Have we past the solar minimum?

Although the recent days have been spotless yet again, the solar flux seems to be above 70 pretty consistently. Are we now on the start of the slow climb to the next solar maximum or is this just a blip? It will be some months before we can be certain.

Sunspots - Friday January 17th 2020

Solar flux is 72 and the sunspot number 0 again. A=5 and K=1.

472kHz WSPR TX (10mW ERP)

A few minutes ago I returned to 472kHz WSPR TX using 10mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. So far, 4 stations have spotted me as the table shows.

Stations spotting my 10mW ERP
on 472kHz WSPR to 1655 today

UPDATE 2016z:  Now spotted by 9 stations with best DX PA0LSB (326km).

UPDATE 2233z: 15 stations have spotted me this evening.

Stations spotting me this evening

Poster 2020 - NOT amateur radio

Since 2012, my wife has done a poster for the kitchen summarising our year. This is the one for this year.

Seen on Facebook - NOT amateur radio

This photo was on Facebook. The husband is at the bottom of the cake.

Random kindness - NOT amateur radio

Just now I went to the local co-op shopping. The man in front of me at the check-out bought and just gave a scratch-card to the lady behind the till. She was so pleased.

The world can be a cruel place, but such kindness gives pleasure to those giving and receiving.  We do well to remember that their are lots of kind people in this world.

In the past I have received generosity from others: they neither wanted nor expected thanks; they were just kind people.  It reminded me to try to be kind to others.

2m FT8

At about 1025z I switched to 2m FT8 calling CQ initially (10W to the big-wheel). No QSOs, but 4 spots including by DL6YBF (471km). On 2m FT8 RX just DL6YBF spotted so far this morning.

UPDATE 1152z: So far this morning, 5 stations in 2 countries spotted on 2m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1318z: Now 11 stations in 6 countries spotted on 2m FT8 RX today.

Stations spotted on 

2m FT8 RX to 1412z

UPDATE 1412z: Now 16 stations spotted in 6 countries on 2m FT8 RX today as the map shows.

2m AM

These days there is very little AM on 2m whereas at one time it was the only mode! The RSGB seems to have an aversion to AM and the 2m AM centre of activity (144.55MHz) appears as a begrudging footnote in the band plans every year. They bang on about worries over adjacent channels when AM transmissions usually occupy less spectrum than FM!!

AM can be quite effective on weaker signals than FM. Often AM gear (ex-PMR) can be found very cheaply. AM has a place and many newcomers are often totally unaware of this mode.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/2am

Sunrise - NOT amateur radio

We were treated to a dramatic sunrise earlier over our close as the photo shows.

Childhood pets - NOT amateur radio

The photo dates from the late 1950s and shows our pet hen and terrier eating from the same bowl.