G3XBM video channel

A reminder that quite a few of my projects are shown in YouTube videos on my channel G3XBM. Many of my projects can be seen here in videos made over the years. Most are amateur radio related, but a few are not.

2m FT8 again

After a brief TX period just before breakfast with best DX a spot by G1IDZ (184km), although I was also copied in France, I am now on 2m FT8 RX. Again, I am using 2.5W and my big-wheel omnidirectional antenna. So far, 17 unique stations spotted in 4 countries (0930z).

UPDATE 1145z: Now 35 uniques in 5 countries on 2m FT8 RX today so far.

Stations spotted by 1452z

today on 2m FT8 RX

UPDATE 1452z: Currently 50 uniques in 6 countries on 2m FT8 RX today.

UPDATE 1820z: Now 66 uniques in 6 countries spotted on 2m FT8 RX today.

UPDATE 1840z: Now 73 uniques in 9 countries today on 2m FT8 RX. 2m!!!

UPDATE 2128z: Now QRT.  Best DX today on 2m FT8 RX was DJ6GK (607km) in Hesse, Germany.

Sunspots - Sunday April 15th 2018

Solar flux is 69 and the sunspot number 11.  A=6 and K=2.

Amazon Prime - NOT amateur radio

Both my wife and I have been "caught" by Amazon Prime. Neither of us wanted this service and we both cancelled immediately.

As far as I can tell, I did everything possible to avoid signing up, yet still found I had joined! To this day, I do not understand how.

Amazon must be employing some very dodgy methods to make you sign up. Unless you manually opt out they will charge your card every month. To my mind "this is not cricket" as they say here. If you want to sign up then make this clear and simple. If you do not want to sign up then it should not allow you to sign up by mistake.

Money to burn?

On the Southgate News page it says you can now buy a companion loudspeaker for the ICOM IC-7610 transceiver. All you need, allegedly, is a spare £192!! For this price you can equip an amateur radio station capable of worldwide QSOs. To me this is silly money for what is after all just a LS. I guess each to his own.

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2018/april/new-matching-sp-41-speaker-for-the-ic-7610.htm#.WtJEuUxFzIU

Red-legged partridge - NOT amateur radio

After several months without seeing any, these handsome birds have returned to our Close. Earlier this week one nearly fed from my hand, coming about 25cms (1 foot) from my hand, curious.

2m FT8 RX

Since just before breakfast I have been monitoring 2m FT8 RX again. Already (0900z) 24 unique stations spotted in 6 countries with best DX on RX DK2DTF (644km).

UPDATE 1222z:  Now 37 uniques in 7 countries spotted.

UPDATE 1300z: Now 40 uniques in 8 countries.

UPDATE 1903z: Now 56 uniques in 8 countries in the last 12 hours.

UPDATE 2116z: 59 uniques in 8 countries today on 2m FT8 RX. Now time to go QRT.

Sunspots - Saturday April 14th 2018

Solar flux is 69 today and the sunspot number still 13.  A=9 and K=1.

Virus? - NOT amateur radio

Whenever I open the page to add things to my blog currently, my Avast comes up with "threat detected".  I suspect one of the ads on my edit page currently contains some sort of malware. I am pretty sure it is not anything I have placed on the blog. I only hope it is not there on the pages visitors see.

Anyway, it is good discipline to have anti-virus protection on your PC. If you are not protected, I recommend Avast which has good scores and is available free. In the case of Windows Defender, it uses Avast as the virus protection on my own PC.

These days, every PC user must have virus protection. Without it, you are acting irresponsibly and foolishly, endangering others as well as yourself. Get protected now.

House quiet again - NOT amateur radio

Our "London" grandchildren have gone home and the house is quiet again. We have had them since Monday and visitors for over a week, leaving me exhausted. We love having the grandchildren, but they do tire me!