Homely kitchen - NOT amateur radio

Our kitchen can certainly not be classed as "clinical". Yes, we clean sides and floor regularly, but we have postcards and posters on the walls and enjoy breakfast at the table overlooking the windmill. When people stay they enjoy breakfasts relaxing.

Norway again on 472kHz WSPR TX (10mW ERP)

Yet again LA3EQ (769km) in Norway spotted me last night on 472kHz WSPR. I have now lost count of how many times he has spotted my signal this season. I very much appreciate these spots.

Sunspots - Tuesday December 11th 2018

Solar flux is 70 and the sunspot number back to zero. A=11 and K=2.

Angry sky - NOT amateur radio

At the moment, it gets dark early. From later this week the evenings get lighter, although mornings get darker until early January. With "our" windmill in the foreground the angry sky late today was great. Roll on warm summer evenings! It only seems 5 minutes since it got dark at 10pm!

See https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/

472kHz WSPR overnight

Not the best of nights for me with just 7 spots of my 10mW ERP, with the best DX spot being by PD0OHW (459km). On RX, 18 stations spotted including 3 LAs.

10m FT8 RX

Since after breakfast, I have been keeping an eye on 10m FT8 RX. So far today, just one spot EA3ZD (1227km). Disappointing.

Sunspots - Monday December 10th 2018

Solar flux is 71 and the SSN 12. A=9 and K=3.

Where I lived long ago (but not this long ago!) - NOT amateur radio

Between 1959 and 1967, I lived in Kingsbridge, Devon. This very old, hand-tinted, postcard surfaced yesterday. I guess it dates from the late 1800s? It is before Fore Street, the main road, was tarmacked - a different age.

10m FT8

A few minutes ago I switched from 630m WSPR to 10m FT8 (mostly RX) for the daylight hours. Already OY1OF (1163km) up in the Faroe Is has been spotted.

UPDATE 1456z: No other spots since.

UPDATE 1830z: 3 G spots in addition to the OY earlier. I have now QSYed to 630m WSPR.

Windmill next door - NOT amateur radio

We are very lucky to live next door to a windmill that is nearly 200 years old. The sails usually turn when the mill is open (Thursdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays Easter until late October). We can have breakfast in our kitchen looking on the windmill and tell which way the wind is blowing by looking at the sails. The photo shows the windmill last evening just before dark.

See http://www.burwellmuseum.org.uk/  .