Stroke update - NOT amateur radio

Over 3 years on now, and I am still affected by my stroke.

My main issues remain my poor voice, drinks, and giddiness/tiredness when on my feet. Overall, I am frustrated, although I know the sooner I come to terms with the new "me" the better. I feel unable to do the things that once would have been so easy. Compared with many I came off lightly. Outwardly, I look fully recovered, which is probably why I feel so frustrated. If there are now any improvements, they are painfully slow.

Nobody, and I really mean nobody, really understands: doctors and others think they understand, but they do not. For years now I have been living a sort of half-life.

Happy Christmas

May I take this opportunity to wish all my readers a very happy Christmas and all the best for 2017?  I try to write about what I have done and what interests me and hope you are able to find something of interest here or on my webpages at www.g3xbm.co.uk .

Most days the blog gets updated, unless I am away or too unwell.

For some, Christmas can be a stressful time. Whilst most are happy and with friends, some are lonely and feel unloved. If you feel this way, please accept my love - that sounds naff, but you know what I mean.

Return to MF

At around 1735z I went QRT on 10m JT65 and moved to 472kHz (630m) WSPR (5mW ERP).  Plenty of spots with best DX on TX being G4FTC (123km) in IO91 square.

From the drift reports, I am still settling. This is the crystal in the transverter warming up.

As last season, I am using my own transverter design to my earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. This design was in QST in September 2016. Although the transverter puts out 10-15W, the earth-electrode "antenna" is not too efficient and the measured ERP is only 5mW.

Nebula picture - NOT amateur radio

This image of the Christmas Tree Cluster (2500 light years away) was on the Twitter feed from @marsrader. Although I have a Twitter account I rarely use it, but get sent an email about postings most days.

Eating Dahlias - NOT amateur radio

My wife is reading a Winston Graham book that mentioned eating dahlia roots as an alternative to potatoes. So, as you do, I googled "eating dahlias". It turns out that these were originally from Mexico and were, at one time, a low cost alternative to potatoes.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/0/22185875

Elector free of 3 months

The electronic edition (plus 1 paper copy) will be available free for a few months. The offer runs out shortly.  See https://www.elektormagazine.com/pages/newsletter . I cannot see the catch. Maybe they assume if you like the free ones you will sign up when the free ones end?

If my memory serves me correctly, this started as a Dutch mag that went international in the late 1960s or early 1970s?

MLS discount for Christmas

One of the largest UK amateur radio retailers, MLS, is offering a £15 discount this Christmas for orders over £150. I suspect that orders are "thin" at this time of the year and this is to encourage us to spend. You cannot blame them.

Eire and 5MHz

Thanks to Southgate News I have learnt that radio amateurs in Eire are gaining access to the WRC15 5MHz allocation right away.

See http://ei7gl.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/irish-radio-amateurs-gain-secondary.html

"ComReg has just today published an amended version of the Amateur Station Guidelines in Document ComReg 09/45R2. The main revision is that the WRC-15 band of 5351.5 to 5366.5 kHz has been released with immediate effect on a secondary basis. No application or fee is necessary for this segment. The power is 15 watts PEP (12dBW) measured at the output of the transmitter or amplifier. All modes including digimodes may be used. The WRC-15 decision was for 15 watts EIRP and this will be taken up with ComReg. The Society recommends that USB be used for voice as has been the convention on this band and as used by the primary user and that the provisional IARU band plan be used: 5351.5 - 5354.0 kHz CW, Narrow band Modes
5354.0 - 5366.0 kHz All modes USB for voice
5366.0 - 5366.5 kHz weak signal narrow band modes."

I have said many times that the 5MHz (60m) band will become increasingly important as the solar activity declines.

Well, THAT was a surprise - 10m DX

V53DX (8471km) in Namibia (JG87 square) has been spotted here on 10m JT65. This was a total surprise!

G0CHE (IO90) replied to his CQ, although my spot of him was not uploaded to PSK reporter.

UPDATE 1402z:  No other 10m JT65 spots since.

UPDATE 1534z: Still no further 10m JT65 spots. I guess any South Americans will come through in the next few hours, if at all.

UPDATE 1725z: No further 10m DX. Time to QSY to 630m.

Sunspots and 10m - Saturday December 24th 2016 (Christmas Eve)

Solar flux is 73 today and the sunspot number zero. A=24 and K=3. If we get any 10m DX today I shall be pleasantly surprised.

Keep an eye/ear out for winter Es though. In the UK this could be Europeans on 10m. It happens most years. With JT65 we have no excuse.