2m FT8 (1W)

A few moments ago I QSYed from 6m to 2m FT8, using 1W from the FT817ND into the big-wheel omni. My signal is still between +7 and +9dB S/N on the grabber at G0LRD. So far, 9 spots with the best being by GI6ATZ (479km).

It is amazing how well 1W to the big-wheel omni does on FT8.

Clearly I am having no issues with DIG on the FT817ND on 2m.

UPDATE 1340z: 7 stations spotted so far on 2m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1428z:  13 stations in 3 countries have spotted me so far today on 2m FT8 TX with 1W. On 2m FT8 RX  still 7 stations spotted.

Stations spotting my
2m FT8 1W to 1916z

UPDATE 1916z:  18 stations have spotted my 2m FT8 1W to the big-wheel omni today. Amazing.

60m and WRC15

I rarely use the 60m band.

WRC15 (5 years ago!) allocated a 15kHz band at 60m to radio amateurs on a secondary basis. Some countries have allocated this, but as far as I know the UK has not.  The WRC allocation is low power and the argument is the UK allocations are more generous and partly cover the WRC band. Personally, I would prefer a harmonised band at lower power to the split UK allocations which I find confusing.

See https://rsgb.org/main/operating/band-plans/hf/5mhz/

Buying new radios

When I buy radios, they usually last me for many years. Last year I bought an FT991A, which is a great radio from Yaesu, even though I usually run it at only 10W. With a suitable PSU, it can run 100W.

As a QRP man, I am quite tempted by the new IC-705 which covers all HF, 6m, 2m and 70cm, but am put off by the high price here in the UK. It also supports D-STAR, Bluetooth and wi-fi. It also has its own battery and GPS. Nice radio, but a shame about the price!

At one time it was meant to include 4m, but this has been dropped. It is not clear if this will be available in a later firmware upgrade. An auto ATU has never been offered.

I don't think it will be available in the UK until later in the year. It has just gone on sale in Japan.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/new

6m FT8 RX

At the moment, I am concentrating on 6m FT8 RX with the V2000 vertical omni.  So far, mostly EU stations spotted plus 4Z5AV (3633km).

UPDATE 0958z:   186 stations spotted so far this morning on 6m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1245z:  365 6m FT8 stations spotted so far today on RX. Although I get full power on FM, for some reason there is no output on DIG with the FT817ND. On the FT991A all is fine. It worked fine before. I suspect finger trouble, so I shall again later.

UPDATE 1635z: Mystery solved! It appears the FT817ND produces no output above 2.4kHz audio (this may be 2.7kHz) whereas the FT991A produces output to audio frequencies to almost 3kHz. When I set the audio to a much lower frequency it produced plenty of output on 6m.  I found this be accident.

10m WSPR beacon

As usual, I have turned on the 500mW 10m WSPR beacon with the indoor loop antenna. Amazingly, already a spot from Switzerland.

UPDATE 0934z: Already spots received from 5 different stations across Europe.

UPDATE 1935z: 11 unique stations have spotted me today on 10m WSPR.

VERY old photo - NOT amateur radio

This photo first appeared on my blog in 2010. It shows a man who is supposed to have been been born in 1746!

If correct, this must be one of the earliest photos of a human being ever. This is well before the French Revolution, when the USA colonies were still "owned"  by Great Britain and more than a century before the American Civil War.

I have no idea where this first appeared. As I recall, the first photos were taken in the late 1830s or early 1840s.

Sunspots - Saturday June 27th 2020

Solar flux is 68 and the SSN 0. A=6 and K=1.

2m FT8

At about 1235z I turned on 2m FT8. I am using 10W to the big-wheel omni antenna. So far, 8 stations have spotted me and no others have been spotted. A local, G0LRD has a very useful 2m FT8 screen grab so locals can check their signals.

See http://82.71.9.63:8080/cap/

UPDATE 1352z:   21 stations in 5 countries have spotted me already on 2m FT8 TX.  Not a single yet spotted on RX, despite my noise floor being vert low. No QSOs. Best spot was GI4SNA (491km) in N.Ireland. These sort of ranges seem always possible even though I only use 10W and the big wheel omni.

UPDATE 1548z:  QRT - thunder all around.

6m FT8

At 1130z my 6m FT8 gear was turned on.

UPDATE 1229z:  8 stations have spotted my 10W to the V2000 vertical omni.

10m WSPR TX

At about 1130z the 500mW 10m WSPR beacon was turned on dodging the thunder risk. It should be OK for the next hour or so.

UPDATE 1550z:  QRT thunder risk.