Assuming the Es looks promising, I hope to try 8m WSPR using 10mW ERP to replicate those who may beacon legally in the ISM band in the UK without a licence as long as the rules are met.
Probably I will use a different callsign for these tests that will get reported to WSPRnet. If you can monitor, please do so.
UPDATE 0742z: On QRPP 8m WSPR at 10mW ERP.
UPDATE 0950z: No spots.
Having got decent results from Portugal on 8m FT8, I have just switched to 8m WSPR with 5mW. You never know. Probably I shall also be on 8m 5mW WSPR tomorrow. If anyone at all spots me, I expect to be weak! If 5mW makes it, 10mW ERP, the ISM limit in the UK without a licence will definitely make it. The main issue on 8m is there are too few RX stations widely spread. Also the 120 seconds for WSPR is quite a long time when conditions are up and down.
Remember, these are ISM research beacons and not the Amateur Radio Service. The experiment is to find out how far away ISM beacons can be spotted, not 2-way communications. This is an interesting experiment.
Even if you do not have an 8m antenna, have a go with whatever antenna you have.
UPDATE 1940z: 2 WSPR spots by HC02 (1808km) of my 5mW 8m WSPR. Hugh was wrongly reporting this as 6m to WSPRnet. If 5mW WSPR can make it, then 3dB more without a licence can definitely make it!
At the moment I am on 8m FT8 using 2.5W and a dipole. G9EFE is active with 10mW FT8 from IO91 square. Not spotted yet.
UPDATE 1655z: No spots on TX or RX.
UPDATE 1756z: Just spotted by HC02 (1808km) in Portugal. Now trying 5mW 8m WSPR.
After starting out with 5mW and getting 6 spots quickly, I am now using 1mW FT8 on 10m as an experiment. I'll check spots at 1mW later. If this is too easy, I shall try QRPP on 8m WSPR.
UPDATE 0900z: No spots so far on 10m FT8 at 1mW. I suspect this is really too low on FT8. For most stations this is below the noise floor or below the decode threshold.
UPDATE 1417z: Much to my amazement, just 1mW of 10m FT8 has resulted in 2 spots this morning from France and Spain. QRPP rocks!!
My current plan is to try 10m FT8 with 5mW. Based on the 10m QRPP WSPR I might get some spots.
In the past, many got into amateur radio because it allowed social contact with like minded people anywhere in the world. To some, this is still the most important aspect of our hobby. However, to others it is not important to have two-way contacts. What matters is the propagation and FT8 or WSPR are perfectly fine.
What is clearly the case is fewer enter the hobby these days for the social aspect as there are many free and better ways to talk across the planet with people of like minds using the internet.
I have no idea of the future, but the magic that got most of us interested is different today.
Our hobby is changing.
Today is my wife's birthday. Before you ask, NO I am not pregnant and don't you be so darn cheeky! 😀😀
