Trondra, Shetland - NOT amateur radio

This photo was posted on 365project today. It shows the island of Trondra in Shetland. 

137kHz QRSS tests 9 years ago

This was 9 years ago. 

Sunspots - January 25th 2022

 Solar flux is 95 and the SSN 26. A=4 and K=3. 

Lavenham - NOT amateur radio

Lavenham is a village about an hour from here. It is filled with timber framed houses and a grand church. 

It got rich when the wool trade was at its height many centuries ago. 

Globe 2018 - NOT amateur radio

 

This collection of photos dates from January 2018. I cannot recall the package I used. 

If you look carefully at the image when clicked, you will see it is of all the photos I took back then.

8m NoV with OFCOM

"Dear Customer,

We have received your submission and a member of the Licensing team will be processing it in due course. "

I have received this non-response so many times from OFCOM in the last 2 weeks that I could probably wallpaper a room with these. 

All I am asking is for a progress report. Is that really rocket science? The NoV application was submitted in October!

zzzzz

UPDATE 2022z:  Well I have at last had a response from a human being! Not a progress update, but at least I know someone is actually there! 

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!