Cambridge Concert Tonight - NOT amateur radio

A final reminder that my wife's concert is at the Leys School, Cambridge at 7.30pm tonight, April 2nd 2016. The venue is a new one and tickets are available on the door if you don't already have any.

Thunder later?

I plan to stop TXing and RXing on 10m WSPR later this afternoon. Thunder was forecast and as a matter of course I prefer to disconnect things to minimise risks. At the moment, no thunder is shown on the forecasts, but I prefer to edge on the side of caution. 10m WSPR can be done at any time, so I'll not miss much.

April 2nd - NOT amateur radio

Although I quite enjoy the humour is some April Fools articles I am quite glad we are now April 2nd: any articles today are serious and could be true, whereas on April 1st one can never be quite sure.

Many of the great ideas turn out to be jokes if published on April 1st. All I can say is caveat emptor. It is quite common to be caught out with many serious replies to obviously spoofs. The trouble is you are often not quite sure.

In the past I have been taken in and sometimes good ideas are taken as spoofs.

Sunspots and 10m - Sat April 2nd 2016

Solar flux is 81 today (low). Sunspot number is also low at 11 (K=1). The forecast for 10m propagation remains "poor". On the face of things, conditions are slightly worse than yesterday, and that was a bad day on 10m WSPR here.

Return to 10m WSPR

I reconnected the 10m WSPR kit at 0900z, but may turn it off later if there are storms. Thunder is a possibility tonight.

UPDATE 0933z:  No 10m spots so far, although I am not at all surprised. The best I can really expect is Gs and maybe some early short skip.

UPDATE 1350z:  Still not a single spot given or received on 10m WSPR. Dire indeed!

UPDATE 1628z:  Still not a single spot on 10m WSPR all day. Soon be going QRT.

UPDATE 1645z: A late surprise on 10m WSPR: PU3WSF (10416km) has been spotted a couple of times. Even with a very low sunspot number and low solar flux the band still comes to life if you look. 10m is another "magic band" that throws surprises.

QRP

A reminder from Oleg:

Dear Club 72 members and friends,

QRP Marathon "Look In the Horizon" started today.
To become a participant visit www.club72.su - "QRP Marathon" in menu -
click  "LITH"  knob  and  click  "Create  account" link. Add all your
data and click "Send". After you get the e-mail request click the link
in  message  to  activate your account. Add your QSOs in the Marathon
base and enjoy collecting"Luk's" (points)
You can connect to Marathon in any day in April. Good luck!

Also,  remind  about  Saturday's QRP Rendez-Vous at 9.00 UTC on 14060
(alt 10116 if contest QRMs).

72! Oleg RV3GM / KH6OB "Mr. 72"

Satellite collision

See http://www.amateurradio.com/ao-73-funcube-and-ao-85-fox-1-satellites-collide/#comment-156869

Note the date of this post.

Lunch out - NOT amateur radio

My cheese at The Packhorse Inn, Moulton, near Newmarket

We have our Best Man (nearly 45 years ago!) staying with us and he treated us to lunch out today. We went to the Packhorse Inn at Moulton near Newmarket. Yet again the food and service were excellent. We have now been there 4 times and not once been disappointed. I can highly recommend this place, which we found by accident as the pub in the next village was closed. Judging by the numbers of people at lunchtime, this place is on the up.

My XYL and I with medieval bridge behind

Moulton has a fine medieval packhorse bridge.

MLS deal on FT991

With a Yaesu cashback offer of £80 this "shack in a box" is available for £909.95 from MLS here in the UK including VAT. The Yaesu-ICOM price war has started.  Expect the IC7300 price to tumble soon.

See http://www.hamradio.co.uk/amateur-radio-main-equipment-base-station-radio-yaesu-base-station-radio/yaesu/yaesu-ft-991-only-909-95-after-cashback-pd-5621.php.

Aldi Mini Bench Grinder - NOT amateur radio

See https://www.aldi.co.uk/mini-bench-grinder/p/069369016930200.

Steve G1KQH has just bought a mini bench grinder from Aldi for £26.99. This is only available in their stores and not online. Aldi certainly have some low cost items.