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Some years ago I wrote an article in SPRAT and a follow up article last year. To my surprise it was awarded a prize!
28 Feb 2026
Sixbox transceiver
Some years ago I wrote an article in SPRAT and a follow up article last year. To my surprise it was awarded a prize!
Sibling reunions
Her elder brother sadly died, so we created this photo for her remaining brother who will be here in a few weeks.
Russian Rouble
It looks like the Russian Rouble could fall heavily this year as Russian oil sales fall .
With the war against Iran by the USA and Israel, we could be in for a rough ride in the world in the months ahead. Maybe this will help Russia?
DXpedition
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As mentioned before, chasing DX is no longer important to me, whereas to others it may be.
Lightbeam experiments (2012)
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In 2012 I was trying to receive G4HJW’s 481THz (red light) signal over the horizon. It was very strong.
10m 2.5W FT8 (Saturday)
My gear was turned on at 0803z RX only.
UPDATE 0900z: 187 stations have been spotted.
UPDATE 1019z: 434 stations spotted here on 10m FT8 RX.
UPDATE 1443z: 1167 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX. See map by Phil VK7JJ.
UPDATE 1950z: So far, 1851 stations have been spotted here.Conditions seem very good today.
27 Feb 2026
Hungry squirrel
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This was yesterday. This squirrel was more interested in the chips in the bin than in me!
Russian losses in the war with Ukraine
This war has been going on now for 4 long years and is now entering the 5th with no clear end in sight. It would seem President Putin is trying recreate the USSR and does not see Ukraine as a legitimate state. He has shown no willingness to stop the fighting.
10m 2.5W FT8 (Friday)
UPDATE 1203z: After a brief session on FT8 TX, I am 10m FT8 RX only. 102 stations spotted so far. See map.
UPDATE 1337z: 167 spots on FT8 RX.
UPDATE 1944z: 988 stations spotted with the best Hawaii.
26 Feb 2026
The USA and Iran
Things are moving very fast. I am sure President Trump would like regime change in Tehran, but at the same time does not want "forever" wars with no clear end. With the mid-term elections coming up, if he was to get embroiled in a war with Iran this might be really bad for his prospects.
10m 2.5W FT8 (Thursday)
My gear has been on since lunch. The impression I get is there is far more FT8 activity than WSPR on 10m.
UPDATE 2026z: 563 stations spotted on RX from all corners of the planet. During the brief TX periods my signal has been spotted by 15 stations. The map shows the stations spotted on RX here.
Free Project Scrapbook PDF
Over the years this hobby has given me lots of fun and I hope you get as much fun as I did. Thankfully we all get fun in different ways.
It is well overdue for an update!
Amaryllis
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In all, they probably provide about 4 months of fun. Now they are almost over for this season. Those that remain are top-heavy and easily topple over. Still, spring on Sunday!
Notice the windmill behind.
10m 200mW WSPR TX (Thursday)
My beacon was turned on at about 0915z. Later, I might give 10m 2.5W FT8 a try.
UPDATE 0925z: No spots yet.
25 Feb 2026
The light
I think it is the light you notice most. Also the birds sing to establish territory and to find a mate.
These next few months are my favourite ones. The world has new hope and new starts as it has done for millions of years.
Later in the spring I look out for returning, screaming, swifts after their long flights back from Africa.
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State of the Union
Whatever views you hold, President Trump is the leader of the largest and biggest economy in the world.
My personal view is that leaders really need to be "in tune" with their people. I struggle to see how rich billionaires in any country can really understand how the common person feels.
Increasingly the world seems to be run by very rich people. I hope they are all fighting hard for their common citizens.
Antarctica
My 200mW 10m beacon has reached the German research base in Antarctica several times recently. Hopefully their noise floor is low!
10m 200mW WSPR
My beacon was turned on at about 0640z.
Nearly spring
24 Feb 2026
Russia-Ukraine conflict
This has now been going on for 4 years.
No nation is perfect, but I really wish this would end fairly and end soon.
My worry is the USA will just walk away. Clearly Europe is concerned about President Putin's aims beyond Ukraine, for example in the Baltic and Finland. At one time an attack on one NATO nation was the same as an attack on all NATO members and was a strong deterrent. Would the USA join?
The Ukrainian people have put up a stalwart defence.
How?
I know things are more integrated but both Aliexpress and the manufacturer make profits!
The future
It appears that the USA is moving towards an economic model in which they become self-sufficient in their hemisphere or (ideally) within their own borders. At a pinch the EU could do this and Russia. In the case of China I am less sure.
I think the "big" players are getting nervous of long supply chains.
The UK is very vulnerable. It is very dependent on long supply chains for most things. As long as international trade works the UK is OK. If this is disrupted the UK is in deep trouble.
Forty-9er transceiver
This was a design for a tiny QRP CW transceiver for 40m CW. This short video shows the radio with a digital display, which was non-standard.
See https://www.norcalqrp.org/files/49erOrigMnl.pdf
Kits are still available.
Christ's College, Cambridge, UK
Today the scaffolding had been taken down, so I took this photo.
We see this several times every week for free. Others travel across the planet to see some of these sites.
10m 200mW WSPR TX (Tuesday)
My beacon was turned on at breakfast.
UPDATE 1636z: So far, 40 spots. See table.
UPDATE 1922z: Spotted by 43 stations today with the best AE5AU (7209km) who has spotted me 11 times! Now QRT. Map by Phil VK7JJ.
23 Feb 2026
Heathkit
In the late 1960s Heathkit made some great radios. Take, for example, the SB101.
Then the Japanese started making transceivers that meant there was little difference in making a kit. Most bought a ready made transceiver instead.
“Lord of the flies “ TV series
This famous book by William Golding is being serialised by the BBC. It tells the tale of children isolated on a remote Pacific island following a plane crash. They revert to savages and hunt for food.
Much of western civilisation depends on inter-connected trade these days. It would take very little for western civilisation to collapse and us having to return to savagery . There’s a message here.
See https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002qk4w/lord-of-the-flies
Bouvet Island DXpedition
For many years I have not actively chased DX. We are all different thankfully, so this might be important to you. I think this was delayed.
British politics
In case you are puzzled by the British political system, this diagram may help. I found it earlier.
10m 200mW WSPR (Monday)
My beacon was turned on at about 0945z .
UPDATE 1721z: Spotted widely even though the SSN is zero! See table.
22 Feb 2026
More like spring
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The evenings are lighter and the weather today has been mild with some sun.
Xiegu G106
There are quite a few transceivers from China now. I expect we will see more in the years to come. I think the Japanese monopoly on amateur rigs is drawing to a close.
QDX-M on 10m FT8
It has only been used on FT8 but it seems to copy loads (over 1100 stations yesterday).
I run mine via suitably rated diodes in the power lead to ensure I am below 12V when using a 13.8V PSU so I reckon the output is about 2.5W.
At this power it has been spotted in the USA multiple times, although sometimes you get clobbered by a QRO station. Unlike my WSPR beacon it does not change frequency randomly between TX bursts.
It is very small and probably is smaller than a pack of cards. If, like me, you have a poor voice, it is ideal. I think the 10m version also covers 12m and the 11m CB bands, although I have not explored these.
10m 2.5W FT8 (Sunday)
UPDATE 2025z: 373 stations spotted on RX. 10 spots on TX. Now QRT.
See map of stations received today on 10m FT8. Even though there are stations from all over the world, I think conditions were better yesterday.
21 Feb 2026
Is there a world outside of ourselves?
We (I think!) experience the universe as if we are just a small part of it, yet when we die all our senses (I think!) die with us. This raises a philosophical question about "is what I perceive the same as you?".
Does anyone know of anything that proves the universe exists beyond ourselves? This question has been asked here before. Perhaps it is a tautology and impossible to prove.
As an aside, when I was at university a fellow student was set an essay question:
"Are all truth functional schemas primarily analytic?"
I did not understand the question then and am still no wiser!
10m 2.5W FT8 (Saturday)
My gear was turned on at about 0715z. At the moment TX is enabled.
UPDATE 1029z: 2 English stations have spotted me and I have spotted 97 stations on RX with the best ZS2DL (9836km). Just on 10m FT8 RX for the last hour.
UPDATE 1952z: 1105 stations spotted here on RX today on 10m FT8 RX. See map. QRT soon.
Near Islands
Apparently, they are part of the Aleutian Islands off Alaska and they belong to the USA.
They are in the Baring Strait dividing Russia and the USA by just a few miles.
They came up when I was wondering why the International Date Line was not straight!
What is gravity?
For years, scientists have been trying to understand gravity. Both Newtonian and quantum theory appear to give different answers. There's a New Scientist video that tries to explain this puzzle.
I think it's true to say we really understand very little about things.
20 Feb 2026
US Supreme Court overrules Trump on tariffs
The US Supreme Court has overruled President Trump 6-3 on tariffs.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
In the last few days, we have faced a constitutional crisis in the UK like never seen in 350 years. Times Radio has a video about it. It brings to the fore wealth and privilege. Our monarchy has some benefits for the country, but it lacks transparency.
10m 200mW WSPR TX (Friday)
My beacon was turned on at about 1515z.
UPDATE 1612z: Spotted by 18 stations so far.
UPDATE 1953z: Spotted by 31 stations with 2 in Brazil. Now QRT.
The evolution of computers
In my lifetime computers have come a very long way. No doubt the next evolution will be quantum computers.
Also far higher memory capacities are likely. I can imagine people in 30 years' time being amazed we managed with just 10TB hard drives. It would not surprise me if someone, somewhere, makes a tiny memory that has the capacity of the human brain.
Radioless All Star node
If you want to connect into All Star, you can connect without a radio transceiver using this device which is about £150. There is a Tech Minds video about this. I think All Star allows you to connect to repeaters across the world, although I have never used this.
10m 2.5W FT8 (Friday)
Later, I hope to go on 10m 2.5W FT8. Although I shall mostly be on RX, I shall go on TX from time to time.
UPDATE 1615z: On 1100 stations spotted on RX (see map), and 58 stations have spotted me. The map shows the stations received here. Now on WSPR TX on 10m at 200mW.
FT2 digital mode
I believe this is a new experimental digital mode that is a good deal faster than FT8. Being faster means QSOs can be completed far more quickly than FT8, although it is about 8dB S/N worse than FT8 so not as good with really weak signals.
This news came to me via Steve G1KQH.
19 Feb 2026
Over a month early!
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It is hard to convey just how tiny it is, so I have put it next to an A5 sized SPRAT for comparison.
It really is incredibly small and at less than £20 delivered is remarkable value.
It is better than a communications receiver of 50 years ago with more features, modes and bands.
10m 200mW WSPR (Thursday)
At about 1300z my little WSPR beacon was turned on.
UPDATE 1312z: Several spots of me already from the USA.
10m 200mW WSPR (Wednesday)
My beacon was turned on at 1000z.
UPDATE 1010z: Yesterday was good with a couple of spots of me in Antarctica as well as lots of other spots of my 200mW.
18 Feb 2026
10m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)
My gear was turned on at breakfast. With a 12V supply it produces 3.4W so with my diodes in the supply line I think (at most ) my output is 2.5W FT8 on 10m. Today I am mostly on RX.
UPDATE 0950z: Spotted by 36 stations on TX and I have spotted 390 stations here on RX with the best ZL1HD (18360km). There seems to be far more activity on FT8 than WSPR on 10m.
Frightening AI
Just now I watched a 15 second video clip. It shows a fight between Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. Nothing special, except this was entirely created using AI from a 2 second prompt.
I am sure there will be many good things about AI. At the same time AI could be used in the media to, for example, re-create dead people. It could revolutionise movies.... and create a dearth in jobs.
USA back on 8m (and 4m too)
This is not amateur radio so QSOs certainly with radio amateurs in the USA and, probably overseas too, are not permitted. Probably FT8 and WSPR reports are fine.
Remember this is not amateur radio.
I hope the FCC sees fit to issue more.
17 Feb 2026
Spy transceiver
DX Explorer has some truly amazing projects. This tiny transceiver fits in a matchbox.
What gives YOU fun in amateur radio?
One of the great aspects of our hobby is that it may be enjoyed in so many ways. Some just like a chat, some chase DX, some like ATV, etc..
I think interests change as you get older, so now is perhaps time to reflect.
My interest has always been in the experimental side. I have enjoyed experimenting sub-10kHz, but I have also enjoyed testing over the horizon at 481THz. I like QRP.
These days I am less mobile, so try to experiment at home, with FT8 and WSPR modes being my favourites as my voice is poor. In the past I would have dashed in my car to carry out some experiment!
Probably I get as much pleasure from listening as I do transmitting these days. Working DXCC with QRP SSB on 10m 40 years ago has something to do with this! Being retired there is always the next day.
In this hobby there is always something new to try tomorrow!
Red Kite (bird)
Often they are seen beside roads where they feed on roadkill. A long train ride also results in quite a few sightings.
They can easily be recognised by their forked tail. As far as I am aware they are the only large bird in the UK with a forked tail.
10m 3W FT8 (Tuesday)
My gear (10m QDX-M - see picture) was turned on at about 1410z. It is fed via a series of suitably rated diodes to keep well within the 12V power limit. The output without the diodes is about 4W, I suspect I am running around 3W.
UPDATE 2056z: QRT.
Russian economy
The Russian inflation rate is high and going up and the interest rate is high. In theory, this suggests the economy is in trouble. In the short term this has not been a problem in a war economy. The longer time goes by the harder it gets.
10m 200mW WSPR (Tuesday)
My beacon was turned at breakfast time.
UPDATE 1010z: 38 spots by EA8BFK (2880km). The variation in S/N is over 20dB, most of which is probably QSB on the path, but some might be local noise I guess. Some might be QRM from other stations. At time just microwatts would be enough!
16 Feb 2026
UK antenna petition
In the UK planning permission is required for (some?) amateur radio antennas.
I am strongly opposed to this change, which would allow amateurs to erect towers to 15m and 2 antennas with widths up to 8m to be put up without planning permission!
Imagine that in your next door neighbour's garden!
No!!
Personally, I would rather people "self train" with modest antennas and low power.
Thankfully, this is very likely to fail.
King's College Chapel, Cambridge, UK
The picture shows King's College Chapel from 2 different sides.
10m 200mW WSPR (Monday)
My beacon has been on since about 0900z.
UPDATE 0932z: Several spots already by EA8BFK (2880km).
UPDATE 1615z: Spotted by 29 stations so far. 200mW seems quite enough. See table. I must be getting lazy: I just switch on my WSPR beacon (no PC needed) and just monitor where I am received. I was planning to try 10m 5W FT8, but that will now have to wait until tomorrow!
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Mini RX
There is a website worth looking at if you are thinking if getting one.
See https://atsmini.github.io/ .
Someone in Germany has some upgrade software.
Portable antennas with gain
When operating /P in a park, beach or elsewhere it is often possible to erect a temporary antenna that has gain in the direction you are targeting. VK3YE has a video that may give you some ideas.
Online MOT checker
If you have a car in the UK on the road you need a valid MOT for insurance to be valid. The status of an MOT can be checked online.
See https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/VehicleFound?locale=en
I am unsure what the rules are for vintage cars.
Mike Rainey AA1TJ?
When you don't hear about people for a while, you worry.
A few days ago I chanced upon a circuit by AA1TJ and realised I had not heard any news from Mike in a while. Does anyone have any news please?
Like every person from the USA I have ever dealt with he was kind and generous.
UPDATE 1910z: Just had an email from Mike. Great.
15 Feb 2026
10m 5W FT8 (Sunday)
My 10m QRP FT8 was turned on at 1144z.
UPDATE 1149z: So far, spotted by 13 stations.
UPDATE 1252z: Currently 10m FT8 RX only. 249 stations spotted.
UPDATE 1656z: 662 stations spotted here. See map. Seeing this 5W radio (QDX-M) is about the same size as a pack of cards, i.e. tiny, I am very impressed! Actually it is probably smaller than a pack of cards! My antenna is just a low end fed. Now QRT.
Archetypal Cambridge
Yesterday we had all three in one photo ....and blue sky!
IPSOS radio listening survey
In the last week I have been recording the broadcast radio stations that I have listened to as part of an IPSOS survey. Mostly it is BBC Radio 4 around breakfast time.
OFCOM is consulting on the future of radio broadcasting in the UK. According to them AM broadcast listeners have been declining. I am not sure if this is true or as a result of more people listening to traditional broadcasts via smart speakers and DAB. Yours truly is as guilty as the rest!
If traditional AM broadcasts are declining this is a pity as many first came across radio by building simple Medium Wave receivers. My first introduction to amateur radio was hearing some locals on 160m AM. To many, radio was magic whereas nowadays we take it for granted.
70cm activity contest
Because of my poor voice and rubbish set-up (10W and a 2m big-wheel omni antenna) I do not stop on very long.
If I had stopped longer I would have worked far more than the 2 shown on the map. Usually I work over 100km.
Are the days of the major Japanese manufacturers numbered?
Many people in amateur radio get a lot of pleasure from unpacking a new radio for the first time.
Often these new radios come with some new feature that a person "must have". Sometimes older radios are traded in to pay for the new box. In reality, this new feature will not be noticed or rarely used.
Of late, the Chinese, Indians and others have been producing transceivers that are superior at much lower prices. In my view, as the demographic of radio amateurs ages, many of the traditional Japanese manufacturers will think twice or even leave the market.
It would appear that many of these Japanese radios are still using conservative designs. In the past, I think I am right, the Japanese have not been so good on innovation.
Maybe the "big three" are about to get a bloody nose?
Sunshine
This was one of the Cambridge University colleges in the sun.
Longest line of sight paths
This was a link on the Amateur radio Weekly email that came yesterday.
14 Feb 2026
Codetalker from AA1TJ
Looking back at my photos from 2009 I came across this innovative circuit by Mike Rainey AA1TJ. It is a voice powered 80m CW transmitter. Mike has designed some very clever circuits over the years.