21 Feb 2018
Overnight on 630m WSPR RX
Last night I was on 630m WSPR RX. In all, 14 unique stations spotted, all European. Not brilliant.
10m WSPR TX
All day, I am on 10m WSPR TX (500mW). If I get any reports I will be pleasantly surprised. I am only on 10m as the antenna is free.
UPDATE 1412z: No spots so far. I rechecked the PC clock is sync'd to internet time.
UPDATE 1412z: No spots so far. I rechecked the PC clock is sync'd to internet time.
Sunspots - Wednesday February 21st 2018
Solar flux is 70 today and the sunspot number zero. A=5 and K=0.
20 Feb 2018
472kHz WSPR RX
This evening I am back on 472kHz WSPR RX using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. So far 10 unique spots with best DX EA5DOM (1525km).
UPDATE 2252z: Shack PC battery now charged, so PC on battery power for the night. 6 stations spotted at 2248z and 10 uniques in the last 8 minutes!
UPDATE 2252z: Shack PC battery now charged, so PC on battery power for the night. 6 stations spotted at 2248z and 10 uniques in the last 8 minutes!
Never give up! - NOT amateur radio
Then there was a hint of growth, so it was re-potted and brought inside the house. Every week it gets fed and watered. It is thriving now and there is even a bud. Another 2 weeks and it could, barring disasters, be in flower.
FT818 (the real one)
Some weeks ago we heard that the FT817 was to be replaced by the FT818 and that the new model had been tested by the FCC in the USA. Since then, I have heard nothing. I was hoping for some leaks about what it will be, but nothing so far. From the FCC report it looked nothing special, although I hope I am wrong.
As I have said many times, this product should have been brought to the market years ago on the way up to the last sunspot maximum. In my view not launching it then was a marketing disaster. If I was a Yaesu director heads would have rolled. Is their marketing department filled with kids or others who really don't know the market? No, this was total incompetence of the highest order. And that is said as a loyal Yaesu purchaser since the 1970s. I have owned the FT7, FT77, FT747 and many other Yeasu products over the years.
A lot hangs on the success of this. They now face serious competition from SDR products, plus they will have a harder job selling it on the way to the quietest solar conditions for years. It will have to have some truly knock-out features. If I was ICOM I think seriously about launching the QRP version of the IC7300 outside of Japan. This could make a serious dent in the market of the FT818. It could even kill Yaesu for good.
Would I buy one? If you'd asked me in 2012 the answer would probably have been "yes". In 2019? Probably not, unless it really is a killer product. I suspect a lot of people are of the same mind.
If you know any more details about the real FT818, please let me know.
As I have said many times, this product should have been brought to the market years ago on the way up to the last sunspot maximum. In my view not launching it then was a marketing disaster. If I was a Yaesu director heads would have rolled. Is their marketing department filled with kids or others who really don't know the market? No, this was total incompetence of the highest order. And that is said as a loyal Yaesu purchaser since the 1970s. I have owned the FT7, FT77, FT747 and many other Yeasu products over the years.
A lot hangs on the success of this. They now face serious competition from SDR products, plus they will have a harder job selling it on the way to the quietest solar conditions for years. It will have to have some truly knock-out features. If I was ICOM I think seriously about launching the QRP version of the IC7300 outside of Japan. This could make a serious dent in the market of the FT818. It could even kill Yaesu for good.
Would I buy one? If you'd asked me in 2012 the answer would probably have been "yes". In 2019? Probably not, unless it really is a killer product. I suspect a lot of people are of the same mind.
I fear for the future of Yaesu. For years it was a leader, whereas now it just follows. It almost seems they have lost their way. So, Yaesu may well be struggling. I cannot see the FT818 as the ubiquitous piece of kit the FT817 was, and still is. If I am wrong, so be it. For the sake of Yaesu I hope I am very wrong.
If you know any more details about the real FT818, please let me know.
Chinese transceivers
These are coming thick and fast now and I suspect the Japanese are very worried.
It may still be a few years before they are a really good match, but they are coming and at prices that will undercut the big Japanese companies by some way. Finally, the Japanese will have met their match.
Either the Japanese will leave the market altogether or they will design in Japan and make in China. Some will exit stage left, never to return, or some will decide on the latter course. My bets are on ICOM being the one company to adapt and survive. I am no expert though. Yaesu? Kenwood? We'll soon see.
One example is the Xiegu-108G which retails well below 500 Euros. Not bad for a 20W HF portable transceiver. It already has quite good reviews. Give the Chinese a couple of years and their products will be as good as any Japanese radio, but at much lower cost.
Most things you buy say "Made in China" whatever it is, simply because their labour costs and parts costs are so low. The best we can hope for is a price war (for survival) amongst the Japanese in the short-term. The writing is on the wall for them. Either they find some way to reduce their prices or bye bye.
5 years hence? Goodness only knows.
It may still be a few years before they are a really good match, but they are coming and at prices that will undercut the big Japanese companies by some way. Finally, the Japanese will have met their match.
Either the Japanese will leave the market altogether or they will design in Japan and make in China. Some will exit stage left, never to return, or some will decide on the latter course. My bets are on ICOM being the one company to adapt and survive. I am no expert though. Yaesu? Kenwood? We'll soon see.
One example is the Xiegu-108G which retails well below 500 Euros. Not bad for a 20W HF portable transceiver. It already has quite good reviews. Give the Chinese a couple of years and their products will be as good as any Japanese radio, but at much lower cost.
Most things you buy say "Made in China" whatever it is, simply because their labour costs and parts costs are so low. The best we can hope for is a price war (for survival) amongst the Japanese in the short-term. The writing is on the wall for them. Either they find some way to reduce their prices or bye bye.
5 years hence? Goodness only knows.
10m FT8 RX
Yet again, I am monitoring 10m FT8, but no spots as yet today. I have been active since 0720z.
UPDATE 1356z: No spots yet.
UPDATE 1910z: Just a couple of Gs spotted all day on 10m FT8. Dire. Switching to MF RX shortly.
UPDATE 1356z: No spots yet.
UPDATE 1910z: Just a couple of Gs spotted all day on 10m FT8. Dire. Switching to MF RX shortly.
Sunspots - Tuesday February 20th 2018
Solar flux is 70 today and the sunspot number 0. A=17 and K=1.
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