Sunspots - Friday November 3rd 2017

Solar flux is 73 today and the sunspot number zero. A=9 and K=2.

Deep things - NOT amateur radio

Today has been a strange day: my son's brother-in-law is dying in Australia after a cruel accident and yet I seem calm now. Earlier both my wife and I shed bucket loads of tears just thinking how sad this all was. Is there meaning in life?

It is strange how life goes along then suddenly something happens to alter the status quo. I expect life will return to normality - in many ways, oddly, it already has. For the parents, sisters and girlfriend of this young lad, life can never, ever be the same again.

I guess it is at moments like this that life appears in its true colours: a mix of happiness and sadness. Yet life goes on. We must go on.

Margaret, are you grieving
Over Goldengrove unleaving?
Leaves, like the things of man, you
With your fresh thoughts care for, can you?
Ah! as the heart grows older
It will come to such sights colder
By and by, nor spare a sigh
Though worlds of wanwood leafmeal lie;
And yet you will weep know why.
Now no matter, child, the name:
Sorrow’s springs are the same.
Nor mouth had, no nor mind, expressed
What heart heard of, ghost guessed:
It is the blight man was born for,
It is Margaret you mourn for.

630m FT8 and WSPR

More in hope than expectation, I am on 630m FT8 transceive calling CQ. As yet, nobody has spotted me and no QSOs! Later, I shall try WSPR.

UPDATE 1837z: I have now changed to WSPR. So far, the only spot is of G4FTC (123km) who was quite strong.

UPDATE 2115z: Amazingly, my 10mW ERP WSPR to my unbelievably poor antenna and ground has been copied by 35 unique stations in 7 countries in the last 2 weeks with 9 unique spots in 4 countries this evening alone. If I can then anyone can! Basically, my 630m system is just cobbled together. Try it - you will have lots of fun even if your ERP is very low.

Left-over daffodil bulbs

We had a few bulbs left over, so these have been planted in these pots and in the garden where we had sweet peas over the summer. Hopefully they will come out sometime in the winter or spring. At the moment they look pretty boring!

UK interest rate rise - NOT amateur radio

UK interest base rates have gone from 0.25 to 0.5%. This is the first rise in 10 years. Modest, but upwards. What will it do for the UK Pound?

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41846330 .

UPDATE 1300z: At the moment, the UK pound is down against most currencies. Perhaps they were expecting a bigger rise?

Well, I have come to the conclusion that the best advice is to do the opposite of whatever I suggest! By now, I was expecting the Euro to lose value against the UK Pound.

UPDATE 2215z: So the UK Pound - Euro exchange rate has worsened by 1.74% today. This completely the opposite of what I expected! Will it get even worse tomorrow?

BBC Click

Southgate News brought to my attention a post on the BBC "Click" technology programme about amateur radio.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05lmbhy .

Fleeing wars - NOT amateur radio

Sometimes, most times, we take for granted our freedoms and lives. This video on the BBC really brings this home. I hope after 3 years they get granted permanent residency.

We must all work towards a free, fair and inclusive society, wherever we are on Earth. There is no place for hate and unkindness.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/stories-41835112/starting-a-new-life-in-a-foreign-country-at-13 .

630m WSPR overnight

Overnight my 10mW ERP 630m WSPR was spotted by 17 unique stations and I spotted 13 uniques with best DX again EA4GHB (1300km).  I am sure many weaker signals are buried in my noise, so I am just copying the better signals.

10m FT8 RX

Apart from OK1KT (1104km), all spots so far have been Russians. I have been on 10m FT8 RX since 0646z. Best DX is currently R9WJ (3662km).

UPDATE 1106: Twelve 10m FT8 spots so far. Some spots are quite near in Europe, so probably not F2. Ranges vary from France, Germany, Turkey, Holland, Switzerland, Denmark to Russia.

UPDATE 1215z: Now 13 spots - all Europe, Russia and Turkey. No "real" DX as yet on 10m FT8.

UPDATE 1405z: 14 spots on 10m FT8 so far, but still no "real" DX.

UPDATE 1515z: Still no "real" DX on 10m FT8 today.  At 1539z EA8GF (2973km) was spotted in the Canary Is..

UPDATE 1630z: I am getting the feeling that there will be no South Americans today on 10m FT8. I'll leave things running, but I am not too hopeful.

UPDATE 1810z: Still no South Americans on 10m FT8. Soon be time to QSY to 630m WSPR - I'll maybe give it another hour?

Sunspots - Thursday November 2nd 2017

Solar flux is 73 today and the sunspot number zero. A=4 and K=2.