Solar flux is 169 and the SSN 120. A=12 and K=4.
2 Jan 2026
1 Jan 2026
6m 5W FT8 (Thursday)
My gear was turned on at about 1000z.
UPDATE 1054z: 7 stations have spotted me including one OH.
UPDATE 2142: QRT soon. Lots of Europeans (63) have copied me today. See map.
10m 500mW WSPR ( Thursday)
My beacon was turned on at about 1000z.
UPDATE 1018z: Spotted by nobody yet.
UPDATE 2138z: 20 stations have spotted me. See map from WSPRrocks by Phil VK7JJ. QRT soon.
Space travel
Just now I watched a video on YouTube about space travel.
It made the point that distances are huge and even if we reach speeds approaching that of light, it would take so long that a human space traveller, even with time dilation for the traveller, would arrive back on Earth millions of years in the future.
Even unmanned probes do not solve this problem. Inter-stellar travel really poses all sorts of problems. Essentially any such space travellers have a one way ticket.
Sunspots - Thursday January 1st
Happy New Year everyone. May the year bring you and those you love health and happiness.
Solar flux is 171 and the SSN 127. A=7 and K=3.
31 Dec 2025
Thoughts on 8m
In the last few years I have (not now) had an 8m TX permit in the UK.
I ran 2.5W to a low dipole using my FT817ND modified by the dealer MLS. Most DX paths were worked on FT8 like South Africa, USA, Canada and the Caribbean.
Both OFCOM and the dealer were helpful, although I am sorry to say I did NOT find the RSGB supportive or helpful in the least. To be honest the RSGB appeared dead set against me and even a temporary NoV. Instead I had to pay £50 to do propagation research when many other CEPT nations gave either temporary or permanent access to the band.
In the RSGB's defence, they are often dependent on volunteers and saw defending 6m as a higher priority.
In my view, the most important propagation research was around sunspot maximum. We are now on the downward slope. Yes, there may well be more very long paths opening especially N-S and there will be other modes such as Es and MS.
What of the future? I cling to the (weak) hope that the RSGB will change to a more supportive role and encourage OFCOM to join other enlightened CEPT nations that have allowed radio amateurs access to the band. Unless we gain free access to the band I am unlikely to apply for a TX permit.
6m 5W FT8 (Wednesday)
My gear was turned on after breakfast.
UPDATE 1524z: 16 stations have spotted me in 4 countries with the furthest SM5EPO (1344km). See map.
UPDATE 2120z: 28 stations spotted me today. See map. Now QRT.
10m 500mW WSPR (Wednesday)
My stand-alone W5OLF (SK) beacon was turned on after breakfast, It must now be over 10 years old.
UPDATE 2215z: 21 stations spotting me. Map courtesy of WSPRrocks by Phil VK7JJ.
Amaryllis
It usually takes about 6 weeks to grow from just the bulb to mature flowers.
We often have them out around now and I have a new one to plant that should mature around mid February.
30 Dec 2025
10m 500mW WSPR (Tuesday)
My beacon was turned on at about 1500z.
UPDATE 1526z: So far, spotted by just one station in the USA.
6m 5W FT8 (Tuesday)
At about 1455z, I QSYed to 6m 5W FT8.
UPDATE 1521z: Spotted by 5 English stations.
10m 1W FT8 (Tuesday)
As mentioned earlier, I decided to go on 10m 1W FT8.
UPDATE 1435z: 1l0 stations have spotted me. See map.
DXpedition
These days I don’t chase DX but you may be interested in the DXpedition to an island in the Caribbean quite close to Puerto Rico. I had to check where this was as I had no idea!!
Too interconnected?
In these days we live in a very interconnected way and we take this for granted.
Electricity in the UK (and many places) comes from gas a great deal still. Most of the UK's food is imported. Most goods are bought with cards. Fuel is imported. Most of out manufactured goods come from abroad. The internet works because it is vastly connected. Most of us depend on our smart phones.
Just imagine if we had a sudden shock and had to live without some (or all) of these. Would society be able to cope?
Tuesday plans
Probably more 10m 500mW WSPR and 6m 5W FT8, but I may decide differently! In the end I went on 10m FT8 with 1W!!
Fog of war
Always in times of war opposing sides slag the other side off.
It is hard to see through this “fog” and get at the truth.
The measure of a good politician is to be able to see through this and steer the right course.
29 Dec 2025
Uncertain times?
There was an interesting piece on the BBC website this morning about the state of the world. After a relatively peaceful time since WW2, it looks as if we are entering more troubled times. Since WW2 we have lived under the shadow of atomic war.
It looks like future wars will be more hybrid with enemies trying to disrupt the lifestyles of those they are wishing to hurt. As with the Cold War, whatever one side wants to do, the other side could do similar.
Like all periods, humans adapt.
6m FT8 5W (Monday)
My gear was turned on at 0942z.
UPDATE 1100z: So far, spotted by many English stations and one in Denmark 🇩🇰.
UPDATE 1335z: Spotted by 12 stations including one in Germany and Denmark.
10m 500mW WSPR (Monday)
My gear was turned on at 0942z.
UPDATE 1054z: So far, spotted by stations in Finland and the Canary Islands.
UPDATE 1328z: 14 stations have spotted my 500mW WSPR. See table.
Digital Voice (DV) transceiver
This was on Facebook yesterday, It looks like Crawley club members have been busy.
28 Dec 2025
ICOM IC705
In my view the IC-705 vastly beats the Yaesu FTX-1. Certainly in the UK, the FTX-1 is very expensive and still lacks many of the features that the IC-705 had years ago. It was introduced about 5 years ago. In my humble view Yaesu is playing catch up ... and losing badly.
It would not surprise me at all if ICOM announced an IC705A later this year in a portable form factor aimed at SOTA and POTA users with internal auto ATU and maybe 4m in European versions. It could sell well.
Yaesu have made some great kit and the majority of my commercial transceivers have been Yaesu. But I get the distinct impression Yaesu have "gone off the boil".
6m 5W FT8 (Sunday)
My gear was turned on at 0947z.
UPDATE 1006z: So far, 4 English stations have spotted me.
UPDATE 1435z: Spotted by 15 stations with the furthest GM6NX (505km).
10m 500mW WSPR (Sunday)
My beacon was turned on at 0946z.
UPDATE 1004z: So far, one spot by EA8BFK (2880km).
UPDATE 1439z: Spotted by 17 stations, most in North America.
70cm way back
This has been on before. When first on the air I was a G8 and could only operate on 70cm and above unless operating another station under supervision. At university I became a G3.
My first forays on 70cm were with a version of this transverter. As most were crystal controlled it was fine. With a passive mixer it must have been deaf but worked some impressive DX with a tiny yagi on AM.
Sunday plans
At the moment my plans are the same as yesterday i.e. 10m 500mW WSPR and 6m 5W FT8, although I may decide differently later!
Ukraine’s future
Today the president of Ukraine is meeting the US president at his estate in Florida. If President Zelenskyy does not accept what President Trump has agreed , the US president could just walk away.
The future of democracy is at stake, although I don’t think President Trump appreciates this sadly.
27 Dec 2025
Early frost
It went after a few hours.
Later in the day it clouded over.
6m 5W FT8 (Saturday)
UPDATE 1019z: Spotted by 5 English stations.
UPDATE 1938z: Spotted by 16 stations including a GI and CT. See map. Now QRT.
10m 500mW WSPR TX (Saturday)
My beacon was turned on at about 1002z.
UPDATE 1015z: So far spotted by 2 Finnish stations.
UPDATE 1935z: Spotted by 12 stations. See table. QRT.
Amazing AI videos
These are produced by MajesticAIStudios. They use old prints as seeds and recreate places as they were hundreds of years ago in moving videos that are ultra realistic.
Personally I am highly impressed.
See https://www.youtube.com/@MajesticAIStudio
Videos include Amsterdam, London, Paris and Liverpool centuries ago.
26 Dec 2025
10m 500mW WSPR (Friday)
My beacon was turned on just before 1000z.
UPDATE 1014z: So far, just EA8BFK (2880km).
25 Dec 2025
10m 1W FT8 (Wednesday)
UPDATE 0939z: Spotted by 53 stations.
UPDATE 1840z: Spotted by 295 stations. See map.
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