Sunspots - Friday October 15th 2021

 Solar flux is 83 and the SSN 24.  A=7 and K=2.

472kHz ATU

There is a common misconception that 472kHz ATUs have to be big. With low power this is not the case. With my 5W I have had no problems at all with a tapped ferrite rod as the photo shows.  With the outer of a coax this makes a very simple 472kHz station. The 50 ohm connection is very low down and the wire will be much further up the rod.

Typical Cambridge - NOT amateur radio

When thinking of Cambridge people often think of bikes. 

This collage was taken by my wife earlier whilst coming back from her U3AC course.

SPAM - NOT amateur radio

Gmail does a pretty good job fighting SPAM. 

About 1 in 1000 is classed as SPAM but isn't, so I usually check. Every day I must get 10-20 SPAM emails, usually telling me I have a vast sum in my bank account (or about to if I just share my details), Bitcoin credits or offers of great sex with no strings. 

Several times a day these all get deleted. You can usually tell which are SPAM.

Overall, I can recommend Gmail. It is free and you can log in from anywhere with 15GB storage free. 

See https://mail.google.com/ .

Rally News

As always at this time, please check beforehand with the organisers to make sure the events are on and not changed, postponed or cancelled. 

• BATC online convention - part 2.
• Essex CW Boot Camp Registration from 8.30am Saturday October 16th.
• Hornsea Amateur Radio Rally 10am Sunday October 17th
• Hack Green Radio Suplus Hangar Sale, 10am Sunday October 17th.

Quiet on the River Cam - NOT amateur radio

The photo shows the River Cam in Cambridge UK last Friday. There are fewer foreign visitors this year, although Cambridge was about twice as busy as the last time we went in the summer. A hopeful sign.

10m FT8 RX (Thursday)

My 10m FT8 RX was turned on at 0750z.  So far, 2 stations spotted at 0850z. The furthermost is 4X1QQ (3550km).

UPDATE 0927z:  6 stations spotted so far on 10m FT8 RX today.

UPDATE 1316z: 80 stations spotted today on 10m FT8 RX with the furthermost PY5JO (9890km) in Brazil.

UPDATE 1428z: 106 stations in 5 continents spotted today so far.

UPDATE 1910z:  141 stations spotted.

UPDATE 2211z:  QRT. 

Sunspots - Thursday October 14th 2021

Solar flux is 84 and the SSN 27.  A=6 and K=2. 

Coffee break - NOT amateur radio

We have been getting the garden ready for winter planting winter flowering plants and bulbs. 

We enjoyed coffee outside, but for not much longer! 

King's College Chapel - NOT amateur radio

This is a collage my wife made of King's College Chapel in Cambridge last week.