Walk - NOT amateur radio

In recent days we have got out of the habit of doing a walk. Today we did one and saw this fungus. It must be all the rain! 

481THz experiments

Many years ago before my 2013 stroke I bought some Flatlights (very bright LEDs) from the USA to enable me to get further with my optical experiments over the horizon. Even with quite low power LEDs I had got way over the horizon. 

Both my RX and optics could have been improved, so I was expecting much greater ranges. Then I had my stroke and I was unable to continue. To this day the Flatlights remain in the drawer unused.

2m FT8 (2.5W and big-wheel omni antenna)

For about 30 minutes (it is now 0828z) I have been on 2m FT8 with 2.5W and the big-wheel omni antenna. So far 7 spots of me and 1 spot of others. No QSOs.

Sunspots - Tuesday October 6th 2020

 Solar flux is 72 and the SSN 0. A=8 and K=4.

OFCOM licences

OFCOM has announced that it is imposing some new conditions when it grants licences to ensure holders know they have to obey international EMF guidelines. See the OFCOM website for more details. 

It would be good if OFCOM had a few people enforcing the law rather than just talking. Oh, silly me, that means people who understand RF.

FCC and 3.4GHz in the USA

According  to Southgate News, the FCC has withdrawn the 3.4GHz amateur allocation in the USA. It would appear the FCC has as many brains as OFCOM in the UK. 

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/october/fcc-deletes-3-4-ghz-amateur-satellite-service-allocation.htm#.X3sTbUjYq00

Walk - NOT amateur radio

Just after lunch we did a walk around the village. Luckily we dodged the showers. 

Back in the spring we had some great days with plenty of sunshine. 

It seems they are building new houses on every available scrap of land. 

The UK's world beating "Track and Trace" system - NOT amateur radio

The UK Prime Minister said that our Covid-19 "track and trace" system would be world beating. Yesterday we were told that 16000 people had been missed due to a technical glitch. The overwhelming impression is of utter chaos.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54412581 .

Our windmill in the 1980s - NOT amateur radio

The photo shows "our" windmill next door in the mid 1980s. It looks much better now with 4 sails and black tar.

Because of Covid-19 people have not been able to go up to higher floors this year sadly. Let us hope 2021 is better. The windmill is 200 years old.

6m FT8 (2.5W to the V2000 vertical omni)

Although the Es season is well behind us, I again decided to try 6m FT8.  

Although I have only been on for about 15 minutes, I have been spotted by a couple of Gs but no DX. On RX, just M0MVB (31km) has spotted me strongly. He is a serious 6m operator who worked some impressive DX this year on the band. By comparison, I am just playing.

UPDATE 1220z:  Still just the 2 spots of me. On RX best DX is OZ3K (703km).

UPDATE 1402z:  Even well outside of the Es season I am spotting signals from Spain and Denmark on 6m FT8. I think these are Es, but they could be aircraft.

UPDATE 1744z:  1 QSO with M0MVB (31km) and 11 stations in 5 countries spotted today on my simple 6m FT8 station. Best DX spotted was IT9RZR (2063km). Not bad for October!