My QRP 8m FT8 gear on 40.680 MHz USB dial was turned on at 0939z. No spots yet.
UPDATE 1325z: No spots today on 8m.
UPDATE 1729z: HC02 (1808km) in Portugal has spotted my 8m FT8 QRP TX today.
26 Aug 2022
The dealer shootout
Hopefully I will be very wrong, but I predict that at least one amateur radio dealer will be gone by the end of next year.
There could be more than one. Over time magazines will see revenue dip, which in turn could lead to smaller editions or even some magazines closing.
In my view, some dealers will survive, but others may not. Hard times are ahead.
As I said before, I hope I will be very wrong, but the signs are not good. I wrote to one dealer almost a week ago and I did not have the courtesy of a reply. They certainly won't be getting any business from me. Will they be one of the first to go? I shall not name and shame them.
It is not just dealers. Some manufacturers are also considering whether amateur radio offers them profits in the future. Some may decide it is better to get out soon.
25 Aug 2022
Love lies bleeding - NOT amateur radio
This is an odd name for a garden flower. Some time ago, my wife was given some small plants by a friend. She had no idea how they would turn out. Now they are mature she knows why they have this odd name!
Creosoting the garden bench - NOT amateur radio
It has since been moved so should be better in future.
Yaesu FTDX-10
At the moment MLS is offering some good deals on this with a £100 gift voucher to use on future purchases. This offer runs until Monday. The gift voucher can be used at any time. Yaesu also has a £85 cash back offer.
The rig has received rave reviews, but does not have 2m or 70cm, but does have 4m and an auto ATU. Although seriously tempted, at the moment I am inclined against it. My fear (hopefully unfounded) is that Yaesu is leaving the market. To me, the MLS move is to retain custom.
In these hard times, all dealers will struggle. Amateur radio usually depends on disposable income. There is less.
Rallies
The following rallies should be on over this weekend. In some countries in the UK, Monday is a public holiday. As always, check with organisers before going any distance.
Sunday August 28th Milton Keynes ARC rally. Contact rally@mkars.org.uk.
Sunday August 28th Torbay Annual Communications Fair. Contact rally@tars.org.uk.
Monday August 29th HARS Annual Rally (Huntingdon). Contact events@hunts-hams.co.uk .
10m WSPR QRP TX (Thursday)
As the storm risk seems to have passed, I am again on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW from the W5OLF beacon. At 0956z, no spots of me.
UPDATE 1115z: No spots. Even with fewer stations now using WSPR (compared with FT8), I would have expected some spots by now. This suggests the main Es season is now over. Es will still occur, but far less often.
UPDATE 1500z: Quite a few spots today from HB9TMC (905km). It looks like this was an Es opening, but in a very narrow area.
8m experiment (Thursday)
The 8m QRP FT8 TX was turned on on 40.680 MHz USB dial at 0938z. No spots yet. at 0950z.
No operation until at least the afternoon
As we have thunderstorms at the moment and these could last until well after lunch, everything will remain disconnected until all risks have gone. So, no operation until later.
Serious rain at last - NOT amateur radio
In this part of the UK we have had almost no rain since March. Today we have rain, thunder and lightning. Let's hope the grass turns green!!
24 Aug 2022
ICOM announces SHF transceiver at Tokyo Hamfest
This is the IC-905. I am extremely sceptical. I cannot see them selling that many or making a profit. Maybe it is a lost leader, really they are aiming to make a profit on something similar in the commercial market.
It seems unlikely to be available much before late 2023 and at what price? The price has to be very keen or they risk a total flop.
If I was ICOM, I really would not bother. Mind you, I am not ICOM!
Nice concept, but in this tough world will it make them any money?
10m QRP WSPR TX (Wednesday)
My 500mW W5OLF beacon was turned on at 0859z. No spots yet at 1017z.
UPDATE 1103z: Just spotted by HC02 (1808km) in southern Portugal.
8m experiment (Wednesday)
Later, I hope to be on 8m TX on 40.680 MHz USB dial FT8 QRP again. Still getting DX spots even with my low ERP in the last few days.
UPDATE 1152z: Gear turned on at 0859z. No spots. I have the feeling there will be none today, although I am ever hopeful!
UPDATE 1520z: EI9KP (649km) has spotted me on 8m QRP FT8.
472 kHz transverter under construction
This was 10 years ago!! I was building my 472 kHz transverter.
Silent keys (SK)
This is the term used in amateur radio circles for people who have, sadly, died. It must date from the very early days when most people used Morse and Morse keys. The phrase may be over 100 years old.
In the last year or so, two of the people locally that I chatted with every week have become SK. The one thing they had in common was their zest for life.
Both enjoyed finding new things right up until they died. Both are missed, but their vitality lives on.
RIP Ted G4NUA and Ian G3KKD. Ted was keen on PCs and WSPR, and Ian was experimenting with DATV. Ian liked all things ATV. Even to the end he was building 5.6 GHz ATV kit.
Yaesu up to date?
As I was considering purchasing the Yaesu FTDX-10, I thought I would look at the Yaesu Japan site for more data. I was invited to do a download. Imagine my horror when I was looking at a 2011 (yes 2011) catalogue!! Does not exactly fill you with confidence. Perhaps this explains why we have seen no decent FT817 replacement.
Hello, hello - anyone there??
At this rate I expect a spark TX and coherer RX soon - latest Yaesu technology. My fear is that if I buy an FTDX-10, will Yaesu still be around in 5 years time? I really hope so, but I have my doubts, seriously.
5m recording by G5UM
Many years ago Jack Hum G5UM gave a talk to the Cambridge radio club (CDARC). In the talk he mentioned he had made a recording in the late 1940s of the last hours on 5m in the UK. I am not sure if this was a disk, wire recorder or tape, probably a disk.
I am wondering if copies of this historic recording still exist? At the time I think G5UM lived in London.
Many will remember Jack as the columnist of the "Four Metres and Down" column in RadCom.
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