8m disappointment

It is very disappointing that, in the UK, we have to pay to do research at 8m. In the USA, they appear to have stopped permits for 8m altogether!

In the past the RSGB would have "fought our corner" with OFCOM, who would probably have granted, on application, a very narrow, perhaps time limited, 8m amateur band by NoV for a dedicated few. Instead those of us that want to do genuine 8m propagation research have to pay!!

As sunspot numbers decline, such NoVs would have less value.

All this has left a very bad taste in my mouth. When my current (paid for!) 8m TX permit expires I have no intention of renewing it.

Self training and research??

8m permits in the USA?

If I am correct 8m TX permits in the USA are granted by the FCC.  With all the changes in the USA of late, I am wondering if 8m permits in the USA are more, or less, likely?  

In my view the FCC in the USA and OFCOM in the UK have been stupid over 8m.

8m experiments

In many ways I am extremely disappointed with the RSGB, OFCOM and the FCC for the very negative attitude to real propagation research at 8m. 

My experiment (which I had to pay for!) was to see what would be possible with really low ERP. With Es we know all of Europe would be in range, but around sunspot maximum the MUF might reach 8m, but not 6m.

What we have been dealt is a wall of reasons why radio amateurs cannot have even a very tiny 8m allocation.

I give up!!

8m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

For most of the afternoon I have been on 8m QRP FT8 with my FT817ND.

UPDATE 1745z:   No spots of me. I suspect I will get no 8m spots today. It would appear that my 8m ERP is just too low most of the time.

Local club talk, without talking

As mentioned before, tomorrow night (Friday) at 2000z, I am giving a talk on 8m at the Cambridge Radio Club. As my voice is poor, someone else is doing the speaking even though I prepared the slides and notes. We did this last year and it worked. I am sure if you are not a regular CDARC member you would be welcomed as a guest.

See https://www.cdarc.org.uk/ .

8m QRP FT8 (Monday)

My FT817ND to the low dipole was turned on at about 0915z on 40.680 MHz with a DF of about 1960Hz. 

UPDATE 1017z:  Spotted by a couple of stations in the Canary Is at about 3000km.

UPDATE 1458z:   7 stations have spotted me today on 8m FT8 with the furthermost ZR1ADI (9777km).

8m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

 My gear was turned on about 0730z . 

8m monitors earlier

UPDATE 1505z:  No spots yet. There are more people monitoring 8m FT8, although I think I miss out with just a few watts and a low dipole. I imagine if I had 20W to a Moxon beam I would be copied more easily and more widely.

UPDATE 1954z:   QRT.  Just one station spotted me today EI3KF (574km).

8m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

Once again, I am on 40.680 MHz FT8 with the FT817ND hoping for some spots.

UPDATE 1134z:  Just one spot by EA8RCP (3022km) of me so far today. I estimate about 2.5W to the low dipole.

UPDATE 1411z:  Now also spotted on 8m FT8 by EI4DQ (580km).

8m frustration?

Since I have been active on 8m (nearly 3 years now) I have tried again and again to get a tiny narrow digital only 8m amateur band in the UK. 

I was suggesting 5kHz, but even 3kHz would be enough to allow propagation research to proceed. In the past, just a Notice of Variation (NoV) would have been allocated, much as was done years ago when I started VLF tests.

Sadly, it would appear the RSGB and OFCOM just cannot be bothered: it is all too much hassle. Instead they are happy for people who want to do 8m research to pay up for doing so. In the USA the FCC seems equally blinkered. 

The most important things would have been found out around sunspot maximum. Sadly, it would seem self-training and propagation research no longer matter!  2000kHz of low VHF spectrum can be found for DTV work, yet just 3kHz can not be found.

After my 8m Trial and Innovation TX permit runs out, I do not intend to renew it.

RSGB membership? Why do I bother?

8m QRP FT8 TX (Monday)

My gear was turned on at about 1000z. 

UPDATE 1747z:  Spotted by EI4DQ (580km) in southern Eire.  This is the first 8m spot in several days. QRT.

8m activity level

It is fascinating to see how interest in 40.680MHz FT8 has increased. Whereas this was a band hardly monitored, quite a few stations are monitoring it nowadays. 

It is a great pity that so many PTTs cannot see fit to allocate a few kilohertz to the amateur service to allow genuine research to be progressed. Instead, many PTTs seem brain dead. 

The map shows the stations monitoring this afternoon. There are probably more as I don't think PSKreporter shows spotters unless they have recently received something or just come on.

8m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

Very shortly, I hope to go on 40.680MHz FT8.

UPDATE 1004z:  My 8m gear was turned on at about 1000z.

UPDATE 1638z: No spots.

8m QRP FT8 issues (Saturday)

Although everything was working on TX, the PC was seeing no audio despite the correct source being selected. It is probably finger trouble, but I have gone QRT for now.

8m licence free?

It is definitely worth checking what licence free options exist in your country to TX on 8m. These may be ISM, Part 15 or other. In many places you can legally TX on 8m without a licence. Definitely worth checking.

8m TX permit turned down in Canada

I despair. 

It would seem that many in PTTs across the planet are totally ignorant of why we want a permit to TX on 8m. Time and again I hear accounts of people applying for a licence to TX on 8m and being refused. It would seem that many in PTTs know absolutely nothing about RF or radio propagation!! All they are interested in is how much money will be generated.

Also, it is my view that PTTs will realise no money will ever be made from amateur radio (just hassle) and it will become a free-for-all with no PTT involvement.

It would seem they no longer know in PTTs what the words "experimentation" and "research" mean.

8m QRP FT8 (Monday)

My 8m QRP was turned on at about 1415z.

UPDATE 1838z: No spots. Now QRT.

8m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

 For a few hours I was on 8m QRP FT8 this afternoon, but nobody spotted me.

8m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

In a few moments I hope to go on 40.680 MHz FT8 QRP TX with my QMX+.

UPDATE 1629z:  Spotted by WW1L (4976km). First transatlantic spot of me on 8m QRP (2W) FT8 this month.

8m QRP FT8 TX (Friday)

 At 1315z I turned on my QMX+ on 8m FT8 TX. At 1320z, nobody had spotted me.

UPDATE 1610z: QRT on 8m FT8. No spots of me.

8m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

With my antenna PL259 mended I went back on 8m at about 1230z. 

UPDATE 1416z: No spots of me.