Donut batteries - really a solid state battery with no lithium?

For weeks I have been following the 2 bit Da Vinci videos on the Donut batteries recently announced. It really looks as if this is real.

I truly think we are on the edge of a real breakthough at last.

10m 200mW WSPR (Tuesday)

 At about 1505z, I changed to 10m WSPR with my beacon.

UPDATE 1544z: 4 spots by EA8BFK (2880km).

10m 5W FT8 (Tuesday)

 Later I hope to go on 10m FT8, mainly RX.

UPDATE 1505z: 24 stations spotted on TX. See map.

Sunspots - Tuesday March 24th

 Solar flux is 124 and the SSN 94.A=28 and K=3.

Pebble HF

 

A lot of excitement has surrounded the launch of a single HF band radio kit for less than $50.  It is multi-mode and is a 5W 20m rig. 

All being well it should be available in July. Most of the parts are already placed on the PCB.

See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6cWHiaaO9w&t=18s.

See https://www.pebblehf.com

Solid state batteries - almost there

In my view these are almost there. 

By next year probably several companies will be launching EVs with huge ranges and fast charging times. Many will charge their car overnight at home when needed.

Electric cars, if low cost and with >700 miles on a single charge, will transform motoring. Fast charging times are a bonus. 

At the moment China is ahead. In my view, the USA is in great danger of missing out on the coming revolution.   In my opinion, we are on the cusp of a revolution as big as the death of CRTs and film cameras.

Sold state batteries could be transformative.

See https://www.autonocion.com/us/solid-state-battery-race-continues/.

Meshcore and Meshstastic

These feel like the future. 

More and more people are looking for a means of communication that does not depend on the internet. These are mesh based messaging systems, so the more nodes the better.  In urban areas there are more and more nodes springing up. In rural areas, nodes may be far apart.

They use 868MHz in Europe (I think), licence-free LoRa. Units - including solar powered external repeaters suitable for mounting on houses - are available on-line at low cost.

I have the feeling things will mature in the coming years. At the moment it feels like the early days of the internet.

In about 10 years' time I can see this getting there. It's not there yet.

It would appear there is far more experimentation (and licence free!) than with traditional amateur radio. In the future I can see ISM and other licence free systems replacing amateur radio.

10m 5W FT8 (Monday)

Today conditions seem a little down. 

On 10m FT8 RX South Africa spotted, but the band feels less lively than normal. 

Although on TX very briefly, spotted by a couple of European stations.

UPDATE 1138z: 8 stations spotted. Again I had problems with ChromeOS not displaying PSKreporter maps correctly. On Firefox all was normal. See map.

UPDATE 1604z: 76 stations spotted here. See logbook extract.

UPDATE 2130z:  QRT.

10m 200mW WSPR (Monday)

 My beacon was turned on at about 0915z.

Sunspots - Monday March 23rd

 Solar flux is 120 and the SSN 96. A=75 and K=4.