Category - Blog

VK5PAS – new Website launched

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Take a tour of the new website from Paul VK5PAS.

The site holds some nice information and photographs from his QTH in Mount Barker in South Australia of his family and also on the hobby we share.

It also contains some good facts and information about Australia, Kangaroo Island, ILLW. Check out the ”just for laughs” page which will put a smile on your face for sure. Click here to see website.

Well done Paul – good job mate!

New Island emerges from North Sea

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An island ground composed of sandbanks emerged in North Sea, 24 km (15 miles) off the coast of Schleswig-Holstein in Germany’s far north.

This is the area of a shallow body of water with tidal flats and wetlands. A discernible landmass composed of sandbanks grew gradually over the past few years in a stretch of coastline near marine national park Wattenmeer, mostly created by tidal actions.

The new island was named Bird Island after seabirds population which nest and feed on the sand dunes. Some of the inhabitants of an islands are the gulls, grey geese, eider ducks, common ringed plovers, peregrine falcons and more. Various seeds were blown by winds from all across the Europe and so far 49 species of plants have been detected on sandy landmass that is up to 4-5 meters high.

 

Active Sunspot

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One of the biggest sunspots of the current solar cycle is now turning toward Earth.

Named AR1654, the active region is crackling with medium-sized (M-class) flares and could be poised to break the recent spell of calm space weather around our planet.

AR1654 is getting bigger as it turns toward Earth. Not only is the chance of flares increasing, but also the chance of an Earth-directed eruption.This could be the sunspot that breaks the recent lengthy spell of calm space weather around our planet.

Click image to see movie.

Latest bureau posting….

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Ths week I have mailed several packages to the Bureau;

1.95 Kilo of cards have been sent direct to the JARL (Japan Amateur Radio League) Bureau. a total of 3.4 Kilo of cards have also been sent direct to various bureau around the World (not via the RSGB) and a seperate package of 1.7 Kilo is prepared and ready to go the RSGB Bureau.

That’s just over 7 Kilo of cards gone out this week. I also expect newe cards to arrive from Italy and from Australia in the coming days for both IIØXMAS and VK3HF respectively. I will advise on those mailings when appropriate.

 

 

South Sudan DXCC #316

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Well, after a few months trying, South Sudan isfinally in the log today for DXCC #316.

Z81Z was on 10M CW for several hours today and with band conditions being pretty good, he had a huge pile up. He wasn’t too strong either so i tried several times over his session before his signal (and mine!) were both good enough to get the contact after 2 hours.

South Sudan is officially The Republic of South Sudan previously known as Southern Sudan, is a landlocked country in east-central Africa that is part of the United Nations subregion of Eastern Africa.

A happy end to a busy day for a change 😉

 

Temperature off the Charts in VK land

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The Bureau of Meteorology’s (Australia) interactive weather forecasting chart has added new colours – deep purple and pink – to extend its previous temperature range that had been capped at 50 degrees as intest heat causes havoc in Australia.

The range now extends to 54 degrees – well above the all-time record temperature of 50.7 degrees reached on January 2, 1960 at Oodnadatta Airport in South Australia – and, perhaps worringly, the forecast outlook is starting to deploy the new colour. “The scale has just been increased today and I would anticipate it is because the forecast coming from the bureau’s model is showing temperatures in excess of 50 degrees,” David Jones, head of the bureau’s climate monitoring and prediction unit, said.


While recent days have seen Australian temperature maps displaying maximums ranging from 40 degrees to 48 degrees – depicted in the colour scheme as burnt orange to black – both Sunday and Monday are now showing regions likely to hit 50 degrees or more, coloured purple.

 
(Tnx image VK5PAS)

Logbook Of The World (LOTW) delays

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LOTW seems to have a few problems again which is apparent from this website post;

”Logs are being received OK and the website remains functional.  IT staff will need to clear some problems with the new hardware before log processing will continue.  Thanks for your patience”

As they ask, lets please be patient !

If you drink when you fly, be warned !!

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Let this be a warning to all passengers who drink on their Flights;

The passanger drank all of his duty free liquor on the flight from Iceland to JFK yesterday. When he became unruly, (i.e. trying to choke the woman next to him and screaming the plane was going to crash), fellow passengers subdued him and tie him up for the rest of the flight.

He was escorted off the flight by police when it landed.

Full story on CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/04/travel/iceland-disruptive-passenger/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

V55A currently Qrv

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Michael is currently active as V55A from Windhoeck in Namibia.

V55A is the call sign for the new Boyscout / Radioamateur Clubstation in Windhoeck.

Qsl Cards are printed and available from MØOXO OQRS (but not the image shown on the Qrz.Com page).

V31MA Belize

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Marc will be QRV as V31MA from San Ignacio in the Cayo District of Belize from tomorrow 5th January 2013.

This is not a major Dxpedition just a ‘holiday-style’ operation so the Callsign will be on air as and when Marcs other duties allow it. Main mode of operation will be SSB but also possibliity of CW and DATA.

Logs will be uploaded to Clublog during his stay and traditional Qsl Cards are available via M0OXO OQRS. LOTW will follow as and when possible after the event.