Sterling - NOT amateur radio

On the face of it, we are in for a rough time. The UK government was found in contempt of parliament last night and the UK parliament is quite likely to reject the Prime Minister's EU BREXIT deal next Tuesday when this is voted on in the House of Commons.

So what happens? Stirling goes up in value against the Euro!  As I write, it is up 0.48%. Maybe, the UK economy will be OK when we leave the EU or people assume we will walk away unless the deal is a fair one.

Mud - NOT amateur radio

Exactly 6 years ago, I visited my brother in Devon. Although the weather, as I recall, was quite decent, we had some mud!

As they say, "come to sunny Devon where it rains 6 days out of 7".

10m FT8

This morning, I am on 10m FT8 RX, although no spots here so far today.

UPDATE 1047z: Just one spot so far: GW0PLP (329km) in west Wales.

UPDATE 1242z: Abysmal! So far today, just 3 spots, probably aircraft reflections with best DX OH3JQ (1743km).

UPDATE 1406z: Just 5 spots total today on 10m FT8 RX. Best DX is OH5KT (1859km).

UPDATE 1636z: 9 spots in 6 European countries today on 10m FT8 RX. Shortly I shall QSY to 630m (472kHz) WSPR.

160m FT8 RX

Last night there were only 3 North Americans spotted here plus PY1BVY (9321km). I am a little suspicious of this one. He was widely spotted across Europe, including Russia and in North America, but no spots at all of him in South America. Pirate? Of course, this could just reflect activity levels, but you can understand my scepticism.  Again, lots of Europeans spotted on 160m FT8 RX.

Sunspots - Wednesday December 5th 2018

Solar flux is 69 and the SSN still zero. A=10 and K=1.

Beetles - NOT amateur radio

The Zoology Museum in Cambridge has been refurbished and one of the exhibits are these beetles. Some beetles are huge.

2m UKAC activity contest

For those interested, the 2m leg of the RSGB's UKAC activity contest for December is this evening starting at 2000z. It goes on for 2.5 hours, although I usually manage only about an hour.

At 2100z (ish) I expect to return to top-band FT8.

UPDATE 2110z: After about 30 minutes I went QRT.  5 QSOs with best DX G4CLA (105km). As usual, I was running 5W to the big-wheel omni antenna.

160m FT8

Just before tea, I returned to 160m FT8. My 2.5W CQ was spotted by 8 stations with best DX being a spot by DL7BA (844km) in NE Germany. Best DX on 160m RX is RW6PA (3462km) in Chechnya.

As before, I am using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. I have to QSY to 2m SSB between about 2000z and 2100z for the 2m UKAC activity contest. Apart from that, I expect to monitor 160m FT8 until breakfast. Normally I start to spot North Americans after 2100z.

UPDATE 2222z: Although loads of Europeans again on 160m FT8, nothing yet from North America tonight.

Shopping - NOT amateur radio

Every other week, we tend to shop at Tesco in Newmarket. We try to buy UK goods, where possible, to save on airmiles.  For in-between shopping, we use our local co-op which is owned by us, its shareholders. Every purchase of co-op goods earns us cash back. Prices are not at all bad and we can walk there and back.

Like nearby Waitrose, we are appalled that the big supermarkets use so much plastics and are vague about recycling. Surely supermarkets the world over should insist on using recyclable materials always. They have only to say to their suppliers and they would jump.

472kHz WSPR overnight

Quite a reasonable evening with my 10mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. Even before 1700z my little signal was spotted in Norway. 3 Norwegians were spotted here, which is the most so far.

Stations spotting my 472kHz WSPR overnight

Stations spotted here on 472kHz WSPR overnight