10m 500mW WSPR (Wednesday)

 

My W5OLF beacon was turned on just before 0700z.

UPDATE 1324z:  30 spots with the furthermost V51RS (8481km). See map.

UPDATE 2012z:  35 stations have spotted me today. See table. Now QRT.

8m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

My gear (2.5W to a low dipole) was turned on just before 0700z.

UPDATE 1950z:  8 spots of my QRP. See map. Now QRT.

Sunspots - Wednesday May 7th

 Solar flux is 156 and the SSN 90. A=15 and K=2.

Ground cover - NOT amateur radio

 

Quite near us is a house with some great ground cover plants. These are colourful and cover well.

6m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

With just a single spot of me on 8m FT8 I have QSYed to 6m FT8.  The QSY was made at about 1441z.

UPDATE 1800z:  Spotted by 18 English stations. See map. Using 2.5W and a V2000 vertical omni antenna.

10m QRP WSPR (Tuesday)

 When I am on 8m FT8 I can use the 10m WSPR beacon as this does not need the 10m antenna or PC. My 500mW 10m WSPR beacon was turned on at about 0840z.

UPDATE 2002z: Spotted by 18 stations, mostly in central Europe, presumably via Es. Also spotted in Brazil and on St.Helena.  See map.                   

Back on 8m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

 Whilst I still have my 8m TX permit I am again on 40.680MHz FT8 (offset about 1950 Hz).

UPDATE 0920z:  Just EI3KF (574km) spotting me.

10m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

At the moment I am on 10m QRP FT8 with 6W from the IC-705.

UPDATE 0656z: 23 stations have spotted me. All are single hop F2 or Es I think.

Sunspots - Tuesday May 6th

 Solar flux is 159 and the SSN 108. A=29 and K=3.

8m disappointment

We are now in the Es season, but we still have far too few countries on the band. 

After my 8m T&I permit expires later this summer I have no plans to continue. 

Far more would be learned if we had many more countries on the band, even for a short period. Although there may be some F2 propagation in the autumn and spring on 8m it is likely to decline especially on E-W paths.

I have tried to my best to encourage the RSGB and OFCOM, but I give up.

My plan is to go on 6m instead.

Shield bug? - NOT amateur radio

Our grandson brought this in the house this afternoon. It is ladybird size (about 5mm long) and I think it is a shield bug, although I am unsure.

New Yaesu radios

As I think I have mentioned before,  Yaesu has announced 2 new radios: the FTX 1 Field and FT1 Optima: the 6/10W and 100W versions.

In my view both are over-priced and lack some of the features I was expecting. My own view is these products will not save Yaesu and I expect they will "throw in the towel" and quit the amateur radio market within 5 years. Hopefully I am wrong as I have bought many excellent Yaesu transceivers over the years. 

There is no doubt they make some very good kit, but they seem to have "lost their way"  in recent years. I was seriously considering the FTX 1F, but I won't bother as the spec offers me nothing I really want and the price is far too high. 

I really was expecting the FTX 1F to be under £1000. At that price they had a chance, but at the current price many, like me, will simply say "why bother?". Some will always want the newest shiny radio, but I cannot see a mass market like the FT817. 

When the FT817 came out a quarter of a century ago it was a real first and a world beater, unlike today.

During WW2 - NOT amateur radio

During WW2 my dad was a Pathfinder flying Lancasters. 

He often flew night raids over enemy territory and must have been so scared and brave. 

He talked very little about the war. He was lucky to survive and died quietly in 1987. 

This photo was taken quickly from the Mall flypast today from the TV screen. They we celebrating the 80th anniversary of VE day.

Yellowhammer - NOT amateur radio

 

In my youth these birds were quite common, but they are much rarer now.  They’re famous for their song “ a little bit of bread and no cheese”. They are on the RSPB red list suggesting they are an endangered species.

See Yellowhammer Bird Facts | Emberiza Citrinella

Our churchyard yesterday - NOT amateur radio

This was our churchyard yesterday, with lots of cow parsley now in flower, and trees in leaf.

10m 500mW WSPR (Monday)

My W5OLF beacon was turned on at about 0530z.

UPDATE 1835z: 3 stations spotting me.

8m QRP FT8 (Monday)

My 2.5W to the dipole was turned on at about 0530z.

UPDATE 1838z:   4 spots of me (OZ, IT9, EI and EA). QRT soon. See map.

Sunspots - Monday May 5th

 Solar flux is 159 and the SSN 92. A=25 and K=3.

10m QRP WSPR (Sunday)

 My 500mW beacon was turned on at about 0630z.

UPDATE 1635z: 4 stations have spotted me today. See table.

8m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

My 2.5W to the low dipole was turned on at about 0630z.

UPDATE  1636z:  Just one spot from EI today.