"This will take a while"

They are not kidding!

After updating the shack PC this morning (90 minutes) I got a message this evening saying the main PC (Windows 10) had an important update. Nearly 2 hours later the update was complete.

Windows 10 worked fine before and, as far as I can tell, these darn updates are all to do with features I am not interested in.

Call me a cynic but just why are such changes necessary? Perhaps it is just another opportunity for Microsoft to keep an eye our every move? Maybe I am being unduly harsh, but if Windows 10 is so great just why do I have to watch paint dry for almost 2 hours as yet another update is done. This is a pretty new machine, so updates could take much longer on a older PC.

It is clear to me why some call Windows "Windoze".

Begonias - NOT amateur radio

In the warm May sunshine, we planted begonias this afternoon. These last all summer and need very little attention. They give lots of colour.

There are a few more to do tomorrow.

Last year my wife bought busy lizzies by mistake. They also looked good.

Unicorn-2A PocketQube satellite

Southgate News has a piece of a future small satellite from Scotland. It is due for launch Q3 this year.

See https://amsat-uk.org/2018/05/01/unicorn-2a-pocketqube-satellite/

10m WSPR TX

As yesterday, I am on 10m WSPR TX only (500mW, 100%, frequency randomised). Already I have been spotted in Italy by IU7DZZ (973km) several times, whereas yesterday I got no spots at all! On 10m I am using my stand-alone W5OLF WSPR beacon. Apart from syncing the time, this does not need a PC at all. Even this could be done with a radio.

UPDATE 1025z: Now spotted by EA1FAQ (1249km).

UPDATE 1521z: So far today, 13 unique spots of my 500mW WSPR beacon on 10m.

UPDATE 1616z:  Now 20 different stations spotting my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon today.

6m FT8 RX

What a difference! Already lots of 6m Es with many southern Europeans (13 countries already spotted by 0830z) on 6m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 0922z: 60 different stations in 15 countries spotted on 6m FT8 RX so far today.

UPDATE 1100z: Now 19 countries spotted today on 6m FT8 with best DX S01WS (3043km) in Western Sahara.

UPDATE 1230z: Well over 100 unique stations spotted today on 6m FT8 RX. So many that I have lost count! 22 countries and 2 continents so far today.

UPDATE 1630z:  Apart from N.W.Africa and Israel no great DX spotted on 6m FT8 yet this season.

UPDATE 1722z:  Best 6m FT8 RX DX now 4Z1RZ (3567km). Now 29 countries in 3 continents spotted today on 6m FT8 RX.

Sunspots - Tuesday May 22nd 2018

Solar flux is 68 today and the sunspot number 12. A=3 and K=1.

Windoze - zzz - 10

Let me start by saying I have used Windows 10 for a long time with no issues.

Today, my shack PC said it needed more disk space to do an essential update, so I added an external drive when doing this. My shack PC has a 32GB SSD. It is really only used for syncing to internet time and to run OPERA and WSJT-X software.

Now, if Windows 10 is so brilliant why does it take 90 minutes to install updates?!

Thankfully, as far as I can tell, everything I use still works.

"London" grandchildren - NOT amateur radio

At the weekend, we had our "London" grandchildren staying here for one night. Here they are with me.

Es (sporadic E)

Es tends to be very specific. Sometimes Es is there strongly in one place, but absent just a few miles away. Today may be such a day.

As yet, no spots of my 10m TX 500mW WSPR beacon and only G stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX. Elsewhere it might be very different. Maybe things will be better later or tomorrow? I shall be on both bands for several hours yet .

10m WSPR TX

I'd forgotten that whilst on 6m FT8 I can use a different antenna on 10m WSPR. On 10m WSPR I am 100% TX, but with randomised frequencies. I am using 500mW from my little WSPR beacon made by W5OLF.

UPDATE 1836z: No 10m WSPR spots of my beacon as yet. I have the feeling today is going to end with no spots of my little 10m WSPR beacon.

UPDATE 2030z: Well, I am about to go QRT with not a single report on 10m WSPR today!