How?

Just now I noticed 2 pieces of 446MHz walkie-talkies for £13.59 total with VAT!!  When I started at Pye Telecom UHF portables sold for over £700 each!! 

I know things are more integrated but both Aliexpress and the manufacturer make profits!

The future

It appears that the USA is moving towards an economic model in which they become self-sufficient in their hemisphere or (ideally) within their own borders. At a pinch the EU could do this and Russia. In the case of China I am less sure.

I think the "big" players are getting nervous of long supply chains.

The UK is very vulnerable. It is very dependent on long supply chains for most things. As long as international trade works the UK is OK.  If this is disrupted the UK is in deep trouble.

Forty-9er transceiver

This was a design for a tiny QRP CW transceiver for 40m CW.  This short video shows the radio with a digital display, which was non-standard. 

See https://www.norcalqrp.org/files/49erOrigMnl.pdf

Kits are still available.

Christ's College, Cambridge, UK

For a very long time this has been shrouded in scaffolding. 

Today the scaffolding had been taken down, so I took this photo. 

We see this several times every week for free. Others travel across the planet to see some of these sites.

10m 200mW WSPR TX (Tuesday)

My beacon was turned on at breakfast.

UPDATE 1636z:  So far, 40 spots. See table.

UPDATE 1922z: Spotted by 43 stations today with the best AE5AU (7209km) who has spotted me 11 times! Now QRT. Map by Phil VK7JJ.

Sunspots - Tuesday February 24th

 Solar flux is 108 and the SSN still 0.  A=23 and K=3.

Heathkit

In the late 1960s Heathkit made some great radios. Take, for example, the SB101. 

Then the Japanese started making transceivers that meant there was little difference in making a kit. Most bought a ready made transceiver instead. 

“Lord of the flies “ TV series

This famous book by William Golding is being serialised by the BBC.  It tells the tale of children isolated on a remote Pacific island following a plane crash. They revert to savages and hunt for food.

Much of western civilisation depends on inter-connected trade these days. It would take very little for western civilisation to collapse and us having to return to savagery . There’s a message here.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002qk4w/lord-of-the-flies

Bouvet Island DXpedition

For many years I have not actively chased DX. We are all different thankfully, so this might be important to you. I think this was delayed.

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

British politics

 In case you are puzzled by the British political system, this diagram may help. I found it earlier.