Solar flux is 170 and the SSN just 45. Pretty sure this is the lowest for many years. A=4 and K=0. I seem to recall at the peak of the last cycle there were days with very few sunspots.
22 Feb 2024
21 Feb 2024
630m QRP WSPR (Wednesday)
My 10mW ERP WSPR from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground has been on since about 2130z. So far, I have been spotted by 8 stations with the furthermost LA3EQ (769km).
Gaza- Israel conflict - NOT amateur radio
Enough is enough.
The fighting has to stop as too many innocent people are being killed, traumatised, injured or made homeless. Whilst I think it is entirely right for Israel to defend itself from Hamas, one could be forgiven for thinking this is now genocide.
I understand that Israel wants to prevent future incursions and massacres like October 7th, but is the fighting in Gaza the way to forge long-term peace? We now have generations that will grow up hating Israel. OK, Hamas might be weakened, but the cycle of violence will go on.
As I have said before, my friends include Jews and Muslims. We need a just peace.
See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-middle-east-68358053
6m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)
My 2.5W FT8 to the V2000 vertical omni was turned on at about 1340z. So far, just one UK spot received.
New UK amateur radio conditions
From today, new UK amateur radio licence conditions come into effect.
Brain injury - NOT amateur radio
On the news yesterday was a piece about brain injury research at Addenbrookes hospital in Cambridge. Two things stuck out to me.
One was brain overload which I experience especially when driving: it seems everything needs processing and this causes my brain to be overloaded. All the time whilst driving I am looking for possible hazards and it is really exhausting.
The second thing is profound tiredness or exhaustion. I want to sleep in the daytime far more.
My stroke was in 2013 and it is hard now to know what is old age (I am 75) and what was my stroke. My constant giddiness all my waking hours is exhausting and is a result of my stroke.
Weather - NOT amateur radio
We usually do housework every week on Mondays. My wife has a U3A course on Mondays. We decided to do it today instead as the weather is so foul!
Sucker for punishment? 10m QRPP WSPR (Wednesday)
Yet again I am on 10m WSPR with 500uW (0.5mW).
UPDATE 1431z: No spots. At the moment, I get spotted on this tiny power a few times a week.
USA puzzle - NOT amateur radio
The USA puzzles me. It looks likely that the biggest democratic country will be led for 4 more years by two very old men (both are years older than me!).
What puzzles me is why can't the USA find a younger set of candidates? Surely, in the USA there are some charismatic younger potential leaders.
This must say a lot about the people of the USA. Individually, every American I have met has been kind, warm and generous.
King's Parade, Cambridge - NOT amateur radio
The photo shows King's Parade on Monday when the sun was shining. King's College is out of shot on the left and the church is Great St Mary's, the university church.
630m QRP WSPR overnight
23 stations spotted my 10mW ERP 630m WSPR in the last day and overnight (see map from wspr.rocks by VK7JJ) with the furthermost again OH1LSQ (1733km).
20 Feb 2024
Mild, wet winter? - NOT amateur radio
In this part of the UK we are on track for a very wet and mild winter. Things can change. Daffodils are out early. Unless things dramatically alter, we are unlikely to see snow. Perhaps as the world warms this is how it is going to be?
22m ISM band WSPR receive - the so called hifer band (Tuesday)
It is my view following emails with OFCOM that in the UK we are all free to experiment on the ISM bands without a licence or callsign as long IR2030 and any other rules are followed. We have to cause no undue interference and must accept any interference.
In the UK, this band is mainly used for RFID tags and short ranges. In the UK on this band the power limit is 10mW ERP. Clearly it helps if you use a unique callsign that WSPRnet can use so you can see where your QRPP signal is being received.
On 10m, I have gone QRT and moved to the hifer ISM band at 22m, RX only. I am monitoring 13.5539MHz WSPR, as always hopefully.
Pretty sure than those that can transmit are limited to mW powers.
I am not sure what time is optimum to spot USA station on this band.
500uW 10m WSPR (Tuesday)
Yet again, my beacon is on with the PA off. The output is 500uW (0.5mW). No spots today, but I shall stick with it and see what today brings.
In the last few weeks I have only been spotted by 2 stations at this tiny power.
Above politics - NOT amateur radio
When I was first on HF, I recall talking to many stations in the old USSR. Their background and politics were very different, but it did not matter: we were all united by our interest in radio.
That is one of the things that I like about our hobby. We can rise above politics. All systems of living have faults - capitalism is meant to encourage people to be resilient. Communism is meant to share wealth equally.
In the end, we are all just humans, with weaknesses. Not one of us is perfect.
Whatever our views on politics and religion, we must all do to others as we would wish them to do to us. Kindness and fairness.
It is very easy to think we are always right and others are wrong. In reality, we are usually all wrong!
6m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)
My 2.5W FT8 to the V2000 vertical omni antenna is on. I was surprised to be called by 7S2A. We were unable to complete the QSO as he faded out.
Bookshops - NOT amateur radio
I miss just thumbing through a book, then deciding whether to buy or not. Bookshops must be struggling, like most retailers.
Many second hand book shops have turned to online.
SDRplay SDRs
The older version was in a metallised plastic case and had rave reviews on eHam.com. It covers 1kHz to 2GHz and uses a 14 bit receiver.
SDRs do most of the signal processing in software. If you have a PC, these easily out-perform receivers of years ago. Being software defined, this can simplify the hardware design. Rigs with SDR receivers are usually less expensive and complex with much of the "hard stuff" done in software.
630m QRP WSPR overnight
In the last 12 hours, 23 stations have spotted my 10mW ERP WSPR on 630m. Nobody was over 1000km.
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