Sunspots - Monday February 27th 2023

 Solar flux is 159 and the 120. A=26 and K=6.

Breakfast 2022

 

This was breakfast a year ago. 

15m FT8 RX (Sunday)

As 10m seems to have stopped, I have QSYed to 15m FT8 RX.  So far, 135 stations have been spotted with most in North and South America. Still using the QDX transceiver. A very brief TX slot was spotted in the Canary Is..

UPDATE 2051z:  Now 15m FT8 seems to have stopped? 138 stations spotted.

8m beaconing without a licence?

 Some months ago, I had an email from OFCOM. The contents are shown here. It convinced me (although I am no legal expert) that beaconing in the 8m ISM band is perfectly legal without a licence as long as certain conditions are met. In the UK, this means 10mW ERP. Half this power at 8m has already spanned 5000km from Australia to the Cook Is on WSPR. With summer Es I am certain that such WSPR beacons in the UK would be copied in Europe. Microwatt 10m WSPR beacons have been copied in Europe from the UK.

This is what OFCOM said in an email:

"The use of licence-exempt apparatus is authorised under exemption regulations, with set emission powers and other criteria.  This is in order for it to be available to all users with minimal risk of disruption or interference.

 

The limits, including maximum power levels and whether airborne use is permitted, are set out in the UK Interface requirement IR2030.  If apparatus being used for testing meets the relevant technical criteria and complies with IR 2030, then a licence will not be necessary.   Please note that some frequency bands which may be licence-exempt in other countries, such as the USA, may not be so in the UK and only the frequency bands listed are eligible for the exemption of qualifying apparatus.

 

In some circumstances we may be able to authorise the test or development of non-compliant radio apparatus under an Innovation and Trial (I&T) licence.  However, this generally will be under conditions that are sufficiently remote, shielded or otherwise unlikely to affect other users.  I&T is not intended for the operational use of radio apparatus, such as for the monitoring / control / telemetry of other apparatus, where a licensed or exempt authorisation is already generally available.  Even if it were the radio apparatus itself that is under test or development (in excess of normally permitted limits) we should emphasise that, as describhe OFCOMed above, it will not be possible to grant an operational permission for its future deployment and use."

My interpretation is 10mW ERP is legal for beacons in the 8m UK ISM band without a licence as long as these conditions are met. This is not the Amateur Radio Service.  

Probably we are OK to experiment in other ISM bands as long as the OFCOM criteria are met. I did not ask this.

This loophole may be available at different power levels in other countries. If so, many more people could legally get on 8m in future.

The important bit is:

 "If apparatus being used for testing meets the relevant technical criteria and complies with IR 2030, then a licence will not be necessary."

10m FT8 (Sunday) with the QDX

Now my QDX transceiver has arrived, I am concentrating on 10m FT8 today. The antenna looks quite a good match to 17m and even on 20m it is not bad. I think the QDX puts out about 4W on 10m.

UPDATE 0943z:   55 spots on 10m FT8 RX and a couple of spots on TX (Ukraine and Canary Is).

UPDATE 1500z:  481 stations spotted today on 10m FT8 using the QDX transceiver. As I was out, I have not been on 10m FT8 TX for several hours.

10m QRP FT8 spots of me to 1600z using the QDX

UPDATE 1621z:  519 stations spotted and my QRP 10m FT8 TX has been spotted by 31 stations with 2 QSOs, although these were stations calling me. If I called others I am pretty sure more QSOs are definitly possible.  I guess it must be the time of year, but no North Americans spotted yet. The map clearly shows F2 skip. Still nothing yet from the USA.

UPDATE 1900z:  45 stations have spotted my 10m QRP FT8 and I have spotted 589 stations.

South Devon - NOT amateur radio

In my childhood and teenage years I lived in South Devon. The photo is near where I come from. We have a continuous record of our family history back to the mid 1500s in this part of Devon. 

VHF AM

When I first came on VHF, most activity was on AM. These days what phone activity exists is SSB or FM with AM quite rare. 

In some ways, this is a pity. AM gear used to be able to be picked up very cheaply and homemade AM gear can be very simple. I have to confess that I am rarely on AM these days, preferring FT8 as my voice is poor. I come on 2m and 70cm SSB for activity contests and once a week on a 2m FM net.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/vhf-am .

Dalham - NOT amateur radio

This village, not far from us, is filled with thatched cottages. One was on the blog recently. It is a good place for a walk. The church is some way from the village...next door to the manor house!

UPDATE 1537z: We went for a walk at Dalham earlier. Delightful.

Sunspots - Sunday February 26th 2023

 Solar flux is 152 and the SSN 129.  A=10 and K=2.

QDX on 10m

It has arrived and is tiny!! 

Stations that spotted my QDX
this afternoon on FT8

It has been tried out on 10m WSPR and FT8 and seems to work fine. I have already been spotted in the USA on FT8 and heaps of stations in the USA on WSPR.  Impressive!!

UPDATE 1850z:  18 stations have spotted me on 10m FT8 TX and 250 stations spotted me on 10m FT8 RX with the QDX.

Stations spotted on 20m FT8 RX
  this evening on the QDX

UPDATE 2208z: 101 stations spotted on 20m FT8 RX with the QDX on FT8.  QRT now.