10m 500mW WSPR (Thursday)

My W5OLF beacon was turned on at 0550z today.

UPDATE 1119z: So far today 7 spots of me, presumably mostly Es.

6m article

Yesterday I wrote an article about my experiences on 6m. I have not decided where to send it yet. 

It is designed to encourage people to have a go on the band.  There is no doubt that high power and big beams help, but even a very modest station can achieve some amazing results.

UPDATE 1508z:  It has been passed to the editor of RadCom Basics for consideration, although I think it would benefit a wider audience, proving that a simple 6m station works. See Bo's comment below.

Sunspots - Thursday July 17th

 Solar flux is 156 and the SSN 182. A=20 and K=3.

Healthy dessert - NOT amateur radio

 

This is for our lunch dessert. We tend to eat our main meal at lunchtime. We top this with yogurt.

The wild blackberries are picked within 10m of home. Very fresh!  All washed first.

What you never realised you needed?

Ever since ordering something from Aliexpress I have been bombarded with emails from Aliexpress about things I might like. When my goods arrive I shall try to unsubscribe as I am obviously on a mailing list.

Now the prices are very keen, so some things warrant another look. In some cases prices are so low with free postage that it is even worth it even if it never works.

What amazes me is how they can do this and both Aliexpress and the manufacturer can make a profit.

10m 500mW WSPR (Wednesday)

My beacon has been on since just before breakfast. 

UPDATE  2050z:  118 stations mostly around Europe have spotted me. Included is V51RS (8481km).

6m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

 My 5W FT8 has been on since about 0650z.

These days I am more interested in seeing where my signal reaches than 2-way QSOs. This is partly because of my poor voice making SSB and FM QSOs far harder than they were and also because I have probably spoken with this country 40 years ago with 10m QRP!!

UPDATE 2051z:  1062 spots of me. Although I am mostly beaconing, I had one QSO with an Italian station that called me.

Sunspots - Wednesday July 16th

 Solar flux is 139 and the SSN 146.  A=23 and K=1.

Day off radio

As we went to Cambridge by bus (very good and totally free if you are old!) and did not return until mid afternoon, I did not go on the radio today.

Faroes beauty - NOT amateur radio

 

One of my friends on 365project lives up in the Faroe Islands. It is stunningly beautiful up there. 

This is one of his photos posted recently.