10m 500mW WSPR (Wednesday)

 My beacon was turned on at about 0745z. EA8BFK (2880km) has already spotted me 11 times at 0850z.

UPDATE 1530z: 6 stations have spotted me. See table.

Swallows returning - NOT amateur radio

To me, spring is traditionally heralded by the return of migratory swallows from southern Africa.  

Here we see far fewer than we used to although swift numbers seem to be holding up, despite there being fewer natural nest sites. We don't usually see swifts here in East Anglia until May. Often you can hear screaming feeding parties and then look up and see them.

Apparently some swallows have already been spotted in Devon. 

There was a December record in South Devon, so this one may have attempted to over-winter. I don't know if it survived. With climate change and milder winters some might attempt it and survive.

See https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/swallow .

Sunspots - Wednesday March 26th

 Solar flux is 156 and the SSN 58. A=15 and K=4.

10m as the sunspot count declines

It is probably the case that I am rare in quite looking forward to the quieter solar years when propagation on 10m becomes more difficult. 

At the moment a few watts of 10m FT8 seems to get all over the planet. It is quite easy at the moment. 

At sunspot minimum it will be far harder, but it will be interesting to see how 10m FT8 QRP behaves then. It is my view that as long as monitors continue to look at 10m FT8 we will find paths open far more than we thought. 

As I have said many times before, people move to lower bands as it is easier. Sticking with 10m we will be doing real research. It would not surprise me to see N-S paths possible right at sunspot minimum with FT8.

Direct to smartphones from space? - NOT amateur radio

OFCOM is to permit satellites to communicate directly to smartphones if the terrestrial links are poor. I have no idea how feasible this is as traditional satellite phones needed big antennas. 

Perhaps OFCOM is doing this "just in case" it becomes feasible in the future?

MUF

The Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) is a good guide to the highest frequency to use on a given path. This map, although not always correct, is a useful guide.

See https://prop.kc2g.com/ .

Tower of London - NOT amateur radio

At the weekend we treated our daughter-in-law and her children to a trip around the Tower of London. She thoroughly enjoyed it and wants to go again! 

It has an important part in English history and dates back about 1000 years.

Breakfast - NOT amateur radio

 😂

A friend recently stayed at a hotel and was overwhelmed by the size of the breakfast. 

I have fry-ups 3 times a week, but not like this!

If faced with this, I would make a good try 😋 . 

10m 6W FT8 (Tuesday)

My IC-705 at 6W was turned on just before breakfast on FT8.

UPDATE 2000z: 844 stations have spotted my 6W 10m FT8 today with the furthermost Antarctica. See map for spots.

Sunspots - Tuesday March 25th

 Solar flux is 156 and the SSN 85.  A=19 and K=3.

Quiet village lane - NOT amateur radio

 

This is a quiet lane in our village. With blossom and daffodils there are plenty of signs of spring.

Covid-19: lab leak accident? - NOT amateur radio

Five years after the whole world suffered the effects of Covid-19, there are still debates over its origins. 

Increasingly it appears this was an accidental lab-leak in China. People do not want to say this in case it offends China. In truth, we can never be sure.

UPDATE 2110z:  This really does look like an accident.  They may have been working on a bio weapon, but the virus that escaped (if indeed it did) was not the strongest that could have been created.

Yaesu FTX-1F latest news

Basically, as far as I can tell there is none, at least available to Jo Public. 

No doubt dealers have been told the selling price and any features. There is a video bemoaning the fact that "early 2025" looks more like the end of June.....or never.

Signs of spring - NOT amateur radio

 

There are definite signs of spring in our village. 

All the snowdrops have been replaced with yellow daffodils.

10m QRP FT8 (Monday)

I went on 10m QRP FT8 with my IC-705 at 6W at about 0650z.

UPDATE 1405z:  290 stations have spotted my 10m FT8 QRP. See map.

UPDATE 1413z: Just for fun I have reduced my IC-705 to 500mW FT8.  It will be interesting to see how this goes.

UPDATE  1502z: Already 37 spots of my 500mW 10m FT8 with the furthermost N4LR (7277km).

Stations spotting my
500mW 10m FT8

UPDATE 1817z: 104 stations have spotted my 10m 500mW FT8. Furthermost is HK4R (8498km). See map.

Sunspots - Monday March 24th

 Solar flux is 168 and the SSN 110. A=10 and K=3.

Intelligent life in outer space - NOT amateur radio

One of the points which I picked up from my recent University of the Third Age course in Cambridge was about the advances in AI. 

Within a few years AI is likely to exceed the intelligence of human beings. When we scan the skies for intelligent life elsewhere we may come across civilisations (e.g. via SETI) that may not be sentient. 

What is consciousness? I think it is beings that are self-aware.  Although vast computers may have vast amounts of knowledge, this is not the same as self-awareness and consciousness. 

I can imagine some planets even slightly more advanced than ours which have AI far more advanced than ours.

Interesting viewpoint - NOT amateur radio

This was an interesting direction to view Tower Bridge in London. 

On the right of the photo you can see part of the Tower of London.

6m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

My IC-705 at 6W to the vertical omni V2000 antenna was turned on mid-morning. 

18 British Isles stations have spotted me so far. 

UPDATE 2155z: 24 stations have spotted me today on 6m FT8. This includes some in mainland Europe. See map of stations spotting me up to teatime.  QRT soon.

10m 500mW WSPR (Sunday)

My beacon was turned on after breakfast. Three stations spotting me.

UPDATE 2150z:   15 spots of me today. QRT shortly.