Lopped trees - NOT amateur radio

A very similar picture was posted here yesterday. This is another view of the back garden showing the two trees that were lopped last month. In a few months they should be in leaf.

Bolt Tail - NOT amateur radio

Another photo of where I came from in South Devon. Quite splendid. 

I have already said in earlier posts that we know for certain we were hereabouts in 1427, so there is every chance my distant ancestors fished and farmed here millennia ago and the iron age fort in the far distance on Bolt Tail was partly manned by my ancestors. 

And we are just a speck in history. Quite humbling.

Already bored?

Although Oscar 100, the geosynchronous satellite, has been operational for a few weeks now, the narrowband transponder still seems quite quiet. A few moments ago there were just 2 QSOs on SSB, whereas I was expecting the band to be quite full.

As I mentioned yesterday, it may take a few weeks or months before people "trust it". Even so, I was expecting more activity than we are seeing so far. As yet, I have seen activity from Brazil and Qatar, but not India or further east. Most stations are from Europe.

Solar minimum

The solar numbers for February 2019 do not look very good. Although some are still predicting the minimum is over, I have my doubts. Certainly 10m FT8 is very quiet here most days with just G spots. I hope I am proved wrong.

10m FT8

Since about 0920z this morning, I have been on 10m FT8. After a brief 2.5W CQ call, I am now RX only. No spots yet.

UPDATE 16565z: Just 3 spots today on 10m FT8 RX with best DX HA7ME (1535km). Soon be time to QSY to 160m FT8 I think. Still bright and sunny here.

The end of life - NOT amateur radio

My son's parents-in-law lost their only son in 2017 due to a freak accident involving a driver ploughing though a red light. The driver was texting. There is a chance one of their two young daughters could die from cancer leaving a husband and 2 young children. The family, my son included, is very afraid. So are we.

At times life seems very random and very cruel. All world religions try to make sense of death. Perhaps the flame just goes out and that is it. However, there is so much we do not understand. Perhaps our brains simply cannot ever hope to understand. It is a brave person indeed who says he or she really understands. At the same time it takes some faith to believe in a just and loving God when things seem so cruel.

As death approaches us all, perhaps it is right that we think about it.

Sunspots - Monday February 25th 2019

Solar flux is 70 today and the sunspot number 0. A=3 and K=1.

472kHz WSPR overnight

Overnight I was spotted by 7 stations with best DX spot of my 10mW ERP being by GM4AOS (653km).  In total, 9 stations were spotted here with best DX spotted LA2XPA (1310km).

Grass cutting - NOT amateur radio

As yesterday was so warm, I gave our lawns a bit of a haircut. The blades were set higher than in the summer. We also managed a cup of tea in the garden in shirt sleeves! And this is February!

472kHz WSPR (10mW ERP)

As it is now getting dark here, I have QSYed to 472kHz WSPR using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. On the first transmission I was copied by G6AVK (78km) and G8LCO (58km) even though the transverter crystal is still drifting a few Hertz. Normally, it takes about 20 minutes, then the drift is very low.

UPDATE 2225z: Now spots of my 10mW ERP have been received by 4 stations and I have spotted 8 stations so far today on 472kHz WSPR.