I’m planning to start doing weekly updates, however as its nearly the end of a full month, I’ll start with a full recap of what’s been going on this month and a little bit of September; towards the very end of the month I had an internal loop recorder fitted inside me to monitor my cardiac rhythm to hopefully get to the bottom of why I’m collapsing at random without warning.

Last weekend of September also saw CQWW RTTY which I did with the G9V team, as always fantastic weekend, this time we also built a 2-element phase for 40m which worked amazing and I quite enjoyed night shift. Better review of that weekend can be found here http://www.m0vsq.co.uk/cqww-rtty-2016-g9v/.

October kicked off with the RSGB Convention where I gave a talk on operating through amateur radio satellites, it was a fantastic day out on Saturday, wish I stayed the weekend although health wasn’t up to it and I survived completely maxed out on opiate pain medication.

After the convention focus switched back to health, attending many hospital clinic appointments and tests including tilt tests and appointments to have the data from my ILR unit downloaded. That appointment proved interesting as it would appear the ILR doesn’t enjoy an RTTY contest and the data for the whole period we transmitted showed errors (oops!).

Next hospital appointments are cardiac follow ups and scans on my head to make sure I still have a brain and hopefully discuss further work on getting to the bottom of the heart issues, sadly the pain I get throughout my body though is just an on-going issue that I battle with.

Peter 2E0SQL presenting at the RSGB Convention 2016

Apart from hospital appointments I’ve managed to make some QSOs although not huge numbers I’ve worked 85 QSOs on satellites and a few of on 80m JT65, the satellite QSOs have been made while doing magicbug client work (still must make money even when sick).

The most important thing that’s happened in the shack has been changes to the 80m inverted L, this came in the addition of a 30m trap which was based on a SOTA Beams kit and made by Iain M0PCB, this has proven to be worthwhile and Dad (M3JFM) has been enjoying 30m.

Bit of a shame to miss a serious entry in CQWW SSB, however don’t feel up to it and would rather spend the weekend resting and cuddling Monty the pug.

Weekly updates to follow.