Sunspots- Sunday April 5th 2020

Solar flux is 70 and the sunspot number 11. A=5 and K=1.

At the moment we seem to have a few days with sunspots then several days without. At some point we will have sunspots on most days.

Zoom - NOT amateur radio

It was good to see all the grandchildren today thanks to Zoom. The photo is a screen shot during the video chat.

Cutting the lawns - NOT amateur radio

As the weather was sunny, we had lunch in the garden and I cut the lawns as the photo shows. This is the fourth time this year.

Apple iPad software change?

My wife has had an Apple iPad for some years, but just recently the battery life has suddenly got dramatically worse. It was always very good. Now it seems to flatten the battery far more quickly.  I am pretty sure this is not the cells. Also, she could always send photos from her gallery by Gmail. She has plenty of room in her account on Gmail.

It is almost as if the latest software has somehow been "doctored" so the battery runs down faster and some Gmail things don't work any longer, so you are tempted to buy a new one! I am not saying this is so, just that this is how it appears.

Any whistle blowers know the facts?

New life - NOT amateur radio

New life continues. This is a photo of a new born chick at my son's school. He looks after the chickens.

President Trump wisdom - NOT amateur radio

Why, oh why, did so many USA folk vote for him?

His medical advisors are suggesting the wearing of face masks and his wife is tweeting Americans urging them to do so, but wise President Trump is not following suit. Such leadership and such wisdom.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-52161529

10m WSPR TX (500mW)

Simply as I have my W5OLF 10m WSPR TX beacon and my tiny indoor loop, I am on 10m WSPR TX. This is on continuously, shifting the TX frequency every 2 minutes. A couple of spots already from G4KPX (14km) proving all is fine. Drift is going down.

2m FT8

As usual, I am on 2m FT8 with 10W to the big-wheel omni.

Although I sit on one frequency calling CQ  to see where my signal reaches, I have plenty of QSOs every day. If you call me, I shall do my best to work you.

At 0900z, my 10W has been spotted already by 10 stations in 2 countries with the best being a spot by GW6TEO (371km).

Already 1 QSO had after just a few minutes.

UPDATE  0930z: Already spotted by 19 stations in 3 countries with the best DX spot being by DF6MU (475km). On 2m FT8 RX 10 stations spotted so far.

UPDATE 0946z: Already 2 QSOs had and spotted by 21 stations.

UPDATE 1740z: 40 stations in 5 countries have spotted me today on 2m FT8 using 10W.

UPDATE 2040z: QRT. Plenty of QSOs today.

Village walk - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday, we did a nice walk around the village. The photo shows some of the things we saw.

Sunspots - Saturday April 4th 2020

Solar flux is 70 and the SSN 13 . A=8 and and K=2.