Kitten sitting - NOT amateur radio

Our son is away so we are feeding his kitten. Very playful as the photo shows!

2m UKAC activity contest (Tuesday evening)

As usual I took part in the RSGB organised activity contest on Tuesday evening. Because of my poor voice I only stayed on for 46 minutes. With the IC-705 and the big-wheel omni antenna, 8 QSOs were made - see map.

Later I realised I was only on battery power with 5W QRP! So all the contacts were with 5W! JO03 square worked for the first time this year on 2m I think.

Considering the time on, the power, and the antenna I am quite pleased.

Main G3XBM website and YouTube channel

A reminder that my main G3XBM website has far more details of my projects and interests. Also, my YouTube video channel often has useful project information. Most data predates my stroke.

See www.g3xbm.co.uk .

See https://www.youtube.com/user/G3XBM

10m QRP WSPR TX (Thursday)

 As usual, I am running my 500mW WSPR TX beacon on 10m.  7 unique spots already! Quite a few have spotted me many times. Es is promising on 10m today.

UPDATE 1236z: 18 stations have spotted me including FY5KE (7110km) in South America.

UPDATE 2020z:  25 unique stations have spotted me today.  FY5KE has spotted me 37 times! QRT soon.

UPDATE 2030z:  QRT.

Swifts on the move? - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday we went  for a nice walk around the sleepy village of Reach, near Cambridge. Although there were swifts around, there are fewer. At least some have started heading south. 

Screaming swifts in the air are a sound of late spring and early summer in the UK. Sometime in August you just realise they are not there. It will be next April or May until they (hopefully) will be back again.

See https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/swift/ .

6m FT8 RX with the V2000 vertical omni (Thursday)

Apart from a very brief period on TX with 2.5W and the V2000 vertical omni (3 UK spots) I have been on 6m FT8 RX. Already spotted a station in the South of France even though it is only 0644z. Es?

UPDATE 0725z:  24 stations spotted.  

UPDATE 2021z: 175 stations spotted today.  TR3MON (4221km) looks like a pirate: according to his QRA locator he is in Gabon although he is apparently in Niger!  

UPDATE 2031z:  QRT.

Lunch - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday I posted the homegrown runner beans I grew. We ate them for lunch and they were very good. 

Sunspots - Thursday August 5th 2021

Solar flux is 71 and the SSN 14   A=4 and K=0. 

ID help please - NOT amateur radio

We saw this small beetle on our walk earlier. It was about 5mm long. 

It is probably very common, but I am no beetle expert! It stayed on my arm for a long time.

This was in East Anglia, not far from a small river.

6m FT8 RX with the V2000 vertical omni antenna

Most of the morning I have been monitoring 6m FT8 RX apart from a very brief period on TX early on with 2.5W (5 G spots received). It is now 1112z and, so far today, 51 stations spotted.

UPDATE 1246z:  76 stations spotted so far today.

UPDATE 2041z: 124 stations spotted today on 6m FT8 RX with the furthermost VY2ZM (4447km) on Prince Edward Island, Canada. QRT now.