70cm UKAC RSGB activity contest

After the World Cup football on TV this evening I went on the July leg of the 70cm UKAC activity contest. I did not stay on long (poor voice) and made 3 QSOs with G4CLA (105km) as the best DX. I was using 5W to a 2m halo.

Human Consciousness - NOT amateur radio

Human consciousness is perhaps the biggest puzzle we know. All of us have the gift of being able to contemplate ourselves and our universe. Some say we just expire when we die along with our bodies. Some say something of us lives on. The truth is no-one knows. It is the mystery all religions try to answer.

It is like living in a one dimensional world and trying to imagine a 3 dimensional world. Human consciousness is indeed the biggest mystery of all. I don't have the answers.

10m WSPR

As I am home again and the antenna is free, I am on 10m WSPR TX (500mW). No spots of my beacon as yet.

UPDATE 2134z: No spots all day. Now QRT.

Sunspots - Tuesday July 10th 2018

Solar flux is 72 and the sunspot number 0.  A=2 and K=2.

6m FT8 once again

As I am now home again, I am back on 6m FT8 and 10m WSPR. Last night I managed a brief FT8 QSO with M0BEW (194km) and this morning I was heard by several G stations when again calling CQ. All TX periods are with 2.5W to the V2000 omni vertical.

Although Es is still likely, it seems quieter now. Certainly there is no Es evident here as yet.

UPDATE 1208z: Still no Es seen here. Just 9 Gs so far today with best DX on 6m FT8 RX being G0SYP (222km).

UPDATE 1535z: Just one Es spot so far about an hour ago: IZ6BXQ (1457km).

Crystal Ball - NOT amateur radio

I am experimenting with crystal ball photo apps.  There seem to be several around. This is an old picture taken about 9 years ago.

Sunspots - Monday July 9th 2018

Solar flux is 72 today and the SSN remains zero.  A=4 and K=1 .

KV5R site

Funny how you find new sites all the time. This one may be good for USA visitors in particular. It has some useful data on propagation.

See kv5r.com

BREXIT secretary resigns - NOT amateur radio

So I awoke to the news that the man running the UK exit from Europe negotiations has resigned. Not quite sure where this leaves things. In a fine mess I think.

Brother's garden - NOT amateur radio

A view of part of my brother's garden.

Few have a golf course in their garden! In all he has about 5 acres.