2m 1W FT8 (Monday)

As there was no Es evident on 6m, I switched to 2m FT8 at 1W, getting a QSO with a Belgian station on my first call! 

If this was SSB I would be very pleased, but it is far easier on FT8. My antenna is just an omni big-wheel, so nothing special.

Corruption video

 This was a speech given the US senate about 2 months ago. I have no way of checking the accuracy.

6m 1W FT8 (Monday)

My gear was turned on at about 0610z.

UPDATE 0728z: 7 English stations spotting me.

10m 200mW WSPR (Monday)

My beacon was turned on at about 0610z.

UPDATE 0730z: Just 1 ON spotting me. Probably ordinary tropo?

How many planets are there in the universe?

 This is an estimate based on what we can currently observe, but the number is huge, something like 10 to the power of 25 or even power of 35. 

This is so enormous that it is hard to comprehend. Many will not have life at all, let alone intelligent life.

Really, we know so little.

Solar cycle

The solar cycle peaked in late 2024. We are now on the downward slope, where HF conditions slowly decline. We have several years to go to the next solar minimum. 

In my experience it is a lack of activity that is the killer and often not propagation. This is not always the case, but often the 27MHz CB band is buzzing when 28MHz seems dead.

One way of checking would be to stick with modes like WSPR or FT8. It might be quieter than in the better years, but I expect we would find bands like 10m open (especially on N-S paths) far more often than we might think.

See https://www.solen.info/solar/ .

Humming bird hawk moth

There were once rare in the UK when they migrated from southern Europe. 

They appear to be more common in the UK, possibly as a result of climate change. 

The wings beat very fast (about 75 beats a second!), so they can hover like a humming bird.  At one time people thought they were birds!

There was one in the garden yesterday.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hummingbird_hawk-moth .

Sunspots - Monday September 7th

 Solar flux is 110 and the SSN 83. A=5 and K=1.

Gerald G8AKL silent key

Gerald G8AKL was a regular on our local net on 2m FM on Wednesdays. He was always a great signal from his home across the Fens. 

He was a generous and kind man who without fail invited people to join him on his skeds to Australia or to borrow a linear. I never met him in person, but we talked often on the radio. RIP.

10m 200mW WSPR (Sunday)

My beacon was turned on at about 0808z.

UPDATE 2010z:  Spotted by just one Russian SWL. A bad day.