Nice to be able to find time to work a couple of amateur radio satellites 🛰️ this afternoon.

Conditions on 70cm were not great tonight. I only managed 22 QSOs in total in the RSGB 432MHz UKAC contest. I was glad to get G1ZAR/P in the Peak District (best DX 281km) and Jacques F1BHL. I also heard GD8EXI in the Isle of Man but couldn't work him on 5W.

I put my Dwarf 3 on M33 The Triangulum Galaxy for about 80 minutes this evening and also managed to catch near-Earth Asteroid 433 Eros (the white line to the left of M33) which was a nice bonus.

A couple of images from last night's imaging session with the Dwarf 3: The California Nebula (NGC 1499) and Thor's Helmet (NGC 2359).

A few more images from the Dwarf 3 from last night.

Quick shot of the moon from the Dwarf 3.

First light with my new toy a little earlier.

This gag never grows old 😁

Results are in for last weekend's UKEI SSB contest. Not many in my category, but happy to get a solid 2nd with only about 5 hours of operating time. If I try harder and do a full 12 next time, maybe I could be shooting for 1st?

ISS SSTV Event so far. 11/12 images, not all perfect or complete. Still need all of 6 and half more for 5. 1 and 8 need better versions.

Visualisation of the Aurora was a top-mentioned item, so it now has it.

Note to self: When using an end fed half wave wire antenna, be sure to connect it to the hot terminal on the 49:1 transformer and not the counterpoise terminal 🤦. It makes for much better SWR reading and you can actually be heard by other stations 😁. #StupidFool

Prepping for the RSGB high-altitude balloon (HAB) competition on September 20th. I think I've reduced my feeder losses as much as I can 😉 rsgb.org/main/blog/ne...

Good fun on tonight's RSGB 432MHz UKAC contest. My best yet for number of QSOs (35 ITL) and 14 grid squares worked. Shame I didn't manage to work very far up country but pleased to get a few outside the UK, one 🇧🇪 and three 🇫🇷 which included best DX at 274 miles. #70cms #SSB #QRP

If you are a satellite operator and have not filed an objection against AST SpaceMobile's request to use 70cm, it's time to get busy. There's still time. Don't just sit waiting for other organisations to do it on your behalf. amsat-uk.org/2025/06/26/u...

Back at my girls' former primary school running the sound and lighting for their Year 5/6 production of "Shakespeare Rocks". First night of three and boy, the cast absolutely knocked it out of the park tonight, a truly fantastic performance!

Got my #AMSAT mojo back: 25 QSOs so far this weekend. 🛰️AO-91 was working well (5 QSOs) and I also got my first QSOs on the new AMSAT Spain 🛰️SO-125 (tnx S57NML, EA3TA, F5RRS, EA2BJM and RN3ARU). I even gave the ISS a shot (I normally don't bother) and got my first QSO with Dale @wgoodf.bsky.social

World Wide Bunkers on the Air held #BunkerFest2025 this weekend. I activated a WWII bombing decoy site control bunker. Running #QRP as always into an end-fed half wave inverted V on top of the bunker. 25 QSOs in the log (incl. 3 B2B contacts). wwwbota.org #WWBOTA

#ThunderboldAndLightning #VeryVeryFrightening ⚡⚡⚡⚡

Productive 5 minutes on the radio just now. #QRP #FT817 #EFHW @iaru-r1.bsky.social 💪

Just about as good as it can get; #SSTV image received from the #ISS just now. Decoded using #Robot36 Android app with audio from the loudspeaker. Radio/antenna: FT817ND/Arrow 2 hand tracked.

Just received my cool looking diploma for receiving #SSTV images from the recent #FRAM2 mission.

Very poor conditions this afternoon, activating B/G-0874 ROC Post Mere for UK Bunkers on the Air. The afternoon started with no inter-G on 40m. I was about to give up when finally conditions started to pick up on 40 and I just qualified the activation with 26 in the log. #UKBOTA

Thanks to those I worked from 🌐IN98 on 🛰️SO-50 and 🛰️SO-124 at the weekend. QSOs will be on LoTW when my F/M5JFS certificate comes through. Here's my QSO with Olivier (F4IOZ) on SO-124. I was using only my Kenwood TH-D7 + Diamond RH770 whip. #AMSAT @amsatf.bsky.social

4 QSOs yesterday evening on 🛰️ SO-50 with the Kenwood TH-D7 and Diamond RH770 telescopic whip checking all is working as it should. All set for my trip to France and hopefully a couple of activations of 🌐IN98 work permitting. #AMSAT

My @cred.blue score is 164! 🦋 I've been on Bluesky for 127 days, joined during the "public release" era, and have a social status of "Highly Engaging Explorer" Get your score: cred.blue

I've been enjoying the #UKBOTA Mad March Hare award, both as an activator (7 bunkers) and a hunter (88 bunkers). One more week to go 👍 More info at www.ukbota.org

Today's #UKBOTA activation was extremely challenging. 40m was in poor shape this afternoon, so running 5W with a vertical antenna that wouldn't tune as well as it normally does, meant I received a lot of 32, 33 and 44 reports. 20m was better, 55 or better into OM, YO, I and PA.

Successful UK Bunkers on the Air activation of 5fer B/G 1354, 1427, 1512, 1623 and 1628 on a pleasant sunny afternoon on Portdsdown Hill overlooking the city of Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight beyond. 5W QRP + EFHW in the hedge about 2m above the ground. #UKBOTA #FT817 #hamr

Thanks to all the #UKBOTA activators for enabling me to achieve UK Bunkers on the Air Silver Hunter award.

Tricky lunar eclipse to photograph as the sky was brightening as the moon approached totality. Low cloud near the horizon also blocked the view of the greatest eclipse. Here's the best (not very good) shot that I took. #LunarEclipse

I've been looking through my old astrophotographs and put together this montage of 4 planetary images taken between 2013 and 2015. Equipment used: Skywatcher SW150P, Philips SPC900 webcam.

27 in the log on a warm sunny afternoon, activating ATNO bunker B/G-2109 Twyford Southern Water Emergency Control Centre for UK Bunkers on the Air. #QRP as usual wth the #FT817 and the Chinese ground mounted telescopic vertical antenna. #UKBOTA

Successful activation of ATNO Bunker B/G-1862 (Fawley coastal defence bunker) for UK Bunkers-on-the-Air. 44 QSOs in the log, mainly 40m, a few on 20m and one on 10m. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿22, 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿7, 🇫🇷2, 🇧🇪3, 🇸🇰1, 🇳🇱2, 🇳🇴1, 🇩🇪3, 🇵🇹1, 🇬🇷1, 🇫🇮1

This afternoon at 1502Z I received a very clear #SSTV image from @jmuspace.bsky.social 🛰️SONATE-2 of the Gulf of St. Vincent and Adelaide, Australia. #AMSAT

A good evening for my modest setup taking part in the RSGB 432UKAC contest this evening with 23 ITL. #FT817ND #QRP #5W #70cm

#CQWW #SSB results are in. Very happy, ranked 2nd in 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, 18th in 🇪🇺 and 29th in the 🌍 #QRP #hamr 😁

I was only going to give away a few points in the EUDX contest and submit a checklog last weekend.. but contests are addictive and I made a few more QSOs than I thought I would. Certainly not a serious effort due to lack of time and planning but I thought 'what the heck' and entered anyway. 😃

Great to get another new grid from rover Jerry W8LR. Big signal from him right from his AOS. Also, heard great signals from Robert DL5GAC, Jerome F4DXV and Dave M0COM. 🛰️ AO-7 was on top form today #AMSAT

It was great to have PO-101 active in the day over Europe today. First time I've worked this satellite for about 2 years. In the log:- Erwin PA3GAN 🇳🇱 Flo DF2ET 🇩🇪 Andy DL6AP 🇩🇪 Vincent F4BKV 🇫🇷 Jerôme F4DXV 🇫🇷 Miguel EA5AML 🇪🇸 #AMSAT #hamr

Had a dabble with the RSGB 432MHz UKAC this evening from a local hilltop. Good fun and knocked out 9 QSOs in 15mins without really trying. Happy with that running QRP. Using a 15ele Yagi certainly helped, which conveniently, just fitted in the car without having to dismantle the boom 😁

Just worked Jerry, W8LR/R on 🛰️AO-7 Gridline: EM87,EM88 / distance: 3923.4 mi #hamr #cloudlog #amsat Thanks very much for the new grid EM87 🤝

Amazing shot from amateur radio cubesat SONATE-2 capturing a view of the #LosAngelesWildfires today. @spann.bsky.social @elijahbmanwx.bsky.social @calacademy.bsky.social

The conjunction of the Moon and Venus was looking fabulous this evening. #Astrophotography #Moon #Venus #Conjunction

Just received my #UKBOTA Advent awards for activating and hunting UK Bunkers on the Air from December 1st-25th. I thoroughly enjoyed getting out portable to activate bunker sites in my area. Amazing just how well you can do with 5 Watts and a simple antenna so low the ground.

#SAQ #Grimeton Radio Station 2024 Christmas Eve message I received on 17.2kHz using miniwhip antenna and RSP1a SDR. www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_7n...

Enjoyable morning in Stansted Forest activating Stansted WW2 Auxiliary Unit Operational Base (B/G-1439) for UK Bunkers on the Air #UKBOTA 30 in the log on a mild and foggy day with the EFHW antenna wire randomly strung up in the trees.

@timg5tm.bsky.social bsky.app/profile/rxtv... At least in the old analogue days, you could still watch without interruptions with the ghost of a French TV image superimposed.

Three successful #UKBOTA bunker activations today. B/G-0321, B/G-0320 and B/G-0316. 91 QSOs in the log including some B2B contacts, the best being with Mike (S55G/P) in Slovenia.

For the third day running, I was activating a bunker for UK Bunkers on the Air #UKBOTA. 50 in the log on 40 and 20m for B/G-1624