Why? - NOT amateur radio

Earlier today this photo from 2012 popped up. It was taken at our old house.

Neither my wife nor I can remember why I should be holding what looks like a young long tailed tit. OK it was 7 years ago, but you'd think something would be triggered!

Sunspots - Saturday July 20th 2019

Solar flux is 67 and the SSN 0. A=4 and K=0.

Rainbow Lorikeets - NOT amateur radio

At the moment, our younger grandson is in Australia seeing his Australian grandparents. He is mad on rainbow lorikeets. As the photo shows, he is in his element!

Moon landing - NOT amateur radio

Like most people of a certain age, I can remember precisely where I was when Man first landed on the Moon 50 years ago tomorrow. In some ways it feels like yesterday, although it was before I had started work.

And to think how little computing power they had! Looking back, these were very very brave men. It seems amazing that we have not been back to the moon since 1972.

Old radio amateur

This morning I had a visit from an old work colleague (now 94). It must be 30 years since we last met. Eric was first interested in amateur radio in 1937!! He was a D-day veteran who was recently on TV.

In the photo that I am holding he met the Prince of Wales, who could soon be our next king. Eric is a very modest person. He came out with his daughter, who is also like her dad. She was great.

Eric is as sharp as ever mentally.

Emu in garden? - NOT amateur radio

Certainly last year, we encountered this strange sight in the next village: 2 emus in a garden with the chickens! I guess the owners wanted the eggs. They were there for several years, although I have not checked this year.

6m FT8

In the last 6 hours 19 stations in 6 countries spotted on 6m FT8 RX. There is some Es to Sweden and southern Europe.

UPDATE 1458z: Now 41 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX today. Most were Europeans via Es, but my best was KP4EIT (6834km) in Puerto Rico in the Caribbean.

UPDATE 1750z: 54 stations spotted today on 6m FT8 RX. A very brief CQ was spotted in Sweden.

Sunspots - Friday July 19th 2019

Solar flux is 67 and the SSN is still 0. A=7 and K=1.

Wisdom - NOT amateur radio

Honestly, with my hand on my heart, I have not met anybody outside of the USA that has a good word to say about President Trump. Within the USA he may be liked, but outside he is very disliked.

What never fails to amaze me is why so many Americans voted for him. He comes over as an idiotic bigot. I am not saying he is, but one can be forgiven for thinking he is. I heard his pronunciation of Namibia recently. Surely the president of the most powerful nation on the planet cannot be this ignorant?

So tell me, oh wise one, exactly where is Nambia?

Apples - NOT amateur radio

We have had a decent summer. It has been moderately sunny, but not the unbearable heat we had last year. The apples on the trees are ripening as are the plums.  The photo shows the apples in the lane leading up to "our" windmill.

Rally

Sunday 21 JULY : FINNINGLEY ARS RALLY

The Hurst Communications Centre, Belton Road , Sandtoft, Doncaster DN8 5SX. Doors open 10am. Free parking. Massive indoor / outdoor traders area with major traders and club stalls from microwave components to QRP kits. Hot food and drinks all day. Admission £3. Contact Kevin G3AAF on 07831 614640 or email Kevin.Avery@tunstall.com.

A list of rallies can be found at http://rsgb.org/main/news/rallies/

Brittany circus - NOT amateur radio

As some may recall, my wife and I spent a few days with our French "outlaws" in northern Brittany. These are our son's French in-laws. We had a lovely few days there.

On one of our trips we passed this circus complete with strange animals.

6m FT8

It is 0825z. I am about to go on 6m FT8. At first it will probably be RX only although I might try TX later.

Dangerous storms seem a very long way away.

UPDATE 0840z: As there was no Es evident here, I called CQ. No QSOs resulted but reports from 12 stations with my best DX report coming from G7RAU (461km) in Cornwall. All reports were from Gs. Still using the V2000 vertical omni antenna.

UPDATE 1107z: Now 10 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX. Interestingly just a couple of Finns copied by Es. Seems to re-enforce my view that more northerly stations seem to dominate later in the Es season.

UPDATE 1512z: 22 stations spotted including 3 which are probably Es, all in a NE direction.

UPDATE 1843z: Now 31 stations in 4 countries spotted on 6m FT8 RX today.  All of these are G or NE Europe.

Sunspots - Thursday July 18th 2019

Solar flux is 67 and the SSN still zero. A=7 and K=1. Still the pits!

YouTube puzzle

Today I had an email from someone who could not access a YouTube video of mine referenced in my recent RSGB RadCom article. When I first tried it said "video unavailable". I tried again typing the link in the article and all was fine. It said the video had had 240 views.

The person tried 3 times again without success. So I tried again, this time as my wife with her ID on her iPad, typing in the precise link in the RadCom article. No problems except it now said 2416 views!

So, I am totally baffled why the views seem to differ so much and why there should be access issues. By the way, I checked the video was definitely "public" and not "private" or "unlisted". All very odd.

2m FT8

About 25 minutes ago I switched from 6m FT8 to 2m FT8. My 2m FT8 CQ call was spotted by 12 stations in 4 countries with the best DX being a spot by GI6ATZ (479km) near Belfast. Antenna is still the big-wheel omni.

On RX 5 stations so far spotted with best DX being DO9JF (560km) in the Saar area of Germany.

2m FT8 RX in the last 
few hours to 1924z.

UPDATE 1924z: 48 stations in 6 countries spotted in the last 6 hours on 2m FT8 RX and 19 stations spotted my 2m FT8 TX CQ. 2 QSOs resulted. At the moment I am RX only.

UPDATE 2107z: Now 50 stations in 6 countries spotted on 2m FT8 RX today with best DX spotted DJ6AG (689km). Soon be time to go QRT and unplug things.

UPDATE 2120z: Now QRT.

Es to northern Europe

In an earlier post I mentioned that more northerly stations seemed to be more predominant later in the Es season. This is based on nothing scientific, but 6m FT8 RX results today are predominantly from northern Europe.

If this observation is true I have absolutely no idea why. Regarding E layer propagation, I am sure there is a lot still to learn, especially regarding "real DX", by which I mean really long distances outside Europe such as to Japan, the Caribbean or North America. 

In my view multi-hop Es does not fit these "real DX" cases. I may be wrong.

Moorhen - NOT amateur radio

We visit nearby Anglesey Abbey most months. This moorhen was on the mill leet.

New release of WSJT-X with FT4

According to Southgate News there is new release of this free software that includes FT4. I shall have to download it as I was waiting for the fully released version.

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2019/july/new-wsjt-x-with-ft4-released.htm

6m FT8

Although it is only 0850z, quite a bit of Es on 6m. As I suggested in an earlier post, more northerly stations seem more abundant.  Best DX on 6m FT8 RX is LA1PHA (1704km).

UPDATE 1215z: So far today 73 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX.