Bunker busting bombs - NOT amateur radio

Last week, the USA used expensive "bunker busting" bombs on at least one Iranian nuclear site. The US president said it was highly effective and has put Iran's nuclear program back many years. 

A leaked intelligence report is more guarded. The know-how still exists and much of the highly enriched uranium may have been moved beforehand.

If the US president is wrong the implications could be enormous. I find it hard to accept that the presidents of the USA and Israel can be so sure, allegedly, unless they really do have incredible intelligence and spies.

Personally, I always prefer talking rather than "bully boy" tactics. 

Orchids - NOT amateur radio

 

My wife has "a way" with orchids with many living for many years. 

The photo is a collage of some of these.

Notice the colour of our grass. It suddenly went brown in the last week. Of course, climate change is just fake news!  It never, ever went brown years ago.

Please wake up: climate change is happening even if people argue about why.

6m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

Overnight I stayed on 6m FT8 RX but without success. My 5W FT8 TX was turned on before breakfast and has been spotted by Es already at 0700z.

UPDATE 1310z:  Spotted by 247 stations on 6m QRP FT8, mostly Es. Yet again VO1SIX (3933km) has spotted me. I think this was again multi-hop Es. On 6m FT8 RX quite a few East Coast USA stations spotted. Probably E layer chordal hop? I don't buy the multi-hop Es in this case. The map shows the USA stations spotted here on 6m FT8 with the omni vertical.

UPDATE 2035z: Plenty of USA and Caribbean stations spotted here on 6m FT8 RX. Now QRT.

Sunspots - Wednesday June 25th

Solar  flux is 120 and the SSN 87. A=7 and K=1.

Helsinki - NOT amateur radio

In 2018 we did a tour of the Baltic and visited Helsinki, a city I had visited several times for work and holiday. It is a fine city but it can be cold in winter. I have been there in summer and winter.

We went in early summer and saw these barnacle geese with young. In the UK they are a winter bird so it is interesting to see young.

Walk - NOT amateur radio

This morning we did a walk around the village and did some shopping. On the walk we saw this tub of flowers.

10m QRP WSPR (Tuesday)

My 500mW beacon was turned on  before breakfast.

UPDATE 0957z: Already 5 stations spotting me including V51RS (8481km).

UPDATE 1334z:  Still the same 5 stations spotting me.

UPDATE 2051z: 77 stations have spotted my 500mW WSPR today. QRT soon.

6m 5W FT8 (Tuesday)

Although I came on well before breakfast today, just 11 English spots so far.

UPDATE 0946z:  62 spots of my QRP so far. 

UPDATE 1136z:  81 spots of my 5W 6m FT8 with the furthest VO1SIX (3933km). See map.

UPDATE 1614z:  242 stations have spotted me. I suspect the station in Newfoundland spotted me by double hop Es. See map.

UPDATE 2117z:  731 stations have spotted me today. 1 station in the Caribbean has been spotted.

Sunspots - Tuesday June 24th

 Solar flux is 122 and the SSN 105. A=8 and K=1.

Gilbert and Sullivan orchestra - NOT amateur radio

As mentioned before, last Friday evening we went to a local performance of the Gilbert and Sullivan light opera "The Gondoliers". 

The photo shows the small orchestra.