SSTV from the ISS

 Apparently, there will be slow scan TV from the International Space Station over the holiday period until January 5th. I have never tried to receive this from the ISS. Maybe I should try?

10m 500mW WSPR TX (Thursday)

My QRP TX beacon has been on since about 0930z.  Spots so far from Italy and Portugal.

UPDATE 2016z: 30 stations have spotted me. QRT soon.

6m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

 My QMX+ was turned on at about 0930z. So far just English stations spotting me.

UPDATE 2019:  20 stations have spotted me. See map.  QRT soon.

Sunspots - Thursday December 26th

Solar flux is 253 and the SSN 218. A=5 and K=0.

This Christmas - NOT amateur radio

 

Found this earlier. It says it all. 

New QSL card from Antarctica

The operator at the German base in Antarctica has a new QSL card for DP1POL. 

I have been spotted down there on 10m 500mW WSPR,

My last actual SSB QSO was with 10W SSB with a station on the British base in the 1980s. I think they had a big Rhombic antenna if I recall. It was a very solid QSO.

Made in China - NOT amateur radio

We are all guilty.  

My daughter-in-law kindly bought me a bobble hat. A look inside at the label said, "made in China". It seems most things now are made in China!  

In the USA, if they slap a tariff on Chinese imports it is inevitable costs for USA consumers will go up i.e. inflation will increase. 

If we make goods in the USA or Europe it is inevitable inflation will go up.

I have no idea what the answer is.

Merry Christmas - NOT amateur radio

 May I wish everyone a very happy Christmas.  The basic lesson is to share kindness. People appreciate kindness, as do we. 

The most basic message, whatever your beliefs, is sharing kindness is the most powerful thing in humanity. 🎄🎂🧑‍🎄

10m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

My QMX+ has been on since breakfast.

UPDATE 2000z:  622 stations have spotted me today. See map. In all, QRP 10m FT8 can give worldwide reception. Tomorrow I think I shall go back to 6m FT8.

Proud grandparents - NOT amateur radio

Last night our young granddaughter was performing ballet in front of 2 future kings and many famous people at Westminster Abbey. 

It was recorded a few weeks ago and on UK ITV1 television last night. 

Watch out for YouTube copies.

Sunspots - Wednesday December 25th (Christmas Day)

 Solar flux is 259 and the SSN 219. A=10 and K=3.

UV5 (8) handheld

One of my birthday presents was this dual band, 5W, portable. At well below £20 delivered by airmail it is hard to go wrong . 

I am aware there are several firmware upgrades possible, but for now I am just finding out how to do basic things! 

Remember for an old timer like me things take a bit longer, HI. 😉

Seen earlier - NOT amateur radio

 This was seen earlier .  Very appropriate for Christmas. Whatever your beliefs or none, this is a time to think of those that mean a lot to us.

10m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

This morning I am on 10m QRP FT8 with my QMX+ . It was turned on at about 0930z. At 1000z, 63 spots of me.

UPDATE 1811z:  532 stations have spotted me. See map. Basically a few watts FT8 is quite enough.

Birthday cards - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday was my birthday. According to the single candle on my cake I am aged one!

Sunspots - Tuesday December 24th

 Solar flux is 238 and the SSN 199. A=12 and K=2.

It can only get better - NOT amateur radio

This morning, we went for a walk at nearby Anglesey Abbey. In addition to the first snowdrops we also saw some daffodils out.

10m 500mW WSPR (Monday)

 My little beacon was turned on at about 0910z. No spots of me yet at 0921z.

6m QRP FT8 (Monday)

 My gear was turned on at about 0910z. 6 English spots so far at 0919z.

Programming languages

Yesterday I came across a site that showed the progession of programming languages from the time I started working to today. Some of the languages I had never heard of!! Just as well I was not a software engineer!🥴

Sunspots - Monday December 23rd

 Solar flux is 223 and the SSN 176. A=14 and K=2.

10m QRP WSPR (Sunday)

My 500mW stand-alone 10m WSPR beacon has been on since this afternoon. So far, 13 stations have spotted me.

6m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

 

My QRP 6m FT8 has been on since mid-afternoon. At 1648z,  9 stations had spotted me.

"At home" - NOT amateur radio

Every year at Christmas we have an "at home" day when the neighbours come in for drinks and nibbles. It is always a happy occasion.

Plans for Sunday

 Probably the same as yesterday with QRP WSPR on 10m and 6m QRP FT8 

SAQ VLF

As is often the case, the historic alternator TX in Grimeton, Sweden on 17.2kHz is sending a CW test message at 0800z on Christmas Eve. It is often used by people to test their VLF receiver systems. Sometimes they issue a QSL card. The power is 200kW.

See https://alexander.n.se/en/ .

Sunspots- Sunday December 22nd

 Solar flux is 195 and the SSN 152. A=16 and K=2.

Oscar 100 narrowband activity

Every few weeks I take a peek at the narrowband activity on Oscar 100, the geosynchronous satellite. My own view is activity is pathetically low. As I have said many times I think the main issue is the lack of a volume market in the USA and Japan as these are outside the footprint of the satellite. This means no interest by the big manufacturers.

My last peek was lunchtime in Europe on Saturday.

See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/ .

Christmas cheer? - NOT amateur radio

How to be cheered up for Christmas (NOT). Saw this on The Knowledge earlier:

"Scientists who are trying to create microbes that present an “unprecedented risk” to life on Earth. That’s according to an international group of Nobel laureates and other experts, says The New York Times, who warn that so-called “mirror bacteria” – synthetic organisms made from mirror images of natural molecules – could evade the immune defences of natural organisms, causing an “unstoppable pandemic, devastating crop losses or the collapse of entire ecosystems”. "

As my father-in-law once said, "I'm glad I am on the way out". 

Dusk on Shetland - NOT amateur radio

My friend Richard Lewis posts some amazing shots on 365project. 

The days are short and the wind can really blow, but he comes up with shots like this!

Finding that lost Malaysian Plane - NOT amateur radio

The search for the Malaysian plane MH370 that was lost in the Indian Ocean 10 years ago is to be resumed.

Apparently analysing WSPR reports allows the path of the plane to be tracked. I hope they are successful as this must be a nightmare for relatives of those on board. They want answers.

10m QRP WSPR (Saturday)

 Just after breakfast, my 500mW beacon was turned on. No spots of me at 0850z.

UPDATE 1005z: Spotted by 4 stations so far.

UPDATE 1500z: 26 stations have spotted me so far. 

6m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

 My IC-705 QRP FT8 was turned on just after breakfast. So far, just English stations have spotted me.

UPDATE 1013z:  Spotted by 22 stations.

UPDATE 1500z: 34 stations have spotted me. Am I seeing F2 backscatter or winter Es?

VHF NFD - early 1970s I think

This was posted recently. It reminds me of doing VHF NFD with G3PYE/P on the Quantocks in the early 1970s . I think we came second? 

In those days it was in early September as I recall. Happy days when we were all quite young!! I have no idea who the people in the photo are. It’s not our group. 

As I remember we left a Kingshill PSU behind up there. If it is still there it is covered in rust and ferns 😉😉. 

Those were the days!

Sunspots - Saturday December 21st

 Solar flux is 184 and the SSN 148.  A=13 and K=3.

SPRAT article

My latest GQRP SPRAT has just arrived. I notice my article about 8m is inside. What I am advocating is a very narrow worldwide narrow digital only

Building the QMX+ transceiver from QRP Labs

This video, that I came across, may help making the QMX+ from QRP Labs.

10m 500mW WSPR TX (Friday)

My little 10m QRP WSPR beacon has been on since breakfast with 6 stations spotting me so far at 1013z.

UPDATE 1430z:  24 stations have spotted me. See table.

6m QRP FT8 (Friday)

In the last 12 hours my QRP has been spotted by 25 stations with 2 Scandinavians in the middle of the night.

Um, ah, eh and like - NOT amateur radio

Have you noticed how many young people say "like"? 

At one time this bothered me, but it is the new "um","ah" or "eh". Language is always evolving. 

Recently I noticed how often we say "um", "ah" or "um".  I counted 4 in a very short period.