13 Sept 2023

More Montenegro - NOT amateur radio


After a good breakfast we went to Porto Montenegro (Tivat) and then up a torturous mountain road with 25 hairpin bends and some spectacular views. We had a simple lunch in the country with local ham and cheese.



Sunspots - Wednesday September 13th 2023

Solar flux is 154 and the SSN 141. A=25 and K=4.

12 Sept 2023

Encouraging people

 One of the blog readers has made some very good points with regard to Oscar 100. His view is that I should be encouraging  people rather than making disparaging remarks. In many ways he is quite right and my comments are wrong. 

People are just people - NOT amateur radio

 It is very easy to judge people. Whether they are English, American, Russian or from New Guinea or anywhere, people are just people. We all share the same humanity. In the end most want just to live in peace. 

Sunspots - Tuesday September 12th 2023

Solar flux is 176 and the SSN 173. A=7 and K=1.

11 Sept 2023

Budva Montenegro - NOT amateur radio


After a short rest, we went for a walk around the old town in Budva. 

Sunspots - Monday September 11th 2023

 Solar flux is 164 and the SSN 167. A=4 and K=1.

10 Sept 2023

Oscar 100 disappointment

In my view Oscar 100 has been a failure with usage far below expectations. 

My theory is that many have become zombie "black box" appliance operators who struggle to tell the difference between a resistor and transistor. Getting active on Oscar 100 is just too hard for most.

Amateur radio is meant to be about self training and research.  Does the growing cycle of carrots count? 😁

It is not helped by the big markets of Japan and the USA being outside its coverage.

It is my view, stated many many times before (sorry for the broken record) that amateur radio as we know it will be gone in 20 years as most people grow very old and no longer buy gear. I know of one local who bought a new rig and cannot operate it as there are too many adjustments!

See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/ .

Sunspots - Sunday September 10th 2023

 Solar flux is 161 and the SSN 119. A=8 and K=0.

9 Sept 2023

Last night of the proms - NOT amateur radio

In the UK calendar the last night of the proms at the Royal Albert Hall in London is pretty important. It is an occasion when lots of very English music is performed and the audience (mainly young flag waving people) goes mad.

Knowing that we got wealthy on the back of the evil slave trade makes me uneasy. On the one hand I want to just enjoy the music. On the other hand, I am bothered.

It is with mixed feelings I enjoy it.

In the end we have to work for a fairer, more just, world. We cannot deny the past. It happened. What we can all do is make a better future.