Finiteness - NOT amateur radio

Today, my son and 2 of our grandchildren from Kent visited the place where I grew up, Salcombe in Devon, UK. My father and his father lived there over 100 years ago. It was almost like handing over a baton. 

It is now their turn to enjoy it, not mine.

6m FT8 (Monday)

 Apart from a very brief TX period at 2.5W, I am on 6m FT8 RX with the V2000 vertical omni antenna. Even my brief TX period was spotted by 2 Gs and I have spotted 3 stations on RX. It is now only 0655z.

UPDATE 0710z:  7 spots already on 6m FT8 RX today.

UPDATE 1015z: 73 stations spotted on RX with the furthermost HZ1SK (4759km).

10m WSPR TX

As my 10m antenna is not being used, I am again on 10m WSPR TX (500mW). This W5OLF 10m WSPR beacon is on 100% TX, but randomises the TX frequency for every transmission. This ensures you are not always underneath a strong carrier. I have had this for many years and it has been faultless. It is tiny and totally self contained with no PC needed. Apart from initially syncing the clock, nothing is needed. Truly wonderful.

UPDATE 0700z: 3 spots from Germany already. These were by DC7TO (888km).

UPDATE 1035z:  18 stations have spotted me so far. All are in Europe. Nothing from South America yet.

UPDATE 1314z:  No further spots. Odd.

Cartoon - NOT amateur radio

This cartoon appeared as a FB memory today. It is 8 years ago now, but still gave me a chuckle. 

Sunspots - Monday July 12th 2021

 Solar flux is 74 and the SSN 23. A=4 and K=2.

Hollyhocks - NOT amateur radio

The photo shows Church Lane in our village. The hollyhocks look good but they do self seed and spread! 

10m WSPR TX

I keep forgetting that when on 6m FT8, the 10m antenna is free. As this is the case, I am on 10m WSPR TX (500mW) at the moment. Already (at 1015z) 11 unique stations spotting me and I have not been on that long! It seems every slot I get several 10m WSPR spots.

Stations spotting
me to 1315z today

UPDATE 1318z: 36 stations have spotted me so far today on 10m WSPR. My impression is there are more stations on 10m WSPR than last year.

UPDATE 2142z:  Spotted by 66 stations today on 10m WSPR.

Sunspots - Sunday July 11th 2021

 Solar flux is 74 and the SSN 24. A=6 and K=1.

AM operation

It is some while since I was on 2m or 6m AM. 

There has been something of a revival in AM, although AM should not be used on busy bands. There are AM nets on 160m, 80m and 40m. I am looking forward to again hearing 10m AM from the USA just above 29MHz.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/vhf-am .

Devon rain - NOT amateur radio

When I was growing up I lived in Devon. We had a saying, "come to sunny Devon where it rains 6 days out of 7".  This photo was 4 years ago .... in the rain!