We returned from our week in Malta yesterday to the cold, rain and green countryside. Everyone we met was kind and helpful. It was hot and sunny almost all the time we were there. The hotel and food were excellent.

However, Malta is very built up (the most dense in Europe) and what little countryside there was was rocky and barren.

If you go on holiday for sun, swimming pools and food it might suit you. Overall, I am glad we went, but I doubt we will return.

Often I forget to submit my entry into this UKAC session. With my pathetic score I shall never even be close to winning, but it is good to show my support. 

It is great to see the activity. The "real" stations were working some serious DX.

 Just 3 stations in the UK spotting me so far today.

My 500mW beacon has been on since just before breakfast. Just EA8BFK (2880km) spotting me multiple times. I assume this is F2 propagation. 

 One of my Facebook memories today was the circuit for my 10m WSPR RX on which my 10m FT8 RX was based. See my website for details.

 Solar flux is 205 and the SSN 147. A=7 and K=1.

September 10, 2024 Report #4 as of 1640 hrs.

EOC Activation Level: Level 3 (Virtual Activation)
WebEOC Event Name: TW Sep 10-13, 2024
Crisis Track Event Name: TW Sep 10-13, 2024
Sources: NWS Jackson, NOAA

OVERVIEW:

• A significant risk for heavy rainfall (6-10” of rain) is forecast for Wednesday
  through Thursday night across southern and coastal counties including
  McComb, Poplarville, and Gulfport. This area faces likely flash flooding,
  numerous roads may be flooded, closed or washed out. Flooding of
  structures increasing likely and minor to moderate river flooding is likely.
• An elevated risk for heavy rainfall (4-6″ of rain) is forecast for Wednesday
  through Thursday night across much of central and southern Mississippi,
  including areas around Jackson, Vicksburg, Natchez, Brookhaven,
  Hattiesburg, and Laurel. This area faces likely flash flooding, possible road
  closures, and potential minor river flooding.
• A limited threat (2-4″ of rain) extends across the remainder of the state,
  including Tupelo, Laurel, Yazoo City, Greenville, Greenwood, Eupora,
  Columbus, Kosciusko, Clarksdale, Tunica, Southaven, Oxford, Corinth,
  Philadelphia, and Meridian with localized flash flooding possible, particularly
  in low-lying and urban areas.
• An elevated wind threat from Tropical Storm Francine is expected
  Wednesday afternoon through Thursday afternoon in the southwestern
  corner and coastal areas of Mississippi, including Natchez, McComb,
  Brookhaven, Poplarville and Gulfport. This elevated threat includes wind
  gusts of 45-55 mph, with potential for widespread downed trees and
  powerlines, some damage to roofs and homes, many blocked roads, and
  power outages possibly lasting several days. The rest of the state, including
  Jackson, Greenville, Tupelo, and the Gulf Coast, faces a limited wind threat with gusts of 30-45 mph, some downed trees and powerlines, some blocked
  roads, and possible power outages for 1-2 days.
• A slight risk for severe storms is forecast for Wednesday afternoon and night
  across coastal Mississippi, including Hattiesburg, Gulfport, and Poplarville.
  Isolated severe storms with damaging wind gusts and a few tornadoes are
  possible. A marginal risk extends across eastern portion of the state,
  including Tupelo, Columbus, Philadelphia, Meridian, Magee, Laurel, and
  McComb, with the possibility of isolated severe storms, a few tornadoes, and
  damaging wind gusts. The timing for severe weather is mainly late
  Wednesday afternoon after 5pm into early Thursday morning.

TIMING:Wednesday through Thursday night.

RAINFALL (MS): https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/

• 4-7″ of rain is expected across much of central and southern Mississippi,
  with locally higher amounts possible. This covers a larger area than just
  southern Mississippi.
• 2-4″ of rain is forecast for northern Mississippi and the southeastern corner
  of the state, also with locally higher amounts possible.
  FLASH FLOODING POTENTIAL (MS): https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/
• Flash flooding is likely in the elevated threat area. This includes the
  possibility of some roads being flooded/closed and some structures possibly
  threatened with inundation.
• In the limited threat area localized flash flooding is possible, particularly in
  low-lying and urban areas. Minor river flooding is possible in both threat
  areas.

WATCHES/WARNINGS (MS): https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/ms.php?x=1

• Tropical Storm Warning – Until Further Notice: Lincoln, Pearl River,
  Southern Jackson, Southern Harrison, Southern Hancock,
  Northern Jackson, Walthall, Southern Harrison, Pike, Amite, Northern
  Hancock, Northern Harrison, Wilkinson, Southern Hancock, Stone
• Storm Surge Warning – Until Further Notice: Southern Harrison, Southern
  Jackson
• Tropical Storm Watch – Until Further Notice: Greene, Perry, Adams,
  Forrest, Franklin, Lamar, Copiah, Covington, Jefferson Davis, Simpson,
  Jefferson, Claiborne, Marion, Lawrence, Lincoln
• Flood Watch – Until 9/12/2024 @07:00 CDT – Wilkinson, Amite, Pike,
  Walthall, Pearl River, Northern Hancock, Northern Harrison, Northern
  Jackson, Southern Hancock, Southern Harrison, Southern Jackson,
• Flood Watch – Until 9/12/2024 @ 1300 CDT: Madison, Leake, Hinds,
  Rankin, Scott, Newton, Claiborne, Copiah, Simpson, Smith, Jasper, Adams,
  Jefferson, Franklin, Lincoln, Lawrence, Jefferson Davis, Covington, Jones,
  Marion, Lamar, Forrest, Wayne, Perry, Greene, Stone, George
• Flood Warning – Until 9/12/2024 @ 0700 CDT: Hancock
• Flood Warning – Until 9/13/2024: Harrison, Pearl River, Pike
• Flood Warning – Until 9/14/2024: Harrison
• Tropical Cyclone Statement – Until 9/10/2024@18:30 CDT: Wilkinson,
  Amite, Pike, Walthall, Pearl River, Northern Hancock, Northern Harrison,
  Northern Jackson, Southern Hancock, Southern Harrison, Southern Jackson,
  Claiborne, Copiah, Simpson, Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, Lincoln, Lawrence,
  Jefferson Davis, Marion, Lamar

I appeared on ABC radio last night discussing the tech news with Philip Clark. "Google's new "pixel 9" phones were revealed last month, and this morning, Apple hit back with new products, including a new iPhone. Tech Guru Peter Marks, software developer and technology commentator from Access Informatics with Philip Clark on Nightlife and the latest news and issues in technology." You can listen

Kolkata: The organisation of ham radio operators in Bengal has written to the principal secretary...

This was St John’s Co Cathedral in Valletta yesterday. I prefer East Anglian simple churches! It seems there is gold leaf everywhere.

My 2.5W 6m FT8 has been on for the last few hours. Spotted by 7 stations (mostly England) with the furthermost DK8NE/6 (702km). See map.

Since returning home again from Malta this afternoon, I have been on 10m QRP WSPR with my little beacon. Already spotted by 5 stations with the furthermost the German research station in Antarctica.

Official English Brochure by ICOM of the IC-7760 HF and 50 MHz 200W Power ... - Listed in Radio Equipment/HF Transceivers/Icom IC-7760

Francine update September 10, 2024 Noon Eastern:

ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, just participated in a call with the National Weather Service Shreveport, Louisiana Field Office. "Our partners at NWS are closely monitoring the situation and preparing Louisiana for multiple possibilities, that each could change as the situation unfolds," he said.

ARRL members and Amate...

[Marius Taciuc’s] latest endeavor, the B4 Thinker, offers a captivating glimpse into microcontroller architecture through...

 This is this evening starting at 1900z. I usually go on for a short time with 10W to the 2m big-wheel.

UPDATE 1956z: I did not stay on long, but worked 3 stations with the furthermost G4CLA (105km). It was a miserable evening with lots of rain.

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As an analog, HDR, discrete component, radical homebrew fundamentalist, obviously I have been concerned about all the hype about SDR.  SDR advocates often make it sound as if those of us who build with discrete analog components (crystal filters!) are hopless troglodytes, about to be thrown on the ash heap of radio history.  Or something like that.  They sort of imply that without the cleansing benefits of SDR, our signals will remain hoplessly dirty. 

I find it interesting that Sherwood concluded that the cleanest transmitter he ever owned was a Collins 32S-3!  He compared the two tone output of this old rig to that of a modern transceiver.  This was in 2019.  See above.  HDR wins. 

Don't get me wrong.  I want to clean up the signals from my HDR rigs.  But I am encouraged by Sherwood's remarks.  I do not think I will have to go SDR in order to have a clean signal.   I may just  do some two-tone tests on the rigs,  make some adjustments, and maybe build a class A Thermatron .1 kW linear.