15 Mar 2025

The (UK) Times newspaper - NOT amateur radio

One of the many sources from which I get news is The Times, which is a UK newspaper, also available online. I also listen to Times Radio.

This weekend you can download or share anything on their site.

See https://www.thetimes.com/

Konik ponies - NOT amateur radio



These were at Kingfisher Bridge nature reserve near Ely UK as well as water buffalo. They’re wild ponies used to keep the grass short.

Ut I Vorid - NOT amateur radio

Many years ago when we were on holiday in Iceland we went, by chance, to a concert in a small church in northern Iceland and heard some of the best singing we have ever heard. 

It was a singing group called Ut I Vorid. I have just chanced upon them on YouTube. I have no idea if they still exist. We have several of their CDs.


10m 500mW WSPR (Saturday)

 My QRP WSPR beacon was turned on about 1016z. No spots of me yet.

UPDATE 1052z:  10 spots of me by EA8BFK (2880km). 


UPDATE 1515z: 
Spotted by 24 stations. See table.

6m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

My IC-705 at 6W was turned on at 1017z. Just 7 English spots so far.

UPDATE 1514z:  Spotted by 19 stations. See map.

Faroes - NOT amateur radio

 

One of my friends on 365project posted this photo recently from the Faroe Islands.

Optical Communications

 Before my 2013 stroke I enjoyed doing experiments at 481THz (red light). Although my main interest was "over the horizon" digital communication, I had one line of sight AM QSO over about 11km. 

On YouTube is a video of a German optical communicator that was used in WW2. As the beam was very narrow it was ideal for secret communication up to 5km. Mechanically it was a work of art.

Sunspots - Saturday March 15th

 Solar flux is 180 and the SSN (still shown as March 8th on my source) 90. I am sure this is wrong. A=24 and K=3.

I went looking for today's sunspot number. It was very hard. Please tell me the best source!

UPDATE 1646z:  A Google AI search said the SSN today was 147.

14 Mar 2025

Treeless beauty - NOT amateur radio

As mentioned before, one of my friends on 365project lives up in Shetland Islands. Up there it can be very beautiful, although there are few trees and it can be very bleak and windy.

6m QRP FT8 (Friday)

My IC-705 at 6W was turned on at about 0915z. So far just 3 English stations spotting me.

UPDATE 2118z: 22 stations have spotted me. See map.  QRT soon. .