April fools

At  first I believed this!! Then I noticed IC-0104 and realised it was an April Fool’s joke!

2m activity contest tonight

 Starting at 1900z is the activity contest organised by the RSGB. This is the 2m leg for April.

Almost spring - NOT amateur radio

The ornamental cherry is almost in blossom with the windmill behind. The blossom is ephemeral lasting about 2 weeks.

Sunspots- Tuesday April 1st

Solar  flux is 172 and the SSN 151. A=6 and K=1.

Reward time - NOT amateur radio

 We do housework on Monday morning followed by a cup of coffee ☕️.

Apt quote?

 This was seen yesterday in a comment about the RSGB, the national radio society in the UK.

“Given the hobby is dying on its feet due to elderly white males popping their clogs you'd think they'd take all the users and spectrum they could muster.”

It is probably quite true.

10m 6W FT8 (Monday)

My IC-705 at reduced power was turned on at about 0820z.

UPDATE  0953z: Spotted by 40 stations with the furthermost South Africa. See map.

UPDATE 1040z: 50 spots of me with the furthermost VP8LP (12773km).

UPDATE 2133z: 775 stations have spotted me. Best spot of me was by DP0GVN (13687km) in Antarctica. Now QRT.

Sunspots- Monday March 31st

 Solar flux is 171 and the SSN 111. A=6 and K=1.

10m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

 As I was having no success on WSPR I QSYed to FT8 with 6W from the IC-705.

UPDATE 2222z: 527 stations have spotted me. The map shown was hours earlier, shortly after switching on.

Amateur radio deregulation

The FCC in the USA is asking for comments on their latest document calling for deregulation and reduced burocracy. They do not talk about amateur radio specifically. In the USA amateur radio callsigns pre-date the FCC.

In many countries amateur radio costs money and generates no revenue. For this reason, I can see why the FCC and OFCOM, and others too around the world, would like to totally "wash their hands" of amateur radio.

One possibility is to "open up" amateur radio, much like CB, without the need for any involvement. The only stipulation is that only radios that comply with national standards may be used and no interference must be caused. In most cases, amateur radio has become like CB: using commercial radios to chat. True research does not matter to the vast majority, who do not even know how their transceivers work!

This is my personal view of what will happen. I may well be wrong.

• In the USA the FCC will deregulate amateur radio in some way. People will not need to have callsigns. If they do, these will be allocated by the ARRL.
• In the UK, OFCOM will also deregulate amateur radio. As in the USA, callsigns will not be mandated and allocated to those that want them by the RSGB.
• Other countries will follow. 

I give this less than 20 years.

There is a video on the FCC proposals. The "writing is on the wall".