University of the Third Age

Since I retired , I have really enjoyed learning just for fun. I have enjoyed a variety of subjects, some well away from things I would have gravitated to. No exams, no coursework, no homework - pure fun. Most have been in Cambridge and a few on Zoom. Being Cambridge we have a huge range of courses, often given by ex-university lecturers. 

This term one of my courses was by Zoom about the ills of the brain. The lecturer is supposed to have given the course already last year. It was clear even last week at the first talk of a series of 10 that she knew nothing about Zoom and I have now given up!  One week I might have forgiven.

Last week she stopped 50 minutes early as she ran out of slides. Today she had to call a neighbour in to show her how to share her screen! If it was me I would have made sure that I knew the technology and had additional slides "just in case".

See https://www.u3ac.org.uk/

I don't understand

President Trump puzzles lots of people. 

I can understand that he wants to make the USA strong. I can understand he wants to make the USA secure. What I don't understand his insistence on owning Greenland and imposing tariffs on his allies who oppose him. Surely he can achieve all the security he seeks within NATO?  

It looks like he is playing into the hands of the Russia and Chinese leadership by potentially breaking up NATO and probably just walking away from Ukraine.  

In May he was (allegedly) in favour of returning the Chagos Is to Mauritius and leasing back the US airbase. Now he is rude about it.

He is an enigma to so many. 

In the end (in the next 20 years?) much of the world will decide they cannot (as in the past) rely on the USA in future and progressively move trade away from the USA. I can see the US dollar not being the world's reserve currency.   

10m 200mW WSPR (Tuesday)

 My beacon was turned on about breakfast time. Just local spots probably due to solar storms.

Sunspots - Tuesday January 20th

 Solar flux is 173 and the SSN 162. A=73 and K=7.

Cambridge UK shop window

 

This was a shop window earlier today.  

There are few visitors at this time of year.

10m 200mW WSPR (Monday)

 My beacon was turned on before breakfast.  

UPDATE 0812z:  Just spots by a local so far.

UPDATE 1530z:  Spotted by 24 stations. See map from WSPR Rocks by Phil VK7JJ.

UPDATE 1932z:  26 stations have spotted me . See table.  QRT soon.

Kierkegaard

Many may not have heard of this Danish existentialist philosopher and theologian. 

With Denmark much in the news lately, perhaps I should introduce him.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%B8ren_Kierkegaard .

"There's always tomorrow"

In amateur radio there are many things still to try.  

For example 23cm beacon hunting,  /P 23cm UKAC, using my SDR receiver properly, monitoring 630m WSPR, SSTV, etc,etc..

Time and again I say, "there's always tomorrow". 

When I was working time really mattered. In retirement, things can wait.  Hopefully, there will be tomorrow to do these things. 

The trouble is the list keeps growing! 😀

6m FT8 yesterday

 

Yesterday 11 stations spotted my 5W 6m FT8. See map.

Sunspots- Monday January 19th

 Solar flux is 148 and the SSN 140. A=14 and K=1.