Wells Cathedral - NOT amateur radio

 

These are the medieval ceilings at Wells Cathedral in the UK.

10m QRPP WSPR (Saturday)

My 500uW 10m WSPR has been on for several hours. By lunchtime, nobody had spotted me. 

6m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

My 2.5W to the V2000 vertical has been on for several hours. At 1150z, 7 stations in England had spotted me.

CQ magazine gone

Steve G1KQH informs me that CQ magazine has gone. I understand that they were in financial trouble and have ceased trading. I have no idea about what happens to the CQWW contests.

It’s my sense that more amateur radio magazines will go before too long sadly.

Not yet - NOT amateur radio

At this time of year I get quite excited about returning migrant swifts. They briefly breed here before returning to sub Saharan Africa. 

Often they are heard screaming overhead first. It’s about now they are first spotted here.

See https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/swift .

Sunspots - Saturday April 27th

Solar flux is 153 and the SSN 154. A=19 and K=2.

8m 10mW ERP WSPR (Friday)

 As I have been away, I only returned to 8m WSPR TX under ISM rules (10mW ERP complying with IR2030) this afternoon.  I am currently doing some local tests, although my dipole antenna is faulty and needs replacing. Until this is fixed I am not expecting to be copied.

10m 500uW WSPR (Friday)

 As I have been away for a few days I have only just returned to QRPP 10m WSPR this afternoon. So far already 68 spots of me by EA8BFK (2880km).

6m F2?

When sunspot numbers and solar flux numbers are high, there is always a chance of the F2 MUF reaching 6m or even higher.  I remember some years ago hearing 6m SSB stations from South Africa and the USA just like locals. At the time I just had a wire dipole.

Shrinkflation - NOT amateur radio

 Instead of putting prices up just make things smaller and hope the consumer does not notice. Yesterday I bought a chocolate bar. In 1996 it was 62.5g. Now it is 51g. This happens with so many things.