Sunspots - Thursday August 20th

 Solar flux is 126 and the SSN 78. A=20 and K=2.

Lord Howe Island

 Since a child I have been fascinated by small remote islands. 

In my advanced years it is highly unlikely I will ever get to these. However, thanks to YouTube videos I am able to dream.

10m 200mW WSPR TX (Wednesday)

 My beacon was turned on earlier this  morning.

 UPDATE 1243z: 16 stations have spotted me.

Sunspots - Wednesday August 19th

 Solar flux is 125 and the SSN 71. A=25 and K=2.

Times are changing

In the last few years we have had some innovations that allow simple stations to work the world like FT8.

At the same time fewer young people (generally) are coming into the hobby, putting the hobby under threat. Also (certainly in the UK and USA) PTTs to want less bureaucracy especially if it generates no income.

Many national amateur radio societies are working hard to buck the trend.

In the end, I cannot see amateur radio surviving as it has in the past. What the future holds I do not know. 

I really hope that people continue to experiment and innovate, which is how our great hobby started.

10m 200mW WSPR (Tuesday)

My beacon was turned on just after breakfast 

UPDATE 1312z:   42 stations have spotted me.

I do not get it

 The president of the USA gave another press briefing in the White House. I was not very impressed, although I accept others may not agree.

Sunspots - Tuesday August 18th

 Solar flux is 124 and the SSN 76. A=11 and K=4.

Amazon - like marmite

Amazon home delivery gets a bad press. I have used it trouble-free for 26 years.

Some refuse to use it at all saying it will be the end of conventional shops. Yes, that is true, but people have already changed shopping patterns. Home shopping is now far more common in the last few years.

In my view, there are two sorts of high street shops (1) those that do not adapt and fail, and (2) those that adapt to internet shopping (browsing hubs?) and succeed.

Let me give you an example: at about 2230 last night I ordered 3 charging leads for my iPhone. By about 1500z the very next day they were on my doorstep delivered by Amazon. 

The alternative would have been to take a bus ride into Cambridge and go to the Apple store. Assuming they had stock, I would expect to pay far more for just a single lead!

No, times are changing. We have to adapt.

UPDATE 1506z: A single charging lead from the Apple store in Cambridge would have been more than 3 times the price of 3 leads online.

In app ads

This morning I noticed that advertisements were appearing in the main body of the blog. I find this intrusive and will try to stop them.

UPDATE 1111z: I think I have removed them.