10m 200mW WSPR (Monday)

My beacon was turned on after breakfast.

UPDATE 0955z:  Spotted by 2 stations with the best a station in Saudi Arabia - HZ1SF (4939km).

UPDATE 1635z:  31 stations have spotted me with the best LU1XA (13253km). See table.

EI7GL's blog

 John's blog is always worth a look. He seems to find out lots of news! In my view, it is one of the best.

See https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/

World politics

The world is changing. 

In many ways, despite the constant threat of nuclear war, mine was a lucky generation. We seem to be returning to a world of empires and spheres of influence. 

What is happening in Minnesota is typical of the new world order. Different accounts differ wildly and it is hard to tell what is the truth.

Why can't we live peacefully together?

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cjd0vl1d9vrt

Yaesu FT7 transceiver

This photo has been on before.

It shows the Yaesu FT7 which was the first commercial transceiver I owned in the 1980s. 

During that time DXCC was worked on 10W 10W SSB (QRP).

It had no memories, no synthesiser and a very quiet analogue RX. 

Of all the commercial transceivers I have owned, it was probably the very best. It proved that QRP SSB and low simple antennas were all you needed to work the world. I think the antennas at the time were just wire dipoles and a CB vertical.

Sunspots - Monday January 26th

 Solar flux is 165 and the SSN 131.  A=15 and K=1.

Learning CW

Back in the 1960s in the UK, Morse (CW) at 12 words a minute was essential to get a licence to transmit on HF.   

In most countries this is no longer the case. I think you can get on HF now without Morse. Mostly I use FT8 and WSPR in preference, mainly as my fine motor skills are poor. I have used CW since my 2013 stroke, but rarely.

Back in the late 1960s I used to be taught CW by Bill Honeywill G4PJ (SK) on 160m. He would regularly send me slow Morse over the air. Somewhere (goodness know where!) I had a tape recording of some of these.

I passed my Morse test in the Liver Building in Liverpool whilst at university in 1967 when I first got my G3 call allowing HF operation.

The march of AI

Just a few years ago most had never heard of AI (artificial intelligence). Now it is everywhere: you look, for example, on YouTube as you see a well known person. The chances are this is created using AI. These days  many, if not most, of the things you see on YouTube are AI creations created so the creator gets money from adverts when the video is viewed.

Sadly, you have to assume it is AI unless you can be absolutely sure it is not. There are very few sites I now trust.

6m 5W FT8 (Sunday)

My gear (5W to a V2000 omni) has been on since about 1000z.

UPDATE 1215z:  9 spots of me with the furthest F6HGB (983km).

UPDATE 1405z:  11 stations have spotted me. 

UPDATE 2105z: QRT now. Spotted by 24 stations today. See map by Phil VK7JJ.

10m 200mW WSPR (Sunday)

 My beacon has been on  most of the morning.

UPDATE 1211z:  Best is a spot from Saudi Arabia.

UPDATE 1402z: 16 stations have spotted me with the best a station in Brazil. See table.

UPDATE 2110z:  Now QRT. Spotted by 21 stations today.

Bullies always win?

At this time of year the RSPB in the UK runs the Big Garden Birdwatch when people observe the greatest number of each bird type seen in an hour. I have been doing it for years.

This year has been the poorest with very few small birds seen - 5 species with mostly larger birds.

This seems like the world at large sadly. Often those with money and power dominate those smaller than them.

The world is changed by small steps of kindness one step at a time. The bullies of the world must not win.