UK rally updates

The following rally updates were received earlier. If the background makes these hard to read on some screens, please accept my apologies, but this is how I get them.

Sunday 30 AUGUST : CANCELLED 

MILTON KEYNES ARS RALLY. MKARS, Irish Centre, Manor Fields, Watling Street, Bletchley MK2 2HX Additional information at www.mkars.org.uk/rally.


Sunday 30 AUGUST : POSSIBLY CANCELLED check TARS website

TORBAY ANNUAL COMMUNICATIONS FAIR. Newton Abbot Racecourse, Devon TQ12 3AF. Doors open at 10am with disabled visitors gaining access at 9.30am. Indoor event with plenty of free parking on site. There will be a Bring & Buy as well as an RSGB bookstall. Catering will be available on site. Details & bookings: Mike, G1TUU, 01803 557941 or rally@tars.org.uk.

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

Meal out - NOT amateur radio

The photo shows our son with his son during our meal yesterday.

Day off amateur radio yesterday

Yesterday for the first time in some time, I decided to take a day off operating. We were out for much of the day and the gear was not turned on when we got back. I shall probably turn things on later although I am unsure which band.

Sunspots - Thursday August 27th 2020

Solar flux is 70 and the SSN 0. A=7 and K=3.

Simple pleasures - NOT amateur radio

Let this morning we went to Cavenham Heath. The photo shows our son showing his daughter a caterpillar.

Oscar 100 activity

Every few weeks I take a peek at activity levels on the geosynchronous Oscar 100 satellite.

Usually I give a warning that this is very unscientific. I randomly look at the narrowband transponder via the webSDR at Goonhilly in Cornwall. When I looked midweek activity was low.

See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/

WISPY 10m WSPR RX

In 2012 I designed a very simple RX for 10m WSPR as shown in the photo and circuit. It used low cost 14.060MHz crystals and a Polyakov mixer. It worked well. Even now there's WSPR on 10m, although FT8 is more popular.

Sunspots - Wednesday August 26th 2020

Solar flux is 71 and the SSN 0.  A=4 and K=2.

Anglesey Abbey earlier - NOT amateur radio

The photo shows Anglesey Abbey earlier in the week.

10m FT8

Since mid morning I have been on 10m FT8 with the tiny indoor loop antenna and 4W.

UPDATE 1130z :  So far, 4 stations have spotted me.

UPDATE 2120z:  QRT. 6 Europeans spotted me today.