When you don't hear about people for a while, you worry.
A few days ago I chanced upon a circuit by AA1TJ and realised I had not heard any news from Mike in a while. Does anyone have any news please?
Like every person from the USA I have ever dealt with he was kind and generous.
UPDATE 1910z: Just had an email from Mike. Great.
My 10m QRP FT8 was turned on at 1144z.
UPDATE 1149z: So far, spotted by 13 stations.
UPDATE 1252z: Currently 10m FT8 RX only. 249 stations spotted.
Yesterday we had all three in one photo ....and blue sky!
OFCOM is consulting on the future of radio broadcasting in the UK. According to them AM broadcast listeners have been declining. I am not sure if this is true or as a result of more people listening to traditional broadcasts via smart speakers and DAB. Yours truly is as guilty as the rest!
If traditional AM broadcasts are declining this is a pity as many first came across radio by building simple Medium Wave receivers. My first introduction to amateur radio was hearing some locals on 160m AM. To many, radio was magic whereas nowadays we take it for granted.
Because of my poor voice and rubbish set-up (10W and a 2m big-wheel omni antenna) I do not stop on very long.
If I had stopped longer I would have worked far more than the 2 shown on the map. Usually I work over 100km.
Often these new radios come with some new feature that a person "must have". Sometimes older radios are traded in to pay for the new box. In reality, this new feature will not be noticed or rarely used.
Of late, the Chinese, Indians and others have been producing transceivers that are superior at much lower prices. In my view, as the demographic of radio amateurs ages, many of the traditional Japanese manufacturers will think twice or even leave the market.
It would appear that many of these Japanese radios are still using conservative designs. In the past, I think I am right, the Japanese have not been so good on innovation.
Maybe the "big three" are about to get a bloody nose?
