Oil prices up - NOT amateur radio

Before too long we will all be driving cars that are powered by non-polluting energy. We must also ensure that these energy types are also not produced from polluting sources and are sustainable. 

In the end there needs to be a breakthrough in battery technology and energy storage so that fuels like electricity produced by solar and wind can be stored.

For now, oil prices are a bellweather of the economy. Oil prices have doubled in the last few months and fuel at the pumps has gone up in price. I guess this suggests more optimism for the year ahead.

Covid-19 vaccines - NOT amateur radio

 At the moment, the UK is doing quite well on the vaccination of vulnerable people. I think we are 3rd in the world. Much of what we have done in the last year was poor and this is one area where we have done well.

As long as the rates of virus circulating in the world are high, there is a chance of importing a variant that spreads easily, is more deadly and evades vaccines. There is an adage "until the world is vaccinated we are all at risk".

I hope all the world is vaccinated soon.

15m FT8 QRP (Monday)

In a few moments I shall be turning on my 15m FT8 QRP using 2.5W and the tiny indoor loop antenna. 

UPDATE 1112z:  15m FT8 gear now on. 13 stations already spotted on 15m FT8 RX and spotted by SV2BRA (2154km) on QRP 15m FT8 TX.

UPDATE 1152z: 30 stations spotted on 15m FT8 RX and 2 spots of my 2.5W to the indoor loop on TX with the furthermost RZ4HO (3291km).

UPDATE 1449z: 73 stations spotted so far today on 15m FT8. 

Stations spotted
on 15m FT8 today

UPDATE 1803z: 95 stations spotted today on 15m FT8 RX with the tiny indoor loop. 

Remarkable - the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground on 160m FT8 RX

As reported last evening, 31 stations across Europe spotted my 2.5W FT8 to the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground on TX.

Overnight I left it connected on 160m FT8 RX. In all, 328 stations were spotted including very many in N. America as shown on the map. 

UPDATE 1024z: Apart from VE3PJ (5492km) at breakfast time (0722z), all spots now are UK on 160m FT8 RX.

1908 harsh winter - NOT amateur radio

In 1961, my wife's grandmother wrote a letter to the Sheffield Star newspaper about the harsh winter of 1908 in the UK. We don't know how lucky we are and how hard life was. 

Sunspots - Monday February 15th 2021

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

160m FT8 QRP (Sunday)

As an experiment, I am trying my earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground on 160m FT8 using 2.5W. Immediately, stations across Europe were copied on RX. Already spotted strongly in Oxford on 160m FT8 QRP TX. Furthermost on RX is R9GM (3499km) in Perm.

Stations spotted on 160m FT8
so far with the earth-electrode
"antenna" in the ground by 1830z

UPDATE 1830z: Already 102 stations spotted on RX. 1 QSO with a station in Germany and 12 stations have spotted my QRP TX in 4 countries.  My earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground obviously still works effectively. I must try it on 472kHz (630m) probably tomorrow evening, assuming the transverter works!

UPDATE 2225z: So far, 263 stations spotted on RX and 31 stations have spotted me on TX with the furthermost being OE9GHV (869km). Not bad with antenna you cannot even see with just 2.5W from the FT817ND!

The 31 stations spotting my
2.5W to the earth-electrode
"antenna" on TX on
160m FT8 this evening

UPDATE 2227z: For the night I will leave just the RX on and turn off the TX. TX now off.

UAE Mars orbiter - NOT amateur radio

Mars will one day be explored by humans. For now, we have oribiting satellites and robots on the surface. The recent UAE satellite has been put in an orbit around the red planet.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-56060890

2m FT8 QRP (Sunday)

Once again I am on 2m FT8 QRP with 2.5W and the big-wheel omni antenna.  So far, spotted on TX by 8 stations with the furthermost GI6ATZ (479km) and one station spotted so far on RX. It is now 1052z. 

If I come on randomly, the chances are high that I will be spotted in EI or GI. This is definitely some sort of scatter, although the randomness makes me think aircraft scatter is unlikely.

UPDATE 1306z: Several QSOs already on 2m FT8.

UPDATE 1418z: 19 spots of my QRP so far today on 2m FT8. 

The USA - NOT amateur radio

Ex-president Trump has been cleared of impeachment. This is not too surprising as the senate would have needed a 2/3rds majority.

What I sincerely hope is that the USA can move on peacefully. Judging by the votes, he clearly has a large following in the USA, although I very much doubt most of those would have wanted the violence that erupted.

As a beacon of democracy, the violence that erupted some weeks ago was ugly and self-destructive. Now is a time to heal.