Windmill view - NOT amateur radio

The restored windmill right next door is shown in the photo. 

We can see the windmill from the breakfast table and, as in this view, from the lounge window. 

Every day, just about, someone wants a picture of the windmill! This photo was taken yesterday morning.

52 years ago - NOT amateur radio

52 years ago I met my wife in Liverpool cathedral. I got sent this photo earlier.  This is the Anglican cathedral. When we were in Liverpool it was still being built. The catholic cathedral, at the other end of Hope Street, is also a fine building with wonderful light. Liverpool is a fine city with people with a warm heart. We very much enjoyed our time there.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liverpool.

Beginners' licence?

For some time in the UK a couple of ideas have been considered. 

One is an exam (a bit like the old RAE) that would allow people to get a full licence with just one exam. the second is a beginners' licence to allow newcomers into the hobby easily. Some can use licence free gear, e.g. 446MHz gear in the UK without any licence, so the argument is why not a simple transition into amateur radio, perhaps only allowing use of ready built commercial gear on VHF or UHF only? 

I have mixed feelings over the latter. Yes,we badly need new blood, but are we happy to dumb down our hobby? This is a hard one.

All these were discussed at a recent RSGB board meeting. You have to be an RSGB member to read these I believe.

See https://thersgb.org/members/publications/board/5900.php

Sunspots - Thursday December 17th 2020

 Solar flux is 82 and the SSN 12. A=2 and K=0.

60m (5MHz) operation

Although many countries have allocated the full WRC band to amateurs, the UK has not. Instead, the UK has more allocations, some of which include parts of the WRC allocation. 

Personally, I would settle for the full WRC shared band and lower power with fewer other slots in the UK.

See https://rsgb.org/main/operating/band-plans/hf/5mhz/

Optical Communications

It is many years since I tried any optical communications, because of my poor health:  I have been too giddy for field work.  

Hopefully, the next few weeks will allow me to do some local tests from home.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/optical

At Anglesey Abbey - NOT amateur radio

This was me yesterday at Anglesey Abbey. They have erected a Christmas wreath in front of the house that is owned by the National Trust. 

The gardens are open, but not the house at present.

Bottle Boys Christmas - NOT amateur radio

 A friend recently sent me a Bottle Boys video. I later found them on YouTube. Never heard of them before.

6m FT8 QRP

It is now 0940z. For about an hour I have been on 6m FT8 QRP with 2.5W and the V2000 vertical omni. No stations yet spotted on RX. My own QRP has been spotted again by G0PQO (50km) on 6m FT8 TX.

UPDATE 1020z:  G4FKA (207km) spotted on RX.

UPDATE 1125z:  F6HGB (985km) spotted. This could be Es.

UPDATE 1211z:  3 stations spotted so far on 6m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1852z:  In the end 2 G stations spotted me. QRT soon.

South Hams - NOT amateur radio

Pretty sure this photo has been on before. It shows where I come from in South Devon.