Want a laugh? - NOT amateur radio

This cartoon was sent to me yesterday. I have no idea where it originated. It made me laugh.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Sunday)

At 0946z, my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon by W5OLF was turned on. No spots yet.

UPDATE 1006z:  Good spots of me from Crete.

UPDATE 1120z:  7 stations spotting my 500mW. Some Es?

UPDATE 1436z:  14 stations have spotted me today.

UPDATE 1735z:  21 stations have spotted my 10m QRP WSPR today.

8m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

At 0947z, my 8m FT8 was turned on. I am on 40.680 MHz (TX first) with 2.5W to a low wire dipole. The audio offset is about 1950 Hz.

UPDATE 1121z:  No spots.

UPDATE 1222z: G4FFC (47km) in Bedford has spotted me.

UPDATE 1742z: Spotted in Puerto Rico and Canada on 8m FT8 QRP.  My power is probably about 1.7W!! Altogether 5 stations have spotted me and 4 were "across the pond". Best day yet on 8m.

Stations spotting my 8m QRP FT8 today

Later today (Sunday)

A listener in Florida, USA got some bursts around 2000 Hz audio offset (probably of an FT8 transmission on 40.680 MHz) yesterday. He has copied me in the past and I usually send around this offset when on 8m FT8. So I shall definitely try 8m FT8 later, even though only QRP.

If on 8m, I shall also go on 10m QRP WSPR TX with my beacon.

At the moment, I cannot get to the shack as I have to walk through another bedroom first, and my 11 year old granddaughter is in there ....asleep!

Burwell church - NOT amateur radio

Most of our local church dates from the 1400s, although parts of the tower are Saxon.

This photo was taken a few days ago in dull January. There are a few signs of new life, but things will be much better in a few weeks when the daffodils are in flower.

Our grandson rings the bells here when in Burwell. 

Sunspots - Sunday January 15th 2023

Solar flux is 228 and the SSN 170. A=11 and K=4.

Shetland storm - NOT amateur radio

 

This photo was posted recently by a friend on 365project. It shows a storm on the Shetland Isles.

QDX - soon

Around Christmas I ordered a QDX digital transceiver from QRP Labs. Mine covers 10m and was ordered ready built. When ordered I was told the wait was about a month. Most days I check where I am on the list.  When I started, I was way down the list. At this rate I should get mine in February.

Exhaustion - NOT amateur radio

There is world of difference (I have found out the hard way) between tiredness and exhaustion. With tiredness, you feel you need sleep to feel better. With exhaustion, you feel totally drained even though you may have had a good sleep. This may just be old age or a result of my 2013 stroke. I tend to feel exhausted now far more than I did.

If someone, e.g. with MS, tells you they feel exhausted, they are not just tired; they are EXHAUSTED.

Triffid? - NOT amateur radio

At this time of year (dull January) we get great pleasure seeing amaryllis grow from bulbs to huge plants with splendid flowers.