10m Antenna Effectiveness

One of my hobbies is amateur radio.

Comparing my 10m (28MHz) signals with those of others, I suspect my antenna may be down in effectiveness compared with better optimised systems. My 2W is equivalent to 200mW from the better equipped stations. When fitter (my darn stroke) I may try changing the 10m antenna for something better. A vertical 1/2 wave would be less directional on transmit but might be noisier on receive.

At the present time, my poor state of health is preventing me doing too much outdoors. For example, climbing a ladder  is quite out of the question, so I have to live with the antennas I have.

Bored with routine (stroke)

I am tied to my liquid feed for 7.25hrs a day: food fed directly into my stomach through what they call a peg feed. Luckily I can disconnect this if we go out for a walk but I am in my chair most of the day.  Although I now also eat food and drinks by mouth, these don't always go down too well. I am still trying to work out what affects this. Breakfast Weetabix and banana are the best and easiest to eat, maybe because I am less tired?

To be honest, my stroke is getting me down: same routine, still unable to be free of the peg feed and still feeling so giddy and exhausted after the smallest amount of physical exertion - it gets me down. I battle on in the hope of better times ahead.

Normality seems a distant dream: I long to do the things I used to do and to be able to eat and drink as I was once able to.

Crimea - Russian?

The West's attitude on Crimea is puzzling.

Until 1954 it WAS part of Russia until the then Russian leader "gave"  it to Ukraine, then part of the USSR. Since then it has had special status, is filled with mainly Russian speakers, and  is home to the Russian Mediterranean fleet.  In many ways it still seems like part of mother Russia.

Why not let Crimea rejoin Russia if that is what its people want?

The case of mainly eastern Ukrainian states is more difficult, but I feel even these should go to Russia if its occupants want this. A western looking Ukraine, mainly Ukrainian speaking, may well be smaller than the nation is currently.

The Ukraine should NOT be an excuse for a new Cold War or even WW3. We sleep-walked into WW1 remember. The Russians are being portrayed as the bullies here and this is not the full truth.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukraine .

Some Ukrainians have long memories of Soviet domination and starvation back in the bad days of the 1920's. It is easy to see why Ukraine has little trust in Russia today.  Russia needs to act in a statesman like way here and not be seen as a big, ignorant bully.

Mercury - planet

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_%28planet%29 .

According to the latest NASA mission Mercury is shrinking as it continues to cool. There are active chemicals on the surface and ice in craters at the poles.Altogether,this planet nearest our sun, is more interesting than once thought.

Pauline's Swamp - Burwell

Pauline's  Swamp - Burwell

This afternoon the March weather was glorious with temperature approaching 18 deg C.  For the first time we visited Pauline's Swamp, a small nature reserve off Reach Road that is maintained and owned by the local Parish Council.  There are clearly lots of wild flowers there and, right now, plenty of clumps of daffodils. Altogether it was a nice find. We will go there again. It was rather obscure and not easy to find. The entrance is about 100m further down Reach Road (on the left) after the fire station.

See http://www.torrens.org.uk/NatHist/PAWL/Burwell/swamp.html .

Stroke recovery pattern

My all too slow recovery from my brain bleed (stroke) continues but I seem to have a pattern: some days go well and I think I am getting better then this is followed by a lousy day when the food and drink don't go down and my body is just a tired and wobbly mess.

Today was one of those "off" days and I also felt tired most of the day, a tiredness that cuts one to the very core - more like M.E. than just any old tiredness. The trouble is it gets my wife down too, but it is SO hard to smile and be cheerful when inside I feel so very ill with nausea, and poor balance - I feel like I've just had 8 pints of beer whenever I stand and the smallest physical task exhausts me.

Let us hope the rest of the week is much better.

Weather - odd

Weather is a funny business: this winter in the UK has been the wettest on record with several places badly impacted by flooding. Here we have had no floods, no snow and only a couple of mild frosts. In the last few winters we have managed a few weeks of snow and several quite heavy frosts.

At the moment, snowdrops are now dying off,daffodils are fully out and even oilseed rape is starting to flower,which is 4-6 weeks early.

In the USA, it has been extremely cold - all because of a shift in the jet stream.  It is probably too soon to say if this is all down to climate change, although I suspect it is. Our climate IS changing but the jury is out on whether this is Man's doing or natural variations.

Opinions?