2m activity contest

This evening was the monthly 2m leg of the RSGB's activity contest(UKAC), that I missed last month as I was on holiday.

Again, my poor voice did not help and I could only stay on for about 50 minutes only. My 5W to the big-wheel omni netted me some decent QSOs as the map shows.

New radio

As the photo shows, I decided to pass on the IC7300 and FT991A and buy some modern gear instead. The picture shows me demonstrating it to a few old friends. 😉

Anglo-Saxons - NOT amateur radio

At the weekend we took 2 of our young grandchildren to West Stow where there is a reconstructed Anglo-Saxon village. The theme was Anglo-Saxon food.  Despite the looks on our grandson's face, he actually enjoyed it! We also ate in the café there and were served by very friendly staff. My wife said the fruit scone was one of the best she had ever had.

One of their drinks was dandelion coffee. We made some years ago and it was actually very good.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dandelion_coffee

OFCOM monthly update

Every month OFCOM issues an update to its Communications Monthly. This summarises the main numbers that matter.

BREXIT - NOT amateur radio

We have the US president on a state visit to the UK giving his usual "helpful" advice. Without his help we are already in a mess with the ruling Conservatives and the main opposition Labour parties both deeply divided over the EU. Also the Conservatives are to elect a new leader and Prime Minister when Theresa May leaves soon.

Honestly, we are deeply divided over the EU and I see no easy answers. If I could hibernate I should do so for 10 years to see how this works out. If only the EU had been a little more flexible. With the rise of right wing parties maybe they will soon face a stark choice: modify how the EU works or face its break-up.

4m (70MHz)

It is many years since I went, briefly, on 70MHz with a homebrew QRP transverter and a wire dipole. Even with this some impressive inter-G DX was worked. The transverter featured in GQRP SPRAT. It is also on my website.  If I buy a new radio it is unlikely to include 70MHz.

See www.70mhz.org .

Sunspots - Tuesday June 4th 2019

Solar flux is 69 and the SSN still 0. A=4 and K=1.

160m FT8 RX overnight

Loads of Europeans spotted with best DX on 160m FT8 RX with the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground being CT3MD (2521km) on Madeira. Nothing from "across the pond". In all, 98 stations spotted on 160m FT8 RX with this "antenna".

6m FT8

In the last few minutes I have been calling CQ at 2.5W to the vertical omni V2000 antenna. No QSOs resulted, but I was spotted by 3 stations with best DX M0BEW (194km). Now I am RX only on 6m FT8.

UPDATE 0947z: Now 13 stations in 3 countries spotted this morning on 6m FT8 RX with best DX SM7CAD (1140km), which was probably Es.

UPDATE 1535z: Now 44 stations in 12 countries spotted so far on 6m FT8 RX today. Some Es, but not great.

Photo-bomb - NOT amateur radio

This picture is superb. Not because it has any merit for photography skills, but I love the way our granddaughter just popped up!

This was totally spontaneous and I love that you can only see her eyes. We laughed and laughed.