Of course GB isn’t winning any medals at the Winter Olympics. One plays to one’s strengths. Now when they finally get around to introducing the Damp and Dreich Olympics, GB will dominate.* Suggestions for events? * every athlete interviewee will have to include the phrase “mustn’t grumble”.

Bit of research this morning.

What on earth has happened to me? We got a letter from Belfast City Council saying they were introducing kerbside bottle and glass collections on our street, and I was really excited…

People of Ireland! You will need to spend some time today explaining to your children what this is.

I call this composition “Storm Chandra and the amateur’s anxious glance”…

After Nigel Farage hinted that more leading influential Conservatives would defect to Reform UK, Suella Braverman has just joined the Party – so maybe she knows who Nigel meant

Och give it a rest, sky, would you? Just…just change the record.

Today’s Daily Cartoon, by Matt Reuter. #NewYorkerCartoons

It’s a rumble!

Who's running Venezuela now anyway? And what about the democratic opposition? I've blogged on the perils of 'regime change lite' open.substack.com/pub/markurba...

This new war is not only illegal, reckless and deeply corrupt, it is the latest in a series of increasingly desperate distractions from the EPSTEIN Files. #ImpeachAndConvict47NOW

Know anyone interested in getting their first amateur radio licence? Our next free online course starts this Sunday. We've helped over 14,000 and counting! Sign up for the free courses is at www.hamtrain.co.uk - Share and Enjoy...

In 2026 I will not be buying any more radios, radio gear, antennas or accessories*. * except the stuff I feel I really need or want.

Dear help me, I found this thread really exciting.

Brilliant night at the Sunflower Folk Club in Belfast. Remarkable series of performances from the floor, including one in Latin, one in French and some Portuguese squeezebox music. And then my lifelong friend - since we were 13 - Anthony Toner. Glorious songs and great good humour. What a night.

It’s exactly this kind of dismal, prejudiced bollox from the Daily Mail that’s got us into the ruinous Brexit mess we’re in. What a moronic response to us rejoining Erasmus and all the benefits that brings. If they’re really worried about cost, they should push to cancel Brexit altogether.

Finally submitted my log for the ARRL-10 contest at the weekend - first time I’ve tried one so a very lowly score. Had to learn new logging software that actually understood contest exchanges. Worked it out after poking at it for a couple of nights before it would upload. But fun was definitely had.

Spent the afternoon on 10m for the ARRL 10 meter contest. It’s night time here now and I’m taking a break. So far, shooting for a placing of: Last in the entire world…. Fun though. That’s the point.

Hardly surprising. And sadly, not the first time.

Saturday afternoon. Herself is away out shopping. I could do all the things on my “Must Do” list. Or I could sit here and watch The Desert Rats on BBC Two...

Went up to the shack there to “tune around the bands a bit.” Anyway, I got two reports written for work. One has to be pragmatic about these things.

I connected a fairly old Apple CDROM Drive to a Windows 11 laptop this afternoon, and got it working after downloading some Boot Camp drivers from the Apple Support website. I now I have a thoroughly inflated view of my own IT abilities. Also I can now view the only CDROM I own.

I've been getting back into the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series after many years, and the most relatable part is how everyday objects like doors and elevators have been imbued with artificial intelligence and it just makes them obnoxious and frustrating to use and everyone hates it.

Solid afternoon’s footering. Re-engineered the two arms of my inverted v ZS6BKW to make it safer in the wind. Then reduced the ribbon feeder line in 5cm increments until the SWR on the RigExpert came down to 1:1.1 on 40m. With the atu for some bands, ready at last for winter. Simple pleasures.

My money’s on Thomas Crown or Professor Moriarty www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c6...

Anyone else ever have an occasional wee dip in their enthusiasm for getting on the bands? Just coming out of one after 3 months. Didn’t turn a rig on, tap a key, or key a microphone. Now easing myself back in and enjoying it again. Life happened for a bit. The dip before that was about 25 years!

That’s the first M8 callsign in the log. On 40m. You could say I’m a bit of a slow learner

Finally ran a proper antenna analyser across my dipole today. Well, what a revelation! Now planning a morning with a ladder and incremental changes in shorter lengths to shift the low VSWR up just a wee bit in frequency. But we’re starting from a pretty good place…

Roof repairs finished so got my HF inverted V back up. Much better pulley system for the apex. Tidied away ladders, tools etc, but couldn’t find my yard brush anywhere. 🧹 Baffled. Eventually found it 2 storeys up on the flat roof of a dormer window. No, I have no idea. #hamradio #amateurradio

#stormfloris mostly sideswiping us in Belfast. Winds gusting around 50 mph, and oddly, sunny most of the time. All my antennas were down anyway but the roof work due to start this morning has been put back 24 hrs. How’s everyone doing in GM/MM? Stronger winds with you guys… #amateurradio #hamradio

The workmen arrive first thing on Monday morning to do maintenance on my roof, and replace all the facsias and soffits. No antennas at home for a week or two. Feels odd doesn’t it?

Ah Ireland. How you always reward optimism… www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Me last night, 2200: “Best get to bed, need a good night’s sleep, busy work day tomorrow.” My brain at 02 30: “Hey wake up! I’m just putting into your head the rhythm for ‘Bens best bent wire’ at 18wpm” I’ve been awake since 0230. #cw #amateurradio #hamradio

Jolly nice morning doing POTA ssb in a rarely-activated park in Holywood, Co Down, N Ireland. Redburn Country Park, GB-2587. Only on for an hour but delighted with the stations hunting it down. The day went a bit pear-shaped after that but still, it was a jolly nice morning. #amateurradio #hamradio

At my desk all morning writing scripts for a client. Just before lunch I took a quick tune around the HF bands - did a little FT8 on 17m and promptly worked French Guiana for the first time. That is why I enjoy this hobby. You never really know what’s coming! #hamradio #AmateurRadio

Hello to all the people who followed me today thinking I was @williamfleitch.bsky.social Unfollow me again by all means, cool with that.

After my CWA fundamental class this evening I was buoyed up so answered a kind qrs station from Italy on 40m. A polite gent - cos my sending mistakes were an embarrassment. Oh well. Proper exchanges achieved and all logged. Thanks Alberto, IT9TTY. Onwards and upwards. #amateurradio #hamradio #CWA

On this World Amateur Radio Day I did a load of LCWO practice, lots of Better-icr tests and tried - again - to teach my tired old muscles sending with a paddle at 21wpm. Didn’t work anyone. Just worked and worked and worked. #cw #morse #amateurradio #hamradio #cwa #cwops #IARU #worldamateurradioday

You know that feeling when you think about selling some of your gear and then you get a realistic and accurate assessment of what a dealer would offer for it, and you’re more than a little disappointed? That. #AmateurRadio #HamRadio #HoHum #NeverMind #IWasProbablyDeludingMyself #There’sAlwaysEBay

Ok. Everybody keeping practising. (Use your own dialect) We’ll need it in a couple of hours. “Thon’s a quare stretch.” Again. “Thon’s a quare stretch.”

What’s that, BBC Weather app? It’s sunny? Aye, right…

I’ve finally done it. Thanks to the incredible patience of EI5KJ Keith, I have had my first ever CW QSO. No big deal for many people, but a massive massive one for me. Baby steps. Total respect to the folks at CW Academy for getting me this far. #hamradio #amateurradio #cw cwops.org/cw-academy/

Had a guy at the house yesterday surveying and quoting for roof repair and new fascias and soffits. Then a lovely discussion about what he could do for me about antenna fixing points. If someone is going to come ‘round with ladders and a cherry picker, make the best of it! #amateurradio #hamradio

I copied today's #Morsle at 40 WPM! morsle.fun It seemed to matter at the time

Exciting day today. The built mini CW rig I ordered at QRP Labs moved 16 places up the waiting list…to… nearly 200th. Mine should be built by…. oooh … end of March, maybe? You know what? There’s no rush. Does me good to wait. #amateurradio #hamradio

I copied today's #Morsle at 35 WPM! morsle.fun

I copied today's #Morsle at 30 WPM! morsle.fun

No, no, no, Down with this sort of thing. We had a go at a few of these earlier this winter and they really haven’t been popular. www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/norther... Travel disruption ‘likely’ as weather warning issued for Northern Ireland

Now that’s CW I might be able to keep up with…