10m 2W FT8 (Monday)

My gear was turned on at about 0832z.

UPDATE  1030z:  Spotted by just 1 local and a station in Israel. Power increased to 3W and re-synced clock.  One station in Zambia on RX, but not on PSKreporter.

UPDATE 1826z: Just 6 stations spotted me all day. See map.

Really low cost HF radios

There are some very low cost radios available (I presume) from China. This review was on YouTube and the writer on YouTube feels the quality is improving. This is available from Banngood for about £60!!

Sunspots - Monday September 15th

 Solar flux is 122 and the SSN 75.  A=14 and K=5.

10 years time?

It would appear that amateur radio is mainly a hobby for older men, often with more disposable income than many. The hobby still attracts very few women and few young people. This may be different as I write this with a UK bias.

If we extrapolate to the next solar maximum in about 2035, many current amateurs will be dead, incapacitated, in care homes and NOT buying new rigs. The inevitable consequence is amateur radio is no longer a profitable business for many manufacturers or dealers. They will leave our market or go out of business, As I have said before, many magazines depend on a very few dealers to stay viable. I can see some magazines and dealers folding or magazines being published less often, digital only or smaller physically.

Many will say we have to attract and keep younger people. Perhaps.

There is little doubt that amateur radio is changing. 

My own view has been for some time that amateur radio as we knew it will disappear. PTTs will want to wash their hands of it, so deregulation will be the order of the day.

My prediction?   Amateur radio will combine with CB, amateur radio will become deregulated, fewer magazines , fewer dealers, manufacturers and national societies. Experimenters will continue in some other way.

10m 2W FT8 (Sunday)

Today I am on 10m FT8 with 2W. My gear was turned on at about 0907z.

UPDATE 1948z: Spotted by 54 stations. This looks like F2 propagation. See map. Furthermost is Reunion Is.. Now QRT.

The impression I am getting is "appliance operators" are moving down in frequency as the higher HF and 6m bands are now too hard without Es.

Sunspots - Sunday September 14th

 Solar flux is 118 and the SSN 43. A=6 and K=2.

The 21st century

Since the end of WW2 we have (sort of) lived in a fairly stable world. In many ways, the world seems to be changing in this century. 

We seem to be moving into a world of dictators with the USA now being more isolationist and China coming strongly onto the world stage.

Unlike in years past, the world seems less stable. We need to accept that other people may hold views different from ourselves. In small ways we have to be kind to each other and work towards a better world.

In the bath

At this time of year, spiders are more common in the house in the UK.  I guess the house is more inviting at this time of year.

Some hate spiders, but to me they are just fun.

This spider appeared in the bath this morning. It is about 5cm across. I think it is a giant house spider. It must have come up the plug hole.

In the UK, most spiders are totally harmless. I usually catch them in a glass and put them out of the window.

QRP operation

Ever since I started in amateur radio I have enjoyed QRP.  DXCC was worked with 10W SSB on 10m with a low dipole in the 1980s.  

These days with FT8 basic QSOs are even easier. In my experience 5W FT8 or less and simple antennas are all that is needed to work the world. Of course 1000W and a big beam would make things easier, but where is the fun?

There is a whole array of QRP radios available either as kits or ready built. I guess the choice now is greater than ever.

Quantum consciousness theory: is your brain connected to the universe?

This video is over 2 hours long! It explores consciousness from a quantum mechanical viewpoint. It is controversial, but worth watching. 

It argues that consciousness itself is an important component in the universe. It underlies just how little we really know.