Sunspots at last! - Wednesday June 26th 2019

Solar flux is 67 and the SSN 24 (yes sunspots!). A=4 and K=1.

UPDATE 1635z: I see the SSN has dropped to 12 now. Well that excitement did not last!

Virtual Amateur Radio

Although these internet based systems have never really appealed to me, they may to some. It is like amateur radio without the ionosphere, using the internet instead.

See also https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/virtual

OFCOM and 3GHz spectrum for 5G

OFCOM has announced changes to the licencing conditions for major 5G players.

See https://ofcom.cmail19.com/t/ViewEmail/i/32E3F5227ADB863C2540EF23F30FEDED/952AB8F022CBFC94BA4AF9908B8D85ED

Ads I hate - NOT amateur radio

One sort of ad I really hate is one that says "Brits must read this"  or similar. In my view, this is like click bate. One is encouraged to read and clearly the ad is, well, an ad. I presume this is a new way to get our attention. In future such ads will be avoided.

6m FT8

After an early morning QRP QSO with EA5/G0KSC (1591km) I have been RX only on 6m FT8.  57 stations spotted so far this morning on 6m FT8 RX. It is now 0830z.

UPDATE 0858z:  63 stations spotted so far on 6m FT8.

UPDATE 1543z: Now 190 stations in 20 countries spotted on 6m FT8 RX today with best DX EA8DBM (3016km). Nothing from "across the pond".

UPDATE  1844z: Now 239 stations spotted today with best DX spotted on 6m FT8 RX 5T5PA (3791km).

WRC-19

Southgate News has a piece on the RSGB papers for the next World Radio Conference. If things go to plan, this might see a worldwide 50-54MHz band for radio amateurs. Often, we are disappointed.

Personally, I'd prefer a much smaller allocation around 40MHz (8m), which would have been far more use and interesting.

See https://rsgb.org/main/news/special-focus/wrc-19/wrc-19-papers/
See also http://southgatearc.org/news/2019/june/144-and-1240-mhz-bands-rsgb-information.htm#.XRG1g_ZFy00

6m last evening

6m FT8 RX yesterday here

After a rather poor day yesterday, things livened up, although I had to disconnect everything because of the storm risk. Before closing, 5 North Americans spotted on 6m FT8 RX. Had I stayed on longer, there is little doubt others would have been spotted.

At the moment the storm risk seems distant, so I may reconnect the 6m gear shortly.

Windmill starlings - NOT amateur radio

Apparently starlings are in decline in the UK. Well, not here! The photo shows the starlings gathering on "our" windmill next door last night. They roost elsewhere, but gather on the windmill sails before flying off.

The photo was taken from our front garden.

Sunspots - Tuesday June 25th 2019

Solar flux is 67 and the SSN 0. A=3 and K=1.

Storm risks

It is just starting to rain and we have thunder forecast for the end of the night. Later, all antennas and mains leads in the shack will be disconnected. At the moment the nearest storms are hundreds of miles away. By the end of the night it could be quite different here.

See https://www.lightningmaps.org/blitzortung/europe/index.php?lang=en