70cm activity contest (UKAC)

Last evening I took part (briefly) in the 70cm activity contest organised by the RSGB. As I have no antennas for 70cm horizontal I went on for about 50 minutes with 10W to my 2m big-wheel omni. 

3 QSOs were made before I stopped because of my poor voice with the best being G4CLA (105km).

10m WSPR QRP TX (Wednesday)

 At the moment, I am on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW. No spots yet.

UPDATE 1740z:  I think there is some Es around today. 4 unique stations have spotted me.

Endings - NOT amateur radio

 All my life I have not been good at endings. At this stage in life, I am feeling that lots of things we have just taken for granted are coming to their ends. 

At the end of next month I hope to travel to Devon, where I come from,  to see my brother who is 77. How long will he and his wife be there in good health? My wife and I are ageing. What happens if one of us dies? Lots of our relatives, friends and neighbours are now older. I can no longer drive a long way.

It seems we have no choice but to accept that everything passes. Life as we know it is an illusion of stability. Everything changes. I guess we have no choice but to accept this.

Spring sprung - NOT amateur radio

This was me in the cow parsley yesterday on our walk.  The cow parsley looks great at the moment. 

In a few weeks it will be past its best.

8m experiment (Wednesday)

The last few days have been poor here with no Es evident here and no spots on RX or TX. Let us hope today is better! 

UPDATE 0803z:   On 40.680 MHz USB dial FT8 first TX at 0757z.  Ever hopeful!

UPDATE 1120z:   EI9KP (649km) in the west of Eire has again spotted me.

UPDATE 1742z:   No further spots given or received today. Better than the last few days, but still pretty poor.  Now QSYed to 70cm FT8 RX.

Sunspots - Wednesday May 11th 2022

Solar flux is 116 and the SSN 62  A=3 and K=1. 

Hebrides - NOT amateur radio

One of my fellow radio amateurs is doing a cycling/camping tour of the Outer Hebrides. This is one of his Facebook photos. 

National Mills Weekend - NOT amateur radio

Last weekend was National Mills Weekend. Our local museum and windmill across the road had free entry and had 150-200 visitors. It was a good, happy, occasion as the photo shows. 

Our fully restored windmill is over 200 years old.

The joy of QRP

In our hobby we all have different interests, and that is only right: it would be a sad world if we were all the same. Some like ATV, others chasing DX, others just talking with old friends on 80m. I cannot say how you get fun. Neither would it be correct.

My own "thing" is QRP (low power). Now, I freely admit that at times more ERP helps. However, especially on bands like 10m in the better solar years, the world can be worked with low power and simple antennas. This is even more true with modern modes like FT8.

Perhaps my G3XBM website may give you some ideas. Whatever, the next few years could be the time to give QRP a go. You might be surprised.

10m WSPR QRP TX

 Yet again (at 0850z) I am on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW from my W5OLF beacon. No spots yet.

UPDATE 1115z:   Still no spots of me today.

UPDATE 1845z:   Just local G4WSZ and the 2 Canary Is stations today. These latter 2 look like F2. Again, no Es here today.