Amazon algorithms - NOT amateur radio

It is interesting (and annoying!) that when you have recently bought something you are bombarded by emails recommending you will buy the very same items, or very similar, again! 

Surely they can adjust their algorithms to not bombard you with the same thing for several months? I am sure even I could do this!

Some time ago we bought our grandson some books to help with GCSE revision. He took his exams months ago, yet I still get told about the same, or very similar, items!

Not Amazon, I ran a group on miracle whip antennas some years ago. Some people got the completely wrong idea!!  😁

Yaesu FTX-1F price

Yaesu and the dealers have a difficult job with price. 

They want to compete with the ICOM IC-705, have it as an FT817/818 replacement, but also compete with the Chinese. In my view, they have to capture the mass market or Yaesu could quit the amateur radio market. 

In my view it has to be less than £1k.

6m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

My gear was turned on at about 0800z.

Stations spotting my
6m QRP FT8  today

UPDATE 0828z:   Just 7 English stations have spotted me so far.

UPDATE 1120z: 15 stations have spotted me on 6m QRP FT8 today. 

UPDATE 1435z:  47 stations have spotted me.

UPDATE 2019z:   73 stations have spotted me. QRT shortly. See map.

10m 500mW WSPR TX (Thursday)

Furthermost (probably F2) was YO2MAX (1802km) who spotted me very early.

UPDATE 2017z:  Spotted by 15 stations across Europe. See table. Now QRT.

Plans for Thursday

Although conditions could be disturbed again my plan is to try QRP 6m FT8 and 10m WSPR. 

Shaft of light - NOT amateur radio

 This was taken by my wife a few days ago and shows a shaft of sunlight in our hall. 

Converting Google Photos HEIC file to JPG - NOT amateur radio

 My photos and videos are backed up to Google Photos. The trouble is these are HEIC files . To convert these to JPG I saw this tool on the internet which does the conversion online.

See https://www.freeconvert.com/heic-to-jpg .

Sunspots - Thursday August 29th

 Solar flux is 212 and the SSN 163. A=26 and K=2.

Flightradar24 - NOT amateur radio

Our younger son is returning from a few weeks with his in-laws who live in Australia. They had a few nights in Dubai to break the journey otherwise it is a very long way! 

We can track the trip with Flightradar24 which is a free app paid for by adverts. With a paid subscription you can get extra features.

See https://www.flightradar24.com .  There are a number of very similar named apps. Be sure to get the correct one! 

10m 500mW WSPR TX (Wednesday)

Although my QRP beacon has been on most of the morning, no spots. I suspect there’s a problem with WSPRnet. Someone mentioned a radio blackout today. if correct, this might have been the reason?

UPDATE 1953z:  4 stations spotted me in the end today. See table.