Returning summer migrants - NOT amateur radio

It is usually well into April before the common summer migrants here return from Africa. The earliest I have ever seen a swallow here is April 7th, although they are often seen in Devon much earlier. By the end of April they are ubiquitous. I am already scanning the skies!

QRPclub newsletter

The latest PDF version of Vestnik is now available.

See http://club72.su/vestnik/qv20.pdf

472kHz WSPR (10mW ERP)

A few minutes ago I QSYed from 10m FT8 RX to 630m WSPR (10mW ERP TX 20%, 80% RX) using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. It usually take about 20 minutes for the transverter crystal to settle on TX. Until this happens I usually get drift. Surprisingly, G8LCO (58km) has already spotted me a couple of times, albeit with drift - this drift should disappear before 1800z.

UPDATE 1750z: The transverter crystal has settled and drift on TX is now zero. M0FMT (51km) now copied on RX.

Sunspot minimum

Although the sun has been spotless of late, there are tentative signs that we may be climbing up from the sunspot minimum. OK, it is hard to tell and many months will have to pass before we can be sure. The last time I looked one forecast had the solar minimum as 2022 or 2023 whereas another said we had already had the sunspot minimum! As said many times, this is a bit like UK weather: sometimes you can be very wrong. 😕

Blackmail - NOT amateur radio

Despite have lost the vote no less than 3 times already, the UK Prime Minister is reported to be wanting a 4th go to get her "divorce bill" to leave the EU approved by the MPs in the House of Commons. Whatever your views, you have to admire her tenacity!

Personally, I think this is blackmail - she is pandering to MPs fears of no-BREXIT or a long delay. She also realises a General Election is unlikely to win her many friends. It is clear her deal is widely disliked.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-47756122

Garden bird nests - NOT amateur radio

For certain a pigeon is nest building in the ivy in a tree overhanging our garden. Yesterday there was a robin exploring a nest box (used by robins 2 summers ago) and a blue tit exploring another nest box. There are probably other nests I am unaware of too. It is that time of the year when things come alive again.

Wasps - NOT amateur radio

In the last week, I have seen 2 wasps in the shack. I guess these climb in via my cable hole in the wall. I assume these are queens trying to find a place to nest. This is the first time I have seen them in the shack.

Years ago I remembered my dad being stung by a wasp. This would be in the 1960s. He was sunbathing in the garden when a wasp landed on his stomach. He sat up, trapping the wasp, that promptly stung him!

The photo is the own work of Trounce. See https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1_wasp_2007-04-25.jpg#file .

See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasp

10m FT8

About 10 minutes ago I QSYed to 10m FT8. At first I called CQ (2.5W) and got no spots, but now I am RX only (again, no spots).

ICOM IC9700 arrivals

MLS are expecting deliveries of this 2m, 70cm and 23cm SDR transceiver very soon now. I expect the same will be true of other suppliers. It is very similar to the IC7300.

2m FT8 RX

Since I turned on 2m FT8 RX late yesterday, no less than 65 stations in 7 countries spotted (see photo). It never fails. Don't forget this is just with a big-wheel omni - no beams!

2m FT8 RX since late yesterday here

UPDATE 1311z: Now 81 stations in 10 countries spotted here on 2m FT8 in the last day. Omni antenna still. Best DX is DF6PW (673km).