My XYL was looking in our loft for some pictures and came across my mobile logbook that I had not seen for over 7 years. I have never managed to get in our loft since my 2013 stroke.
In the logbook is my Fredbox QSO across the Channel with 10mW and a halfwave whip on 2m AM in 1976. This was one of my all-time best ever QSOs. See logbook page photo below.
Years later the Fredbox was revived and used for some local QSOs again.
See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/fredbox .
In a few minutes I hope to turn on 6m FT8. It is now 0647z. If I spot anyone or anyone spots me, I shall be pleased and amazed.
However, they do call it the "magic band" as from time to time strange things happen.
The most probable outcome is white noise, followed by the odd G spot (from dedicated people who like punishment) and possibly the odd European by aircraft or Es.
UPDATE 0723z: 6m FT8 now turned on. No spots given or received.
UPDATE 1025z: Just a spot from G0PQO (50km). No spots on RX and no QSOs.
UPDATE 1806z: Now QRT. With no spots at all on RX and just 1 spot of me on TX, today has been a poor day.
Solar flux is 75 (higher than for some time) and the SSN 12. A=2 and K=0. There is definitely evidence building that we are on the up-slope of cycle 25.
At the moment I am again on 2m FT8 QRP. It is now 0907z. 6 stations have spotted me with G4RRA (333km) in Devon the furthermost,and I have spotted 2 stations so far.
UPDATE 1423z: 11 stations have already copied me (no QSOs yet) with the furthermost being EI2FG (565km). Also copied multiple times in Northern Ireland. 17 stations in 5 countries spotted here.
UPDATE 1530z: After a period on RX only, I am back on 2m FT8 TX. 4 stations have spotted me in the last 10 minutes including G4RRA (333km) in Devon again. On RX 22 stations spotted today.
A recent visit to YouTube suggested there were lots of videos about QRP operating. As you know, a lot of fun can be had with low power.
At one time Windows came with a free package (Moviemaker?) that allowed quite a lot of video editing. I do not think this is available free any more. What do people recommend?
Like many, I want to send videos and video clips by email, so the main requirement is to make the videos smaller, possibly also adding titles and shortening.
The package needs to be free and easy to use on Windows 10.
A year from now we will look back on 2020 as a bad year. We have all been put out of sorts by the Covid-19 pandemic and solar activity has been poor.
At last there are hints of better days ahead. This time next year the Covid-19 situation should be better and sunspot numbers should be climbing. We are in for a rough period, but thing will be better. Hang on in there and stay positive as the "sunlit slopes" await us!
