6m FT8

After a brief 6m FT8 TX period very early (9 G spots and 1 QSO) with QRP, I have been RX only all morning. Best spot is EK7DX (3590km) in Armenia. All his reports have been northern Europe, so this could be a pirate in southern Europe. Sadly, these days you just cannot be sure.

UPDATE 1915z: Best DX on 6m FT8 RX today is A92AA (5069km). Again, I hope he is genuine and not a pirate. He has been widely copied in Europe, but not the Middle East, so I am suspicious. Must be my age making me cynical!

Back home - NOT amateur radio

After our travels in the Baltic, we are now back home again. It was a good trip, but too many short stays in hotels, so we seemed always to be living out of cases!

See https://baltichol18.blogspot.com/

Sunspots - Tuesday June 26th 2018

Solar flux is 72 and the sunspot number 14. A=12 and K=3.

Sunspots - Monday June 25th 2018

Solar flux is 75 and the sunspot number 34.  A=16 and K=1.

6m FT8 "super DX"

Although I have been away, 6m FT8 super DX has not been brilliant so far. GM3POI has been copied in the USA, but I am not aware of any Japanese stations being copied in the UK on 6m FT8 this season.

Turkey elections - NOT amateur radio

Apparently Turkey is holding key elections today. The current president survived a coup attempt in 2016.

See https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-44590956.

The main website

From time to time I like to remind people about my main website that is updated less often than the blog, but that contains much more detail about my various projects and interests.

See www.g3xbm.co.uk .

Off to the opera? - NOT amateur radio

Seen outside Helsinki's Opera House last night. 

As it was a public holiday, it was closed.  They also do ballet there. I hope they weren't hoping to see Swan Lake! 😪

These are Barnacle Geese. In the UK we see these in winter. In Helsinki they are everywhere (with young) in summer.

See https://oopperabaletti.fi/en/calendar/

Sunspots - Sunday June 24th 2018

Solar flux is 77 today and the sunspot number 41.  A=16 and K=4. Solar activity is still good for this part of the solar cycle. June averages should be quite good.

Helsinki - NOT amateur radio

Today we left Tallinn, Estonia and caught the ferry over to Helsinki, Finland. It is 76km. On the way we had an excellent free buffet with free drinks (I had 2 red wines and a coffee). Tomorrow we do a tour of the city and a harbour cruise. This evening we had a snack by the lake (Toolonlahti) opposite our hotel. Considering this is Finland, prices were reasonable. Like all the Baltic countries, Finland is clean. I have been to Helsinki 3 times before, twice for work. Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland all use the Euro. Sweden still uses the Kroner.