10m antenna

For 10m I use an EFHW at about 3m off the ground. It also has a low SWR on 17m , 15m, and 12m. 

It seems to work well.

You do NOT need big towers, high power or beams.

10m 200mW WSPR (Saturday)

 My beacon was turned on early this morning.

UPDATE 1550z: Spotted by 23 stations. Good Es.  Best is a spot from Israel.

Remote Scottish Islands

For some reason, remote islands have always fascinated me. This video describes 8 remote Scottish islands. 

Roswell - 1947

Call me a born skeptic, but I do not believe many of the sightings of UFOs are evidence of alien life. 

There have been many theories about what happened at Roswell, USA in the summer of 1947. Many conspiracy theories have emerged. This video may just be another.

What I do think is that there is very likely to be some form of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe, although I am surprised that in over 60 years of looking (via SETI) we have found no evidence.

Ely for coffee

This morning we went to Ely. We had brunch in a cafe overlooking Ely Cathedral.

The photo shows the walk up to the cathedral.

10m 200mW WSPR yesterday

In all,  32 stations spotted me with 30 from the Canary Islands.

Sunspots - Saturday August 8th

 Solar flux is 97 and the SSN 72.  A=4 and K=0.

Neighbourhood Watch

In the UK we have a number of neighbourhood watch groups. 

Basically a community co-ordinator is told about any suspicious activity in the area and he circulates the information to neighbours. We have a good set of neighbours.

We had an informal gathering earlier this week.

10m 200mW WSPR (Friday)

My beacon was turned on at 0613z.

UPDATE 1533z:  So far, spotted by 47 European stations.

Sunspots - Friday August 7th

 Solar flux is 101 and the SSN 71. A=3 and K=0.

Used amateur radio gear

This video is produced from a USA perspective, but is probably universally true. 

Several factors have combined and this affecting used gear prices and this disrupts the whole amateur radio economy. 

In the USA licence numbers are up and attendance at major amateur radio gatherings is at an all-time high.

In my view the amateur radio hobby will be very different within 20 years.

Market Stalls

Every Wednesday, there are a few market stalls at our local garden centre. The stalls sell fish, vegetables and cheese. Everything is very fresh.

Have they gone?

Swifts (birds) come to the UK to breed for a few months before flying south to Africa . 

During June and July they scream about the sky. Then you notice they have flown and the skies are quiet.

There may be a few stragglers, but most have gone until next May as they have been doing for thousands of years. Humbling.

10m 200mW WSPR (Thursday)

My beacon was turned at about 0825z.

UPDATE 1808z: 31 stations have spotted me, all in Europe.

Origins

It is probably true that if an Englishman goes back far enough he or she is related to royalty. 

I can trace my dad's side without a break to the mid 1500s in a few parishes in South Devon including the one in the photo, Hope Cove, which was a small fishing village.

If you go back to the mid 1500s  you have to have had about 8000 people for you to be here. If you go back another 500 years you would probably have had to have more than the entire population of England at that time!

Sunspots - Thursday August 6th

 Solar flux is 108 and the SSN 86. A=3 and K=1.

Time and memory

As far as I am aware I am not senile, just getting old!

These are the things that affect me:

• Time seems to go faster.
• I forget names of people.
• I get more tired faster.  
• Physical things seem harder.

As my mother-in-law said "don't get old".

10m 200mW WSPR TX (Wednesday)

My beacon was turned on at about 0645z.

UPDATE 1353z: Spotted by 19 stations in Europe.

Trump and Iran

 Yet again, Iran and President Trump are centre stage.  To a casual observer, things are worse.

I seem to recall President Trump claiming he could stop the war in Ukraine in 24 hours? Hmm.

Xiegu G7250 - more photos

China is coming up fast in the amateur radio market. There is a lot of interest in the new Xiegu G7250 transceiver.