Sunspots - Sunday March 8th

 Solar flux is 135 and the SSN 75. A=18 and K=3.

Shetland Is.

As mentioned before in this blog one of my friends on 365project.org lives way up north in the Shetland Islands and takes some very good photos of life up there. 

There are few trees, in the summer days are long and very short in winter, and it can be very windy. Being much more northerly, it tends to have weather colder than further south.

The Trump Report

Whatever views you hold on President Trump of the USA, he is the voted leader of the most powerful economy in the world and will be (at least) president until the next US presidential elections in about 3 years' time.

Most days I watch The Trump Report on YouTube as a video.

10m 2.5W FT8 (Saturday)

My gear was turned on at about 0915z. After a very brief TX period (4 stations spotted me) I have mainly been RX only. 

UPDATE 1242z:  Spotted 487 stations here. See map.

UPDATE 2004z:  1286 stations spotted here. I must admit 10m is in great shape.

630m WSPR overnight

 

Last evening and night were quite successful on 630m WSPR RX considering my poor setup (see table). In all, some respectable DX on multiple occasions.

The overarching message is that even very poor setups work on 630m WSPR RX.

Sunspots - Saturday March 7th

 Solar flux is 143 and the SSN 75. A=7 and K=3.

630m WSPR RX (Friday)

My gear was turned on at about 1825z (coax to 2m big-wheel via ATU and a mains earth).

UPDATE 2010z:  So far, 5 stations have been spotted with the best OH6OHX (1736km).

UPDATE 2044z:  So far, 6 stations have been spotted with OH6OHX spotted 5 times.

Slowing?

These days I feel my age.   

Yesterday and today I cut the lawns for the first time this year. The first cut is often harder as the grass is longer, but I really felt tired afterwards. 

Also, as mentioned before, driving is stressful and I only drive locally and avoid driving at night. For many years I think my appreciation of speed has changed in that 45mph seems like 65mph to me! I am unclear if this is as a result of my 2013 stroke or just old age. 

Luckily, apart from my constant giddiness and poor voice most of the conditions of old age, like arthritis, have not caught up with me ...... yet!

The Trump Report

 This comes out (I think) every day from Times Radio. I watch it most days.

8m FT8 RX (Friday)

At 1106z, I QSYed to 8m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1830z:   No spots all day. QRT now. I suspect this will be my last test on 8m until the Es season.