Yours truly remained active on these bands overnight for a change. OK, I admit it - I forgot to turn them off and did not QSY to MF! There were no spots on 10m, but on 6m WSPR G8VDQ (93km) was spotted lots of times through the evening and night.
UPDATE 1024z: Still no spots on 10m WSPR.
21 Apr 2016
Sunspots and 10m - Thurs April 21st 2016
Solar flux has fallen further to 82 today. Sunspot number is 24 (K=2) and the 10m propagation forecast again is "poor". We are now entering the Es season so short-skip may liven up 10m and 6m fro time to time. Es tends to peak around lunchtime and teatime, but can occur at any time and in any month.
Talk today - NOT amateur radio
A final reminder for a talk at our local museum today....
Thursday 21 April 2.00 Steve Crane, Burwell Museum’s Collection Manager "Railways in Burwell", near Cambridge.
Talks are followed by tea and biscuits. Free with museum admission. No admission charge for season ticket holders, Friends and museum volunteers.
See http://www.burwellmuseum.org.uk/ .
Thursday 21 April 2.00 Steve Crane, Burwell Museum’s Collection Manager "Railways in Burwell", near Cambridge.
Talks are followed by tea and biscuits. Free with museum admission. No admission charge for season ticket holders, Friends and museum volunteers.
See http://www.burwellmuseum.org.uk/ .
20 Apr 2016
2m UKAC results so far
Out of 125 entrants in the AL section of the 2m UKAC I see I am 83rd so far. This is not bad considering my 5W, omni antenna and very limited operating time in each session. I shall enter most months if I am around.
RadCom arrived today
The May 2016 RadCom arrived in the post today.
On the outside rear cover was an advert by MLS showing a £223000 Rolls Royce and a Yaesu FTdx9000NP for £8399. Do people really need their egos stroking so badly that they fork out this sort of money on what is supposed to be a hobby? Each to their own, but I could never spend this sort of money. Add a linear, HF beam and a big rotator and you are talking really serious silly money.
All I can say is I think this is very very sad. It is not for me to say how others spend their money, but I think this is about egos and not about amateur radio. I don't recognise this "cheque book radio" as being my hobby any more.
On the outside rear cover was an advert by MLS showing a £223000 Rolls Royce and a Yaesu FTdx9000NP for £8399. Do people really need their egos stroking so badly that they fork out this sort of money on what is supposed to be a hobby? Each to their own, but I could never spend this sort of money. Add a linear, HF beam and a big rotator and you are talking really serious silly money.
All I can say is I think this is very very sad. It is not for me to say how others spend their money, but I think this is about egos and not about amateur radio. I don't recognise this "cheque book radio" as being my hobby any more.
Swallows - NOT amateur radio
Only yesterday I was that I'd seen no swallows (birds) in East Anglia. Today I saw two! I still think they are less numerous but at least I have now seen some this season.
Oxborough Hall - NOT amateur radio
Hingham is where Abraham Lincoln's ancestors came from. It is between Norwich and Watton. It is a lovely place.
See http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/oxburgh-hall
See http://www.lincolns-of-hingham.co.uk/
Active on 10m and 6m WSPR
Since about 0630z I have been active on 10m WSPR (100% TX 500mW) and 6m WSPR (20% 1W ERP TX, 80% RX, vertical).
So far just G8VDQ (93km) and G8AXA (103km) spotted several times on 6m WSPR and nobody spotting me yet on 10m WSPR.
UPDATE 1600z: No spots at all on 10m WSPR and just G8VDQ and G8AXA still on 6m WSPR. I shall leave both running in case there is some Es at teatime.
So far just G8VDQ (93km) and G8AXA (103km) spotted several times on 6m WSPR and nobody spotting me yet on 10m WSPR.
UPDATE 1600z: No spots at all on 10m WSPR and just G8VDQ and G8AXA still on 6m WSPR. I shall leave both running in case there is some Es at teatime.
Sunspots and 10m - Wed April 20th 2016
Solar flux has fallen again to 28. Sunspot number is also down at 28 (K=2). The forecast for 10m propagation remains "poor", although 10m has been livened up by sporadic-E (Es) in recent days. Yet again, I am not expecting great F2 propagation on 10m today.
19 Apr 2016
481THz experiment - abject failure
Well, I am sorry to report that my 481THz lightbeam experiment was a total failure.
Although I could detect my QRSS3 signal strongly across the house bouncing off the windmill I was unable to detect any sign of the signal at my remote site. I had problems with aiming which did not help, but I was not expecting the total exhaustion this test brought on. In days gone by this would have been easy, but even soldering a headphone jack tired me. Doing the actual test left me totally "done in". I really should repeat the test with better aiming, but I am not ready in my body.
If one thing this has taught me it is that I am still too feeble for field work. It was a great disappointment, but there will be other opportunities.
In past years I loved doing this sort of experiment. Sadly, my body is telling me, "not yet".
Although I could detect my QRSS3 signal strongly across the house bouncing off the windmill I was unable to detect any sign of the signal at my remote site. I had problems with aiming which did not help, but I was not expecting the total exhaustion this test brought on. In days gone by this would have been easy, but even soldering a headphone jack tired me. Doing the actual test left me totally "done in". I really should repeat the test with better aiming, but I am not ready in my body.
If one thing this has taught me it is that I am still too feeble for field work. It was a great disappointment, but there will be other opportunities.
In past years I loved doing this sort of experiment. Sadly, my body is telling me, "not yet".
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