Later, I intend to go on 8m QRP FT8. As yet, I have not seen any Es. This is late.
8 May 2023
Wisdom - NOT amateur radio
Back in the 1960s, I was invited by a friend to a Billy Graham crusade, that was televised to a cinema in Plymouth. Evangelical Christianity was not for me, but one thing has stuck with me to this very day. This was the difference between being clever and being wise. Many are clever, but not many are wise. My Auntie Kitty was not clever, but she was wise.
Some people are graced with wisdom. They can see beyond the obvious and discern what lies beyond. They have an inner sense of the ultimate truth that lies beyond the surface. These people have real wisdom.
The ultimate message is you do not have to be clever to be wise.
Wisdom is a gift.
7 May 2023
8m access without a licence
Following correspondence with OFCOM here in the UK, it is my view that anyone at all may use the 8m ISM band 40.66 - 40.70 MHz for beacons without a licence as long as they comply with the technical requirements and IR2030. In the UK this means 10mW ERP .
At times this will cross Europe on WSPR, possibly even on FT8. In your own country, rules may be different. If you are unhappy, seek your own legal advice as I am not a legal expert. In the UK callsigns and locators are not required by law in the ISM bands, but I advice using a callsign and QTH locator that can be reported on WSPRnet.
What this could mean is many more stations beaconing on 8m.
This is NOT the Amateur Radio Service.
As I see it, it is a legal way to do experiments and research on 8m.
Where is this? - NOT amateur radio
This photo was taken 7 years ago. It is almost certainly somewhere in East Anglia, although I cannot recall where. If you recognise it, please put me out of my misery!
Bellringing bonkers - NOT amateur radio
One of our grandsons is totally mad on bellringing. At the last count he had run in 109 places!. This video shows him ringing nearby. I think he is doing a full peel somewhere this weekend. This takes several hours.
Changes
When I was first involved with amateur radio it was 1962.
My first venture into radio was when my dad bought me a Heathkit Electronics Workshop for Christmas 1961. This allowed you to make a variety of circuits without soldering. That first Christmas I was DXing on Medium Wave. I joined the RSGB shortly afterwards. My first G8 call was in 1966 and I became a G3 in 1967, taking my Morse test in the famous Liver building in Liverpool.
My first serious TX activity was when I moved to Cambridge in the early 1970s. My first outings were on 2m AM, then 70cm AM with a simple homemade QRP transverter. In those days most people were crystal controlled, so it was "tuning high to low" to get a contact.
These days, people rarely come on just for a chat. Times are changing.
My 2m-70cm transverter was based on this circuit in the old "VHF Communication" magazine. It produced about 100mW on 70cm. From a local hill you could almost guarantee a QSO with this in the 1970s.
OFCOM updates
A reminder that OFCOM updates the information it hold on licences etc. every week. See the OFCOM website for the latest data.
Incidentally, I enquired about changes to my T&I 8m licence. A month later, I am still awaiting a response. They say they are incredibly busy. At this rate, the Es season will be over before they respond! I know from work days how this can feel, but a response email would take just a few minutes!
8m QRP FT8 (Sunday)
After breakfast, my plan is to go on 40.680 MHz QRP FT8 again in the hope of catching some Es.
UPDATE 0854z: Gear turned on at 0820z. No spots.
UPDATE 0948z: G3WCS spotted (IO83). Is this genuine?
UPDATE 1046z: It turns out G3WCS is genuine, Also WESSEXSDR (265km) has spotted me on RX. In the last few days I have been spotted on 8m FT8 every day, and not one of these was Es, despite using just 2.5W FT8 and a low dipole.
UPDATE 1918z: 2 stations have spotted me today on 8m FT8 and I have spotted 2. No Es. QRT soon.
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