Reward time - NOT amateur radio

 We do housework on Monday morning followed by a cup of coffee ☕️.

Apt quote?

 This was seen yesterday in a comment about the RSGB, the national radio society in the UK.

“Given the hobby is dying on its feet due to elderly white males popping their clogs you'd think they'd take all the users and spectrum they could muster.”

It is probably quite true.

10m 6W FT8 (Monday)

My IC-705 at reduced power was turned on at about 0820z.

UPDATE  0953z: Spotted by 40 stations with the furthermost South Africa. See map.

UPDATE 1040z: 50 spots of me with the furthermost VP8LP (12773km).

UPDATE 2133z: 775 stations have spotted me. Best spot of me was by DP0GVN (13687km) in Antarctica. Now QRT.

Sunspots- Monday March 31st

 Solar flux is 171 and the SSN 111. A=6 and K=1.

10m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

 As I was having no success on WSPR I QSYed to FT8 with 6W from the IC-705.

UPDATE 2222z: 527 stations have spotted me. The map shown was hours earlier, shortly after switching on.

Amateur radio deregulation

The FCC in the USA is asking for comments on their latest document calling for deregulation and reduced burocracy. They do not talk about amateur radio specifically. In the USA amateur radio callsigns pre-date the FCC.

In many countries amateur radio costs money and generates no revenue. For this reason, I can see why the FCC and OFCOM, and others too around the world, would like to totally "wash their hands" of amateur radio.

One possibility is to "open up" amateur radio, much like CB, without the need for any involvement. The only stipulation is that only radios that comply with national standards may be used and no interference must be caused. In most cases, amateur radio has become like CB: using commercial radios to chat. True research does not matter to the vast majority, who do not even know how their transceivers work!

This is my personal view of what will happen. I may well be wrong.

• In the USA the FCC will deregulate amateur radio in some way. People will not need to have callsigns. If they do, these will be allocated by the ARRL.
• In the UK, OFCOM will also deregulate amateur radio. As in the USA, callsigns will not be mandated and allocated to those that want them by the RSGB.
• Other countries will follow. 

I give this less than 20 years.

There is a video on the FCC proposals. The "writing is on the wall".

8m disappointment

It is very disappointing that, in the UK, we have to pay to do research at 8m. In the USA, they appear to have stopped permits for 8m altogether!

In the past the RSGB would have "fought our corner" with OFCOM, who would probably have granted, on application, a very narrow, perhaps time limited, 8m amateur band by NoV for a dedicated few. Instead those of us that want to do genuine 8m propagation research have to pay!!

As sunspot numbers decline, such NoVs would have less value.

All this has left a very bad taste in my mouth. When my current (paid for!) 8m TX permit expires I have no intention of renewing it.

Self training and research??

Quantum entanglement - NOT amateur radio

A very long time ago I did quantum mechanics as part of my degree. One of the things I remember is that all things can be described as a wave function that exists in all space and all time. This is a strange idea to grasp. There is a video that tries to explain quantum entanglement.

10m 500mW WSPR (Sunday)

My QRP 10m WSPR beacon was turned on after breakfast.

UPDATE 1324z: No spots. After all this time, I am puzzled. The DC power is connected, the antenna is connected, I thought time was sync'd. I have re-sync'd time to see what's happening. I notice Angola is being worked from the UK on 6m FT8 , so I am surprised by the total absence of 10m WSPR spots.

UPDATE 1358z: Still no spots.

6m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

My IC-705 set at 6W was turned on just after breakfast.

UPDATE 1258z:  13 UK stations spotting me.

Weak signal modes

One of the questions people ask is how effective various weak signal modes are.  This link may provide some answers. This table is extracted from the article.

Sunspots - Sunday March 30th

 Solar flux is 157 and the SSN 107. A=9 and K=2.

Oscar 100

This geosynchronous satellite has been up now for several years. Many would like a "solution in one box", which is almost possible with the DX Patrol full duplex unit. You still need rigs for TX,RX, a fixed dish and LNB plus a GPS antenna. Overall, it is still not cheap.

There  is a video of this from TX Factor.

Powerful autocrats - NOT amateur radio

There is an interesting piece in The Knowledge today about the most powerful men in the world (Putin, Trump, Erdogan and Xi Jinping). 

They all seem to have had a difficult childhood. In some way they all seem to be "damaged" people.

10m QRP WSPR (Saturday)

 My 500mW stand-alone WSPR beacon has been on since about 1410z.

UPDATE 1437z:  No spots yet.

UPDATE 1449z:  Mind you, it helps to turn the PSU on! Still no spots.

UPDATE 1911z: Just EA8BFK (2880km) and TA4/G8SCU (3010km) spotting me.

6m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

Since about 1410z, I have been on 6m FT8 with my IC-705 at 6W.

UPDATE 1453z:  6 English stations have spotted me.

UPDATE 1912z:  16 stations have spotted me including one in Germany. QRT soon.

8m permits in the USA?

If I am correct 8m TX permits in the USA are granted by the FCC.  With all the changes in the USA of late, I am wondering if 8m permits in the USA are more, or less, likely?  

In my view the FCC in the USA and OFCOM in the UK have been stupid over 8m.

Old trees - NOT amateur radio

 

This photo, taken a few days ago, shows some dead trees near a river in the nearby village of Lode.

Western Democracy - NOT amateur radio

 If I was in Africa looking for a politics to follow would I look towards the USA currently? The USA (sadly) comes across as a big bullying nation at present. I say sadly as EVERY person I have ever met from the USA has been kind and generous, in the true spirit of democracy.

Whilst I understand that free trade means lower costs and making things where labour costs are low, I cannot believe that making everything in the USA will be as low cost for consumers. Also, why fall out with your friends and allies?

None of us is perfect I do accept.

10m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

My IC-705 at 6W was turned on at about 0930z. So far, mostly eastern Europe and Middle East stations spotting me.

UPDATE 1413z:  67 stations have spotted me on 4 continents.

Putin portrait of President Trump - NOT amateur radio

Apparently (according to the BBC)  President Trump has received a portrait of himself sent by Vladimir Putin.

Changed market

Since the FT817 was introduced about a quarter of a century ago a lot has changed. At that time Yaesu had a totally unique product that sold really well across the world.

These days there are several competitors and the Chinese are coming up fast.

In my view Yaesu are now playing "catch up" and the longer they delay getting the FTX-1F to market, the harder it will be.

Sunspots - Saturday March 29th

 Solar flux is 160 and the SSN 80. A=16 and K=3.

Where I come from - NOT amateur radio

Until I left university, I lived in South Devon, not far from where the photo was taken. I have definitely been hereabouts since the mid 1500s (family history research) and probably for thousands of years before that.  On the promontory in the distance is an iron age fort. One of my distant ancestors probably manned it!

Although I have lived in East Anglia for most of my life, I still feel my spiritual home is in South Devon.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolt_Tail .

zBitx

This radio represents incredible value for money. It is available ready built from India. Even if you add duty and VAT it is still remarkable value.

Satellites

 Years back I recall receiving North Americans via Oscar 6 and 7 late at night when the passes were favourable, tracking the passes with a hand made device that showed the passes and what I might expect to hear. Usually the passes were brief of about 10 minutes.

Apparently Oscar 7 is still working after all this time.

OFCOM's 3 year plan

Perhaps I am getting even more grumpy in my old age! OFCOM has published its 3 year plan and I am not impressed. To me it is full of "motherhood" statements: the sort of thing you would expect to see in a quango trying hard to justify its existence. 

Bring back the GPO with adults.

10m QRP FT8 (Friday)

My IC-705 at 6W was turned on at about 0925z.

UPDATE 1541z:  93 spots of me. 

UPDATE 1940z:  Spotted by 164 stations. See map.

Friday plans

Today I think I’m going to be on 10m QRP FT8.

Old bakery - NOT amateur radio

This property in a nearby village has been empty for some years. A long time ago it was a bakery. If sensitively restored it would make a fine home. Not much seems to be happening.

Sunspots - Friday March 28th

 Solar flux is 153 and the SSN 72. A=33 and K=3.

Thatched cottages - NOT amateur radio

 

As mentioned, we did a walk around Lode. It has no shortage of "chocolate box" thatched cottages.

Lode walk - NOT amateur radio

For the first time this year, I did not need to wear a coat. 

We went for a walk around the nearby village of Lode, with plenty of thatched cottages and daffodils.

Rally this Sunday

 The following has been notified to me. I always advise being sure of the details before travelling far.

• Sunday March 30th - Pencoed and District ARC Rally, Sam Bridgend, CF32 9NY. Contact Iewan Jones 07791 709691.

6m 6W FT8 (Thursday)

My IC-705 at 6W to the vertical omni V2000 antenna was turned on shortly after 1000z.

UPDATE 2214z: 41 stations including two Germans, one Portuguese and one Swede have spotted me. QRT.

10m 500mW WSPR (Thursday)

My stand-alone QRP 10m WSPR beacon was turned on at about 1000z.

UPDATE 2210z: Just spots by EA8BFK (2880km) and TA4/G8SCU (3010km) today. Nothing from the USA. QRT.

River Cam yesterday - NOT amateur radio

 This was the River Cam in Cambridge yesterday.

Thursday plans

 Probably 10m QRP WSPR and 6m QRP FT8.

Pussy footing? - NOT amateur radio

It would seem that politicians in the UK are doing everything possible not to offend President Trump. Perhaps he will, at a whim, increase tariffs. 

Yes, the world order has changed and Europe should never again depend on the USA as a backstop. 

However, Europeans are not fools or freeloaders.

Sepura portables - NOT amateur radio

For almost 17 years now I have been retired.  Work seems a very long time in the past. In my professional life I was a project manager at Sepura involved in the design of TETRA portables, widely used in public safety.

It would appear many generations of products have been designed and sold since I left. For example the SC20 portable has sold 500000 units.

See https://sepura.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/0064_0622_V18-SC20-brochure_ONLINE.pdf .

Sunspots - Thursday March 27th

 Solar flux is 152 and the SSN 63. A=46 and K=4.

Goshawks - NOT amateur radio

My son rang up from his car to say he was very excited having seen a goshawk from the car in Thetford Forest.  

These are very rare, so he was very lucky to see one.

See  https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/goshawk .

Spring here? - NOT amateur radio

After what has seemed like a long, cold, dull winter, today feels warm and sunny. Certainly there were lots of spring flowers out in Cambridge.

10m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

At about 1546z, I decided to stop my WSPR beacon and turn on the IC-705 at 6W FT8.

UPDATE 2034z:  Spotted by 339 stations with the furthermost YE4LWU (11246km) in Indonesia. See map. QRT now.

Slow decline? - NOT amateur radio

 As far as I am aware there is nothing wrong with me, apart from the after-effects of my 2013 stroke.

However, I am now in my mid-70s and starting to feel old. Every step I take I am careful not to fall, I can no longer run, sex used to interest me, but no longer does, my energy levels seem to be declining and I am hopeless at remembering the names of people! Things seem to have gone downhill in the last 24 months.

I fail to see how someone old like me would want to be president of the USA!!

The approach to King’s College, Cambridge , UK - NOT amateur radio

 

This was the path up to King’s this morning.

10m 500mW WSPR (Wednesday)

 My beacon was turned on at about 0745z. EA8BFK (2880km) has already spotted me 11 times at 0850z.

UPDATE 1530z: 6 stations have spotted me. See table.

Swallows returning - NOT amateur radio

To me, spring is traditionally heralded by the return of migratory swallows from southern Africa.  

Here we see far fewer than we used to although swift numbers seem to be holding up, despite there being fewer natural nest sites. We don't usually see swifts here in East Anglia until May. Often you can hear screaming feeding parties and then look up and see them.

Apparently some swallows have already been spotted in Devon. 

There was a December record in South Devon, so this one may have attempted to over-winter. I don't know if it survived. With climate change and milder winters some might attempt it and survive.

See https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/swallow .

Sunspots - Wednesday March 26th

 Solar flux is 156 and the SSN 58. A=15 and K=4.

10m as the sunspot count declines

It is probably the case that I am rare in quite looking forward to the quieter solar years when propagation on 10m becomes more difficult. 

At the moment a few watts of 10m FT8 seems to get all over the planet. It is quite easy at the moment. 

At sunspot minimum it will be far harder, but it will be interesting to see how 10m FT8 QRP behaves then. It is my view that as long as monitors continue to look at 10m FT8 we will find paths open far more than we thought. 

As I have said many times before, people move to lower bands as it is easier. Sticking with 10m we will be doing real research. It would not surprise me to see N-S paths possible right at sunspot minimum with FT8.

Direct to smartphones from space? - NOT amateur radio

OFCOM is to permit satellites to communicate directly to smartphones if the terrestrial links are poor. I have no idea how feasible this is as traditional satellite phones needed big antennas. 

Perhaps OFCOM is doing this "just in case" it becomes feasible in the future?

MUF

The Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) is a good guide to the highest frequency to use on a given path. This map, although not always correct, is a useful guide.

See https://prop.kc2g.com/ .

Tower of London - NOT amateur radio

At the weekend we treated our daughter-in-law and her children to a trip around the Tower of London. She thoroughly enjoyed it and wants to go again! 

It has an important part in English history and dates back about 1000 years.

Breakfast - NOT amateur radio

 😂

A friend recently stayed at a hotel and was overwhelmed by the size of the breakfast. 

I have fry-ups 3 times a week, but not like this!

If faced with this, I would make a good try 😋 . 

10m 6W FT8 (Tuesday)

My IC-705 at 6W was turned on just before breakfast on FT8.

UPDATE 2000z: 844 stations have spotted my 6W 10m FT8 today with the furthermost Antarctica. See map for spots.

Sunspots - Tuesday March 25th

 Solar flux is 156 and the SSN 85.  A=19 and K=3.

Quiet village lane - NOT amateur radio

 

This is a quiet lane in our village. With blossom and daffodils there are plenty of signs of spring.

Covid-19: lab leak accident? - NOT amateur radio

Five years after the whole world suffered the effects of Covid-19, there are still debates over its origins. 

Increasingly it appears this was an accidental lab-leak in China. People do not want to say this in case it offends China. In truth, we can never be sure.

UPDATE 2110z:  This really does look like an accident.  They may have been working on a bio weapon, but the virus that escaped (if indeed it did) was not the strongest that could have been created.

Yaesu FTX-1F latest news

Basically, as far as I can tell there is none, at least available to Jo Public. 

No doubt dealers have been told the selling price and any features. There is a video bemoaning the fact that "early 2025" looks more like the end of June.....or never.

Signs of spring - NOT amateur radio

 

There are definite signs of spring in our village. 

All the snowdrops have been replaced with yellow daffodils.

10m QRP FT8 (Monday)

I went on 10m QRP FT8 with my IC-705 at 6W at about 0650z.

UPDATE 1405z:  290 stations have spotted my 10m FT8 QRP. See map.

UPDATE 1413z: Just for fun I have reduced my IC-705 to 500mW FT8.  It will be interesting to see how this goes.

UPDATE  1502z: Already 37 spots of my 500mW 10m FT8 with the furthermost N4LR (7277km).

Stations spotting my
500mW 10m FT8

UPDATE 1817z: 104 stations have spotted my 10m 500mW FT8. Furthermost is HK4R (8498km). See map.

Sunspots - Monday March 24th

 Solar flux is 168 and the SSN 110. A=10 and K=3.

Intelligent life in outer space - NOT amateur radio

One of the points which I picked up from my recent University of the Third Age course in Cambridge was about the advances in AI. 

Within a few years AI is likely to exceed the intelligence of human beings. When we scan the skies for intelligent life elsewhere we may come across civilisations (e.g. via SETI) that may not be sentient. 

What is consciousness? I think it is beings that are self-aware.  Although vast computers may have vast amounts of knowledge, this is not the same as self-awareness and consciousness. 

I can imagine some planets even slightly more advanced than ours which have AI far more advanced than ours.

Interesting viewpoint - NOT amateur radio

This was an interesting direction to view Tower Bridge in London. 

On the right of the photo you can see part of the Tower of London.

6m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

My IC-705 at 6W to the vertical omni V2000 antenna was turned on mid-morning. 

18 British Isles stations have spotted me so far. 

UPDATE 2155z: 24 stations have spotted me today on 6m FT8. This includes some in mainland Europe. See map of stations spotting me up to teatime.  QRT soon.

10m 500mW WSPR (Sunday)

My beacon was turned on after breakfast. Three stations spotting me.

UPDATE 2150z:   15 spots of me today. QRT shortly.

New life - NOT amateur radio

After what has seemed a long, dull winter there are signs of spring and new life. There are lots of daffodils, nest building and fresh green leaves appearing,

2m QRP FT8

 

Yesterday late I decided to go on 2m QRP FT8. I was on the vertical V2000 omni antenna. Quite amazing.

Sunspots - Sunday March 23rd

 Solar flux is 178 and the SSN 177. A=33 and K=1.

Salcombe, Devon, UK - NOT amaeur radio

In my early childhood, I lived by the sea in Salcombe, Devon. A look on YouTube had loads of videos of the town. 

It is now a rich man's playground with many second homes. In my day, although we had plenty of tourists, it was still a town for locals.

AI lectures - NOT amateur radio

On Friday, I finished a 10 week course at the Cambridge University of the Third Age about AI. It was an excellent course and got me thinking.  It is generally known that AI will well exceed humans in the next few years. 

This morning I watched an AI generated video imagining life in late Victorian times. If I had not known it was AI generated, I would never have known. It was amazingly good. This is just one of the negatives of AI. It is already hard to tell what is fake and what is real. Imagine how this will be in just 10 years' time!

In many ways AI will benefit mankind. It is also very dangerous in the wrong hands. I imagine that the military in the USA, China and Russia are already working hard to counter each other. I imagine they are all working on the idea of mutually assured destruction (MAD) remembering what ever you can do to me I can do to you. It is like nuclear weapons.

Am I in favour of AI?  It is here and we have to live with it whether malign or benign.

Sunspots - Saturday March 22nd

 Solar flux is 165 and the SSN 178. A=25 and K=5.

Ad-(non)sense - NOT amateur radio

As part of running this blog I get stats on visitor numbers from Google Adsense. Basically this is rubbish!  Sometimes visit numbers are high, whereas other times I am supposed to get very few visits. It is best ignored.

WSJT-X 2.7

This happened about a month ago, but I have only just noticed! WSJT-X is now at general release 2.7.  WSJT-X has many of the common digital modes and may be downloaded for free.

See https://wsjt.sourceforge.io/wsjtx.html 

6m QRP FT8 (Friday)

 My IC-705 was turned on at 6W just before 0800z.  At 0920z spotted by 9 stations in the UK and Eire.

UPDATE 2112z:  18 stations have spotted me. No continental Europe and no exotic DX. In fact, a pretty lousy day. QRT.

10m QRP WSPR (Friday)

My 500mW beacon was turned on at 0754z. 3 stations spotting me at 0938z.

UPDATE 2110z:  Spotted by 30 stations. Spots from the USA started just before 1200z. QRT

Friday plans

10m QRP WSPR and 6m QRP FT8 seem appropriate like yesterday.

Quasheng video

This handheld dual band transceiver is available at a bargain price. It may be modified to receive on a wide range and in many modes.

Grass cutting - NOT amateur radio

 

Yesterday definitely felt springlike, so I cut the rear lawn.  We enjoyed our first cup of tea outside.

Sunspots - Friday March 21st

 Solar flux is 170 and the SSN 191. A=6 and K=3.

Rallies this weekend

 You can tell it is spring as I am being notified of several rallies. All these are on Sunday March 23rd. As usual, it is always advisable to check details before going far.

• Biggleswade Swapmeet (BVWS), Biggleswade, SG18 8JH. Contact secretary@bvws.org.uk
• Callington Radio and Electronice Rally,  Callington, PL17 7BD.  Contact alastair.kerr@btinternet.com
• Dover Amateur Radio Club 2025 Rally, Dover, CT17 0HL. See darc.online/rally

6m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

 My IC-705 at 6W was turned on at about 0900z. So far, 7 stations have spotted me, all UK.

UPDATE 1200z:  21 stations have spotted my QRP. 

UPDATE 1600z:  41 stations have spotted me today on 6m FT8 QRP.  See map.

10m QRP WSPR (Thursday)

My 500mW stand-alone beacon was turned on about 0900z.  So far 9 spots by EA8BFK (2880km).

UPDATE 1629z: 23 stations have spotted me. No North American spots, suggesting 8m and 6m would be very unlikely.

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.

10m 500mW WSPR (Tuesday)

 My little QRP W5OLF beacon was turned on at 0900z.   No spots yet.

UPDATE 1005z: 4 spots of me by TA4SCU (3010km).

UPDATE 1743z:  Spotted by 26 stations today. See table.

6m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

My IC-705 at 6W was turned on at 0900z.  

UPDATE 1009z:  9 stations including 1 in Portugal have spotted me.

Tuesday plans

 Shortly I expect to go on 10m QRP WSPR and 6m QRP FT8.

PSKreporter alternatives?

Occasionally, it would appear PSKreporter is unable to work. I am wondering if there is an alternative?

Sunspots - Tuesday March 18th

Solar  flux is 204 and the SSN 189. A=16 and K=3..

Free speech? - NOT amateur radio

It would seem the administration of President Trump has deported a Palestinian man called Mahmoud Kahlil because of his pro-Palestine activity. Now, I do not know the full facts, but this seems to fly in the face of a country where free speech is meant to be important.

6m QRP FT8 (Monday)

 As 10m was so good, I QSYed to 6m with my 6W FT8.

UPDATE 1457z:  So far, just 4 English spots of me.

Magpies - NOT amateur radio

 

For nearly 40 years I travelled about 10 miles into Cambridge for work. 

In all that time I never saw a magpie. 

Now they’re very common. I believe they raid birds nests to eat chicks or eggs.

8m experiments

In many ways I am extremely disappointed with the RSGB, OFCOM and the FCC for the very negative attitude to real propagation research at 8m. 

My experiment (which I had to pay for!) was to see what would be possible with really low ERP. With Es we know all of Europe would be in range, but around sunspot maximum the MUF might reach 8m, but not 6m.

What we have been dealt is a wall of reasons why radio amateurs cannot have even a very tiny 8m allocation.

I give up!!

Collective memory - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday I mentioned that we had been re-watching "Quatermass and the Pit", which was first shown as a TV series on BBC TV in 1957. Some programmes look very dated, but this did not.

One of the themes explored was of racial memory, deep within us. This got me thinking.

Just as a bird knows how to migrate or build a nest, what do we have as humans deep within us? What unknown features do we possess that we are totally unaware about? Do we all have an evil streak deep within us, perhaps triggered by something? Maybe it is something else, more benign, that somehow binds all humanity?

The truth is we are aware of so little about ourselves. Maybe over time we will learn more about ourselves. Really we know so little.

10m QRP FT8 (Monday)

My IC-705 was turned on at 6W at about 0715z on 10m FT8.

UPDATE 1050z:  137 stations have spotted me with the furthermost India and the Seychelles. On RX 275 stations were spotted with the furthermost Indonesia. 

UPDATE 1452z:  410 spots of my QRP today and 755 stations spotted here on 10m FT8. The map shows the stations spotting me.

Nature reserve this weekend - NOT amateur radio

This was Kingfisher Bridge nature reserve, near Ely UK, this weekend. 

As well as many birds (including marsh harriers) we saw Konik ponies (used to keep the grass short) plus water buffalo and daffodils with Ely Cathedral on the horizon.

EI7GL blog

A reminder that one of the best amateur radio blogs I have come across is the one by John Desmond EI7GL.   Whenever I look it is a goldmine of information.

See https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/ .

Time synchronisation

All this with Windows 10. I have no idea what happens in Windows 11.

For years I used an internet time service to ensure my PC time was accurate. A few months ago Steve G1KQH pointed out that internet time sync is built in to Windows 10 and I assume Windows 11. 

Just right click on the date and time in the bottom right of your screen. Choose "adjust date/time" from the menu that appears. 

A box appears and select "sync now". When the tick appears you know your PC is synced to internet time. 

I am not sure how long this syncs for, but on my PC I have had absolutely no issues for a whole day at all using modes in WSJT-X making additional programs for time sync unnecessary. 

Although I am unsure how often you should re-sync, I do this whenever I turn on my PC i.e once a day.

Sunspots - Monday March 17th

 Solar flux is 186 and the SSN 185.  A=10 and K=3.

Quatermass and the Pit - NOT amateur radio

When this was first broadcast as a series on BBC TV in 1957, I recall being terrified. 

It was produced as a DVD and we are watching it again. 

It still is pretty good even now. It raises the possibility of a racial memory that is deeply buried within us all, perhaps for millions of years.

Best SDR transeivers

This is a Chinese video (I think) promoting Chinese SDR transceivers. Many (including me) are still a bit concerned about Chinese quality and reliability in amateur radio products.

They have definitely "got there" in many consumer products with most goods bought these days having a "Made in China" label. We are addicted to low costs with labour costs in China (at the moment) much lower than in Europe or the USA.

When it comes to SDR transceivers, the Chinese offerings are much lower cost than the Japanese offerings. In the future this is the competition. 

As labour costs in China go up, I can see people scanning the world to see where labour costs are lower, or adopting more automation to compete.

6m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

 My IC-705 at 6W  has been on since breakfast.  11 spots (G, and GW) so far at 1036z.

UPDATE 1632z:  18 stations spotting me.  All G and GW.

10m 500mW WSPR (Sunday)

 My beacon has been on since breakfast. Plenty of European spots of me. 

UPDATE 2113z:  42 stations have spotted me with the furthermost Brazil.

Sunspots - Sunday March 16th

 Solar flux is 178 and the SSN 187. A=18 and K=3.

The (UK) Times newspaper - NOT amateur radio

One of the many sources from which I get news is The Times, which is a UK newspaper, also available online. I also listen to Times Radio.

This weekend you can download or share anything on their site.

See https://www.thetimes.com/

Konik ponies - NOT amateur radio

These were at Kingfisher Bridge nature reserve near Ely UK as well as water buffalo. They’re wild ponies used to keep the grass short.

Ut I Vorid - NOT amateur radio

Many years ago when we were on holiday in Iceland we went, by chance, to a concert in a small church in northern Iceland and heard some of the best singing we have ever heard. 

It was a singing group called Ut I Vorid. I have just chanced upon them on YouTube. I have no idea if they still exist. We have several of their CDs.

10m 500mW WSPR (Saturday)

 My QRP WSPR beacon was turned on about 1016z. No spots of me yet.

UPDATE 1052z:  10 spots of me by EA8BFK (2880km). 

UPDATE 1515z:  Spotted by 24 stations. See table.