Roger G3XBM's (Mainly) Amateur Radio Blog

7 Aug 2022

Sunspots - Sunday August 7th 2022

Solar flux is 116 and the SSN 69. A=4 and K=1.

6 Aug 2022

Tiny 8m amateur band plea

If you get a chance, please contact your national amateur radio society and whoever your national authority is on radio matters (e.g. FCC, OFCOM or similar) making the following plea:

Just 5 kHz wide amateur allocation
Narrow digital modes only (no speech) e.g. WSPR and FT8
40.680 - 40.685 MHz (just 5 kHz wide) in the ISM band
By special authority only (e.g. NoV in the UK) and NOT generally available
Coordinated allocation
Strictly no interference
To encourage research and self training (may help with RF engineer shortage)

For some reason both the FCC and OFCOM do not want to allocate amateurs a band at 8m. To my thinking this is totally illogical when radio amateurs can actively contribute to propagation research at zero cost. We are not asking for much! Also, with no speech, and no commercial gear available, it is hardly likely to be "more of the same". Speaking personally, I would happily lose 5 kHz off every amateur allocation as a trade. 5 kHz at 8m is perfectly enough to carry out research with modes such as FT8 and WSPR.

Personally, I think such an allocation would definitely encourage research.

No, I think a tiny 8m amateur band is badly needed, and soon.

ATV DX

Some time ago, it was reported that amateurs were to carry out some tests on 10m and 6m with reduced bandwidth ATV. I have no idea if these tests were carried out.

I think in the 1950s UK broadcast TV was copied in South Africa and Australia when the MUF reached band 1.

ATV is one area of our hobby I have never tried. These narrowband digital tests sound fascinating. I am sure that they will be well published when successful.

See https://wiki.batc.org.uk/UK_ATV_DX_Records .

10m WSPR QRP TX (Saturday)

Later, I hope to be on 10m QRP WSPR TX as we are out shortly.

Yesterday was pretty successful on 10m WSPR. I am surprised by the number of active WSPR stations on 10m. Although I may be wrong, I think there are more stations active on 10m WSPR than last summer. I would have expected fewer as more people try FT8. WSPR works with far weaker signals and takes up far less bandwidth than FT8 that needs about 50Hz.

UPDATE 0920z: On TX now.

UPDATE 1912z: 27 spots of me today.

8m experiment (Saturday)

As we are out this morning, I cannot go on 8m QRP TX on 40.680 MHz USB dial until later. Whilst on 8m, I shall also go on 10m QRP WSPR with my 500mW WSPR beacon from W5OLF.

UPDATE 0928z: EA8BFK (2880km) has spotted me. Probably F2?

UPDATE 1340z: EA8BFK, HC02 (1808km), SR4DON (1352km) and EA3ERE (1153km) spotting me on 8m FT8 today Another decent day.

More Kingfisher Bridge - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday we went for a walk at a local nature reserve called Kingfisher Bridge. Last time we went (pre Covid) there were water buffalo, but these seem to have gone. We saw Konik ponies and one little egret, but we were disappointed. It was very dry.

Kingfisher Bridge - NOT amateur radio

This collage was created by my wife and shows the nature reserve near us called Kingfisher Bridge.

Sunspots - Saturday August 6th 2022

Solar flux is 114 and the SSN 69. A=6 and K=1.

5 Aug 2022

Blackberry and apple crumble - NOT amateur radio

For lunch, we had homemade blackberry and apple crumble with ice cream. All the fruits were wild. It tasted great.

Cornwall beacon

I understand that the people who run the GB3MCB beacon have (at last) been granted permission to install 8m and 5m beacons. These will run 24/7 and they should really help with transatlantic propagation research.

It is a pity this approval by OFCOM took such an age. Still, I suppose they had to be woken up first, then trained to understand something about RF, told where Cornwall is.....

Me sarcastic?

8m FT8 QRP TX

Since getting home just before lunch, I have been on 8m QRP FT8 TX on 40.680 MHz USB dial. No spots yet at 1425z.

UPDATE 1456z: Just spotted by S50B (1220km). Thank you Borut. Also spotted by HC02 (1808km) in Portugal. Thanks Hugh. Still not being copied outside Europe apart from the Canary Is. In a way, I am surprised not to have had even a single spot from the USA. Maybe later by F2? My dipole should be optimised for the USA.

UPDATE 1613z: 3 stations have now spotted me today on 8m QRP FT8 TX. Last one was EI9KP (649km). I called 9A2Y (1567km), but he could not copy me.