m WSPR for the day. No 10m WSPR spots as yet, although there was a strong (no Doppler) signal as I switched on: this was drifting a lot and did not decode.

UPDATE 1212z:  Still nothing here on 10m WSPR so far today.  It is disappointing.

UPDATE 1424z:  Still no 10m WSPR spots here all day.

UPDATE 1512z:  Just a couple of spots of G4CUI (172km) on 10m WSPR so far and no DX so far.

FTSE 100 roller coaster - NOT amateur radio

The roller coaster ride continues. Presently, the FTSE 100 UK share index is up 0.49%. This is budget day in the UK so a lot can change later. I am still expecting big falls once the punters wake up in the real world with all its problems. I would not be surprised to see the FTSE 100 at 5000 rather than around 6169. It will recover later, but we have uncertainty ahead.

Return to 630m WSPR

At about 2100z I switched from 10m WSPR to 630m WSPR (5mW ERP) using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. I see I've been spotted by G4FKK (106km) and I have spotted a couple of Norwegian stations so far.  Best DX on RX WSPR, so far, is LA1TN (1269km).  It is now 2125z.

472kHz WSPR spots to 2135z

Back on 10m WSPR

At about 0914z I returned to 10m WSPR.

I was on 630m (472kHz) last night but the PC closed the WSPR program around 0100z to do updates. I only recently did a scan and program restart.

As conditions look disturbed, I am not too hopeful about 10m WSPR today. If I get spotted at all, it is likely to be by G stations only. On 10m WSPR I am using 2W 20% TX and on RX for 80% of the time.

UPDATE 0924z:  No 10m WSPR spots as yet, although I am not surprised.  It is very early and conditions are not good.
UPDATE 1120z:  Still no 10m WSPR spots.

UPDATE 1145z:  4X1RF (3519km) has spotted me a few minutes ago, so there is life on 10m WSPR! I assume this was single hop F2.

UPDATE 1356z:  KD0VWO (7412km) monitoring in Brazil has spotted me on 10m WSPR.

UPDATE 1515z:  Several spots from Israel and Brazil today on 10m WSPR, as well as an exchange of spots with my old local friend Ted G4NUA (12km). As I have said very many times, 10m has a habit of throwing surprises. Today I thought I'd be lucky to get even G spots but spots have come in from real DX locations!

Syria and Russia - NOT amateur radio

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-35809087 .

I am no expert on Middle East politics but this move by Russia surprised us all. They still keep their bases in the region, but I think no-one (except maybe the US military?) was expecting this. Does it make peace in the country more (or less) possible? I only hope that all players work towards a peaceful and fair outcome for all in this war-torn land. The people of Syria have suffered too much.

PCB supplier?

This came to me last evening via Steve G1KQH:

This link came from an article I read in PW recently, could be useful especially for a club:

http://www.3pcb.com/

73 Steve

http://g1kqh.blogspot.co.uk/

Sunspots and 10m - Tues March 15th 2016

Solar flux is 93 today. Sunspot number is 57 (K=4) and 10m propagation is yet again expected to be "poor". 

At the moment my shack PC is doing a scan so I am not active on WSPR on any band.