70cm FT8

Hepburn was right! 70cm was good last evening with 51 stations spotted on 70cm FT8 RX. 

12 stations spotted my 2.5W FT8 to the 2m big-wheel omni antenna. 

Imagine what stations with big-beams and high power were doing!

Sunspots - Monday January 24th 2022

Solar flux is 94 and the SSN 22.  A=8 and K=0.

70cm QRP FT8 (Sunday)

At about 1435z, I turned my 70cm FT8 gear on. After a few minutes calling CQ with 2.5W  to the 2m big-wheel, I am now RX only. 5 stations have spotted my QRP  (to my amazement!) with the furthermost PA2M (311km). Nobody spotted on RX.

Stations spotting my 2.5W
to the 2m big-wheel antenna
on 70cm FT8 TX today

UPDATE 1542z:   8 stations spotted on 70cm FT8 RX with the furthermost GI6ATZ (479km) - the latter tropo or scatter? DLs also spotted.

UPDATE 1635z: 20 stations spotted with the furthermost DF2VJ (570km) in the Saar region.

UPDATE 1924z:  40 stations spotted on 70cm FT8 RX.

UPDATE 2030z:  46 stations have been spotted on RX. On 2.5W TX the furthermost report of me is by G4RRA (333km).

UPDATE 2200z:  51 stations spotted on 70cm FT8 RX with the furthermost DK5IR (686km).

8m and the ISM band?

The ISM band at 8m is 40.66 - 40.7MHz with an ERP limit of 10mW. Now, I am no expert and you need to convince yourself of the legal position, but I think anyone can operate at these frequencies as long as they accept interference and cause no interference.

These ISM frequencies are international allocations not really intended for radio communications. As I understand it, you can operate at these frequencies without a licence with any mode as long as you meet the ERP limits.

As far as I know, you could send callsigns. 10mW ERP is enough to span Europe in a good Es opening especially with FT8.

As I said, I do not know all the legal conditions and advise you to check carefully first. I know of one UK amateur that intends to TX with 10mW ERP CW as a beacon in the ISM band.

My NoV? Nothing at all received from OFCOM after 2 weeks of chasing apart from those computer generated replies saying they have received my query which is being replied to. But WHEN??? At this rate I shall be dead before I hear!

Oxburgh Hall, Norfolk, UK - NOT amateur radio

This is a moated house dating from the time of Elisabeth I. It was owned by the Bennington family, who were persecuted Catholics. There is priest hole where priests hid. 

It is today owned by the National Trust.

70cm FT8 promising?

According to the Hepburn Tropo Forecast, 70cm FT8 could be promising this evening. 

Rather than use the V2000 vertical, I may try with the horizontal 2m big-wheel antenna instead. Although the vertical V2000 is quite effective with scatter, the big-wheel is probably better with tropo. 

Snailwell - NOT amateur radio

This is a good name for this sleepy village, not far from Newmarket. 

There are very very few churches in this county with round towers. Nearby Norfolk has plenty.

2015 operating

The photo shows me operating in 2015. Since then, I have bought and sold an FT991A and bought a network radio and an IC-705 from ICOM. 

Wymondham, Norfolk - NOT amateur radio

This is a small town west of Norwich. In the 1800s, my wife's family moved to Sheffield from here at a time when agriculture was depressed and times were very hard. You can imagine the squalor they found up there. We go back to Wymondham most years. It is a delightful place about an hour from here. 

Next time, I suspect we'll go by train as I find driving hard these days.

Ultra simple 80m Transceiver

 

Just how simple can you make a transceiver that actually works? This is on my main website. I hope it gives you some ideas.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/80m-xbm80-2