Facebook memory

The photo shows the sky 2 years ago. It appeared as a FB memory today.

Shack photo

The photo shows the shack earlier with the tiny indoor 10m band loop antenna on the left.

Collapit - NOT amateur radio

When I lived in Devon a long time ago one of my favourite spots was Collapit Creek on the Kingsbridge Estuary. This photo is probably over 100 years old and shows some people in a rowing boat. As a teenager I regularly saw kingfishers there.

Last night on 70cm

Every 2nd Tuesday in each month the RSGB holds an activity contest on 70cm. Although I normally stop on for less than an hour because of my poor voice, I usually submit a score in the AL (low power) section. I run 10W to the 2m big-wheel as I have no suitable 70cms antenna.

In the end I managed 5 QSOs with 2 at 105km. Although I have no chance of ever winning, I usually submit a score.

10m WSPR TX (500mW to the indoor loop)

10m WSPR spots of 

me last night to 2050z

As I needed my main rig (used on FT8) for the 70cm UKAC contest last night, I decided to put my W5OLF beacon on 10m WSPR.

Much to my surprise, I was spotted by 10 different stations all after 1900z.

Sunspots - Wednesday July 15th 2020

Solar flux is 69 today and the SSN 0. A=11 and K=0.

East Anglian skies - NOT amateur radio

A variation of this photo has been on before. This part of the UK has few hills but big skies.

Dithering - NOT amateur radio

The English response to the Covid-19 pandemic is best summarised as "dithering". Now, I have no wish to criticise our politicians who have a thankless task, but I have a few observations.

• Politicians rarely admit to mistakes.
• We seem to make up policies "on the hoof" and weeks too late.

Sudden spike - NOT amateur radio

Just now I looked and supposedly I had more visitors than all day yesterday and it is only 0700z!

Now, it would be very nice if these were all genuine visitors, but somehow I doubt this! I shall have to check my other blogs to see if they have had similar spikes.

Yep, several of my other blogs have similar spikes, in some cases a few days ago.  Usually this is a result of hackers probing for vulnerabilities.  Go away!

10m FT8 (5W and indoor loop)

At about 0648z, I decided to go on 10m FT8. Normally I try 10m WSPR, but today I thought I'd start on FT8. So far, at 0700z, just one spot by G0LRD (26km). On 10m FT8 RX, 1 Spanish station spotted.

UPDATE 0722z:  Now spotted strongly by IZ0GIY (1529km). Another Spanish station spotted on RX.

UPDATE 1824z: 306 stations spotted on RX with best DX RM8L (4064km) in Asiatic Russia. On TX 28 spots of me (all European)