After lunch I may try 70cm FT8 with my 2m big-wheel omni antenna. In contests I usually spot plenty of stations in the Netherlands, but I don't recall trying 70cm FT8 at other times. I guess my problems will be (1) distance, (2) lack of monitors, (3) power and antenna.
My theory is some quite remarkable distances are being spanned by some sort of scatter.
UPDATE 1115z: Turned on.
UPDATE 1215z: No spots. QRT. on 70cm. Moving to 10m FT8.
My 5W 2m FT8 to the big-wheel omni antenna has been on since about 0945z.
UPDATE 1055z: 10 spots so far in 2 countries..
Plenty of Es still about with 11 stations spotting my 10m 500mW WSPR and I have not been on long.
UPDATE 1028z: 33 stations spotting me.
Yesterday evening I went on 2m FT8 with my 5W to the big-wheel omni antenna.
It seems that every time I go on I am spotted at amazing distances. As an example, I was spotted in Poland at over 1000km with my QRP.
I think my QRP FT8 is copied by troposcatter. FT8 is better than CW or SSB by some way, so I suppose this offsets the antenna gain and power.
It this is true at 2m, I would expect this is also true at 70cm and possibly 23cm.
Last year I put £1000 in a savings account. I expected to trade in my IC-705 for the FTX-1F. To say I was shocked by both the high price and lack of features of the new Yaesu would be an understatement.
My thoughts turned to other rigs. I considered the FT710 (again) and the IC-7300, but decided I would gain very little: 4m is very quiet outside of the Es season and my IC-705 more than does all I need up to 70cms.
So, for now I have decided I do not need anything at all besides what I have.
Should ICOM do a true portable I might reconsider.
My QRP beacon was turned on at about 1744z.
UPDATE 1835z: So far, no spots of me. Then I realised the PSU was not even switched on! Switched on PSU at 1834z! Doh!
UPDATE 19011z: 13 stations have spotted me with the furthest EA8BFK (2880km) in the Canary Is..
UPDATE 2032z: QRT.
At about 1744z I QSYed to 2m FT8 using my big-wheel omni antenna.
UPDATE 2030z: QRT.
It amazes me that we are already in the UK football season.
The teams I follow are Plymouth Argyle (recently demoted to League Division 1) and Cambridge United (in League Division 2).
I wish both teams luck this season.
UPDATE 1533z: Plymouth were losing 1:2 and Cambridge winning 1:0.
