SOTA/POTA endfed tuner kit

Many people enjoy operating from mountain tops or parks. This EFHW tuner may be useful.

See https://www.qrpkits.com/efhw.html

It's no good - I know you've been here!

Unusually, we have had snow for a few days and a very cold start to the year. 

This bird was hunting for some food. 

I doubt it had ever seen snow before. 

These days it is unusual to get snow on the ground. In fact it is about 7 years since we had snow like this. Many winters pass without much snow at all.

10m 500mW WSPR (Tuesday)

My beacon was turned on at about 1005z.

UPDATE 1220z:  6 stations have spotted me. See map from WSPRRocks by Phil VK7JJ.

6m 5W FT8 (Tuesday)

 My gear was turned on at about 1005z.

UPDATE 1012z: So far, 4 English spots of  me.

Snowy close

This year has started cold but sunny. Yesterday we had our first snow.

This was the view from our lounge window.

Sunspots - Tuesday January 6th

 Solar flux is 154 and the SSN 91. A=14 and K=0.

The world of the bullies

It is clear now that the rules of international law have been replaced by the world of power and dominance.  

It is basically the rules of the jungle as those with power fight over resources. This is a major shift in the way the world operates.

If you are a minnow be prepared to be bullied by those with might. Sad.

Getting lighter

Both in the mornings and evenings it’s getting slightly lighter. In the evening it is already 16 minutes lighter.

10m 100mW WSPR (Monday)

My gear is on 10m 100mW WSPR this morning.

UPDATE 2051z: 37 stations have spotted me. See table. QRT soon.

Snow …. at last

We have had a cold and sunny start to the year but avoided the snow .....until now!

Sunspots - Monday January 5th

 Solar flux is 157 and the SSN 97. A=6 and K=4.

10m 100mW FT8 (Sunday)

My gear was turned on at about 1030z.

UPDATE 2030z: Spotted by 76 stations. See map. Not bad for 100mW FT8.  QRT soon

Cold village

So far this winter we have avoided the snow but it has been very cold and sunny as the photo shows.

The world in 2026

There is little doubt that we are now moving to "spheres of influence" with the world divided up. 

The most probable divisions are the USA, China and Russia. Already President Trump is seeing the western world as his "sphere of influence" (e.g. Venezuela, Panama and Greenland).  This is imperialism in the 21st century.

I think President Trump wants Ukraine to just "go away" and he sees Gaza as a necessary evil preferring it to somehow be at peace with Israel. He hopes (I think) for regime change in Iran. Hamas is seen as an impediment to peace in the Middle East.  

The move to get the world's dependence on Taiwanese semiconductors to stop would lead to the USA somehow "disconnecting"  from the Far East. This suggests if China wanted a new relationship (or even an invasion) with Taiwan, Trump would not get involved as long as world economics was not affected.

Let's hope that these new empires live in peaceful coexistence.

New moon

Yesterday on 365project, one of my friends posted this photo of the Moon. 

It makes my attempts look pathetic!

Web SDRs

One useful resource these days are online web SDRs allowing you to "get a feel" of what it is like to listen in other parts of the world.

One example is http://vhfsdr.gb0snb.com:8074/#freq=50153148,mod=usb,sql=-150 

Sunspots - Sunday January 4th

 Solar flux is 165 and the SSN 136. A=12 and K=0.

15m 100mW WSPR (Saturday)

 For a change I am on 15m 100mW WSPR. Lots of spots.

UPDATE 2030z:  19 stations have spotted me. See table. The impression I have is that results with 100mW WSPR are broadly similar to 5W FT8.

6m 2W WSPR (Saturday)

 At about 1442 I QSYed to 6m QRP WSPR.

UPDATE  1447z: Spotted by 2 English stations.

Amateur TV live streams

Amateur Radio Weekly reminds us that BATV has live streams of many of the TV repeaters around the world.

See https://batc.org.uk/live/