OFCOM's 3 year plan

Perhaps I am getting even more grumpy in my old age! OFCOM has published its 3 year plan and I am not impressed. To me it is full of "motherhood" statements: the sort of thing you would expect to see in a quango trying hard to justify its existence. 

Bring back the GPO with adults.

10m QRP FT8 (Friday)

My IC-705 at 6W was turned on at about 0925z.

UPDATE 1541z:  93 spots of me. 

UPDATE 1940z:  Spotted by 164 stations. See map.

Friday plans

Today I think I’m going to be on 10m QRP FT8.

Old bakery - NOT amateur radio

This property in a nearby village has been empty for some years. A long time ago it was a bakery. If sensitively restored it would make a fine home. Not much seems to be happening.

Sunspots - Friday March 28th

 Solar flux is 153 and the SSN 72. A=33 and K=3.

Thatched cottages - NOT amateur radio

 

As mentioned, we did a walk around Lode. It has no shortage of "chocolate box" thatched cottages.

Lode walk - NOT amateur radio

For the first time this year, I did not need to wear a coat. 

We went for a walk around the nearby village of Lode, with plenty of thatched cottages and daffodils.

Rally this Sunday

 The following has been notified to me. I always advise being sure of the details before travelling far.

• Sunday March 30th - Pencoed and District ARC Rally, Sam Bridgend, CF32 9NY. Contact Iewan Jones 07791 709691.

6m 6W FT8 (Thursday)

My IC-705 at 6W to the vertical omni V2000 antenna was turned on shortly after 1000z.

UPDATE 2214z: 41 stations including two Germans, one Portuguese and one Swede have spotted me. QRT.

10m 500mW WSPR (Thursday)

My stand-alone QRP 10m WSPR beacon was turned on at about 1000z.

UPDATE 2210z: Just spots by EA8BFK (2880km) and TA4/G8SCU (3010km) today. Nothing from the USA. QRT.

River Cam yesterday - NOT amateur radio

 This was the River Cam in Cambridge yesterday.

Thursday plans

 Probably 10m QRP WSPR and 6m QRP FT8.

Pussy footing? - NOT amateur radio

It would seem that politicians in the UK are doing everything possible not to offend President Trump. Perhaps he will, at a whim, increase tariffs. 

Yes, the world order has changed and Europe should never again depend on the USA as a backstop. 

However, Europeans are not fools or freeloaders.

Sepura portables - NOT amateur radio

For almost 17 years now I have been retired.  Work seems a very long time in the past. In my professional life I was a project manager at Sepura involved in the design of TETRA portables, widely used in public safety.

It would appear many generations of products have been designed and sold since I left. For example the SC20 portable has sold 500000 units.

See https://sepura.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/0064_0622_V18-SC20-brochure_ONLINE.pdf .

Sunspots - Thursday March 27th

 Solar flux is 152 and the SSN 63. A=46 and K=4.

Goshawks - NOT amateur radio

My son rang up from his car to say he was very excited having seen a goshawk from the car in Thetford Forest.  

These are very rare, so he was very lucky to see one.

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

Spring here? - NOT amateur radio

After what has seemed like a long, cold, dull winter, today feels warm and sunny. Certainly there were lots of spring flowers out in Cambridge.

10m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

At about 1546z, I decided to stop my WSPR beacon and turn on the IC-705 at 6W FT8.

UPDATE 2034z:  Spotted by 339 stations with the furthermost YE4LWU (11246km) in Indonesia. See map. QRT now.

Slow decline? - NOT amateur radio

 As far as I am aware there is nothing wrong with me, apart from the after-effects of my 2013 stroke.

However, I am now in my mid-70s and starting to feel old. Every step I take I am careful not to fall, I can no longer run, sex used to interest me, but no longer does, my energy levels seem to be declining and I am hopeless at remembering the names of people! Things seem to have gone downhill in the last 24 months.

I fail to see how someone old like me would want to be president of the USA!!

The approach to King’s College, Cambridge , UK - NOT amateur radio

 

This was the path up to King’s this morning.