Sunspots - Saturday January 31st

 Solar flux is 128 and the SSN 112. A=10 and K=2.

Long UK winter?

Apart from a few sunny, cold, days in early January in the UK, it has been dull, rainy and miserable. This year more than most, I am looking forward to lighter evenings and better weather. 

All seasons have their beauty, but I am fed up with this misery!

The birds seem to have got the message, with several singing this morning. Things are heading in the right direction in the northern hemisphere.

The photo shows the windmill next door this afternoon when the sun came out. The photo was through the lounge window.

6m 5W FT8 (Friday)

 My gear was turned on at about 1020z.

UPDATE 1136z: So far, spotted by 7 English stations and 1 in Wales.

UPDATE 1211z:  Spotted by 10 stations. See map.

UPDATE 1352z:  Spotted by 11 stations.

The Trump Report

This was an interview with a Politico journalist about some alleged private reports from EU leaders on President Trump.

10m 200mW WSPR (Friday)

My beacon was turned on at about 0730z.

UPDATE 0926z:  5 stations spotting me with the best R9SA (3658km).

UPDATE 1220z:  Now spotted by 9 stations with the best HZ1SF (4939km). No stations from "across the pond" reporting me yet.

UPDATE 1604z:  Now 39 stations have spotted me with several in North and South America. See table.

Sydney-Sussex College, Cambridge, UK

We live about 15km from Cambridge and go into the city free on the bus a couple of times a week. This was Sydney- Sussex College earlier in the week in the sunshine.

Banggood products

 In the past I have bought a few products from this company and have not had any issues. 

The goods originate in China.  

If the goods have been copied or cloned I avoid them.  Usually the goods are low cost and arrive very fast. 

Up to now I have never had to pay any duty. Usually the price is so low that even if they were faulty you would simply write it off and not bother to complain.

Sunspots - Friday January 30th

 Solar flux is 129 and the SSN 117. A=22 and K=3.

Increased air activity?

We live about 15km from airbases used by the USAF. In the last couple of days these appears to be an increase in air traffic.  

In the shack

My radio shack overlooks the back garden. 

Last weekend was the Big Garden Birdwatch organised by the RSPB in the UK. 

The aim is to watch your "patch" (in my case the back garden) for an hour and record the highest number of bird types seen. 

It is done annually by millions and gives a good snapshot of birdlife in the UK. 

It was interesting how few small birds were seen. 

This is my worst year and I have been doing this for many years.