Five years on it is amazing the impact Covid-19 had on our lives. Looking back it sticks in our memories.
One theory was that it started with a lab leak in China, but we lacked the Chinese data. Now a recent German language investigative journalist report says this is an 80-90% certainty. It looks like an accident rather than a biological weapon. If it was a lab leak, the Chinese would not want to lose face by admitting so.
For a long time, I have been fascinated by VLF/ELF radio communications.
As you go lower in frequency, radio waves penetrate further through water and rock. For this reason, the military in many countries have explored these frequencies to communicate with deeply submerged submarines, although data rates at ELF are very slow and antennas very long. I know the Russians have a system at 80Hz (it has been copied in the UK), but I am not sure about the USA and China.
My beacon was turned on just before 0900z. 6 spots of me so far by EA8BFK (2880km).
My IC-705 was turned on at 6W at about 0900z. So far, 5 spots including one in Poland.
My little QRP W5OLF beacon was turned on at 0900z. No spots yet.
UPDATE 1005z: 4 spots of me by TA4SCU (3010km).
My IC-705 at 6W was turned on at 0900z.
UPDATE 1009z: 9 stations including 1 in Portugal have spotted me.
Occasionally, it would appear PSKreporter is unable to work. I am wondering if there is an alternative?
It would seem the administration of President Trump has deported a Palestinian man called Mahmoud Kahlil because of his pro-Palestine activity. Now, I do not know the full facts, but this seems to fly in the face of a country where free speech is meant to be important.
As 10m was so good, I QSYed to 6m with my 6W FT8.
UPDATE 1457z: So far, just 4 English spots of me.
In many ways I am extremely disappointed with the RSGB, OFCOM and the FCC for the very negative attitude to real propagation research at 8m.
My experiment (which I had to pay for!) was to see what would be possible with really low ERP. With Es we know all of Europe would be in range, but around sunspot maximum the MUF might reach 8m, but not 6m.
What we have been dealt is a wall of reasons why radio amateurs cannot have even a very tiny 8m allocation.
I give up!!
Yesterday I mentioned that we had been re-watching "Quatermass and the Pit", which was first shown as a TV series on BBC TV in 1957. Some programmes look very dated, but this did not.
One of the themes explored was of racial memory, deep within us. This got me thinking.
Just as a bird knows how to migrate or build a nest, what do we have as humans deep within us? What unknown features do we possess that we are totally unaware about? Do we all have an evil streak deep within us, perhaps triggered by something? Maybe it is something else, more benign, that somehow binds all humanity?
The truth is we are aware of so little about ourselves. Maybe over time we will learn more about ourselves. Really we know so little.
My IC-705 was turned on at 6W at about 0715z on 10m FT8.
UPDATE 1050z: 137 stations have spotted me with the furthermost India and the Seychelles. On RX 275 stations were spotted with the furthermost Indonesia.
A reminder that one of the best amateur radio blogs I have come across is the one by John Desmond EI7GL. Whenever I look it is a goldmine of information.
