Lies - NOT amateur radio

Every time there is an election coming nearly all politicians make promises that are rarely kept.

In the UK we have a General Election due December 12th. Yesterday the Labour Party and the Conservative Party were making promises to spend big on the health service.

Today there was a Conservative politician on TV about a points based immigration system. When repeatedly asked a very direct question about whether this would result in more overseas workers working in the UK she swerved around the answer as most politicians do.

I seem to remember President Obama in the USA promising to close Guantanamo Bay.  Many years later it is still there. Then there is President Trump's wall.

Cynical me?

Whatever politicians promise, ignore.  Is it any wonder we don't trust our politicians?

10m FT8

Just after breakfast I decided to go on 10m FT8. As yet, no spots. Yesterday 10m FT8 was pretty good considering we are right at the bottom of the solar cycle.

UPDATE 0918z:  A brief 2.5W FT8 CQ earlier got no spots - am I surprised? No. No RX spots yet still.

UPDATE 1204z: 35 RX spots so far from southern Europe and North Africa with S01WS (3043km) as the best DX in Western Sahara. Did someone say this is 10m at sunspot minimum and well outside of the Es season?

UPDATE 1918z: 53 stations spotted today on10m FT8 RX.

Sunspots - Friday November 8th 2019

Solar flux is 70 and the SSN 0. A=4 and K=0.

Night off

This evening and overnight I shall not be on 472kHz WSPR TX. I have decided the rig and PC can have a night off!

Cactus - NOT amateur radio

Usually in time for Christmas, this cactus flowers. This year it is early and glorious. My wife has a magic touch!

BATC ATV Convention (south)

Saturday 9 NOVEMBER : BATC ATV CONVENTION (SOUTH) 

Chilton Village Hall near Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0SH. ATV Clinic, Show and Tell, Bring and Buy and 2 interesting talks. More information at https://forum.batc.org.uk.

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

Art exhibition - NOT amateur radio

Last weekend we went to an art exhibition in The Maltings at Ely. There were all sorts on display, not just paintings.

The picture shows just one stall.

Sadly, most things were expensive in the exhibition, so we bought nothing.

472kHz WSPR TX (10mW ERP)

Overnight I was spotted by 17 stations with the best DX again being LA9IY (1374km) in Norway. In the last 2 weeks I have been spotted by 44 receiving stations on 472kHz WSPR (see table).

10m FT8

Things are looking better than yesterday with 5 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX in 3 countries by 1036z. A recent 10m FT8 CQ call (2.5W) was spotted by no-one.

UPDATE 1208z: 9 stations in 4 countries spotted so far today on 10m FT8 RX. The Spanish stations spotted had huge signals.

10m FT8 RX spots today

UPDATE 1842z: 48 stations spotted today including South America and St Helena. A good 10m day considering where we are in the solar cycle (rock bottom!).

Sunspots - Thursday November 7th 2019

Solar flux is 69 and the SSN 0. A=5 and K=1.