16 Feb 2023

Green stripes on the left of UK car registration plates - NOT amateur radio

Apparently the green stripes on the left of UK car registration plates indicate the car produces zero emissions from the exhaust pipe. This can only be achieved with electric vehicles (EVs) I think. Maybe hydrogen vehicles can as well, but these are very rare. 

Until my son came to stay recently, I did not know this. I (wrongly) assumed the green could be on all new cars, but this makes a great deal of sense.

It still seems to me that non emission vehicles have a long way to go. The main issue is improving the range between charges and making batteries from materials that can be made with cheap, easily available  materials. Until these issues are cracked, I cannot see a turning point soon. 

These days CRT TVs and photographic films look ancient. Let's hope this soon happens with non emission vehicles. Surely the age of fossil fuel is drawing to a close. The planet badly needs this. If these breakthroughs occur, there really will be a tipping point. I am surprised it has not happened already.

See https://www.carwow.co.uk/blog/green-number-plates-explained#gref.

Me

This is a photo of me earlier this week at Hare Park, Chippenham, near Cambridge. There are snowdrops everywhere!

My wife says I am expecting triplets!

OFCOM consultation

 OFCOM is consulting about its 28 GHz allocation to Arqiva. See the OFCOM website for details.

4X1BG on 8m

This station in Israel seems to be legal with an experimental permit for the 8m band. 

At the moment, I do not know further details e.g. power, frequencies, times etc..   I copied him yesterday on 8m FT8.  Robbie Phelan EI2IP worked him on SSB on 8m.

I really hope people in other countries apply for, and get, special permits, if just for the time around the sunspot maximum. With the MUF now exceeding 41 MHz quite often, this year could be excellent.

Sunspots - Thursday February 16th 2023

 Solar flux is 174 and the SSN 140.  A=29 and K=3.

15 Feb 2023

Springtime? - NOT amateur radio

Central Cambridge earlier 

It is just mid-February, but here it felt very spring-like today. There are far more daffodils in flower and the birds are starting to repair nests. Yes, the weather can turn far colder again, but there is a hint of spring on the way.

8m FT8

After a few minutes on QRP FT8 TX, I am on 40.680 MHz FT8 RX. So far (at 0918z) no spots. 


UPDATE 1448z:
4 unique stations spotted today on 8m FT8 RX (see map). Now on QRP TX.

UPDATE 1540z: 5 unique stations have been spotted today. Nobody has received my QRP 8m FT8. Back on 8m FT8 RX only again. 4X1BG (3532km) spotted. Is he legally on the band?

10m QRP WSPR TX

Just before 0900z my 500mW WSPR beacon on 10m was turned on. Spots from a local and an Italian so far. 

UPDATE 1512z:  29 unique stations have spotted my QRP 10m WSPR today.26z: 

UPDATE 1626z:  35 stations have spotted my 10m QRP WSPR with the furthermost F61695 (9729km).

UPDATE 1921z:  36 stations have spotted my 10m QRP WSPR TX.  QRT soon. Spots of my 10m WSPR QRP are shown on the map from wspr.rocks.



Wednesday plans

My current plan is to go on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW from the W5OLF beacon and 8m FT8 RX. 

Old relative? - NOT amateur radio


We found this when clearing my mum's house years ago. It was a Facebook memory.