12 Jun 2018
Roses - NOT amateur radio
Sunspots - Tuesday June 12th 2018
Solar flux is 69 today and the sunspot number remains 0. A=4 and K=2.
11 Jun 2018
How to lose friends? - NOT amateur radio
This beggars belief from "the leader of the free world". Toys, prams etc. come to mind. If China is dumping steel maybe, but the EU and Canada?
See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-44434558
See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-44434558
Even more simple VHF and up licence?
On Southgate News there is a report about the RSGB's thoughts on activity levels on VHF and UHF bands. Apparently activity levels have dropped badly in the UK and there is talk of an even simpler exam and licence to encourage activity. There is no doubt that the hobby is facing a future crisis as people get older, less active, and die.
Like many things, we seem to try "dumbing down" as the answer. The basic issue is radio is not the magic it was to many in the 1950s and 1960s. These days you only have to look at the magazines for sale in newsagents to see this. Sadly, there are far more gaming, PC and railway magazines with, if you are lucky, just a couple of radio magazines.
Certainly, many on 2m have switched to FT8. A casual tune across the bands would suggest low levels of activity. Some would argue much less wide bands would do.
See http://southgatearc.org/news/2018/june/could-a-new-entry-level-licence-boost-vhf-uhf-activity.htm#.Wx42tPZFzIU
Like many things, we seem to try "dumbing down" as the answer. The basic issue is radio is not the magic it was to many in the 1950s and 1960s. These days you only have to look at the magazines for sale in newsagents to see this. Sadly, there are far more gaming, PC and railway magazines with, if you are lucky, just a couple of radio magazines.
Certainly, many on 2m have switched to FT8. A casual tune across the bands would suggest low levels of activity. Some would argue much less wide bands would do.
See http://southgatearc.org/news/2018/june/could-a-new-entry-level-licence-boost-vhf-uhf-activity.htm#.Wx42tPZFzIU
6m FT8
So far, 18 stations in 2 countries spotted on 6m FT8 RX this morning with Es to Spain evident. A brief TX period (2.5W to my V2000 vertical omni antenna) brought spots from 6 G stations.
UPDATE 1125z: 30 stations in 4 countries so far on 6m FT8 RX.
UPDATE 1935z: Loads of Es stations again on 6m FT8 RX with best DX 4X4DK (3580km) who was a very strong 0dB S/N. This looks like E layer propagation, but is it double hop Es or something else?
UPDATE 1125z: 30 stations in 4 countries so far on 6m FT8 RX.
UPDATE 1935z: Loads of Es stations again on 6m FT8 RX with best DX 4X4DK (3580km) who was a very strong 0dB S/N. This looks like E layer propagation, but is it double hop Es or something else?
10m WSPR TX
Although my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon has been on since before breakfast, no spots today so far.
UPDATE 1930z: 113 10m spots today. 11 unique stations with best DX EA8BFK (2880km).
UPDATE 1930z: 113 10m spots today. 11 unique stations with best DX EA8BFK (2880km).
Sunspots - Monday June 11th 2018
Solar flux is 69 today and the sunspot number 0 still. A=4 and K=1.
Younger and thinner! - NOT amateur radio
DX spots map
If you want to see which bands are "open" to where then this site might be of interest. You can select bands, modes and continents.
See https://www.dxmaps.com/spots/mapg.php?Lan=E&Frec=50&ML=M&Map=NA&HF=N&DXC=ING2&GL=N
See https://www.dxmaps.com/spots/mapg.php?Lan=E&Frec=50&ML=M&Map=NA&HF=N&DXC=ING2&GL=N
10 Jun 2018
The great FT8 debate
Like Marmite (here in the UK) you either love it or hate it! I love FT8.
Reading Southgate News today I was pointed to Dom Smith's blog on the subject. My voice is poor these days so I find speech modes hard. I also like seeing what is coming through on a different PC in the house, whilst doing something else. Although I go on FT8 TX sometimes, I use RX mostly.
See http://www.domsmith.co.uk/blog/2018/06/09/the-great-ft8-debate/
UPDATE 1336z: There is little doubt that FT8 is controversial. Some see it as the end of amateur radio as we knew it: the end of casual chats, leisurely QSOs. They may be right. Certainly FT8 is not a chat mode. Fast(ish) formulaic QSOs yes, but these cannot be received by a casual SWL. On the other hand it has transformed operating for many allowing QSOs where these would not have happened in the past. Every time I go on 2m FT8, even when conditions are "flat" I seem to get spots from over 300km away despite running 2.5W to an omni antenna! Every time I spend a day on 2m RX I seem to spot stations very very far away. It certainly has transformed bands for many. Overall, I think FT8 is a good thing.
Reading Southgate News today I was pointed to Dom Smith's blog on the subject. My voice is poor these days so I find speech modes hard. I also like seeing what is coming through on a different PC in the house, whilst doing something else. Although I go on FT8 TX sometimes, I use RX mostly.
See http://www.domsmith.co.uk/blog/2018/06/09/the-great-ft8-debate/
UPDATE 1336z: There is little doubt that FT8 is controversial. Some see it as the end of amateur radio as we knew it: the end of casual chats, leisurely QSOs. They may be right. Certainly FT8 is not a chat mode. Fast(ish) formulaic QSOs yes, but these cannot be received by a casual SWL. On the other hand it has transformed operating for many allowing QSOs where these would not have happened in the past. Every time I go on 2m FT8, even when conditions are "flat" I seem to get spots from over 300km away despite running 2.5W to an omni antenna! Every time I spend a day on 2m RX I seem to spot stations very very far away. It certainly has transformed bands for many. Overall, I think FT8 is a good thing.
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