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.
31 Dec 2025
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.
Ukraine - is President Trump getting bored?
Most days I watch Times Radio on YouTube. I get the distinct impression the USA's President Trump is getting bored with Ukraine and is more concerned about deals to make himself even richer than finding a just peace. If true, I find this very sad.
There seems to be a new world order emerging, run by billionaires at a time when we really need leaders who have the interests of the common man/woman at heart.
24 Dec 2025
Last post?
I asked his permission to take this photo.
Very festive!
Grimeton historic VLF CW transmission
Earlier this morning the historic alternator TX SAQ was sending a Christmas message on 17.2kHz CW. Years ago I got a QSL card from them. It is still on my shack wall. It is a good test of your VLF RX system. I did not listen.
10m 500mW WSPR TX (Wednesday)
My stand-alone beacon was turned on at 1022z:
UPDATE 1231z: No spots.
UPDATE 1938z: It helps if you switch the mains plug on! Once this was done loads of spots including several in the USA.
6m 5W FT8 (Wednesday)
My gear was turned on at 1022z.
UPDATE 1231z: So far, 6 English stations have spotted me.
UPDATE 1935z: 7 English stations spotted. QRT since late afternoon.
23 Dec 2025
Cave radio book
As radio waves get attenuated as they travel through water and rock and this attenuation is reduced as the frequency is lowered, cavers tend to use interesting techniques to communicate (and survey) with cavers.
A very interesting book by Mike Bedford G4AEE goes through all the techniques used by cavers.
Even for somebody like me who (would be too scared!) it make good Christmas reading. The book "Cave Radio" is available from the RSGB bookshop.
10m 1W FT8 (Tuesday)
UPDATE 1610z: Spotted by 164 stations. See map.
22 Dec 2025
The freedoms of amateur radio
Many years ago I used to have many QSOs with stations across the world including the USA and the USSR.
As far as I am concerned we are all human beings with equal value whatever our beliefs, colour or politics. I enjoy exchanging greetings with an old work colleague who happens to live in Moscow and is a radio amateur.
One of the great things about our hobby is that it is such a great leveller.
At home
As someone said, "Christmas starts here".
It was great and happy.
Amazing AI of London in the 1600s
Just now, I watched an AI video of London in the 1600s. It was amazing and so very realistic. It was almost like really being there centuries ago.
In my view, this is an example of AI at it best. The "seed" was old engravings of various London scenes. Truly amazing.
10m 1W FT8 (Monday)
UPDATE 2022z: So far spotted by 95 stations, most "across the pond". See map. QRT soon.
UPDATE 2045z: QRT.
Sleep
This is my personal experience, so I cannot comment on others.
Drifting to sleep and not being aware we have done so seems odd. There is far more to consciousness than we are aware of I think.
PoC (PTT over cellular) transceivers
For some people these could be very useful.
They use the cellular network as the bearer rather than the ionosphere, so the range is effectively the whole planet. If you just want to talk, they might be ideal as no amateur licence is needed.
They are like 2m or 70cm handhelds.
21 Dec 2025
6m 5W FT8 (Sunday)
My 5W to the V2000 was turned on at about 2030z.
UPDATE 2142z: 4 stations have spotted me including 2 in Germany. Now QRT.
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