Quite a few people have been concerned by recent letters from OFCOM about changes to our licences in the future to ensure we do not put members of the public in danger.
With QRP this is very unlikely, but with high power and beams you may be required to prove this if you were ever investigated.
There are several calculators available to help work this out e.g. on the OFCOM and RSGB websites. I see Steve G1KQH has found another, the link of which is on his blog.
Remember that all the power is provided by the TX station (no batteries, no solar cells etc.), so people struggle to get the strongest signals with decent selectivity.
Amateur DX is possible, and on 80m I have copied SSB signals at some distance. Of course, this was just envelope detection and I had to use other means to ID the station with certainty. On bands like 10m, it should be possible, at times, to copy DX stations, especially with Es on a crystal set. Signals need to be in the low mVs to be received.
In the days when AM was common on 160m I have copied stations at some distance on a crystal set. Patience is required. People regularly copy 80m AM nets in the USA.
See https://crystalradio.net/crystalplans/index.shtml
See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/crystalset. As this page is quite old, some of the links may not work. At some point I really must check and delete any that no longer work.
Remember that old pages, now closed, can often be found on the Wayback Machine.
Southgate News has some interesting links to some recording made in 1933 on aluminium disks of AM broadcasters. Of great historic interest.
See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2021/march/dxing-in-england-1933.htm#.YE3QayuTLrc
When you can't have normal, you realise how important this was. We haven't been in to Cambridge since last summer! We used to go every week.
We are about to enter the Es season in the Northern Hemisphere. Many are wondering about special permits for spot frequencies at 8m. There are a few countries with access but more would be good.
At about 1000z, I turned on my 17m FT8 gear with 2.5W and the tiny indoor loop. It is 1016z and so far 5 stations have already spotted me on TX and I have spotted 34 stations already on 17m FT8 RX including South America - PY1KS (9366km).
UPDATE 1024z: 50 stations spotted on RX.
UPDATE 1530z: 312 stations spotted on RX and 16 stations have spotted my QRP on TX.
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| Stations spotting my QRP TX today |
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| Stations spotted on RX today |
This weekend there is a virtual expo. There are lots of presentations that might be of interest to you.
The photo shows one spot where they are out.
At 1135z, I turned on 17m FT8 QRP with 2.5W and the tiny indoor loop antenna. So far today (after 5 minutes only) 15 stations spotted on RX, but nobody has spotted my QRP on TX.
UPDATE 1252z: 75 stations in 4 continents spotted on RX. 3 stations have spotted my QRP on TX with the furthermost UW5ZM (2317km).
Surprisingly, these have been pretty effective: not as good as chatting in person over a real meal, but better than nothing. Zoom allows everyone to see and hear everyone.
We even had a deaf member last night. Lipreading with Zoom was a challenge and a lot of use was made of the typed "chat" feature!
Southgate News has some feedback on a Freedom of Information request made to OFCOM asking for data on the age of radio amateurs. As no age records need to be kept now, the released data is only partial.
I think it is fair to say that many (most?) UK radio amateurs are old. It is also well known that most are men.
Recently, our local church has lost several members who have either died or moved away. What will amateur radio look like in 20 years' time?
At some point I would like to get on 4m again. With a few watts and a halo antenna much of Europe should be workable in Es openings.
Although in the UK OFCOM is consulting, it is likely that it will make safeguarding the public from harmful EMF a condition of our licence.
What this means is that if were ever investigated, we may have to prove we are safeguarding the public.
With very low power, this is very unlikely to be a problem. However, with full legal limits and big beams this could be a problem, although antenna height may well help. There are spreadsheets on the RSGB and OFCOM websites to help. Many are awaiting the final rules.
The bottom line will be that if you cannot show proof e.g. a printed out spreadsheet with results for your station, you could be closed down. Forearmed is forewarned.
See the OFCOM website for more details.
Since trials were carried out some months ago, it has gone very quiet on this. Putting swabs up noses and down throats can be distressing for some. Just spitting down a tube would be far easier, and quicker.
I am also puzzled that vitamin D and zinc supplements are not ever mentioned. Vitamin D supplements are very low cost and have strong evidence of effectiveness. I have never, ever, heard vitamin D supplements mentioned ever. Why not? If this is a "quick win" why are we not encouraged to take these? I know of several friends who are taking these.
Recent QRP FT8 operations on 2m and 70cm have got me thinking. On the face of it, aircraft and tropo scatter might actually be better on 70cm than 2m.
Certainly for aircraft scatter, the smaller wavelength at 70cm might mean better scattering. I am no expert and may well be wrong. By my argument 23cm might be better still!
Certainly, path losses would be higher on 70cm, but antenna gain at each end can be easier as you go up in frequency.
What are your views?
As an experiment, I am on 2.5W FT8 on 2m, but using the V2000 vertical antenna instead of the big-wheel horizontal. This will mean weaker reports locally as most stations will be horizontally polarised, but I would expect less difference on more distant stations spotting me. Indeed, I am weaker on the grabber at G0LRD.
So far, at 1032z, I have been spotted by 6 stations on TX with the furthermost G4TRA (185km). 2 stations spotted on RX.
UPDATE 1115z: 5 stations spotted on 2m FT8 RX with the furthermost being G4BNM (222km).
UPDATE 1312z: I am puzzled. Although I have been spotted by 6 stations on QRP TX, I have spotted 16 stations on 2m FT8 RX with the furthermost PE1KWE (307km), which is far more stations than normal. It is almost as if vertical is better!
UPDATE 1358z: 20 stations spotted on 2m FT8 RX with the furthermost GI6ATZ (479km).
UPDATE 1458z: 27 stations spotted on RX and 8 stations have spotted my QRP on TX. 2 QSOs.
UPDATE 1916z: 35 stations spotted on RX. 14 stations have spotted my QRP mostly at "tropo" ranges rather than aircraft scatter or troposcatter.
UPDATE 2222z. QRT now. 38 stations spotted on RX.
Every few weeks I look at the web SDR at Goonhilly in Cornwall to assess the activity level on the narrowband transponder of this geosynchronous satellite. My latest look was just after lunchtime in Europe. My "peek" suggests activity levels are still low even after 2 years.
I guess getting a signal though this geosynchronous satellite is too hard for most "black box" operators. Even if someone sold a special Oscar 100 transceiver they would still have to point the dish, which would be too hard!
I believe BATC is also streaming TV activity through Oscar 100, but I have not yet looked.
One ancestor is believed to have fought at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. More recently her ancestors have been shopkeepers and run a banana warehouse in Sheffield. Doing a book is a good idea both for her and generations to come so these memories are captured.
The restored photo probably dates from the late 1800s or early 1900s.
Just did a quick test and the VSWR with the FT817ND and big-wheel was high, so I have connected the V2000 vertical up instead. Now on 70cm FT8 with 2.5W and the V2000 vertical.
I intend to use this from 1700z this evening with a short break for the CDARC net on 145.55MHz FM at 2000z. I may try the latter on 2m FM with the FT817ND to see how it performs (I did).
UPDATE 1647z: No spots. I guess my chance of any spots on 70cm FT8 is low until 1700z as there will be few on at the best of times. My own view is that DX via troposcatter or aircraft reflection might be better on 70cm than on 2m. For this we need activity.
UPDATE 1938z: 11 stations spotted so far with the furthermost PD1JFB (306km). 2 QSOs so far on 70cm QRP FT8.
OFCOM has announced that the auctions of spectrum at 700MHz and 3.6GHz start this week. See the OFCOM website for more details.
If you have a few billions spare........
Ron PA2RF has reminded me there is a 70cm FT8 activity contest this evening. I shall definitely be on RX with the 2m big-wheel and may be on TX with 2.5W. The contest starts at 1700z and exchanges are just reports and Maidenhead locators. We are asked not to use the FT8 contest mode!
I have no idea about FT8 usage on 70cm on normal days.
On 70cms the main FT8 frequency is 432.174MHz in Europe.
See https://www.ft8activity.eu/index.php/en/
See https://rsgb.org/main/operating/band-plans/vhf-uhf/432mhz-band/
At about 2040z, I decided to go on 2m FT8 QRP with 2.5W and the big-wheel omni antenna. So far, 10 stations have spotted my QRP and I have spotted 3 stations on RX so far.
UPDATE 2300z : Now QRT. 1 QSO this evening.
With 10W and my 2m big-wheel omni antenna I entered the 70cm activity contest organised by the RSGB. I was only on for 30 minutes before I had to stop because of my poor voice. I made just 3 QSOs with the furthermost G4CLA (105km). I work him most times. With a beam and stopping on longer, I could work far more.
Not many can say they have a golf course in their back garden!
