10m WSPR TX

For the last few hours, I have had my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon on. Quite a few spots fron Germany.

UPDATE 1716z: FY5KE (7110km) is the best DX today. This station spotted my 10m 500mW at 1650z. 8 different stations have spotted my little 10m WSPR beacon today so far.

Catching - NOT amateur radio

This was our younger grandson yesterday. He has good hand-eye co-ordination and is already a good cricketer. He is now nine years old.

Sunspots - Tuesday May 29th 2018

Solar flux is 77 and the sunspot number 20. A=4 and K=2.

In recent days the solar flux and sunspot number have been higher than expected.  We are on the slow descent to the next minimum and such "blips" are to be expected. We are likely to be "on the way down" until 2020 or later.

Selfless heroism - NOT amateur radio

How good to see how someone showing selfless heroism gets in the news and how he is justly rewarded. Well done that man!

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-44275776 .

Is the Yaesu FT818 just a stop-gap?

Recently Yaesu introduced the successor to the hugely successful FT817. Like many, I was seriously underwhelmed: this was a huge disappointment. One could be forgiven for thinking this was more about Yaesu dealing with component obsolescence than meeting market needs.

Being charitable, perhaps Yaesu is working on a real FT817 successor with the features people really want. Less charitably, Yaesu is broke and trying to do developments on the cheap. I sincerely hope the former!

In recent times Yaesu seems to be drifting. I have owned lots of Yaesu rigs and it they are going to fail this would be a great pity.

10m WSPR TX

Well I have been active of about an hour (500mW, 100% TX, randomised frequencies) with just EA8BFK (2880km) spotting me so far.

UPDATE 2005z: So far, 22 unique stations spotted me today. QRT soon.

6m FT8

Yet again, I am on 6m FT8, starting at about 0845z. After  a few CQ calls at 2.5W (2 G spots received) I have been RX only. So far, 9 stations in 3 countries.

UPDATE 1406z: 50 unique stations, 9 countries, 2 continents so far today on 6m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 2110z: I have lost count of the different stations spotted on 6m FT8 today, but 31 countries in 3 continents on 6m FT8 RX today.

Sunspots - Monday May 28th 2018

Solar flux is 75 today and the sunspot number 27. A=4 and K=1

Weather forecasts - NOT amateur radio

So, if you do not like "grumpy old man" rants look away.

Yesterday, the BBC weather forecast had heavy clouds and a 70% chance of rain. The Met Office forecast said dry, sunny and light clouds. In the end I cut my front lawn and hedge yesterday afternoon.

OK, I know the UK weather is hard to predict, but honestly, you simply could not use the forecasts as they were so different.

This morning it was supposed to be dark clouds and thunder. We had light cloud, sun and warm!

It bugs me that we simply do not know. I reckon they have a phone call and say, "you say this and we'll say that. One of us is bound to be right".😀

60m in South Africa

Southgate News reports that South Africa has allocated 100kHz to amateurs at 5MHz. This is excellent and enlightened spectrum allocation.  Of course this is secondary and strictly on a non-interference basis. Wouldn't it be good if CEPT followed suit? OFCOM?

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2018/may/south-africa-gets-100-khz-at-5-mhz.htm#.Wwp0-vZFzIU .