Burgh Island - NOT amateur radio

My brother sent me this picture taken from Thurlestone Golf Club earlier today. 

Divided USA - NOT amateur radio

As I write, the US presidential election could go either way. 

Whatever the outcome, the USA remains deeply split. Sadly, I cannot feel a whiff of compromise in the air, just a feeling of, "we are right and you are wrong".

In many countries there is a swing to the right in politics.  We should learn the lessons of history. This is how Hitler started.

What amazes me is that in a great nation like the USA the competition is between a 74 year old and a 77 year old. Where are the great younger leaders? 

Sadly, the president of the USA also is, by default, the leader of the western world. At this rate the USA is on a downward path to self destruction and irrelevance in the world.

Local Covid-19 cases - NOT amateur radio

 We live in East Cambridgeshire. It has the second lowest case numbers in the country and the R rate has dropped to 1.0 implying the infection rate is neither growing or falling. A week ago it was 1.2, so this is encouraging.

What next? - NOT amateur radio

The only bank in our village has been closed for about 2 years. As the photo shows, they have the builders in and are hoping to rent out commercial units for £12k per year. 

It has a central location and could make an ideal spot for small shops with a parking bay outside. Why so long?

15m FT8 QRP

It is now 1354z. For about 45 minutes I have been on 15m FT8 with 2.5W to the indoor loop. Nobody has copied me yet, but I have spotted 15 stations.

UPDATE 1515z:  42 stations in 4 continents spotted so far today. 2 spots of me so far with the furthermost being WE9V (6313km).

OFCOM updates on spectrum auctions

On the OFCOM website there are regulations relating to the spectrum action regarding 700MHz and 3.6-3.8GHz.

2m activity contest

Last night I took part for about 30 minutes in the low power section of the 2m activity contest organised by the RSGB. 8 QSOs had with 10W and the omni big-wheel antenna (see map). 

Valve site

Confession time....    In all my time I have never ever built a valve circuit!  

Maybe low voltage HTs might have persuaded me, but all my circuit ideas and projects have been semi-conductor based. If you are interested in valved circuits you may want to visit Andrew G6ALB's site.

See http://www.tetrode.co.uk/

Sunspots - Wednesday November 4th 2020

Solar flux is 83 and the SSN 15.  A=3 and K=0.

2m FT8 QRP

Most of the evening I have been on 2m FT8 QRP (2.5W and the big-wheel antenna). It is now 2133z and for the last hour I have been vertically polarised. Spotted by G0LRD (26km), but much weaker. Over this short path the cross-polarisation is evident. Nothing spotted on RX so far. With aircraft or other scatter I would have expected the polarisation to have had little effect.