Amaryllis - NOT amateur radio

Every winter, we plant amaryllis bulbs. Most come out, although occasionally we just get leaves. This year, we have a very tall one. In a few days it will be past its best, but it has been fun to watch. They shoot up very fast!

70cm FT8 activity contest this evening

At 1900z, for 2 hours, is the RSGB organised 70cm FT8 contest. 

I shall be on with the V2000 vertical and 2.5W TX. On 70cm the FT8 frequency in Europe is 432.174MHz USB. 

There are often quite a few stations in the Netherlands on vertical FT8. 

Rules may be found on the RSGB site. This is designed to coincide with contests in continental Europe. Activity should be good. If you enjoy FT8, give it a go this evening. Standard FT8 exchanges are expected (no serial numbers required). ADIF files may be uploaded.

UPDATE 1918z:  29 stations spotted including 5 in the Netherlands. 1 QSO. Not bad with a vertical omni!

UPDATE 2100z:  58 stations spotted on RX with the V2000 vertical omni on 70cm FT8. Several stations have spotted me on 2.5W FT8 TX and I have had a couple of QSOs although I was mostly RX. The FT8 activity was great. I think several of these must have been scatter. It would not surprise me if scatter was better on 70cm than on 2m.

6m FT8 (Wednesday)

 I am on 6m FT8 QRP. Apart from a very brief 2.5W TX period (no spots) I am RX only. As usual, the antenna is the V2000 vertical omni. So far (at 1016z) no spots.

UPDATE 1447z:  6 stations spotted with the furthermost LB6D (1030km).

10m QRP WSPR (Wednesday)

 Yet again, I am on 10m QRP WSPR TX with 500mW from the W5OLF beacon. So far (at 1011z) spots by G4KPX (14km) and nobody else. The usual pattern is being followed: at first the crystal is settling, then the drift is essentially zero. So far, 25 spots by Richard.

UPDATE 1511z:  5 stations have spotted me with the furthermost FY5KE (7110km). 

70cm activity contest yesterday

Last evening I had a go at the 70cm activity contest (UKAC) with 10W to the 2m big-wheel omni antenna. After 3 QSOs, I had to stop because of my poor voice. If I had been able to stop on longer, many more stations would have been worked. 

A station in Shropshire (IO82) copied me, but we were unable to complete the QSO.

Sunspots - Wednesday January 12th 2022

 Solar flux is 100 and the SSN 51.  A=5 and K=1.

8m NoV

Three days ago I chased OFCOM as my application was back in October. 

What have I heard? Nothing, even with a request for an update. 

Well, I suppose their excuse will be Covid, assuming they eventually put their toys down and deem a reply to a mere mortal is worth waking them up for.

I suppose if I said my application would make them billions I might have heard in October by return!

Lightning

Thankfully, thunderstorms are infrequent in the UK in winter. In the more risky months I disconnect  antennas and PSUs to avoid the risk of power surges. A direct strike is probably going to totally ruin things.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/other-amateur-radio/lightning-maps

Family history - NOT amateur radio

My Lapthorn family history can be traced back to the mid 1500s continuously with 1 record in the mid 1400s. 

Back in the 1500s we lived in Hope Cove in Devon. The cottages in the photo are in the same village. 

I suspect my ancestors were hereabouts for thousands of years. There is an iron age hill fort near here. It is quite possible that one of my distant ancestors manned this thousands of years ago.

Gulberwick - NOT amateur radio

 
Gulberwick is a village in the Shetland Islands not far from the capital Lerwick. This photo was posted on 365project recently. These very northerly Scottish islands can be barren and windswept, but have their own beauty. 

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulberwick.