10 Dec 2023

And so it goes on - NOT amateur radio

The BBC reports that more people in Gaza have been told to avoid the difficult fighting at the centre of Khan Younis. I am ashamed of the USA and UK governments. 

Yes Hamas has done evil things, but innocents continue to be badly impacted. All that results is a generation to come that hates Israel.  This is sheer madness. Hamas may be defeated. What then?

Jaw, jaw not war, war. Do we never learn?

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-middle-east-67672759 .

VHF activity contests - waning interest?

For several years now, I have been on the Tuesday night 2m and 70cms activity contests (UKAC) organised by the RSGB ever month. If I am able, I usually go on for some of the first hour with my 10W SSB and big-wheel omni horizontal antenna.

Maybe it is just me, but are there seem to be fewer stations on SSB?  The FT8 activity sessions seem busy.

Outside our post office - NOT amateur radio



Our village (Burwell, Cambs, UK) is a mix of old and new buildings. This photo was taken about now several years ago. One of the trees was rotten and taken down, but has been replaced by a cherry tree.

8m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

My 2.5W and dipole were turned on at 1116z. 

UPDATE 1429z:  No spots.

Continuing my 10m QRPP WSPR tests (Sunday)

My 500uW (0.5mW) WSPR TX is on. 

UPDATE 1429z:  No spots today.

630m WSPR overnight

 


11 stations spotted my 10mw ERP signal from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground with the furthermost SM6BOC (1054km).

Yet more Googledgook - NOT amateur radio

 Yesterday, I got another email from Google that I could not understand. It was titled:

"Allow for contextual programmic demand when serving Ads"

.....hmmm. 

Plain English? No, Googledgook.

Shetland (again) - NOT amateur radio

This was posted on 365project a few days ago by someone who lives in the Shetland Islands It is a great photo.

Mid-winter Es

Do not ask me why as I do not know the answer, but there is often a small Es peak at the end of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. This can bring brief openings up to about 1500km.  Look out for Es at the end of December and the start of January. Compared with the spring and summer, this is minor.

Sunspots - Sunday December 10th 2023

 Solar flux is 128 and the SSN 125. A=3 and K=1.