Rallies this weekend

 The following have been notified. I do not know where the BATC convention is! Always advisable to contact organisers first.

  Sunday August 6th - BATC Amateur TV convention CAT23. No contact or location given.

  Sunday August 6th - Kings Lynn ARC Club 33 (presumably a rally). PE30 4EL. Contact rally.klarc@gmail.com .

FT817 and successors

For over 40 years, I have been a great fan of Yaesu. In the past they were at the forefront of innovation in amateur radio.  Like many, I have been waiting for a real replacement to the FT817/818 family. The FT818 was a bitter disappointment as it still lacked most of the features people had hoped for. They still make some good products like the FT-710 which is SDR based.

My own view is that Yaesu has lost direction in the amateur radio market. Against many competitors they now look second best reacting to the market rather than being out front. Arguably the FT-991A and the FT-710 were reactions to the ICOM IC-7300. This is so sad as Yaesu definitely could lead the market. 

After many years, they seem to have lost the battle for the QRP market. ICOM introduced the IC-705 and the Chinese are appearing with some serious kit.

It is my view, hopefully wrong, that Yaesu will leave the amateur radio market before 2027. They will realise they can no longer make profits and go.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/commhercial-rigs/yaesu-ft817nd

In 2010 (yes 2010!!) I produced a wish list and Photoshop mock-up of what I was expecting for a possible replacement. Instead we got the real FT818, which was a total letdown.  What I was expecting in 2010 still largely holds, plus an SDR RX architecture. 

Sadly, I cannot see this ever coming.  Who would launch a new QRP portable after a sunspot maximum? We shall call this now the FT819, although I suspect this is now pipe-dreaming! 

Yaesu - very last chance!

These are the features expected:

• All mode 472 kHz to 1296 MHz with 5 MHz, 40 MHz, and 70 MHz.
• 5W RF (2W 1296 MHz).
• 3.5AHr LiPo battery (fast charging).
• Random wire auto ATU.
• SDR RX architecture.
• Full colour OLED display.
• RF speech processor.
• Digital ready.
• DSP noise reduction.

10m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

My gear was turned on shortly before 0800z. So far, my 2.5W to the Par end-fed has been copied in Finland. On RX 3 stations around Europe have been spotted. I suspect this is all Es.

UPDATE 0940z: 27 stations have been spotted and my 10m QRP has been spotted by 12 stations.

Sunspots - Thursday August 3rd 2023

Solar flux is 173 and the SSN 135. A=12 and K=2.

QDX QRP digital transceiver

 This tiny 5W digital transceiver is available from QRP labs. I was amazed how small it is. It is available in 2 versions covering the lower HF bands or the higher ones. Mine is the higher one. With WSJT-X and FT8, it has got me all over the world despite a low Par end-fed antenna. If you only want digital modes like FT8 and WSPR this really is all you need.

All Electric - NOT amateur radio

All the "Park and Ride" buses  in Cambridge are going green and will be electric. 

Bell bonkers - NOT amateur radio

My elder grandson (15) is mad on bell ringing. He has now rung in nearly 130 towers and 2 cathedrals (it may be more). Last night he rang a quarter peel in Newmarket.

See https://drive.google.com/file/d/1873O6zPsert2bTsPCLItIGJ2QtAf4pMW/view?usp=sharing.

Birds - NOT amateur radio

This photo of a stonechat (if it was on before, blame me!) was taken a couple of weeks ago on the Dee estuary near Liverpool. I spotted a swift yesterday, but I suspect the adults have started their migration southwards.

UPDATE 1630z:  5 swifts seen this morning. Young?

10m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

 My 2.5W QRP FT8 was turned on before breakfast. I was called by a station in Portugal when there was already widespread Es.

At 0830z 82 stations have spotted me (all in Europe) and I have spotted 50 unique stations.

UPDATE 1303z: 131 unique spots of me so far today. 

UPDATE 1702z: 261 unique stations have spotted my 2.5W 10m FT8 today.

UPDATE  2004z:  363 unique stations have spotted my 2.5W 10m FT8 (see photo). Furthermost 2-way QSO was with Brazil. Now QRT.

Sunspots - Wednesday August 2nd 2023

 Solar flux is 175 and the SSN 160.  A=9 and K=1.