It has been estimated that there are 10 billion stars in our galaxy alone. In the observable universe there are trillions of galaxies. The "average" star has at least one planet, meaning that there are a huge number of planets!
Somehow I cannot believe this life alone is "it". Some estimate there are 10 to the power of 25 planets. This is a truly staggeringly large number.
Most religions are very "Earth centric". What is certain is we only can know very little with our small brains.
My TX beacon has been on since lunchtime.
UPDATE 1646z: So far today, spotted by 50 stations with the furthermost F61695 (9729km) in the Indian Ocean. This is far fewer than yesterday.
UPDATE 1519z: Furthermost is a spot of me by V51MA (8460km) in Namibia. 38 spots of my QRP, mostly in Europe. No sign here of any stations in North America.
UPDATE 1653z: 43 spots of my QRP 6m FT8 today. Although I shall be on for a few hours yet, I do not think I shall see any USA stations on 6m today.
DX means different things to different people.
To some, it is working a new country in the Pacific. To others it may be being copied in the antipodes with a few milliwatts of WSPR. To some it may just be working a few kilometres with ultra-simple gear. Thank goodness we are all different.
Just because we do not understand what "turns people on" we have no right whatsoever to judge others.
It seems odd to be talking about the "quiet years" when solar conditions are so good.
However, in about 5 years' time there will be few sunspots and many will (wrongly) assume the higher HF bands are dead.
In many cases this is not the case and a casual listen around 27MHz will prove this is due to a lack of activity and not poor conditions.
Hopefully FT8 users will stick around on bands like 10m, 12m and 15m and prove the bands are open far more often than is assumed. I well remember working a surprised LU when I was running 10m SSB QRP when there were no sunspots at all at sunspot minimum some years ago.
FT8 is well monitored and works with very weak signals. Who knows by then we may have an even better mode!
In my experience, N-S paths remain open for DX at all points in the solar cycle. I agree you have to be more patient, but that is half the fun.
It was expected "early 2025", but since then I have heard nothing further. Several dealers are accepting deposits, but I have heard no news about price or specs..
Does anyone know anything?
It looks like Yaesu's answer to the FT817/818 series and the ICOM IC-705. Without the detailed specs and prices, it is hard to know how this will do.
I imagine much of the software and hardware is based heavily on other Yaesu SDR transceivers to reduce development costs.
I hope the price is well below £1000 so it is competitive against many other products now around, especially as the Japanese Yen is far weaker than it was against the US dollar and UK pound.
Apparently Israel has passed a law preventing UNRWA operating in Israel. Why?
We like to eat fruit with our breakfasts . This includes blackberries if they are in season. We have a bush very close to us and I thought I had picked my last of this year a few weeks ago.
If you do not believe we are living in a warming world, open your eyes. We have lived in this part of the UK for over 50 years and it is definitely milder. Some may argue about causes, but it is definitely warmer.
The photo shows Trinity Street in Cambridge, UK. In the right foreground is a bookshop that has been a bookshop for centuries.
