Network radios

At the moment we are at sunspot minimum and conditions on the higher HF bands are poor. If you look, there is still some DX there, but it is much harder to find than a few years ago.

Conditions will soon start to improve, but in the meantime some will turn to network radios. These look like typical 2m or 70cm rigs, but use the internet to connect.  They can be useful to connect to distant repeaters via Echolink.

Portable network radios have antennas, PTTs and batteries and look and feel like conventional radios. Although I have owned a network radio for over a year, it hardly ever get used. They may appeal to some.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/network

Extinction Rebellion - NOT amateur radio

There is no doubt in my mind that the climate IS changing.

The overwhelming evidence points to man having a great influence, although that matters less than changing habits to minimise the impact of rising temperatures. Renewables are now far cheaper than they were.

In the UK, there was criticism over recent actions by Extinction Rebellion activists causing disruption in London. As in HK, activists risk alienating the very people they seek to influence. Certainly climate change is now being talked about. A year ago it was talked about far less.

I am not sure what I think. What is needed is a big change in transport, heating, food and other things across the world. This will involve subtle changes brought about by gradually persuading people to change habits. In my mind this will happen. I just hope this happens soon enough.

Recovering lawn - NOT amateur radio

Today it is a wet miserable autumn day. In summer 2018 a lot of our grass died in the heat. I reseeded the bare patches and the lawn has largely recovered. This summer was nothing like as hot and dry as 2018. Any remaining bits will be reseeded.

The light strip is because I put down too much feed. Hopefully this will recover over the winter.

To Norway again on 472kHz WSPR TX (10mW ERP)

So far this season my QRPP WSPR from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground on 472kHz has reached Norway on every occasion. Overnight LA8AV (1035km) spotted me 4 times! He must have a very low noise level. The table shows the results overnight.

Sunspots - Saturday October 12th 2019

Solar flux is 69 and the SSN 0. A=8 and K=2.

Another Beatles recording? - NOT amateur radio

Looking back, I was one of the rare people who saw the Beatles live on stage. This was in 1964 in Torquay before they became really famous.

It is just possible that the two remaining Beatles could make a recording together. Back in 2017, Ringo and Sir Paul appeared on Twitter together.

My wife did her teaching practice in a junior school where some of the Beatles went. She also helped at Strawberry Fields and banked on Penny Lane.

Return to 472kHz WSPR

After a few days' break, I have returned to WSPR on 472kHz. As before, I am using about 10mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. I am on RX 75% of the time and 25% on TX. After the initial TX period, no spots.

UPDATE 2128z: 3 spots on RX so far.

UK VHF/UHF-only beginners licence?

Southgate News has a piece on a possible "beginners licence" to encourage VHF/UHF activity. This would be non-technical and with restrictions on power and bands. Certainly a casual look at our VHF and UHF bands would suggest these are not well used and maybe we should be encouraging use of these bands. Back in the 1980s, these bands were busy.

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2019/october/new-uk-entry-level-licence-proposed.htm

Bill's - NOT amateur radio

Back in the summer we had a bad experience at Bill's in Peterborough. Bill's is a big cafe chain and they usually quite good.

I wrote to explain our disappointment and they offered us a free meal for 2 in the Bill's in Cambridge. We went there for lunch today and they worked hard to make amends. The service and the food were fine.

Of all the places to eat in Cambridge our favourite is still Cote Brasserie, They offer good fixed price menus of either 2 or 3 courses. Every month they vary the menu.

Non-scientific research - NOT amateur radio

As I was in Cambridge today, I felt compelled to carry out some research.

As I stood outside a shop in Cambridge today I observed the use of mobile phones by young people. Older people tend not to use mobile phones as much. My method was to observe male and females who were walking alone. My highly scientific methodology was to count the number of males and females using mobile phones. Some were listening to music, some were texting and some were surfing. I guess some were even using it as a phone!

In the time I counted 16 males and 13 females on their mobile phones.

Conclusions? My feeling is that as many males as females were using their mobile phones. The sample size was really far too small.  A year ago, there were far more females than males using mobile phones. A year ago I concluded the females were saying, "go away as I am not available". Today I guess younger people are using them to connect, although I have no evidence.