Overnight on 472kHz WSPR

Overnight 10 different stations were spotted and 3 stations spotted my 10mW ERP. At the moment I am not active on the air.

Going backwards? - NOT amateur radio

Green Thumb are supposed look after our lawns. This year, it has been a dry summer, but every lawn we have seen in our village seems to have recovered except ours!

I wrote to Green Thumb 9 days ago. They endeavour to reply, so their computer generated reply says, within 72 hours. So far, I have had no response, so I have written again with yet more pictures. Of course, their computer replied almost instantly again to say how important we are!! Rubbish.

It is not just Green Thumb. We used to be able to ring our local bank. Now you get a call centre in India. Same with the Post Office on-line, insurances etc. It feels like no-one cares any more.

At one time letters were delivered twice a day. Sometimes, you got a letter in cities the same day you posted it.

In many ways we seem to be moving backwards.

UPDATE 2002z: Still no response from Green Thumb.

Sunspots - Thursday October 4th 2018

Solar flux is 67 today and the SSN 12. A=6 and K=0.

PR gone mad? - NOT amateur radio

Apparently one university (Manchester) has banned clapping as it can cause distress to some people. Whilst I understand this at one level, I think we are all getting a little stupid.

What next? Ban all cars because some people don't like them? Ban planes as some get frightened in them? In my view, this is PR gone mad.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-45729031

MF WSPR again

Rather earlier than previous evenings, I have QSYed to 630m WSPR (10mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground). G1GKN (54km) was spotted. I am pretty sure this is a new station, certainly this season. G4KPX (14km) has been quite active and widely received, yet I have still not spotted him! Even if my antenna was very directional, I am surprised not to have spotted him at all.

Sputnik Days

This came in from Oleg RX3G:

Reminder, tomorrow Oct 4 "Sputnik" QRPp Activity Days still begin.
Keep your ears open for Sputnik's "beep-beep-beep" and Vanguard's "V V
V..."  before  Oct  17.  See  detailed  rules  on  the Club 72 page -
club72.su  -  "Sputnik  Days"  in  menu.  Also you can see last years
results with a lot of pictures. See you on "orbit"!

72! Oleg "Mr. 72" RX3G
Duty operator of the Deep Space Communication Center :-)

Some years ago, G6ALB built a QRP 15m CW TX using old Sputnik valves. Our first CQ call resulted in a stateside QSO.  Great fun.

Bad back - NOT amateur radio

This occasionally happens, but things usually get back to normal in a few days. For the last day I have been in agony at times when moving as I must have strained a back muscle.  Taking Paracetamol seemed to do nothing, but 1 ibuprofen seems to have done the trick. I shall take more later. I have no idea how this happened.

10m FT8

Yet again, I have returned to 10m FT8. I have only been on for a few minutes, but already I have spotted OK1AVV (1029km).

UPDATE 1537z: 3 stations in 3 countries spotted so far on 10m FT8 RX. All EU.

UPDATE 1648z: First South American spotted. PU5WMA (10042km) spotted at 1543z. For 3 days in a row I have copied South America on 10m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1730z: LU5HA (11096km) spotted on 10m FT8 RX. 10m dead?

UPDATE 1838z: No more South American spots. I shall stay on a bit longer, but think that is it for this evening.

Conservative Party Conference - NOT amateur radio

For those readers on Mars or outside the UK, the Conservative Party is the party in government, supported by a Northern Ireland party, to give a slim majority. It is led by Theresa May who is Prime Minister.

At the moment the Conservative Party Conference is drawing to a close and Theresa May is due to speak. By the time you read, or skip, this she may have spoken. Her speech last year was a PR disaster with a bad cough and signs falling off the wall behind her.

She could also face a leadership challenge. It is not an enviable position with many in her own party against her over BREXIT. The trouble is who would replace her? We have plenty of people keen, but no-one that stands out as a great leader.  All the people "in the wings" come over as weasels - career politicians with them as their main focus, not the good of the UK.

If there was a General Election it is quite possible Labour, led by Jeremy Corbyn, would be elected on a very left wing ticket. Personally, I am more centralist and wish centralists on all sides would try to form a new party

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-45725615

UPDATE 1320z: It happened and passed off without a hitch. Bet she was pleased!

MF WSPR last night

Last night I was on 472kHz WSPR again with 10mW ERP and the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground.

An average night with a new station (at least for this season) spotting me. GM4OAS (653km) and 3 others spotted me. On RX 7 different stations with the best DX again being LA8AV(1035km).