Sunspots - Monday March 14th 2022

Solar flux is 125 and the SSN 64.  A=13 and K=6.

King's College Chapel in Cambridge - NOT amateur radio

People come to Cambridge from across the world to see sights like this.  This is King's College Chapel.

WSJT-X on a Chromebook?

My shack PC runs Windows 10.  Currently it is almost exclusively used for WSJT-X.

My main PC in the lounge is an Asus Chromebook that I have used for about 2.5 years. It has been excellent: fast, the battery lasts for hours and it does nearly everything I want. It is also far less expensive than a Windows machine. My wife was also impressed and bought one. I would never go back to Windows. At first I was uncertain I had made the correct choice: I had.

At some point I may want to upgrade the Chromebook. If I do this, this current Chromebook might end up in the shack. Although the Chromebook will run Linux apps, I have never bothered.

Does anyone know how to install WSJT-X on a Chromebook please?

I am definitely NOT a computer nerd, so would need very simple instructions!

8m SSB QSO between South Africa and Europe

There was an 8m SSB QSO between ZS6WAB in South Africa and S50B in Europe this weekend. The South African was widely heard. He was also calling for 6m crossband QSOs.

Momentous times - NOT amateur radio

Just occasionally, we seem to live in very important times.

I hope, in the end, there is (soon) a peaceful resolution to the tragedy in Ukraine. Sadly, for the ordinary people, food and energy costs are bound to be higher. Inflation is bound to go up.

My personal feeling is we will avoid WW3, although this is the closest we have ever been in my view. 1962 was scary.

Hopefully, this will be a wake-up call for the world. There are some ruthless people about. Our food and energy sources cannot be taken for granted. There are some very kind people around.

London Crossrail - NOT amateur radio

For several years now they have been building a new railway line across London. It is called the Elizabeth Line, presumably after the queen. It is close to being opened. 

The first section will link Paddington and Liverpool Street mainline rail stations. The trains actually go much further although this is probably the bit I would use visiting my brother in Devon.

I am a bit surprised that this does not go to St Pancras (where the Eurostar trains terminate) or Kings Cross.

See https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/improvements-and-projects/elizabeth-line .

10m FT8 RX

It is now 1000z. For about 10 minutes, I have been on 10m FT8 RX. So far, 8 stations have been spotted.

UPDATE 1212z:  148 stations spotted with the furthermost VK6AS (14459km).

UPDATE 1935z:   569 stations spotted. Both North and South America are coming through. Today has been excellent on 10m FT8. 

UPDATE 1955z:   570 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX today. 

UPDATE 2230z:  630 stations spotted. QRT soon.

Reach walk yesterday - NOT amateur radio

The photo shows some of the views on our walk yesterday around the village of Reach. 

Overnight on 160m FT8 RX

Yet again I was on 160m FT8 RX overnight. 283 stations were spotted. See map. As the night before, plenty of stations spotted in the USA.  Antenna was the 10m end fed untuned. 

9 years ago on 481THz

9 years ago I was busy with experiments on 481THz over the horizon.