Wallflowers - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday we went for a short walk around part of our village. In one garden, there were some wallflowers in flower.  This is the first I have seen.  At the right temperature, these smell wonderfully.

Our own, in the sun by our front door, have still to flower: they are some weeks off yet.

Sunspots - Monday January 29th 2018

Solar flux is 67and the sunspot number zero. A=4 and K=1.

This is the lowest solar flux I have seen for many years. We are likely to hit even lower numbers in the years ahead around the sunspot minimum.

It is some time since I checked the forecasts for cycle 25 peak. The last time I looked I think the "experts" were expecting a similar peak to the last one.

10m FT8 RX since breakfast

As I normally do, I have been on 10m FT8 RX since breakfast. So far just G4CJC (74km) spotted, probably by aircraft reflection.

UPDATE 1655z: No further spots. What a bad day! Unless things suddenly change (it has been known - says the eternal optimist!) it is probably the worst day on 10m for a very long time. I shall stay on until about 1800z, then switch to 630m WSPR RX, which always brings results.

QSYed to 630m WSPR RX

At 1724z I QSYed to MF from 10m. I am again running the shack PC from batteries with a preamp and earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. Late this evening I shall have to take a break so the shack PC batteries can be charged for the overnight period.

UPDATE 1744z: First spot was DL3NDR (814km) shortly followed by G0MRF (139km) and DH5RAE (995km). Whilst it is good to spot these stations, it would be great to spot some new stations. 

UPDATE 2142z: About 30 minutes ago I went QRT to charge the shack PC battery.  Up to this point I had spotted 9 uniques. This is typical. I shall go on again later.

UK Pound up - NOT amateur radio

Although I am at a loss to understand why, the UK Pound is up against almost all major currencies. Against the US Dollar and the Euro, yes, but the rest too?

RSPB Birdwatch 2018 - NOT amateur radio

Every January, I take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch organised by the RSPB here in the UK. You watch the birds in your garden for any 1 hour and note the maximum number of each sort seen in the hour.

This year there were no blackbirds, no tits, no collared doves. In fact there was a real shortage of small birds. I may just have been unlucky or maybe it was the fact that we have had more frosts which have killed off smaller birds? Anyway this year I saw 2 robins, 2 starlings, 3 jackdaws and 4 black headed gulls and nothing else.

10m FT8 RX - all quiet?

For about 20 minutes I have been on 10m FT8 RX. As yet, no spots. It is on 1055z, so things could change.

UPDATE 1254z: 4 stations in 3 EU countries spotted so far. Most of these were quite recent. Es?

UPDATE 1655z: G4AWP (19km) spotted. Real DX today! No further spots since G4AWP.

Grandchildren - NOT amateur radio

Last night we had one of our sons and his children staying. They have now gone home. This is them outside "our" windmill.

Sunspots - Sunday January 28th 2018

Solar flux is 69 and the sunspot number zero. A=6 and K=0.

Not on 630m WSPR RX overnight

Overnight I did not go on 630m WSPR.  Instead, I remained on the band during yesterday afternoon and evening. One reason was we had grandchildren staying, so access to my shack was limited. I am now on 10m FT8 RX.