Buskers - NOT amateur radio

Whilst my wife spent our money I was having a drink in Pret-a-Manger watching these buskers across the road. I didn't have my camera, so had to use my old iPod Touch 4g for the photo. Cambridge was very hot this morning and Pret-a-Manger was a cool spot to watch the world for 30 minutes.

Sunspots and 10m - Tuesday September 13th 2016

Solar flux is 86 today. Sunspot count is 57. K=2. The forecast for 10m F2 propagation remains "poor".

10m WSPR and 6m JT65

ON5AV (320km) is the best on 6m JT65 RX so far this morning. This is either tropo or aircraft reflection and not Es (far too close). As yet, nothing on 10m. I have been spotted by a couple of UK stations on 6m JT65 TX.

UPDATE 1440z: Several Es spots from Spain on 6m JT65. I have been spotted and spotted others. At the moment I cannot (yet again) access the WSPR database to check 10m WSPR results.

Autumn Conditions on 10m?

We are already in autumn according to the UK Met Office, although I have yet to see any signs of autumn conditions on 10m JT65 or 10m WSPR. The best 10m conditions are usually later in the season but I remain hopeful of some USA openings on 10m this autumn. With solar conditions getting worse, this is probably the last chance many of us will see for USA stations on 10m by F2. Es occasionally allows 10m openings to the USA and Canada in the summer. The next peak is years away and may be poor.

I think the mantra is "wait and see". We live in hope! This is where WSPR and JT65 are particularly useful: there are usually plenty of people TXing and RXing all the time. If the 10m band opens even briefly, it will be noticed.

UPDATE 1938z: I am pleasantly surprised by the amount of Es on both 6m and 10m this late in the year. I have said many times that there is Es at all times of the year, although not at the same level as in the main Es "season".  WSPR and JT65 are ideal 10m modes when the band seems "dead". You'd be surprised!

UPDATE 2050z: PY2HH (9610km) in Southern Brazil has been spotted on 10m JT65 this evening.

Bark - NOT amateur radio

We went to nearby Anglesey Abbey yesterday.  I just love this tree bark. The texture is amazing.

Activity today

At the moment I am active on 10m WSPR and 6m JT65. I did a manual re-sync to internet time about 30 minutes ago "just in case". As yet, no Es on 6m but there has been Es on 10m WSPR with EA1FAQ (1249km) spotting my 500mW.

UPDATE 1540z:  It helps to be on the right frequency! I have now gone QRT on 6m JT65 and 10m WSPR and fired up on 10m JT65. I noticed I was on 50.270 and not 50.276MHz. The dial lock was not on and the dial must have been knocked! I am now definitely on 28.076MHz JT65.  So far, no spots.

UPDATE 1710z: Just G4CJC (73km) and OH1EEZ (1657km) spotting me so far.  There is clearly some Es on 10m JT65.

UPDATE 1735z: Nothing from South America spotted on 10m JT65 here so far this evening.

UPDATE 1931z: I see that I have copied a South American in Brazil as well as a UK station (IO81) on 10m JT65, although neither station reported this to PSKreporter maps. LA7DFA (1312km) spotted me a little while ago.

Sunspots and 10m - Monday September 12th 2016

Solar flux is 87 today and the sunspot number 63. K=2. The forecast for 10m F2 propagation is still "poor".

QRP and QRP Club

From Oleg:

Dear Club 72 members and friends,

Weekly QRP Rendez-Vous report (September 5 to 11, 2016)
Visitors  of  the week: US3EN, UA1CEG, R1OA, RV3GM, DL1YAY/p, OH6NPV,
DL1YEF,  UR0ET,  HB9DAX,  UA1ADF,  RA1M/mm,  R1CAF,  OE6GYL,  RU3NJC,
LZ2HT/1,  DK1HW,  RV3DSA/0,  ON4ADR, UA0SBQ/p, UR5EFD, DJ1PQ, DL2ASG,
RV3UF, G4GIR, LA8BCA/p, UA9MLY, DL2WA, RN4AO, G0FVH, G6HUI, US5ERQ

Congrats!
RN4AO, UA9MLY, R1CAF became Honor Frequenters of QRP Rendez-Vous

See full Visitors/Frequenters lists and "rendezvous" schedule at Club
72 page - www.club72.su

72! Oleg RV3GM / KH6OB "Mr. 72"

Shakespeare's famous speech - NOT amateur radio

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_quality_of_mercy_(Shakespeare_quote)

This is probably one of the most famous speeches in the English language. It is Portia's famous speech in Shakespeare's "Merchant of Venice".

Like many, I had to learn this off by heart at school. I'm glad I did. It means much more to me now than 50 years ago.

The quality of mercy is not strain'd,

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven

Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;

It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:

'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes

The throned monarch better than his crown;

.......

Not buying.....for now

With BREXIT, Japanese goods, and USA goods, priced in USA dollars should be some 10% more expensive to import into the UK. I expect dealers will absorb some of this, but maybe not all. This could mean some prices go up later this year or next.

I was thinking about investing in a new rig like the ICOM IC7300 but the offered cash price was too great, so I shall stick with my present rigs for now. The FT817 has served me well and has enabled me to work some impressive QRP DX over the years. I like the rigs I own and don't need a new radio. We are always bombarded with adverts trying to persuade us to buy consumer goods and we have to ask ourselves can we, should we, resist?

Our whole society is based on buying "things" we don't really need that wear out quite soon. In the end this is not sustainable in a world with a growing population and limited resources.