No early 6m Es today

So far on 6m FT8 RX just a single station spotted HB9SJE (795km). Little sign yet of Es on the band.

UPDATE  1819z: Just 3 stations spotted all day today on 6m FT8 RX. Pathetic!

Sunspots - Friday May 31st 2019

Solar flux is 68 and the SSN 0. A=8 and K=2.

Grandchildren - NOT amateur radio

Over the half-term holiday we have seen all 4 of our young grandchildren.

Today, our "London" grandchildren arrived for a few days. The photo shows them with my wife in our garden room.

Mess, but clean mess  😊

Currency oscillations - NOT amateur radio

At the moment the UK pound is up and down against major currencies. With BREXIT uncertainties and the likelihood of a new Prime Minister in the next month or so, this is hardly surprising. I guess the fact the UK pound has not tumbled dramatically is good news.

The UK must be the laughing stock of the world! How can we be so divided? I am struggling to see how rifts created in the last few years will be healed. Healed they must be.

Rally

Sunday 2 JUNE : SPALDING DARS ANNUAL RALLY

Holbeach Community Sports Academy, Pennyhill Lane, Holbeach PE12 7PR. Doors open at 9.30am and admittance is £3. The venue offers easy access from the A17, large area for boot traders and modern hall for indoor traders. There will be a Car Boot Sale, RSGB Book Stall, Special Interest Groups and trade stands. Catering is available on site and there will be a prize draw/raffle. Contact Graham Boor, G8NWC, 07754 619 701, rallysecretary@sdars.org.uk.

A list of rallies can be found at http://rsgb.org/main/news/rallies/

FT991A fan

Nobody gave me the answer I needed! Is the FT991A fan temperature controlled? Does it only come on when the rig gets hot? I think the IC7300 fan is always on when on TX. If I was to buy an FT991A it would mostly be used at QRP powers.

Julian G4ILO

Although a SK for several years now, I still get people coming to this blog via Julian's site. This is a fitting tribute to his memory. Although we never met "on the air", I considered him a good friend. Like many, I followed his struggle to the end. RIP. You are not forgotten.

6m Es

As is usual at this time of year, I am on 6m FT8 RX. So far today, 71 stations in 10 countries spotted, mostly by Es and all European.

UPDATE 1350z: Now 230 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX today with best DX TA8A (3331km).

UPDATE  1520z: Now 232 stations spotted on 6m FT8 today in 22 countries. Plenty of 6m Es!

UPDATE 2034z: Now 244 stations spotted. Unless things suddenly change I suspect this is it for today.

First car - NOT amateur radio

We bought our first car in 1971. It was sold for scrap for £40 in 1978 as I recall. It was a Morris 1000. No radio, no aircon, very basic back then! We were quite sad when it went. It was bought by a local agricultural mechanic who did it up and had 2 more years on the road. The photo shows the day we sold it.

Sunspots - Thursday May 30th 2019

Solar flux is 66 today and the SSN 0. A=5 and K=1.