Our walk earlier - NOT amateur radio

The photo collage shows our walk earlier when it was still cool at about 0630z. This is one of our favourite walks.

Zebra? - NOT amateur radio

Earlier, we saw this horse in a field on our walk. It had a coat on with zebra stripes.   I think the owner must like zebras!

10m FT8

At about 0845z my 10m FT8 gear was turned on. As usual I was running about 4W to the tiny indoor loop antenna. So far, 10 stations spotted and 8 stations spotting me.

Stations that had received
me to 1145z on 10m FT8

UPDATE 1147z:  Already today I have been spotted by 28 stations despite the 4W and the indoor loop. On 10m FT8 RX 38stations have been received so  LWfar today. I am amazed how strongly some people are receiving me despite the low power and indoor loop.

UPDATE 1702z:  Amazingly, 67 stations have so far spotted my 4W 10m FT8 to the loop antenna. On 10m FT8 RX the best DX so far today is LW2DAF (11213km) in Argentina.

UPDATE 1950z:  Now QRT. 233 stations spotted today on 10m FT8 RX and 75 stations spotted me on 10m FT8 TX today.

Sunspots - Saturday August 8th 2020

Solar flux is 74 and the SSN 14.  A=4 and K=2.

Sumac tree - NOT amateur radio

The photo shows next door's sumac tree against a blue sky.  Today was very hot.

Shack photo

The photo shows me in the shack earlier.  It has been very hot today.

"If it ain't broke don't fix it" - NOT amateur radio

For years I have used an interface for this blog that seemed to work fine. Now Google has changed this and I find it is far slower. I also found out that sometime in the next year I have to change all my websites to their new format. Now I am sure there are some upsides, but the overall impression is they make things worse, not better. 

A few years ago they stopped supporting Picassa, so it is now far more involved to post people photos. One step forwards and two steps backwards!! 

It is like clothes - made to a price, so thinner material, poorer quality. We bought a coat recently to replace one that was many years old. You guessed - fewer pockets and thinner material. 

We thought about buying a new bag from the National Trust. You guessed - fewer pockets and poorer material.

Why?

Hot - NOT amateur radio

Hot! We usually do a walk most days but decided not to today as it is too hot. Instead we are reading books in the shade in the garden. 

10m FT8

 Since mid-morning, I have been on 10m FT8 with about 4W and the indoor loop.  It is now 1230z. Up to now, 23 stations, all in Europe, have spotted me. On RX 67 stations have been spotted here. Best DX on RX is 5T5PA (3791km).

UPDATE 2049z: In the last half day, 104 stations were spotted on RX and 39 stations spotted my 4W and indoor loop. Now QRT.

Swifts - NOT amateur radio

Although I have been in the garden all morning not seen a single swift has been seen. Most have now gone. They don't stay long.

UPDATE 2042z:   We spent much of the day in the garden. Not a single swift was spotted all day.