2m activity contest (August) results published

Every month I enter this UKAC activity contest. I can only run 10W to my big-wheel omni and because of my poor voice I manage an hour. Results were published today and, surprise, surprise, I am in the top half of the low power section. My points go to the Cambridge club CDARC. In the 70cm UKAC I gave up.

1947 - NOT amateur radio

With the UK having recorded record high temperatures lately, it is hard to think of harsh winters in the past. One was 1947 before I was born. The photo shows my uncle clearing snow drifts in Salcombe Devon where snow is rare. 

8m experiment (Tuesday)

Shortly, I hope to be on 8m QRP TX on 40.680 MHz USB dial FT8 again. 

In the last few days I have been spotted by 4 stations across Europe with the best DX 1808km. Es may be quieter, but there are still good times!! 

UPDATE| 1259z:  EA3ERE (1153km) has spotted my 8m QRP FT8 again.

UPDATE 1340z:  Off cooling. Back on about 1415z, I hope.

Hidden disability - NOT amateur radio

This was written in 2016, but little has changed for me.

EI7GL - more

It would appear that EI7GL was spotting on 10m WSPR RX yesterday. Assuming this was indeed John and not a pirate, I am puzzled. I have no further information.

UPDATE 1915z: Just had an email from John. All is well, but he was too busy to blog over the summer, but hopes to resume in September. Basically good news. 

Scooters - NOT amateur radio

When we were young, scooters were popular, probably as most young people could not afford to buy and run a car. 

These were on display last weekend at our Classic Car Day at our local museum. 

The windmill is on the left and our house in the background on the right.

We need rain, as the photo shows!

FTDX-10

I am seriously thinking about one of these radios. Over the years I have had many Yaesu rigs and this has some rave reviews. It includes an ATU and 4m, but does not include 2m or 70cm. At 100W, it is far more power than I would ever want. Most times it would be used at 5W!

Ideally, please may I have a decent FT817 replacement with 4m? No doubt the minute I was to buy an FTDX-10 they would announce a decent FT817 replacement at half the price of the FTDX-10. Perhaps I should wait....

Sunspots - Tuesday August 23rd 2022

Solar flux is 103 and the SSN 44.  A=7 and K=1.

Dahlias - NOT amateur radio

The dahlia garden at nearby Anglesey Abbey is open at last. Our neighbour has had dahlias out for weeks. The ones in the photo were some we saw this morning at Anglesey Abbey. 

Nearly 100 years ago - NOT amateur radio

This photo is nearly 100 years old. My uncle is in the front row in the middle. I think he was the foreman. It shows the Salcombe Council gang (Devon) in the 1930s I think. Love the moustache front left!

UPDATE 1251z:  Someone thinks this could be shortly after WW2.  My uncle certainly looks young though!! He was born in 1908ish, so the 1930s seems more likely to me. Mind you, the late 1940s would make him early 40s, so if he was the foreman, this would make sense.