144MHz FT8 tomorrow?

Most 2m FT8 activity is on 144.174MHz. As the Es season is drawing to a close now, I may move back to 2m FT8 using the big-wheel omni antenna.

Richard G3TFX suggested I compare the big-wheel horizontal omni with my V2000 omni vertical. There was little difference suggesting the most common propagation on 2m FT8 was by reflections off planes.

Of course some reception may be tropo, so I'll stick with the big-wheel. Mind you, if you only have a vertical stick on 2m then try it, as you may be very surprised. I was surprised that DX that I could rarely hear was commonplace on 2m FT8.

I may swap to 2m FT8 later so I catch the Perseids meteor shower peak during the night.

Heathkit lunchboxes

Really I have no idea why these rigs appealed to me so much. They had poor receivers with little selectivity. Although I coveted the 2m version for years, apart from the manual, I never owned one.

These days, they would struggle on VHF. Most activity is FM, not AM, and the selectivity would be a real handicap anyway.

What I think I liked was the form factor. There was something about that that appealed.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/lunchbox

The FT8 debate

There is a debate currently about the merits (or otherwise) of new digital modes like FT8. The amateur radio population is aging alarmingly: in a few years' time most amateurs will be very old and, unless we attract younger people, our hobby will just die out.

In just the same way high streets are changing, there will be fewer new rigs, fewer radio magazines and fewer rallies. And that is just for starters. 20 years from now what will our hobby look like?

It appears that FT8 is overtaking SSB as the main mode on HF. Unless you have specialised software, you will not "chance on" casual amateurs as we "old timers" did. This is how I first found amateur radio. These days I am unsure how young people find us.

Personally, I love WSPR and FT8, but I can see that these and similar modes could adversely impact newcomers entering our hobby. I wish I had the magic bullet. Clearly what attracts people today is very different from what attracted me all those years ago.

Hidden disabilities - NOT amateur radio

This has been mentioned here before, but I make no apologies.

Like several people, outwardly I look well (with a healthy tan) yet hidden from view is that I feel giddy on my feet and exhausted much of the time. My life is a near continuous fog. Many things that were once easy are not any more.  Even after a good sleep, I awake exhausted.

Many have hidden disabilities, which are not at all obvious. My only plea is don't judge a book by its cover. If someone feels bad inside, they probably are. A very few may fake things, but most will be genuine.

Speaking personally, I have been like this for almost 5 years now. I am not after sympathy: we have to make the best we can of what we have. All I am after, on behalf of everyone with a hidden disability, is a little understanding.

6m FT8 RX

Since breakfast, I have been monitoring 6m FT8 RX. There appears to be quite a bit of Es in evidence with quite a few southern EU stations being spotted

UPDATE 1352z: 18 countries spotted on 6m FT8 so far today. All EU. Too many stations to count!

UPDATE 1545z: A pretty decent Es day on 6m FT8. These are the spots on 6m FT8 RX in the last 6 hours.

10m WSPR TX (500mW)

In the end I decided to TX on 10m WSPR today. So far, the only spot is by EA8BFK (2880km) in the Canary Islands, This could be Es.

UPDATE 1549z: No further 10m WSPR spots all day today. Unless 10m is well open I struggle on 10m WSPR. FT8 is usually far more productive. Tomorrow I am tempted to go back on 2m FT8.

UPDATE 1712z: A couple of 10m WSPR spots from OY1OF (1164km) in the Faroe Islands.

Sunspots - Saturday August 11th 2018

Solar flux is 69 today and the SSN zero. A=4 and K=2.

QRT

At around 2000z I decided to go QRT and disconnect antenna, PC and PSU. Although there were no signs of storms, I had spotted very little since teatime.  Overnight storms are unlikely, but I shall stay "disconnected" until the morning. At this moment I am unsure whether I go on 10m or 6m.

Broadcasting on shortwave

Like many in my generation, I came to amateur radio via shortwave broadcasters. As a young teenager I enjoyed getting QSL cards from broadcast stations around the world. In those days there were a great many broadcasters and many of these were in English. Not so today! Many broadcasters have left shortwave and opted instead for internet streaming as this is clearer and easier. It is probably cheaper too as big transmitters and antennas don't need to be maintained. 

Many of the shortwave stations transmitted propaganda, not that most of us cared. Certainly all many of us wanted was that QSL card. If they were proud of their tractor factory output, we could not have cared less!

I hear today via Southgate News that All India Radio may close its external shortwave service. Years ago this was one of the stations I heard direct from India on a crystal set here in the UK. Times are changing.

If you want to take a nostalgic listen to those interval signals, you can. I know this has appeared on this blog before, but it is fun!

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/interval

Storms

At the moment I still have my 10m antenna (looking on 10m FT8 RX) connected as the storms seem to be avoiding us. I always keep an eye out and check the storm maps often.

See https://www.lightningmaps.org

See https://www.lightningmaps.org/#m=oss;t=2;s=200;o=0;b=0.00;ts=0;z=9;y=52.1402;x=0.2554;d=2;dl=2;dc=0;