Watery world - NOT amateur radio

One of our favourite walks is to Wicken Fen where we stop half way, before walking back, for a coffee and a bite to eat at the cafe.

It is a watery world. In mid-winter it can be a bit bleak but lovely on a cold winter's day with a blue sky.

Being fenland, it is very flat so we can see our village church in the distance. 

Wicken Fen wind pump - NOT amateur radio

This pump replaced a much older wind pump used to keep water levels in this nature reserve at just the right level. Wicken Fen is (I think) the oldest National Trust property in the UK.

Why are numbers down?

On Friday night our local radio club had its AGM. Some were there in person and many were on Zoom. One of the questions was why membership had dipped 33% in the last 12 months.

To me the answer is clear, although it is not one we want to hear. Amateur radio is mainly a hobby of old men. As we age fewer people want to venture out at night. Some die, go into care homes, become ill, or for some other reason amateur radio is no longer important.

At some point I took a screen shot. Most were grey haired old men! This is not a problem confined to amateur radio. My wife was in a choir for over 30 years that had to fold as most were too old. At the same meeting was a leader of sailing club. He said that there were too few young people joining. Many church congregations consist of old ladies. When they die or go into homes many churches will close as they will be unable to afford the upkeep costs.

With regards to our local radio club I suggested some time ago to hold all talks by Zoom and have a regular social meeting in a cafe or pub. This would mean no room hire costs at all saving several hundred pounds a year.

If amateur radio is to thrive we need to understand what "turns on" younger people.  What attracted us to the hobby (the magic of radio) rarely works these days.

Sunspots - Sunday January 26th

 Solar flux is 182 and the SSN 131. A=3 and K=1.

10m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

 As 8m was quiet, I put my QMX+ on 10m FT8.

UPDATE 2230z: So far, 236 spots of me. QRT now.

10m QRP WSPR (Saturday)

My 500mW 10m WSPR beacon was turned on after our walk this morning.

UPDATE 1443z:  So far, 8 stations spotted today.

Walk this morning - NOT amateur radio

Today, the sun was shining and the wind had dropped, so we went for a walk at Wicken, UK

8m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

After a walk this morning, I turned on my 2W FT8 on 40.680 MHz from the QMX+ to the low wire dipole.

UPDATE 1542z:  No spots.  Probably, I have found out all I need to know about 8m. My main experiment was to find out just how useful really low ERP  could perform on this band. It would appear that my 2W to a low wire dipole is quite enough to reach the Caribbean, USA, Canada and South Africa if the F2 MUF goes high enough. For Es, it behaves much like 6m. I am not sure I shall learn much more now. It is a pity more countries do not allow radio amateurs access to the band. As I have said many many times (I can say it no more!) just 5kHz wide, low power, narrow digital only, would be enough. It would appear the FCC and OFCOM (and probably the RSGB) seem dead set against this sadly. It makes you wonder what our hobby is really about.

UK weather forecasts - NOT amateur radio

 UK weather forecasting is hard as it is where many air masses meet. Despite this, millions have been spent on super-computers to make it better.  On my phone I have 3 weather forecasts. This morning they are all different! Looking out the window it looks sunny but cold. I think I will choose that one!

Why do they pretend?

Sunspots - Saturday January 25th

 Solar flux is 205 and the SSN 131. A=7 and K=0.

Quiet corner - NOT amateur radio

This is a quiet part of our village. Snowdrops are out!

10m 500mW WSPR (Friday)

My QRP 10m WSPR beacon is on.

UPDATE 1807z:  29 stations have spotted me with the furthermost ZD7GB (7607km). QRT.

8m QRP FT8 TX with the QMX+ (Friday)

My QMX+ is TXing QRP FT8 on 40.680 MHz.

UPDATE 1809z:  No spots. QRT.

"Our" windmill late yesterday afternoon - NOT amateur radio

 

This was the windmill next door late on Thursday afternoon. 

The hedge in front is ours. 

We get a good view when we have breakfast and in the lounge where this photo was taken.

Peace - NOT amateur radio

It saddens me that so many who were so badly affected in WW2 (6 million Jews were killed) are now able to inflict such horrors on innocent people in Gaza. 

What happened to the Jewish people on October 7th 2023 was horrific, but nothing, NOTHING, can condone what has happened since.

It seems that mankind is incapable of living in peace. More and more I am saddened that so much hate exists.

How simple can you make a transceiver?

Before my stroke in 2013 I enjoyed seeing what could be done with almost nothing. This circuit was based on an earlier design for 40m CW by someone in the USA. Others made copies and some remarkable DX was  worked.

Sunspots - Friday January 24th

 Solar flux is 205 and the SSN 169. A=10 and K=1.

Rally reminder

This Sunday the following rally takes place:

Sunday January 26th - Lincoln Short Wave Club Winter Radio Rally, Market Rasen, LN8 3HT. Contact m5zzz@outlook.com .

Propagation guide

This may not be perfect, but it gives a general guide to HF conditions. It shows the F2 MUF goes way above 30 MHz at times in certain places.

See https://prop.kc2g.com/ .

Previous intelligent civilisations on Earth? - NOT amateur radio

There was a post on Facebook earlier that got me thinking. 

The Earth is probably 4 billion years old and humans have maybe been around maybe 500000 years. What if intelligent civilisations existed in the distant past and then destroyed themselves without a trace? This is very unlikely as we would probably have found some evidence such as tool remains.

However, this could have occurred elsewhere in the solar system (Venus,Mars?) or on other planets in the universe.