Hacking - NOT amateur radio

 At the moment I am watching a drama series on BBC TV in which (I think) state actors take complete control of the UK train network.

The scary thing is that many things could be hacked. Take for example power networks, oil and gas distribution, banking, air traffic control, sewage systems etc.. The threat to undersea cables is real, although thankfully there is a lot of redundancy meaning things are likely to be slower rather than totally non-functional.

I guess all cyber security services have to be mindful of threats and keep "ahead of the game".  Also, any states contemplating such action knows they could suffer the same fate. A bit like the policy of "mutually assured destruction" with nuclear weapons, we hope these threats never come to pass.

In this day and age war could well be in the form of cyber warfare rather than conventional weapons.

6m 2.5W FT8 (Tuesday)

 My gear was turned on at breakfast. So far, 6 spots (all English apart from EI3KD (583km)).

UPDATE 0930z: Now spotted by F5PSR (1020km) and 2 Iberian stations. Is this F2 backscatter?

UPDATE 1210z:   17 spots of my QRP FT8 including several in mainland Europe.

UPDATE 1725z:   19 spots of my QRP 6m FT8 today. See map.

10m 500mW WSPR TX (Tuesday)

 My beacon was turned on at breakfast time. In the first hour, spots by EA8BFK (2880km) and local G4KPX (14km) only.

Yesterday was very successful with lots of stateside spots of my QRP WSPR.

UPDATE 1730z:  14 spots of me so far today. See table.

Sunspots - Tuesday September 24th

 Solar flux is 167 and the SSN 224. A=13 and K=2.

SPAM? - NOT amateur radio

Just now, I got an email that was not automatically put in my SPAM fold telling me I had won an emergency pack from the AA.  

I got suspicious when the sender was in the USA and it was set in EDT time. To me, it looks like a SPAM.

The links to claim "the prize" will go unclicked. 

If a SPAM, I expect others will have had one too.

AA1TJ Mike Rainey

Often it is some time before you realise someone is not around. You just realise they are not there. Often there is a simple explanation, but you are never quite sure. Are they away on a long trip,  have they lost interest in the hobby, have they been, or are they, seriously ill or have they died?

Yesterday, I sent Mike an email asking him for just a quick ping back, but nothing was heard. This afternoon I contacted some of his friends in the USA hoping they have some news.

If you know what has happened to Michael Rainey AA1TJ, please let me know.

Falling asleep - NOT amateur radio

This is very odd. When you fall asleep, you are not aware of it. At some point you are awake, then you drift off into sleep. Usually I fall asleep quite quickly, whereas at other (rare) times it can be hours.

Haggling - NOT amateur radio

One of my pet hates is having to haggle over things like car insurance and broadband prices. 

Having just spent about 2 hours on a web messaging service (chat) to my ISP I have managed to reduce my package costs nearly 50%. Why is this necessary?  Why not just offer existing customers a contract renewal at a competitive price in the first place? I guess they assume many people are too lazy and just accept the new (higher) price. 

I am now paying FAR less for a better package!  At one point I was promised by the BOT that the agent "would be with me in a flash" not realising the BOT had sent the very same message an hour before!!

At least, being retired, I normally have the time. I was dreading the internet going off for just a few seconds and losing everything.

6m 2.5W FT8 (Monday)

Just 9 English stations spotting me so far today. No sign yet of anything further.

UPDATE 1315z:  Now 14 stations spotting me including CT1EEB (1452km).

UPDATE 1730z:  Spotted by 16 stations today. See map.

10m 500mW WSPR TX (Monday)

Initially, just spots from EA8BFK (2880km) and local G4KPX (14km) so far today.

UPDATE 1420z: Lots of stateside stations stations spotting me. See table and map.

Map of spots care of https://www.wspr.rocks/ Phil VK7JJ.