FT102

This was a classic 1970s radio. It was a hybrid design with a 6146 PA.

Sunspots - Thursday March 20th

 Solar flux is 180 and the SSN 190. A=23 and K=2.

New video to be created: QMX+ on 8m

 Although my voice is poor I think I need to produce a new video showing how the QMX+ can be put on 8m. Perhaps I can intersperse photos with printed words to avoid talking?

In the meantime my video channel is on YouTube. See https://www.youtube.com/@G3XBM/videos .

Covid lab leak? - NOT amateur radio

Five years on it is amazing the impact Covid-19 had on our lives. Looking back it sticks in our memories. 

One theory was that it started with a lab leak in China, but we lacked the Chinese data. Now a recent German language investigative journalist report says this is an 80-90% certainty. It looks like an accident rather than a biological weapon. If it was a lab leak, the Chinese would not want to lose face by admitting so.

ELF video - NOT amateur radio

For a long time, I have been fascinated by VLF/ELF radio communications. 

As you go lower in frequency, radio waves penetrate further through water and rock. For this reason, the military in many countries have explored these frequencies to communicate with deeply submerged submarines, although data rates at ELF are very slow and antennas very long. I know the Russians have a system at 80Hz (it has been copied in the UK), but I am not sure about the USA and China.

10m 500mW WSPR (Wednesday)

 My beacon was turned on just before 0900z.  6 spots of me so far by EA8BFK (2880km).

UPDATE 1635z: Just 3 stations spotting me today and nothing in the USA with the furthermost ZD7GB (7607km),

6m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

 My IC-705 was turned on at 6W at about 0900z. So far,  5 spots including one in Poland.

UPDATE 1713z:  20 stations have spotted me, all in Europe. See map.

View from my junior school - NOT amateur radio

This was the view from my junior school in Salcombe, Devon, UK. We just took it for granted and only realised years later just how special it was. It took me years to realise the odd patterns on the classroom ceiling on a sunny day were the sun being reflected on the water!

Wymondham, Norfolk,UK - NOT amateur radio

 

This was few years ago when we ate at a small independent cafe. My wife had the crumpets on the left.

Sunspots - Wednesday March 19th

Solar  flux is 184 and the SSN 191. A=12 and K=4.