160m FT8

At about 1515z I QSYed to 160m FT8 calling CQ (10W to the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground) initially. 2 stations spotted me with the best being G8ECI (122km). It is still quite light here. On 160m FT8 RX no spots yet.

UPDATE 1612z: So far, 9 stations spotted this afternoon on 160m FT8 RX. Best DX spotted is OG2A (1693km) in Finland.

UPDATE 1702z: A recent 10W 160m FT8 CQ resulted in 1 QSO and spots from 15 stations in 6 countries with best DX being a spot by LA2XPA (1308km).

UPDATE 1930z: 197 stations spotted so far this evening on 160m FT8 RX.

Chinese new coronavirus - NOT amateur radio

We do not yet know what we are dealing with. With modern travel viruses can spread worldwide in a few hours, so containment becomes all but impossible.  At the moment it is mainly a few hundred cases in China. In a weeks' time?

It could turn out to as harmless as the common cold or it could be lethal. There is little doubt that at some point a worldwide pandemic could be a threat to all human life. Hopefully this is not it.

4m in Germany 2020

Southgate News reports that 4m will again be available in 2020 for German amateurs. As Ger ismany at just the right range in Es openings, this is good news for amateurs in the UK.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/january/4m-returns-to-germany.htm#.Ximr4PKTLnE

Reducing our carbon footprint - NOT amateur radio

There is little doubt we all have to do better if we are to help reduce the increase in temperature of our planet. I am one of the culprits: I drive a car, fly abroad, heat my house with gas and eat too much red meat.

This is what I think will happen:

1. We will eat far less meat in future. By advertising and price we will be persuaded that non-meat alternatives are better for us. This has already started.
2. We will, at some point, drive electric vehicles. We are not quite there yet as prices are too high and ranges too low. With research into better batteries I suspect changes will come. Also, I suspect governments will be persuaded to subsidise renewables rather than fossil fuels.
3. There will be government subsidies to use less energy such as incentives to insulate homes and use less energy. Maybe the charge for using too much energy will be very high whereas it will be lower for the first so many kWhrs.
4. There will be subsidies to convert to greener energy to heat our homes.
5. We will travel less.
6. The price of renewables will drop.
7. Storage of renewable  energy will become economic, rendering fossil fuels obsolete.
8. Technologies for carbon capture will be created.

There will be plenty of other things we can do.

Overall, I am optimistic.  Change is coming and we will embrace it.

BREXIT - NOT amateur radio

At the end of next week the UK officially leaves the EU. In the transition year ahead not much should change.  In the UK-EU trade negotiations, I hope both sides work constructively to forge a good relationship. We are still Europeans and it is surely in both parties interest to work for a good outcome.

6m FT8

A few minutes ago (0944z) I QSYed to 6m FT8 calling CQ (10W to the V2000) initially. As yet, no spots on RX or TX. There seems less aircraft scatter on 6m than on 2m. Occasionally I spot Gs by tropo and winter Es on occasions on 6m.

UPDATE 1420z: Well, so far it has been pretty dismal on 6m. Altogether, just 6 stations (5Gs+ 1F) spotted on 6m FT8 RX and no spots at all of my recent 10W 6m FT8 CQ.

UPDATE 1505z: A recent CQ resulted in not a single spot!

UPDATE 1533z: Just one spot of my recent CQ by G4RDC (127km). Now QSYed to 160m.

160m FT8 RX overnight

Not a bad night with 619 stations spotted in 5 continents. Yet again, fewer North Americans, but 1 in the Caribbean and 1 in South America. Best DX was CX6VM (10767km). The latter was greyline propagation.

Stations spotted here on 160m
FT8 RX in the last day

Cambridge - NOT amateur radio

Every Tuesday I go into Cambridge for a U3AC course. The photo shows a typical scene in the city.

Sunspots - Thursday January 23rd 2020

Solar flux is 72 and the SSN 0. A=6 and K=3.

Prejudice?

This evening, I had a new subscriber to my YouTube G3XBM channel. When I checked I noticed that this person's videos had Arabic titles. At first I was suspicious, so I put some through Google Translate. Those I checked looked perfectly fine.

I guess it was the Arabic text that got me concerned. I guess I did "the right thing" although it is so sad that I was suspicious.  I am sure the vast majority of Muslims wish nothing but peace.