Lack of internet - NOT amateur radio

We lost our Virgin Media broadband and TV yesterday and it has just come back. I rang up to complain, saying I was leaving to go to another provider, and was upgraded to a faster internet speed for free and my monthly bill was slashed. They will also compensate me for the loss of service. If you are not satisfied with your bill or service tell your service provider!

There is STILL some Es around

EA1FAQ (1249km) has just spotted my 500mW WSPR on 10m, so there is still Es about. Once again, it pays to have some presence on 10m. WSPR and JT65 are ideal modes needing only low power (no TVI) and they can run in the background.

Tomatoes - NOT amateur radio

To be honest, I am no plant expert. Yesterday our son Tim came to see us. He took back to London the tomatoes our granddaughter grew. We expected these to turn red, but they stayed green. Maybe this is a variety that is meant to stay green? This is our son with my wife Lis outside our home.

Sunspots and 10m - Wednesday September 28th 2016, and cancer research

Solar flux is 83 today. The sunspot number is 21. K=5. The forecast for 10m F2 propagation remains "poor". With disturbed conditions I am not expecting much DX today on 10m. Mind you, thing change!

Had my mother survived cancer she would have been 99 today. It is still not too late to give, even a little, towards cancer research.  If you want, you can hide your name and give, just a little even, anonymously. Cancer effects many people of all ages. Thank you to the kind person who donated earlier. Your gift may just make a difference.

Only last week a radio ham friend, Paul G8GML, died of bowel cancer. He died too young.  When I first came to Cambridge we talked and talked on 2m FM most nights. RIP Paul. In more recent times he enjoyed amateur TV and 160m.

One day this could be you and the research you help to fund might save your life.

OFCOM Crowdsourcing

See http://media.ofcom.org.uk/news/2016/Calling-all-android-users/?utm_source=updates&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Ofcom-launches-research-app&utm_term=Research%2C%20Ofcom%20Mobile%20Research%20app%2C%20Mobile%20coverage%2C%20Consumers%2C%20App%2C%20P3%20

OFCOM are crowdsourcing Android users.

Return to 6m JT65 and 10m WSPR

Following my pattern of recent days I am active (QRP of course) on 10m WSPR and 6m JT65. G4KPX (14km) has spotted me on 10m WSPR and 3 UK stations have spotted me on 6m JT65. As yet, no sign of F2 or Es DX. Later in the day I shall swap to just 10m JT65.

It is funny how I always get better inter-G results on 6m JT65 rather than 10m WSPR. This is purely down to activity levels I think.

Cancer research. Can you spare just a little please?

It is still not too late to give, even a little, towards cancer research. 

If you want, you can hide your name and give, just a little even, anonymously.  I posted something similar a few weeks ago and was blown over by your generosity. Nothing!!! Yes, that's right - not a single penny was donated.

People happily spend £10k on rigs, linears, towers and beams, but seem unwilling to spend a very little towards research that may one day save their life.

Please think if you can spare something, however small. You can use your credit or debit card.

40MHz (8m) Band

Yesterday I heard from LY2YR that there is a small 8m allocation in Slovenia as well as in South Africa.

There is an IARU meeting next year, so please lobby your national society to press for such an allocation! There are already beacons in this band in the UK and Denmark.

Being mid way between 10m and 6m this would be really really useful for Es radio science. Just 50kHz wide would be enough I am sure.This band would not be heavily used (a secondary allocation would be fine even with a low ERP limit), but it would certainly help with "self training" and research. It is a real chance for radio amateurs to lead the way. As no commercial amateur gear covers this frequency, special antennas and rigs would be needed.

See http://www.hamradio.si/images/dokumenti/zakonodaja/splosniakt2013.pdf. Now my language skills are not that good, but I see the Slovenian amateur allocation is 40.66 to 40.7MHz.

Ice Cubes - NOT amateur radio

When on holiday, we enjoyed several drinks in the hot sun in the hotel garden in Corfu. I quite liked this photo of ice cubes!

Now just on 10m JT65

A few hours ago I went QRT on 10m WSPR and 6m JT65 and am now just on 10m JT65 with 2W. As yet, no spots. Yesterday was quite good on 10m, so I remain hopeful for today on 10m.

UPDATE 1635z:  Still no 10m JT65 spots given or received.

UPDATE 1818z: Still no spots on 10m JT65 here according to the PSK Reporter Map.

UPDATE 1842z:  HA9AL (1454km) in Hungary has been spotted on 10m JT65 by Es.

UPDATE 1846z:  CX8ABF (11123km) in Uruguay (GF15 square) has just been spotted on 10m JT65. He has also spotted my 2W on 10m. Yet again 10m is open for QRP DX. As yet this autumn, I have not spotted, or been spotted by, any USA stations on 10m JT65.

UPDATE 1914z:  PU2OOC (9596km) is now being spotted on 10m JT65.

UPDATE 1920z: Now Argentina is being spotted on 10m JT65 here.

UPDATE 2020z:  With 10 South Americans spotted on 10m JT65, this has again been a good day, but I think the days now done.