Grim times - NOT amateur radio

This photo was on social media and shows a city street in the 1800s. We forget how grim life really was for most people. 

Sunspots - Thursday February 2nd 2023

 Solar flux is 134 and the SSN 89. A=6 and K=1.

2m FT8 activity contest (Wednesday)

Starting at 1900z tonight is the 2m FT8 activity contest. I shall probably go on briefly at 1900z with 2.5W and the big-wheel omni antenna. I was on for about an hour.  66 stations spotted (see map).

UK strikes - NOT amateur radio

No bus strikes today
in Cambridge

For a long time, people in public services (as opposed to private industry) have had poor wage increases in the UK, if any. 

The UK government's position is that inflation busting settlements just stoke inflation so it becomes embedded for years. This happened in the 1980s and was not good for anyone. The trouble is few working today realise what high inflation and mortgage costs are like!  I seem to remember mortgage rates approaching 17%!!!

UK inflation is expected to fall this year. What is required is fairness for everybody and common sense.

8m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

My 8m QRP FT8 was turned on about 1450z.  So far spotted (again) by WESSEXSDR (265km), I think this is aircraft reflection. Nothing on 8m RX.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Wednesday)

 My 500mW 10m WSPR TX has been on for about an hour at 0920z. So far, 8 spots from the Canary Isles.

Sunspots - Wednesday February 1st 2023

 Solar flux is 137 and the SSN 65.  A=9 and K=0.

My PDF book - latest edition (issue 4)

Hopefully, the latest edition of my free G3XBM Project Scrapbook is now available. It is now at issue 4. Do not worry about missing versions. Several minor changes were made so I have published issue 4.

Modifying links will take me a little while. Please not that the tiny URL always goes to the first edition.

UPDATE 1507z: I think the link on my website, blog sidebar and email footer now point to issue 4. If you still cannot access it, please check with me. It certainly worked from my wife's iPad. The file is a PDF. As I make future issues, I shall try to point to the latest version.

UPDATE 2300z: For some reason my email footer always insists in adding the darn PDF book as well. Looking at the Gmail settings I can see no reason why. For now, I have removed the link to the latest version of the book from my email footer. This requires investigation!! 

Village walk - NOT amateur radio

We had a nice walk around the village earlier. We can tell we are heavy as the walk tired us! We are both on diets.  

We call this our "Muntjac Walk" as we often see these deer on our way.

8m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

For about 3 hours I have been on 8m QRP FT8  on 40.680 MHz. Nobody has spotted me although EI9IP (607km) has been strongly spotted. I am sure this must be aircraft reflection.

UPDATE 1655z:  G0HVQ  (181km) has spotted me.