Solar flux is 116 and the SSN 79. A=5 and K=1.
12 May 2026
11 May 2026
8m FT8 RX (Monday)
Although I no longer hold a UK TX permit for 8m, I still monitor 8m FT8 from time to time.
I am monitoring today.
UPDATE 1308z: Just G8VER (64km) spotted.
Friedrichshafen
In late June is the big German exhibition, which I think is the biggest amateur radio gathering outside of the USA. I have never been.
UK politics
In the last week we have had several English council elections as well as elections to the devolved parliaments in Wales and Scotland.
One thing is clear: people want a change.
We are seeing the end of the 2 ruling parties (Labour and Conservatives) that have governed the UK for about 100 years. The parties coming to the fore are Reform and the Greens.
Often, local elections are protest votes against the ruling party.
Reform is on the right politically whereas the Greens are on the left.
Reform has a charismatic leader. Sadly, the current Prime Minister, is a principled man, but not very charismatic. I suspect Reform would be badly affected if anything happened to Nigel Farage.
Kaliningrad
This is an isolated part of Russia bordering the Baltic. Lithuania is stopping transit across its territory because of EU sanctions. Russia is unhappy but knows Lithuania is in NATO.
70cm FM FM321
This must have been in the 1980s and some excellent simplex QSOs on 70cm FM were made. Often 70cm opened up when 2m did not.
It was one of the first (if not the very first) synthesised rigs.
K9YA Telegraph has a USA advert on its FaceBook page.
10 May 2026
10m 200mW WSPR (Sunday)
At about 1540z I switched to 10m WSPR.
UPDATE 1728z: One spot from a station in Kenya I presume by F2. One European spot by Es (I think). EA8BFK (2880km) could be F2 or Es.
UPDATE 1910z: 10 stations have spotted me. See table.



