10m 500mW WSPR (Sunday)

Although my QRP 10m WSPR beacon has been on for hours, no spots.

UPDATE 1720z:  No spots all day. QRT soon.

6m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

My 2.5W FT8 to the V2000 omni antenna has been spotted by 21 stations. See map. 

As mentioned before, DX is till to be had. I assume the stations in southern Europe are by Es, but I suppose they could be via F2 back scatter. I suppose some could even be tropo.

UPDATE 1515z: Spotted by 26 stations.

UPDATE 1719z: Spotted by 27 stations. QRT soon.

Michael Rainey AA1TJ

It is some time since I heard news of Michael. That’s the trouble with the internet and social media: people just disappear and you are not sure why. Some people move to different social media, some have become ill or died, have dementia or something else. The trouble is you just realise they are not there, often months later.

Sunspots - Sunday September 1st

 Solar flux is 232 and the SSN 180. A=26 and K=3.

900 MHz band in the USA

Apparently, the main user of this band over there is proposing a major change of use that could negatively impact secondary users like amateur radio. 

ARRL is trying to oppose the changes. 

Not being in the USA I have no idea how active the band is.

Lightning risk

One thing that could disrupt amateur radio today and tomorrow is the risk of storms and lightning. If there is a risk I shall disconnect things and go QRT. A useful guide is the lightning map. I am pretty sure this is available for all parts of the world. One can zoom in and out.

See https://www.lightningmaps.org .

Sunset - NOT amateur radio

Although "our" windmill was on yesterday, I think this sunset photo, taken by my wife last evening,  is too good not to share. It's our laurel hedge in the foreground and this was taken through the lounge window.

10m 500mW WSPR TX (Saturday)

 Although my QRP beacon has been on since about 0820z, no spots.

UPDATE 0926z:  No spots.

UPDATE  1520z:  Spotted by 3 stations today. See table.

UPDATE 2000z:  QRT.

6m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

My 2.5W  to the V2000 vertical omni antenna was turned on about 0820z. So far  (at 0846z) spotted by 8 UK stations. See map.

UPDATE 0955z: Still just 8 people spotting me this morning.

UPDATE  1524z:  16 stations spotting me today. Mostly UK, but a couple of more distant stations. See map.

UPDATE 2003z:  QRT.

We tried - NOT amateur radio

We tried to grow some peppers, but failed!!

The moral seems to be “stick to the day job “ and next year buy them from the supermarket.