Bury St Edmunds - NOT amateur radio

Last Tuesday when our "London" grandchildren were off school because of a strike we had a great time in the Abbey Gardens, Bury St Edmunds having a picnic and playing crazy golf. The picture shows them before our picnic.

Yes you see right! Our granddaughter (always an individual) chose to wear 2 right shoes, with one being a winter boot! We love them just as they are.

Grass - NOT amateur radio

Only on Monday I cut the rear lawn but it already needs cutting again! At this time of year grass grows and I guess the combination of dampness and warmth create ideal growing conditions.

UPDATE 1138z:  Grass cut, but I feel knackered!

6m JT65

So far this morning I have spotted a few G stations on this band (best DX 182km) but no Es seen here yet. I have had reports (from locals) of spurious signals about 700Hz away from my main signal. They say this is not RX overload.  This is puzzling as the FT817ND is not being over-driven. Later, I shall swap to JT65-HF software (I need to load it first!) to see if that makes any difference. Currently I am using WSJT-X V1.6.0.

UPDATE 1140z:  Just G spots so far (TX and RX) on 6m JT65 today.

UPDATE 2120z:  Es on 6m from Scandinavia and Spain. I have now swapped to JT65-HF to see if the "ghost" signal goes with the change of software.

10m WSPR disappointment

Just a couple of 10m WSPR spots from Europe overnight. Although probably a blip of Es these could be tropo or aircraft reflections. So far this morning, not a single 10m WSPR spot since the early hours.

Sunspots and 10m - Fri July 8th 2016

Solar flux is 84 today (up a little). Sunspot number is 25 (K=3) and the forecast for 10m F2 propagation remains "poor". It is a long time now since I have been spotted a long way away on 10m by F2.

Newmarket - NOT amateur radio

This pedestrianised shopping area in Newmarket was once called "The Rookery" but it is now called "The Guineas". There are horses everywhere! Newmarket is the home of horseracing. We do most of our food shopping here.

No Es here?

This is the first day this season when I have seen no European spots at all here on 10m WSPR or 6m JT65. There may have been Es around, but not here. Things can still change and the kit is still running on both bands. 10m WSPR has been particularly disappointing.

UPDATE 1930z:  Just one 10m WSPR spot by GM4WJA (624km) may have been Es. This was at 1700z today.

An OFCOM report prepared by an old work colleague

See http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/market-data-research/other/technology-research/2015-reports/assessment-effects-of-repeaters-mobile-networks/.  This report for OFCOM (dated Nov 2015) was prepared by PA Consulting. My old work colleague, Simon Tonks, was involved according to LinkedIn.

UK Conservative Party Election - NOT amateur radio

I have never voted Conservative in more than 40 years but I am very pleased that Michael Gove has been eliminated. In the last few weeks he has, in my view, acted really badly and he has been hosted by his own petard. In my view he deserved all he got. Let us hope he is not in the new Cabinet.

Although not a great supporter of Theresa May, I think she is the best choice for Prime Minister of the UK as we move to leave the EU. She voted to remain in the EU, but is likely to unite the Conservatives.

Interesting times.

AES closes

A large USA dealer has closed according to a message from Steve G1KQH. As I have said many times, we are (in the main) an ageing population of radio amateurs and it is quite likely other dealers will close within the next few years. I fear for some UK dealers and some magazines. Unless more young people are attracted, the dealers will go, the magazines will get less revenue from adverts and the magazines will shrink and go too.

What attracted many of my generation into the hobby does not hold true today. To young people today video messaging around the world is commonplace. Young people get "turned on" by different things.

Our hobby will be very different in 20 years.