Sunspots - Thursday July 13th 2017

Solar flux is 90 today (high) and the sunspot number 43 (high for this part of the sunspot cycle). A=4 and K=1.

How simple can you make a rig?

This is a question I asked myself a few years ago. Here I am talking about a complete transceiver. Inspired by a design from W2UW, I designed and built the FETer transceiver for 80m CW. It worked remarkably well.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/feter-80m-qrpp-cw-transceiver

Friedrichshafen this weekend

14-16 JULY 2017 : HAM RADIO SHOW, FRIEDRICHSHAFEN
Messe, Friedrichshafen, Germany Trade stands, special interest groups and IARU Member Societies all have stands in the main hall. Large flea market. Lectures take place each day, some in English. There will be a large RSGB book stall. www.hamradio-friedrichshafen.de.

A list of rallies can be found at http://rsgb.org/main/news/rallies/

This probably the biggest gathering in Europe. It is the European Dayton.

Better weather - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday it rained heavily. Today couldn't be more different: blue skies, sunshine and warmth. We are off to one of our favourite National Trust places - Coleton Fishacre near Brixham.

See https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/coleton-fishacre .

Sunspots -Wednesday July 12th 2017

Solar flux is 91 today and the sunspot number 27. A=8 and K=1.

PC language - NOT amateur radio

So an MP has been suspended for using a word that is no longer politically correct. All I can say is, "what is this world coming to?". Clearly she just said the words in error and deeply regretted this.  People are not allowed to play conkers in case they hurt themselves. Yet, we can house people in dangerous tower blocks.

Sorry, but I think we are becoming stupid. We should worry about real issues.

By the way I well remember a 4 hour training course at work on lifting heavy boxes. For the previous 38 years I had managed to lift heavy test gear without training. Oh, in the last minute of the training I got to lift a box! The course was more about my manager being seen to have given the training than really making things safer.

All I can say is rubbish!

Cattle Egrets - NOT amateur radio

These birds are getting more common in the UK. They have yellow beaks unlike little egrets that have black beaks.

This is probably due to climate change. Another 20 years and they will probably be common.

At the moment there are cattle egrets 2 miles from where we are staying in Devon, although I have not seen them. Well, I may have, but the one I saw was too far away to ID positively, although it was very close to a cow.

See https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bird-and-wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/c/cattleegret/ .

History of the BBC

It is hard to think that the BBC has been going for almost 100 years. It started in 1922. I hope it manages to be independent of government interference in the years ahead.

Around the world it has gained a reputation for honesty. So, governments of all flavours keep out!

Just imagine the celebrations in 2022!

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_BBC .

Cellphone power harvesting

Southgate News reports on a cellphone design that uses power harvesting to minimise power consumption. I suspect this is a "proof of concept" project rather than a practical design. Clearly, it requires a major name to introduce power harvesting to minimise power usage. Most cellphones use milliwatts or even watts of power on TX.

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2017/july/battery-free-cellphone.htm#.WWT3UrpFxMs

No coastal walk tonight! - NOT amateur radio

As it is still raining heavily, I think we'll give our after-dinner coastal walk a miss this evening. I suspect watching TV is more probable.

UPDATE 2020z: The rain stopped so I managed to walk out to the cliffs and back. With breakers crashing on the beach, it was a very different kind of evening.