27 Jan 2026

Reverse Beacon Network

If this has been on already, please accept my apologies. 

If you are a CW user, this is very useful, even when your CQ goes unanswered. By monitoring the RBN you can see where your signal is reaching.

Nothing really changes

 About 8 years ago we visited Pompeii. I was struck by how similar the people were to us now in many ways with cafes, street food, take-aways, etc.

The quote in today's Knowledge was by the Roman Marcus Aurelius about 2000 years ago:

"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth"

10m 200mW WSPR (Tuesday)

 My TX beacon was turned at 0918z.

UPDATE 0924z:  Already 3 spots by EA8BFK (2880km) and someone in KO40 square.

UPDATE 1155z:  4 stations have spotted me. No stations "across the pond" yet.

UPDATE 1225z:   Now spotted by 7 stations. It looks like the first USA spots were at 1218z.

UPDATE 1424z:  36 stations in 4 continents have spotted me. See map by VK7JJ.

UPDATE 1847z:  51 stations have spotted me. Now QRT.

Rose Crescent, Cambridge

 

In January it is quiet. In the summer it’s busy!!

Sunspots - Tuesday January 27th

 Solar flux is 153 and the SSN 115. A=10 and K=1.

26 Jan 2026

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.