Proud grandparents - NOT amateur radio

One of my granddaughters was awarded a place with the Royal Ballet against very stiff competition. 

Recently she performed at Westminster Abbey in front of 2 future UK kings. It was recorded and is being broadcast on ITV at 7.30pm on Christmas Eve.

I am not a royalist, but am extremely proud, as she is still very young. I would post a photo, but it is probably copyrighted.

Pixie transceiver kits

 A few moments ago I looked at AliExpress for Pixie transceiver kits. The lowest price I found was £1.28 with free delivery from China!! The term "free delivery" seems to be a bit odd as most seem to charge for "shipping". 

I just do not know how they do it and make profits.

Village Christmas Tree - Not amateur radio

Every year a Christmas tree 🌲 is erected outside our post office.

10m 500mW WSPR (Thursday)

My beacon has been on since late morning. At 1334z 17 stations had spotted me with several in the USA and Canada.

UPDATE 1657z: 29 stations have spotted me.

6m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

My QRP has been on 6m FT8  since about 1215z.  At 1230z 8 stations have spotted me, all in England.

UPDATE 1641z:  18 stations have spotted my 6m QRP FT8 today.

Sunspots - Thursday December 12th

 Solar flux is 161 and the SSN 114. A=6 and K=2.

Changing times

Back in the 1960s, 2m was almost exclusively AM and 70cm was the frontier. These days many (probably most)  prefer digital modes like FT8. When first active in the late 1960s people used to come on just to chat. 

These days there are many other ways to do this not involving amateur radio or licences. Radio is no longer magic for most: video chats across the world for free on the internet are easy. My wife talks to a friend in Australia on video as if she is in the next room.

Back in the late 1960s I really wanted a Heathkit Twoer HW30 kit. This was a 5W AM transceiver with a super-regen RX. In those days of very low activity, this was probably all you needed. Selectivity was poor, not that it really mattered most of the time.

Interesting reflection - NOT amateur radio

 

This photo was taken by my wife some years ago. It is of a glass on a restaurant table.

6m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

My QRP  6m FT8 has been on since about 1100z. So far, I have been spotted by 14 English stations at 1133z.

UPDATE 1444z:  23 stations have spotted me on 6m QRP FT8, mostly English.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Wednesday)

My stand-alone 500mW 10m WSPR beacon has been on for a little while.  At 1125z, I had been spotted by 3 Finnish stations.

UPDATE 1445z:  21 stations have spotted me today.

Optical DX - NOT amateur radio

For years I have been fascinated by mirages and increases in refractive index at optical frequencies. What is often not realised is that how far we can see changes depending on the refractive index .This photo was a Facebook memory from some years ago.

Sunspots - Wednesday December 11th

 Solar flux is 172 and the SSN 125. A=8 and K=2.

Notre Dame, Paris - NOT amateur radio

This was badly damaged by fire 5 years ago (my half French grandchildren cried buckets) but has now been reborn . 

This is it now.

How ignorant we are - NOT amateur radio

 As part of my University of the Third Age course in Cambridge I was studying great physicists. The take-away remark is just how little we know! 

For centuries great minds have tried hard to better understand the universe at macro and micro level, without really understanding it.

Quantum mechanics was only put forward a little over one hundred years ago. All we really know is that everything is stranger than we ever imagined.

I don't think our human brains are capable of fully comprehending this.

Next term I am studying "Computers, the Brain and AI".  Perhaps AI could help?

The other course (totally different!) was about the Balkans.

6m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

My gear was turned on at about 1005z. Already spotted by 19 stations including many in continental Europe.

UPDATE 1832z:  57 Europeans spotted me today on 6m QRP FT8.

10m QRP WSPR (Tuesday)

My 500mW beacon was turned on at about 1005z.

UPDATE 1837z:   31 stations have spotted me. See table.

Sunspots - Tuesday December 10th

 Solar flux is 173 and the SSN 94. A=16 and K=2.

Rethatching - NOT amateur radio

In the nearby village of Lode there are many thatched cottages. One is having its thatched roof replaced, a job that takes many weeks. The one in the photo has been worked on for about 2 weeks already.

10m 500mW WSPR TX (Monday)

My beacon was turned on at breakfast time. At  0902z, several spots from the Canary Is..  It seems this (I assume) single hop F2 path is usually open.

UPDATE 2005z:  48 stations have spotted me today.

6m QRP FT8 (Monday)

 My gear was turned on just after 0800z. At 0858z already 20 stations have copied me including several in mainland Europe.

UPDATE 1957z:  71 stations spotted my 6m QRP  FT8.