Tiredness and exhaustion - NOT amateur radio

What is the difference? When you are tired a good sleep usually makes things better. With exhaustion you still feel totally drained even after a good sleep. 

VHF Communications Magazine

Back in the 1970s, I think I subscribed to this A5 sized quarterly magazine. It was the English language version of the German magazine UKT Berichte.

It was very good, containing lots of circuit ideas for those keen on VHF, UHF and microwaves. It inspired several of my designs at the time including a 2m-70cm transverter using a varicap diode as a tripler and mixer. It was very simple, but got me active on 70cm. In those days people were mainly crystal controlled and "tuning low to high" for replies. In those days G8s in the UK (no morse test licencees) were not allowed on 2m, so activity was quite good on 70cm.

Although I think it is now longer published, back issues may be obtained.

See http://www.vhfcomm.co.

Sunspots - Thursday July 28th 2022

 Solar flux is 98 and the SSN 53.  A=9 and K=2.

Cambridge Net

Every Wednesday at 8pm local time (1900z) there is a net on 145.55 MHz FM. Although mainly for members of the Cambridge Radio Club (CDARC), it is open to all in the area. Although pencilled in for an hour, people often leave by 8.30pm (1930z). 

Most participants are in the south and east Cambridgeshire areas. Everyone is welcomed. There is a club SDR to help reception.

International Lighthouses and Lightships Weekend (ILLW)

This usually takes place in late August with the aim to activate these entities, often in rare squares.

See https://illw.net .

10m QRP FT8

Just after lunch, I QSYed to 10m FT8 as 10m WSPR was bad.

UPDATE 1229z: 10 European stations have spotted my QRP 10m FT8.

10m WSPR QRP TX (500mW)

This morning, just a single spot by EA1FAQ (1249km) on 10m WSPR with the W5OLF beacon. Not very good today.

UPDATE 2000z:  32 stations have spotted me this evening.

Jaws? - NOT amateur radio

When I saw this on the mill leat at Anglesey Abbey earlier I immediately thought of the film "Jaws" as I was reminded of a shark.

Actually it was an old piece of wood! 

Chuckle time - NOT amateur radio

This appeared on Facebook earlier. I have no idea where it originated. It made me laugh. 

We went some years ago from San Francisco to New Zealand and went economy plus for extra room. Until about a minute before we left, the seat next to us was empty. Then a huge NZ rugby player sat in it!! 

8m experiment (Wednesday)

We are going out shortly, but my plan is to go on 8m QRP FT8 TX on 40.680 MHz USB dial later and 10m QRP WSPR TX. 

UPDATE 1101z: Just a single spot of my 8m QRP by HC02 (1808km) in Portugal. I was surprised even to get this as 10m was so poor. So far, I have been spotted in 14 countries on 8m FT8 QRP TX. Nobody spotted on RX.

UPDATE 1244z:  Now QSYed to 10m FT8.

UPDATE 2006z:  4 stations have spotted me today. Good Es on 8m FT8.