Michael G7VJR

@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

A bit too soon. I added FT2 support, though. It'll be in the next ADIF spec, I assume- likely to take off

2026-01-15 → 2026-01-30:
░░░░░░░▓░░░░░░░ FT8 52.5%
░░▓░░░░░░░░░░░░ CW 19.8%
░░▓░░░░░░░░░░░░ SSB 16.2%
░▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░ FT4 9.8%
▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ RTTY 0.8%
▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ Other 0.9%

This is tremendously sad news. Lada was a beacon station and you were all-but guaranteed to work him, anywhere you cared to travel and transmit. I am so saddened by this loss. Farewell OM, thank you for all the QSOs and your support. 🙏

The amateur radio community has lost a great DXer from the Czech Republic — the legendary Lada OK2PAY. Rest in Peace 🕊️

Barnard's Loop and more - a 'look up' Milky Way taken looking straight up, so no horizon lights creeping in.

Superbly clear skies on Tenerife last night

Beautiful new moon!

Fun day out on the KTM 890 - not a bike I would usually consider but it is nimble around the hairpins of Tenerife!

Will see how we fare! Looks so stunning and clear, day time reccie was promising

Seriously inspiring science! Looking forward to seeing the night sky tonight. Tenerife

2026-01-01 → 2026-01-16:
░░░░░░░░▓░░░░░░ FT8 53.5%
░░▓░░░░░░░░░░░░ CW 14.8%
░▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░ SSB 12.8%
░▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░ FT4 12.3%
▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ RTTY 5.3%
▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ Other 1.3%

Amazing! Thanks for sharing your knowledge and methods, what a journey

we need to talk about that Ring Super Bowl ad

The level of damp and cloud cover is so bad, I had to use Jupiter as a star...desperate stuff!

Making progress on the astro stuff. I have managed to do an all-sky polar alignment (i.e. looking south from my garden, very convenient as Polaris is blocked by trees). Also, got the guiding down to < 1 arc second. Now, about the weather...

The 16-bit QHY looks good. Having 14EV of dynamic range levels the playing field, I imagine! Hope all your kit comes back 100% sorted.

Wow, what a huge hassle. Are the ZWO cameras notably unreliable? Asking as I am thinking about it as the DSLR limits me a bit. Sorry you had such hassles.

I would agree, it's on the receiving end almost always. Good luck!

No, nothing I am aware of. Sometimes PayPal blocks OQRS owners' accounts pending verification, and displays an error to you. This is not from Club Log though

2025-12-18 → 2026-01-02:
░░░░░░░░░▓░░░░░ FT8 65.5%
░▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░ CW 12.8%
░▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░ SSB 10.5%
░▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░ FT4 8.4%
▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ RTTY 1.6%
▓░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ Other 1.2%

Weekly DX report updated: https://clublog.org/dxreport.html

Yes indeed - I had absolutely no idea this was such a spectacle. I feel a little overwhelmed by the night sky now I've started to take note! Learning as quickly as the weather permits, hi ;-)