My wife cut some for the kitchen table only today. Normally, these have long gone. We have already had a couple of frosts, but they seem to have survived them. Quite remarkable. I wonder how long they will last outside?
17 Nov 2016
Sweet peas still growing in the garden - NOT amateur radio
My wife cut some for the kitchen table only today. Normally, these have long gone. We have already had a couple of frosts, but they seem to have survived them. Quite remarkable. I wonder how long they will last outside?
Declining solar activity - don't give up!
There is now little doubt that we are on the slide downwards towards the next solar minimum. If the experts in solar science are to be believed, the next maximum may well be poor.
This is not the end of amateur radio on the higher bands. I have said before that I have worked some real DX on QRP SSB on 10m in years at previous minima and we now have weak signal modes like WSPR and JT65 to catch even the briefest of openings.
Certainly, bands like 10m are nothing like as easy as a few years ago, but there is often propagation when people assume the band is "dead". Also, don't forget Es is good at any point in the solar cycle. It is rare to find a day without some 10m propagation, even in the quiet years. Es tends to peak in the summer months but can (and does) appear at any point in the year as is proved with regular JT65 use on 10m.
This is not the end of amateur radio on the higher bands. I have said before that I have worked some real DX on QRP SSB on 10m in years at previous minima and we now have weak signal modes like WSPR and JT65 to catch even the briefest of openings.
Certainly, bands like 10m are nothing like as easy as a few years ago, but there is often propagation when people assume the band is "dead". Also, don't forget Es is good at any point in the solar cycle. It is rare to find a day without some 10m propagation, even in the quiet years. Es tends to peak in the summer months but can (and does) appear at any point in the year as is proved with regular JT65 use on 10m.
Return to 10m JT65
Although I was on 2m JT65 last evening and overnight, I shall shortly return to 10m JT65 and do a manual resync to internet time "just in case". As we have a risk of storms this afternoon, I shall probably go QRT later this morning.
UPDATE 0932z: I have now returned to 10m JT65 and realised I was on JT65A on 2m - doh!!
UPDATE 0948z: EU7FBB (1931km) already spotted on 10m JT65 - promising.
UPDATE 1026z: My 2W QRP 10m JT65 is being spotted in Germany and Denmark.
UPDATE 1128z: My 2W QRP 10m JT65 is getting spotted widely in northern and central Europe and I am spotting quite a few countries here too.
UPDATE 1328z: South Africa spotted on 10m JT65, but I have now gone QRT.
UPDATE 0932z: I have now returned to 10m JT65 and realised I was on JT65A on 2m - doh!!
UPDATE 0948z: EU7FBB (1931km) already spotted on 10m JT65 - promising.
UPDATE 1026z: My 2W QRP 10m JT65 is being spotted in Germany and Denmark.
UPDATE 1328z: South Africa spotted on 10m JT65, but I have now gone QRT.
Sunspots and 10m - Thursday November 17th 2016
Solar flux is 79 today. Sunspot number is 18 and K=1. 10m propagation today? Anyone's guess!
UPDATE 1135z: Well there certainly has been decent European propagation on 10m JT65 this morning.
UPDATE 1135z: Well there certainly has been decent European propagation on 10m JT65 this morning.
16 Nov 2016
Now on 2m JT65
As I think the DX opportunities have now closed for the day on 10m, I am about to switch to 144.165Mz (USB dial) on 2m JT65. I shall stay on 2m this evening and overnight.
UPDATE 1847z: Now active on 2m JT65. Any reports would be much appreciated. Please upload to PSK Reporter Maps if possible.
UPDATE 1847z: Now active on 2m JT65. Any reports would be much appreciated. Please upload to PSK Reporter Maps if possible.
Long-tail Tits - NOT amateur radio
There are fewer small birds around these days in our garden and generally, but some have become more common in recent years. Great tits seem more plentiful and here in East Anglia the long-tail tit is the most common tit to see and hear. Only just a few moments ago when I was sweeping up leaves there was a flock of long-tail tits on the lilac in the garden next door.
See http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bird-and-wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/l/longtailedtit/ .
Among the larger birds there are more magpies locally. Going to work, I saw not one in nearly 40 years, although now they are plentiful. Little egrets can be seen all over the place but they were rare before the late 1980s. Buzzards are now widespread in East Anglia whereas they were once a sign we'd reached Devon. Since their reintroduction, red kites can be widely seen again.
There is no doubt that we see different birds these days.
See http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bird-and-wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/l/longtailedtit/ .
Among the larger birds there are more magpies locally. Going to work, I saw not one in nearly 40 years, although now they are plentiful. Little egrets can be seen all over the place but they were rare before the late 1980s. Buzzards are now widespread in East Anglia whereas they were once a sign we'd reached Devon. Since their reintroduction, red kites can be widely seen again.
There is no doubt that we see different birds these days.
2m JT65 tonight and overnight
As I think the DX opportunities have now closed for the day on 10m, I am about to switch to 144.165Mz (USB dial) on 2m JT65. I shall stay on 2m this evening and overnight.
UPDATE 1847z: Now active on 2m JT65. Any reports would be much appreciated. Please upload to PSK Reporter Maps if possible.
UPDATE 1847z: Now active on 2m JT65. Any reports would be much appreciated. Please upload to PSK Reporter Maps if possible.
No South Americans (yet) on 10m JT65
It is now 1440z and, as yet, nothing coming through from South America on 10m JT65. I am confident that there will be South American 10m JT65 spots shortly.
UPDATE 1616z: Still nothing from South America surprisingly. It is getting late in the day and it will soon be dark here.
UPDATE 1818z: It looks like no South Americans today. Maybe this is TEP and there was no propagation to northern Europe? I shall go into the shack just in case there are stations received on WSJT-X who did not report to PSK reporter. No, everything seems to be in order - internet time sync, software and rig all correct, just no propagation here.
UPDATE 1616z: Still nothing from South America surprisingly. It is getting late in the day and it will soon be dark here.
UPDATE 1818z: It looks like no South Americans today. Maybe this is TEP and there was no propagation to northern Europe? I shall go into the shack just in case there are stations received on WSJT-X who did not report to PSK reporter. No, everything seems to be in order - internet time sync, software and rig all correct, just no propagation here.
Shed cleaning - NOT amateur radio
It is hard to believe I got 4 bags of leaves yesterday and 2 today before this picture was taken. And still the leaves fall.
Dalham - NOT amateur radio
This collage shows nearby Dalham, a few miles from Newmarket, Suffolk, with some beautiful "chocolate box" cottages. The picture was taken a few years ago earlier in the year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
