2m AM, FM and SSB

These days there are few stations on 2m AM. Compared with a few years ago the general level of activity (FM and SSB) is lower with fewer people coming on just for a chat. These days, most go on the internet for a chat.  FT8 activity is higher, but outside contests and lifts, the 2m band is pretty quiet. This is also true of 70cm, at least here.

Many years ago I designed and built the Fredbox. I do not suggest you try to duplicate it, but you may get some ideas from it.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/homebrew/fredbox .

St John's Gate 1516 - NOT amateur radio

This is the gatehouse to St John's College in Cambridge, UK. I go past this every Friday. It is all too easy to take this for granted.

Spring - NOT amateur radio

This photo was posted on 365project today. Spring at last! 

Ipswich train station - NOT amateur radio

Almost a week ago, we went to Ipswich on the train, arriving at this station. I don't think it has been on before, but my apologies if it has.

Ipswich is the county town of Suffolk. We had been told it was a dump. It actually has some fine old buildings and churches and a big park.

10m FT8 RX

It is now 0905z. I have been on 10m FT8 RX for abour an hour. So far, 64 stations have been spotted.  As is to be expected, most of these are to the east including Australia. Later, the Americans will start to appear.

UPDATE 1108z:  309 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX. 

UPDATE 1212z:  435 stations spotted today on 10m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1345z:  544 stations spotted today.

Solar data update

Usually in the early days of the month my favourite site for solar information updates it's data.

See https://www.solen.info/solar/.

1950s beach - NOT amateur radio

The photo shows my brother on the beach in Salcombe, Devon, UK in the 1950s. 

During WW2 this was filled with USA soldiers preparing for D-Day. Years later, the evidence was still visible.

Sunspots - Tuesday March 1st 2022

 Solar flux is 99 and the SSN 65. A=8 and K=2.

Mandarin ducks

On a recent visit to Ipswich, we saw several of these ducks on a pond in the park. They are very colourful. I think they were introduced to England in the last 200 years from China.

See https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/birds/waterfowl/mandarin-duck .

The new world order - NOT amateur radio

Peace and harmony have always been my wish. We in the west are far from perfect, but I think recent actions by Russia are counter-productive with many countries being appalled by Putin's heavy handedness against fellow slavs.

In the end we all want peace. Let's hope good sense will prevail.