Sunspots - Wednesday December 19th 2018

Solar flux is 70 and the SSN zero. A=7 and K=1.

Clunch outhouse - NOT amateur radio

My mind is confused and I don't think this has been posted before. If it has been on before, my apologies!

Close to our house is an out-house, or maybe dove-cote, made of clunch (a sort of chalk) that was badly damaged by our hot summer. Big cracks appeared and now it is being rebuild using the same stones. The photo shows before rebuilding started.

1.8MHz FT8 RX

For the evening and overnight, I am monitoring topband FT8 RX using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground.  So far, I have been on 160m for about 30 minutes. Most stations spotted so far are northern Europeans.  Best DX so far is OH3FM (1777km).

UPDATE 2200z: First North American spotted on 160m FT8 RX tonight was VO1IDX (3752km) at 2139z. Lots of Europeans.

Stations spotted on 160m FT8 RX until 2200z.

OFCOM to release new "airwaves" (sic)

Gosh! 700MHz and 3.6GHz spectrum to be auctioned. OFCOM provides such a useful service.

See https://www.ofcom.org.uk/research-and-data/multi-sector-research/infrastructure-research/connected-nations-2018

Manned lunar missions - NOT amateur radio

It seems amazing to me that the first manned landing on the moon was in 1969 when I was still at university! Looking back, it all seemed so routine, whereas we had no real idea how dangerous these missions were. Just think of the computing "power" we had back then. The fact that no-one has been back since the early 1970s speaks volumes.

I well remember that photo of earthrise taken by the crew of Apollo 8 in December 1968. It was stunning. Apollo 8 was the first manned trip around the moon. It did not land.

When will the next manned mission to the moon be and when will man go to Mars?

2m FT8 RX

Yet again, I am monitoring 2m FT8. Already 7 stations in 3 countries spotted with best DX DF6PW (633km). This sort of DX is spotted every day on 2m with this mode.

UPDATE 1219z: Now 12 stations in 4 countries spotted today so far on 2m FT8 RX.

Sunspots - Tuesday December 18th 2018

Solar flux is 70 and the sunspot number zero. A=6 and K=1.

OFCOM again

OFCOM has just announced licence fees for mobile operators from the end of January.

See https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/130547/Statement-Annual-licence-fees-for-900-MHz-and-1800-MHz.pdf

Simple minds! - NOT amateur radio

A few weeks ago we bought a new clock for the hall. Every hour (not 2200-0500z) it plays a different birdsong briefly on the hour. Every time in makes a noise we laugh.

Simple things please simple minds!

Candlelit Carols - NOT amateur radio

Every Christmas our village church holds a carol service by candlelight. It is magical and usually packed. Whether a Christian or not, this sort of service marks the real start of Christmas.

Personally, I am unsure what I believe. The only thing I know is how little I know! Life/death/the universe are all mysteries. When we die I have no idea what, if anything, of "me" survives. Maybe my brain has evolved to the complex organ it is over billions of years. Perhaps we really just do return to dust. All I know is how little I understand. If anyone claims they know all the answers they are deluded. Maybe all religions are just attempts at answering "ultimate" questions.