Sunspots - Sunday May 25th

 Solar flux is 130 and the SSN 105. A=5 and K=1.

What is this?

This was on the QRPer.com website, but I don't know what it is. It may have been a concept model that never got to market? I like the looks. If anyone has more data, please leave a comment.

Hamvention 2025

This is now well and truly over. 

Dayton, Ohio, USA (where it is held) is probably the biggest ham gathering on the planet and often the place where new rigs are announced. I am not aware of anything from the major Japanese companies.

Often visitors come from other countries. It would not surprise me if foreign visitor numbers are down this year.

6m 5W FT8 yesterday

 In all, 58 stations across Europe managed to spot my QRP 6m FT8. As yet, I have not yet seen any super DX on 6m.

Yaesu FTX 1F unboxing

My own view is this radio is far too expensive and lacks many essential features (you pay extra for GPS and it lacks wifi!! I don't think it has Bluetooth either). 

The ICOM  IC-705 looks far better value even before they dropped the price. Hopefully the price of the FTX 1F will soon fall so that it becomes a market leader. 

I have the feeling ICOM will soon sell the IC-705A with some features that kill the FTX 1F. Often the price of radios drops before they sell a new version.  If so, I think Yaesu is finished or soon will be. 

Selling a competitor to the IC-705 with what seems like fewer features at a higher price? Are they stupid? If I was in charge of their marketing team I would sack the lot. In the last few years they seem to have made some daft decisions. They come across as followers rather than leaders, and poor followers too.

Many like it, so I have attached the video of it being unboxed.

Sunspot cycle 25

Cycle 25 now looks like it has passed the peak and is on the way down according to NOAA. See their graph.  The black is actual and red is their forecast. 

Usually the up-slope to the peak is quicker than the decline to the minimum. So conditions on HF should be good for some years.

See  https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/solar-cycle-progression

10m 500mW WSPR (Saturday)

 Although my 500mW beacon has been on since before breakfast, no spots of me. I suspect more people are now using other modes.

So fast - NOT amateur radio

This was a photo of 2 of our grandchildren taken some years ago. They are now teenagers with one almost adult. 

You think these days will last forever. They don’t! 😢. 

6m QRP FT8 ( Saturday)

My 5W has been on since just before breakfast.

UPDATE 0854z: 19 spots so far including a couple of German stations.

UPDATE 1613z:   36 stations have spotted me. See map.

UPDATE 1847z:  43 stations have spotted me.

Sunspots - Saturday May 24th

 Solar flux is 122 and the SSN 122. A=7 and K=1.