2026-03-01 → 2026-03-16:
░░░░░░░░▓░░░░░░ FT8 56.2%
░░░▓░░░░░░░░░░░ SSB 23.6%
░▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░ CW 10.9%
▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ FT4 5.4%
▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ MFSK 1.3%
▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ FT2 0.9%
▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ RTTY 0.8%
▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ Other 0.9%
I just heard a nightingale for the first time. Oh my goodness! What a truly remarkable and gorgeous song 🎶 Sitting 6ft from me in a hedgerow, singing its heart out. Wow 😮
Audi have done it in the S8 👍
M51, the whirlpool...
Bode's Galaxy (14 hours). A lovely galaxy that's just within reach for my refractor telescope ✨
Looking after this wonderful hound for the weekend. Nice to have a dog around again!
Weekly DX report updated: https://clublog.org/dxreport.html
2026-02-15 → 2026-03-02:
░░░░░░░▓░░░░░░░ FT8 47.7%
░░░▓░░░░░░░░░░░ CW 26.3%
░▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░ SSB 10.5%
▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ FT4 6.0%
▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ RTTY 5.7%
▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ MFSK 1.1%
▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ FT2 0.8%
▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ Other 1.9%
Introducing Atlas RF Studio: Toward a Foundation Model for Electromagnetics www.arenaphysica.com/publications/r… #hamradio
AM5N performance is fantastic when conditions allow!
Also, new moon!
M105 under a very clear sky that went rather damp around 1am. About 4 hours of stacking - a few extra galaxies here I'm hoping @kat-astro-bot.bsky.social will ID for me
Caldwell 38 Needle galaxy, plus its companions. This is about seven hours of data, taken fully automatically including all sorts of meridian flipping, focusing and recalibrating guiding all done while I was asleep. Helpful for a work day! @kat-astro-bot.bsky.social what do you see?
Colourfil
Ah, it's a shame the ICC colour profile has been stripped, as it looks flat. Here's the image mapped to sRGB...
Took my last chance to get a solid set of images of NGC2024 last night, as it was so amazingly clear. This beautiful patch of sky is more or less vanishing for spring, not to return for some time, so I'm glad I did 🤩 (126/f7, about 4 hours of subs)
2026-01-29 → 2026-02-13:
░░░░░░░░░▓░░░░░ FT8 61.0%
░░▓░░░░░░░░░░░░ CW 15.1%
░▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░ SSB 12.5%
░▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░ FT4 9.6%
▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ RTTY 1.0%
▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ Other 0.8%
1/2 Bluesky chums, particularly the IT geeky ones, I need your help. I have a number of military history databases on CDs or DVD ROMs which are protected with Securom, and require the disc to be in my optical drive to run.
I haven't - is that something you've tried? Planetary photos seem to be another big area people get into (very long focal lengths!)
Weekly DX report updated: https://clublog.org/dxreport.html
Markarian's Chain - ridiculous number of galaxies in a 1 degree patch of sky. I only spent 1 hour on this, so much more to do....what a spectacular region!
Changed from a DSLR (a good one! with good lenses!) to an astro camera, with hydrogen wavelength sensitivity and peltier cooling system. Then, switched to a telescope. But also learned how to drive PixInsight (32 bit linear images) and moved of Photoshop. Honestly many small parts + £ 🤨
@kat-astro-bot.bsky.social Please take a look
M42 on a 900mm refractor, ZWO cooled camera, guided mount
M42 taken on a 200mm f2.8 lens, Sony Alpha 7 with a basic tracking mount
Last year, I caught a glimpse of M42 (the Orion Nebula) and went down the rabbit hole of astronomy and astrophotography. It's been so much fun getting to a strong setup capable of gathering enough light to reveal the cosmos. Here's a then and now comparison in two images!
J51A is probably the most intense, most workable expedition there's been. Any mode, any band. Truly impressive!
Apricot tree in blossom
It's spring here, and the orchard is getting started. Here's my apricot tree (it is actually thriving in the UK, despite my fears it wouldn't enjoy the climate here). I think it has the best blossom of all the rosaceas 🤩
Club Log Most Wanted list updated: https://clublog.org/mostwanted.php
Good job just going for it! 👍 If you wanted to do this without a QRZ.com lookup for each call, I can give you the Club Log definitions and then you can do it all locally.
ZWO is a characterful company - they are definitely good at hardware but definitely not good at QA on software (forums feel fraught and bugs live for years)...Nothing else is remotely as accessible to newcomers though! Love/hate
This is a fascinating piece of the night sky to me. NGC2024 (Flame Nebula) plus the Horsehead nebula seen from near Cambridge, UK tonight. The scale of these objects really surprises me, though we can't see a trace by eye! 2 hours integrated, full moon though 🌕 @kat-astro-bot.bsky.social