Virtual dinner - NOT amateur radio

Every month I used to go to a dinner in local pubs with old work colleagues. At the moment this is not possible so we have a virtual dinner instead via Zoom. It works well.

Yesterday on 10m FT8 with the tiny indoor loop antenna

Yesterday, I went on 10m FT8 with the tiny indoor loop antenna. Much to my surprise lots of QSOs were had and my 10W was widely spotted around Europe. I spotted lots of Europeans and North African stations.

Sunspots - Friday June 12th 2020

Solar flux is 72 and the SSN 11.  A=4 and K=1.

10m FT8

For a change, since 1253z, I have been on 10m FT8 with 10W to the indoor loop. As yet, no spots on RX or TX.

UPDATE 2122z:  36 spots of me and lots of QSOs. Now QRT.

National Trust visit - NOT amateur radio

No café, so just a
hut selling snacks 

Our nearest National Trust place is Anglesey Abbey.  After months of being closed the gardens have been opened again as long as you pre-book.

It was surreal with so few people. It felt like we had the place to ourselves. It was good to be back.

Another cancelled rally

The East Suffolk Wireless Revival has been cancelled. The following may be hard to read on some screens, but this is as I get it.

Sunday 14 JUNE : CANCELLED
EAST SUFFOLK WIRELESS REVIVAL (Ipswich Radio Rally). 

Kirton Recreation Ground, Back Road, Kirton IP10 0PW (just off the A14). Doors open at 9.30am and the entry fee for visitors is £2. The venue has free car parking. Trade tables are from £10. There will be trade stands, a car boot sale, a Bring & Buy, special interest groups, GB4SWR HF station and an RSGB bookstall. Catering is available on site. Contact Kevin G8MXV, 07710 046 846. www.eswr.org.uk.

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

The next solar peak

Historically, it has been very difficult to forecast the size of the next solar peak. We are getting better. One paper compares the methods used. They forecast the next peak may be just a bit better than the last cycle.

See https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41116-020-0022-z

10m WSPR

A few moments ago (it is now 0820z) I turned on my 500mW WSPR beacon to the indoor loop. So far just spots by G4KPX (14km).

UK post Covid-19 - NOT amateur radio

The whole world is having a great shock with this virus. In the 1600s maybe, but in the 21st century?

The expectation is that we will have the deepest recession, probably for a century. We will be in uncharted territory. With stimulus measures some countries may be able to claw back to near normality. Left to purely market forces, many will be very vulnerable.

I suspect long supply chains and "just in time" policies driven by ever lower prices will be ditched in the interests of supply security. Many retail businesses will close for ever and more of us will continue to shop online. I suspect flying will be rarer with higher prices and fewer leisure trips.

We are in for a difficult few years. I hope most governments can stimulate their economies to ease the pain.

6m FT8

At 0810z my 10W to the vertical V2000 omni was turned on. 6 stations, including 2 Scandinavians have spotted me so far. It is now 0815z.