70cm FT8 activity contest

It never fails to amaze me how far I can copy stations on 70cm FT8 RX. Last night was the UKAC FT8 activity contest and 30 stations in 7 countries were spotted despite me having just a 2m big-wheel omni antenna! See map. 

70cm activity contest (September)

Every month I try to go on the 70cm activity contest with 10W SSB to my 2m big-wheel omni. 

It is hard work with my voice, power and antenna, so I do not stop on for long. 

I am always surprised how well I get on. Last evening I managed 5 QSOs whereas last week in the 2m contest I only managed 2 QSOs! Some must have very good ears!

The map shows the QSOs managed.

70cm activity contest

My single 70cm SSB contact

To say I am under-equipped for 70cm SSB is a gross understatement! I use 10W to a 144MHz omni big-wheel antenna. I have a very poor voice as well, which does not help. 

Usually I manage a few contacts and give up after about 30 minutes. This time I gave up after a single contact. I get the impression SSB activity is going down. I may be totally wrong. It is a shouting match that I find hard these days. 

FT8 amazes me as I consistently spot stations at vast distances and have no trouble being received at distances I only dream about on SSB.

70cm activity contest

Last evening I went on the 70cm activity contest with 10W to the 2m big-wheel omni antenna. 

Because of the football, I was on later than usual and then only a short while. 4 stations were worked. 

Good fun in the football hydration break!!

70cm activity contest

Last evening was the 70cm UKAC activity contest organised by the RSGB. I was only running 10W to my 144MHz big-wheel omni antenna. Just a couple of stations were worked. 

The impression I had was that activity was down. Perhaps people were on 6m enjoying the Es?

70cm FT8 activity contest

Stations spotting me on 70cm FT8 this evening

It never fails to amaze me how well 10W FT8 and a 144MHz big-wheel omni does on 70cm . Tonight was the 70cm FT8 activity contest. Every contest I seem to be copied in continental Europe and was spotted at considerable range within the UK. See map.

I was only on about 10 minutes.

70cm activity contest yesterday

 Last night was the May leg of the UKAC activity contest.With my poor voice, 10W and 144MHz big-wheel omni antenna it’s hard work, so I don’t stay on long. Just 2 stations worked.

70cm modules

For a very long time I have held the view that these inexpensive modules could form the basis of a 70cm transceiver. Indeed somebody may have already done so. If my fine motor skills were up to it (they’re NOT anymore sadly), I would have done so. Even as they are, they could make useful local communicators with an external antenna.

There is a wide choice of modules available via Amazon.

If you know of any work published on the internet please let me know.

70cm FT8 (Thursday)

It never fails to amaze me how good 70cm FT8 is. Last evening was the 70cm activity contest. After having a couple of contacts (10W to a 144MHz big-wheel omni antenna) I was RX only .  

It never fails to amaze me how far away some stations were. Even my low ERP was spotted at 327km!! The map shows the stations spotted here.

70cm activity contest

Just now (belatedly) I submitted my entry for the 70cm activity contest. 

Because of my poor voice and rubbish set-up (10W and a 2m big-wheel omni antenna) I do not stop on very long. 

If I had stopped longer I would have worked far more than the 2 shown on the map. Usually I work over 100km.

70cm in the early days

This transverter has been on before, but we forget just how much things have changed in 50 years. I built a version of it to get me active on 70cm. It produced about 100mW AM.   It was used with either a 4el or 8el beam made from PCB material.  Best DX was 160km.

Back then 70cm was almost a frontier band with little commercial gear, so if you wanted something you probably had to build it rather than buy it. Most people (like me!) were fixed on a crystal frequency and people tuned across the band to get a contact. In those days, activity was higher , so you had a much better chance of a QSO. Most contacts were AM.  

70cm SSB? Never heard of it back then!

70cm activity contest

Once a month I go on the 70cm activity contest (UKAC) organised by the RSGB. 

Because of my poor voice I usually stay on for only the first 30 minutes.

I only use 10W pep and a 144MHz big-wheel omni. Despite these limitations I still manage to work over 100km away most times. No doubt the antenna at the other end helps!

70cm FT8 activity contest (Wednesday)

This evening is the 70cm FT8 activity contest organised by the RSGB. I think the contest in Europe starts earlier.

UPDATE 1813z: Already spotted 8 stations with the furthest PA2WDR (280km). My antenna is just the 144MHz big-wheel omni.

UPDATE  1946z:  29 stations spotted with the most distant EI8KD (518km). See map,

UPDATE 2047z: 9 stations spotted my 10W 70cm FT8 with the furthest PI4VPO (337km). Not bad for a 144MHz omni antenna!

2m and 70cm antenna

Many years ago a local amateur G0LRD very kindly erected my big-wheel omni antenna which I use on 70cm SSB/FT8 and 2m SSB/FT8. Although a 2m antenna it seems to work really well on 70cm although I have no idea about polar plot on 70cm,

The big-wheel is a horizontally polarised antenna with some gain. It is an array of half-waves, suitably matched.

It is ideal for this and regularly gets a long way even with my QRP.

70cm activity contest last Tuesday

Every second Tuesday in the month I go (briefly) on 70cm SSB with 10W and my 2m omni antenna in the UKAC activity contest. Usually I work a few stations then stop because of my poor voice. Last Tuesday I worked 7 stations including one in Wales. See map.

70cm FT8 (Wednesday)

This evening is the FT8 activity contest (UKAC) on 70cm organised by the RSGB. The frequency used in Europe is 432.174MHz. 

Later I shall try TX with 5W although at the moment I am RX only. My antenna is my 144MHz big-wheel omni.

UPDATE 1528z:  Already, well before the contest, my signal has reached France, the   Netherlands, N.Ireland, Cornwall and northern England despite 5W and a 2m omni antenna! Currently gone back to RX only.

UPDATE 1620z: No RSGB 70cm UKAC contest this evening. I was wrong!

70cm UKAC last evening

Last night was the 70cm activity contest organised by the RSGB. 

I can only run 10W to a 144MHz big-wheel omni antenna, but I still worked as far as Wales. 

There was a station in N.Ireland, but I could not stay on long enough to work him because of my poor voice. 

In all, 7 stations were worked in about 45 minutes before I stopped.

70cm 5W FT8 (Sunday)

After lunch I may try 70cm FT8 with my 2m big-wheel omni antenna. In contests I usually spot plenty of stations in the Netherlands, but I don't recall trying 70cm FT8 at other times. I guess my problems will be (1) distance, (2)  lack of monitors, (3) power and antenna.

My theory is some quite remarkable distances are being spanned by some sort of scatter.

UPDATE 1115z:  Turned on.

UPDATE 1215z:   No spots. QRT. on 70cm. Moving to 10m FT8.

More 70cm FT8

 As mentioned yesterday, 70cm never fails a surprise me. It is like a switch being turned on when there is a contest with the band coming alive. 

With 10W SSB I consistently work over 100km despite just using my 2m big-wheel omni antenna and on 70cm FT8 RX the same antenna enables me to receive stations at great distances irrespective of conditions.

Last night in the FT8 UKAC stations right across Western Europe were copied on 70cm FT8 RX again. 

Stations spotted on 70cm FT8 last evening 

As mentioned before, it does not seem to depend on conditions and is almost like some kind of scatter mode. As it happens at almost any time, I do not think it is aircraft.

“Times they are a changing".  

Years ago people went on 70cm FM simplex just for a chat!! These days most people only come on for contests.

70cm FT8 activity contest (UKAC) - Wednesday

Mostly I go on RX, maybe also on TX giving a few points away. 

It never fails to amaze me how far away I can copy stations with just my 144 MHz big-wheel omni antenna. The RSGB contest has not even started yet I have already spotted stations in the Netherlands and France out to 347km on 70cm. Also spotted the Isle of Man and DK1VC (503km) in Germany.

I have often wondered if I can receive that far by some kind of scatter.