East Cambs 2m FM net

A reminder that at 8pm (clock time) on Mondays we hold an East Cambs net on 144.575MHz FM (One four four point five seven five megahertz).  If there is QRM we moved down around 25 or 50kHz.

Usually there are 2 or 3 on but everyone is welcome. We usually finish around 8.30pm. This is not a highly technical net and conversations vary from what we did the week before (ATV, WSPR, JT65, FT8, etc.) to gardens, model boats, trains - well anything!

Stations are in the Cambridge and East Cambridgeshire areas with vertical polarisation.

Put it in your diary.

6m FT8

Yesterday was disappointing with very little Es. Since breakfast time I have been on 6m FT8 hoping today will be better. As we are now at the end of the Es season, openings are likely to be less frequent. As yet (0842z) no spots.

UPDATE 1102z: Just Gs spotted so far with no Es as yet.

UPDATE 1226z: EA1YV (1320km) in Galicia, N.Spain was the first Es spot on 6m FT8 today.

UPDATE 1546z: So far, 5 countries spotted on 6m FT8 today: England, France, Germany, Finland and Spain. Mostly Es.

UPDATE 2110z: In the end 7 countries spotted on 6m FT8 RX today.

10m WSPR TX (500mW)

Yesterday was very disappointing with very little Es on the band here. I am back on 10m WSPR TX again, hoping for better results today. So far, no spots.

On Monday I was even hopeful of some F2 DX, but no-one spotted me outside of Europe on 10m WSPR.

UPDATE 1102z:  With 9 unique 10m WSPR spots so far, today is proving quite a good Es day. Spots are from all over including, Italy, Germany, Poland and Belarus. This late in the season, Es seems to be better on the lower frequencies; as yet it has not reached 6m here.

UPDATE 1602z: Now 13 unique 10m WSPR spots today. OY1OF (1164km) has spotted me many times at up to +6dB S/N i.e. very strong.

"Our" windmill - NOT amateur radio

We live right next door to a restored windmill. Here it was earlier this month with a stormy sky. Our grandchildren think the front of the windmill grounds are part of our garden.

Sunspots - Tuesday August 22nd 2017

Solar flux is 91 today (good) and the sunspot number 43 (pretty good). A=10 and K=5.

Eastern European Storms - NOT amateur radio

The last time I checked most of the severe storms were over eastern Europe and Scandinavia. There was nothing over the UK.

Ever since a work colleague suffered a direct strike many years ago I have always been wary of electrical storms. His was a very ordinary house in a very ordinary estate. He certainly was not isolated and on a hill. OK, the chances are low, but I try to minimise my risks.

See https://www.lightningmaps.org/blitzortung/europe/index.php?lang=en

2017: where did it go? - NOT amateur radio

They say as you get older, time appears to go faster. Indeed! It is already well into August and this year seems to have sped by. It is already over 2 months since the longest day and already the nights are drawing in. We'll blink and it will be the shortest day.

I try to enjoy every season, as there is something good about each, although my favourite time is the spring with the promise of longer and warmer days ahead. Still, enjoy the now.

VE7SL

When others are "into" many things, I sit up. One good example is Steve, VE7SL in western Canada. He seems to be keen on many things and reading about what he gets up to is always interesting. He has a keen interest in 630m and lightwaves, both close to my heart. He is "into" lots besides, which is why his blogs are so interesting.

See http://ve7sl.blogspot.co.uk/

End of the Es season?

Today has been much quieter on 10m and 6m, so I think the Es season in the northern hemisphere is coming to its end. There will still be Es openings, but these will be a lot less often. For example, yesterday on 6m FT8 I spotted loads of countries, but today has been quite quiet. On 10m WSPR just a couple of Es spots from Spain.

A photo a day - NOT amateur radio

For several years now I have taken a photo every day as a kind of visual diary. It is quite interesting to look back several years to the day and see what we were doing.

Usually I try to put things we were doing, unless I have gaps. It costs $19.99 a year if you want privacy and extra albums, but otherwise is totally free if you don't mind others looking. Most of my photos are not great artistic works and of little interest to others. Some use this platform as a way of creating great photographic art. I don't 😉 .

See http://365project.org/g3xbm/365