Monday plans

 In a few moments I intend to have another go on 22m (HiFer band) with ISM power using WSPR. This evening my plan is to QSY to 630m QRP WSPR.

630m QRP WSPR overnight

My 630m 10mW ERP WSPR has been spotted by 17 stations in the last 24 hours.

Sophisticated wine tastes? - NOT amateur radio

For a long time I have enjoyed Merlot as my favourite red wine. Today, my wife said she really liked a certain rose wine. 

We must be simple beings as both are among the cheapest wines at our local supermarket!! The red wine is liked by both my sons too. 

All this proves expensive wines are wasted on us!

Sunspots - Monday February 5th

 Solar flux is 170 and the SSN 138. A=6 and K=0.

630m QRP WSPR (Sunday)

My 10mW ERP WSPR from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground was turned on about 2036z. So far, the usual suspects have spotted me.

UPDATE 2117z: The table shows the stations spotted here in the last 2 weeks. If the earth-electrode "antenna" has directivity, this is hard to discern. Judging by comparisons with others with more conventional antennas and earths, I would assume my antenna is definitely a few dBs worse. Nonetheless, it works!

Ultra QRPP

It seems to me that, when conditions are good, very  little power is needed to be spotted on WSPR. I tried 10m WSPR with 500uW and was spotted in the USA. I tried running legal ISM powers on 22m and, again was spotted widely.

What's next?

Ultimate questions - NOT amateur radio

From time to time I ask myself ultimate questions. As a teenager, I had quite a strong (if unconventional) Christian faith. These days I am far less sure. To me, I cannot square up the Christian faith with a vast universe. Life on Earth seems so tiny. Christianity seems so narrow.

I also cannot square that here on Earth what we believe seems to be an accident of where I live. If I was born in Saudi Arabia I might well have ended up a devout Muslim. If I was born in Israel, I would probably be Jewish. If born in Siberia, I would probably have no faith at all!

There are some mysteries than our human brains just cannot ever understand. My philosophy is try to leave this life making it a little better than we found it and do to others as you would have them do to you.  Be kind to everyone.

Everyone is different and they must be free to believe as they want.

By King's - NOT amateur radio

We walk through the grounds of King's College, Cambridge most Tuesdays on the way to our free lunchtime concert given by students at the university.

22m (HiFer) ISM band (Sunday)

 Keeping to the ISM rules (very low milliwatts) I am on 13.5539MHz USB dial QRPP WSPR.  Any reports (local or DX) appreciated.

UPDATED 1200z: I am totally surprised!  3 EU stations have already spotted me! I was not expecting HiFer spots from Europe.

UPDATE 1225z: The chances of me spotting others is very low. The 17dB attenuator is in circuit on RX too, so if a station is running low mWs it would effectively be running 17dB less for me!

UPDATE 1629z: All my 22m spots (lots!) have been by 3 Europeans. My gear will remain on 22m (HiFer band) for several hours. It is not clear to me when my best time would be to be spotted in the USA. It seems my chances will diminish after dark?  I am no propagation expert.

UPDATE 1714z:  Looks like I have missed my chance of being spotted in the USA on the HiFer (22m) band today. I was quite hopeful as with the same small power I had been successful on 10m every time I tried recently. I guess local noise levels could be more of a problem as the frequency is reduced?  On very weak signals, I could just be buried under noise!

UPDATE 1757z: My last 22m spot was over an hour ago. No USA today then I think!

Window display - NOT amateur radio

One of our local shops,Tina's, sells just about everything to do with sowing:  cotton, buttons, material, you name it. They also do dry cleaning and alterations. 

They always have great window displays. In the photo it shows toy snakes for the children. Our grandchildren love it.