Jubilee weekend - NOT amateur radio

A royalist I am not, and I abhor status and wealth simply because of who you or your ancestors are/were. However, I have great respect for the UK queen, who has been on the throne for 70 long years. She has been a symbol of stability all that time. In all my years, I cannot remember anyone else.  I think Charles will have a hard act to follow. 

If the UK was to become a republic, I cannot think who would be president! Nobody comes to mind as a really well respected person.

Maybe the future is a reformed monarchy with less stuffiness and fewer "hangers on"?

FT819?

From the outset let me say this does not exist and is probably not even in the minds of Yaesu designers. I cannot believe that I originally posted my ideas as long ago as 2010!! This is a Photoshop mock up. 

Actually I think Yaesu has totally "missed the boat" and we will never see a proper successor to the FT817ND and FT818. Most were totally underwhelmed when the actual FT818 came out. What a missed opportunity! We are again on the solar up-slopes, this time towards solar peak 25.

These were the specs I was hoping for 12 years ago!  

 

Yaesu already has an SDR architecture in their FTDX10. They could reuse the FT817ND mechanics. Instead they have let ICOM have the market with the IC-705.  I cannot see Yaesu making a fortune now, sadly.

I give Yaesu 5 years to leave the market or go bust. 

Let us hope I am wrong. 

Sunspots - Monday June 6th 2022

 Solar flux is 99 and the SSN 57. A=4 and K=2.

Where I come from in South Devon - NOT amateur radio

This photo shows where I was brought up as a child. I have no idea when this was taken. 

Lunch guest - NOT amateur radio

We had lunch in our Garden Room and were joined by an uninvited guest, namely what I have always known as a wood wasp. I tried to take a photo, but it had already gone behind the radiator. It is about an inch long (25mm).

I think it is actually something else as the images of a wood wasp look different. It has a body which is separated from its head. If I can find what it is, I shall post a photo and link.

That free PDF book - this week?

Barring last minute issues, my personal aim is to complete my free PDF Scrapbook this week. The trouble is, I still think of things to add!  If I think of any more, they will have to wait for a future update.

My hope is that this collection will lead to your own ideas and be a springboard. At least producing a free PDF book allows you to make updates whenever you want and if the grammar and spelling are not perfect, too bad. 

After all, good engineers are usually poor at grammar and spelling. This is in my opinion from work days. I guess it is something to do with how our brains work. Tell me the last time you can remember a good engineer who was also good at poetry? I have known at least one, but these are the exceptions.

Acceptance - NOT amateur radio

As we get older, I sense a change.  Every day is a gift. What the future holds nobody can know. It seems right that we appreciate each moment for what we have. The past has gone, but enjoy the now.

10m QRP WSPR (Sunday)

As the antenna is available, I am again on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW to the W5OLF beacon. So far, spots from OE3XOE (1233km). As this is early, this is promising.

UPDATE 1131z:  12 stations have already spotted me today.

UPDATE 2120z: 35 unique stations have spotted me today on 10m QRP WSPR.

8m experiment (Sunday)

My QRP FT8 8m station was turned on a 0844z on 40.680 MHz USB dial (first) with an audio offset of about 2 kHz. Let's hope for some Es.

UPDATE 0856z:  There is some Es to central Europe on 10m - hopeful sign.

UPDATE 1009z:  Spotted in the Algarve, Portugal again by SWL HC02 (1808km).  Gear now off whilst it cools.

UPDATE 1129z:    2 stations have spotted me now, despite my QRP.   The latest is 9A2TN (1481km).

UPDATE 1850z:  6 stations have spotted me today on 8m FT8 QRP TX.

Oscar 100 narrowband transponder

As regular readers know, every few weeks I take a look at activity levels on the narrow-band transponder of this geosynchronous satellite. Activity levels remain low considering my last peek was on a European weekend morning. when I would have expected activity to be quite high.

See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/ .