More OFCOM news

More news from OFCOM.

See http://ofcom.cmail20.com/t/ViewEmail/i/252BF072EDA728062540EF23F30FEDED/59D1BD3EA2F08127C67FD2F38AC4859C

Mistletoe - NOT amateur radio

This is a spot in Cambridge that I have walked past perhaps several hundred times, but until yesterday I'd never noticed this huge mistletoe high up in this tree. As I walked past today, I took this photo. I guess in the summer the leaves would hide it.

TESS Satellite - NOT amateur radio

Southgate News has a link to the NASA site about TESS, a satellite that is due to launch in April. The satellite will help in the search for planets orbiting distant stars outside our solar system, so called exoplanets.

See https://www.nasa.gov/tess-transiting-exoplanet-survey-satellite .

2m FT8 RX

Since just before breakfast, I have been on 2m FT8 RX (with a very brief TX period early on calling CQ when I was copied by G1IDZ (184km)). So far, 1 Dutch and 2 UK stations spotted.

UPDATE 1404z: 25 uniques is 5 countries so far.

UPDATE 1708z: 29 uniques in 8 countries now on 2m FT8.

UPDATE 1920z: Now 33 uniques in 9 countries in last 12 hours.

UPDATE 1942z: 35 uniques in 9 countries.

Sunspots - Wednesday March 7th 2018

Solar flux is 68 today and the sunspot number zero. A=4 and K=0.

President Trump and trade wars - NOT amateur radio

Whilst I understand President Trump's wish to have the USA not disadvantaged by trading nations, he has gone about things in a very odd way that almost invites others to retaliate. In an interconnected world such barriers to trade are very unlikely to work.

One thinks of King Canute.

472kHz WSPR RX

After a break of a few days, I am monitoring 472kHz WSPR RX. If things go to previous form I'll spot most stations in the next few hours and they'll all be EU stations I've spotted before!

UPDATE 1952z: 3 uniques in the first few minutes. Sadly all stations spotted before! Best DX  is F1AFJ (607km).

UPDATE 2129z: 9 uniques so far in 6 countries with best DX 9A3KB (1290km). Just G3KEV also spotted on FT8 earlier in QSO with a German.

UPDATE 2317z: Now 16 uniques. Soon be time to go QRT.

UPDATE 2350z:  Now QRT.

Yaesu FT818

Since I last wrote, I have heard little new about the FT818. What I have read does not impress me. If you have any more details please let me know so I can share it on the blog.

Spies - NOT amateur radio

In the last day it looks like an ex-spy was poisoned in Salisbury, UK. Russia is suspected, but this is not proven.

What is certain is that Russia, the UK and the USA will all have "dirty tricks" departments, but we only hear about Russia. The spying business is definitely there, although governments would prefer us not to know.

We are fed a diet of filtered news: we hear what they want us to hear. I well remember Vietnam when the Vietcong was considered evil. With the perspective of history we know the USA and the government in the south were far from perfect. Political bias has always been there since the dawn of humanity.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43303651 .

Not quite - NOT amateur radio

After, what for us, has seemed a long cold winter with snow last week, we are now in spring according to the Met Office. Our daffodils are still not quite out. Perhaps next week?  Usually the heads drop just before they flower.

The photo shows the daffodils in our back garden. Snowdrops have been good.