10m QRP WSPR TX (Thursday)

I remembered! Whilst on 6m, I can use my 500mW 10m WSPR TX beacon. So far, just G4KPX (14km) spotting me.

UPDATE 1610z:   19 unique stations spotting me today (see table).

UPDATE 2047z:  Now QRT.  28 stations spotted my 500mW 10m WSPR today with the furthermost F61695 (9729km).

6m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

At about 1000z, I decided to try 6m QRP FT8 with my 2.5W and V2000 vertical omni. There is already some Es on RX and my QRP has been spotted by just 2 Gs so far.

Stations spotting my 2.5W
6m FT8 today to 1613z

UPDATE 1628z:  67 stations have spotted my 2.5W QRP and 79 stations have been spotted today on 6m FT8. Still plenty of Es on 6m FT8.

UPDATE 2055z:  Now QRT. 84 spots of my QRP. 98 stations spotted.

Rallies this weekend

 The following have been notified. I do not know where the BATC convention is! Always advisable to contact organisers first.

  Sunday August 6th - BATC Amateur TV convention CAT23. No contact or location given.

  Sunday August 6th - Kings Lynn ARC Club 33 (presumably a rally). PE30 4EL. Contact rally.klarc@gmail.com .

FT817 and successors

For over 40 years, I have been a great fan of Yaesu. In the past they were at the forefront of innovation in amateur radio.  Like many, I have been waiting for a real replacement to the FT817/818 family. The FT818 was a bitter disappointment as it still lacked most of the features people had hoped for. They still make some good products like the FT-710 which is SDR based.

My own view is that Yaesu has lost direction in the amateur radio market. Against many competitors they now look second best reacting to the market rather than being out front. Arguably the FT-991A and the FT-710 were reactions to the ICOM IC-7300. This is so sad as Yaesu definitely could lead the market. 

After many years, they seem to have lost the battle for the QRP market. ICOM introduced the IC-705 and the Chinese are appearing with some serious kit.

It is my view, hopefully wrong, that Yaesu will leave the amateur radio market before 2027. They will realise they can no longer make profits and go.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/commhercial-rigs/yaesu-ft817nd

In 2010 (yes 2010!!) I produced a wish list and Photoshop mock-up of what I was expecting for a possible replacement. Instead we got the real FT818, which was a total letdown.  What I was expecting in 2010 still largely holds, plus an SDR RX architecture. 

Sadly, I cannot see this ever coming.  Who would launch a new QRP portable after a sunspot maximum? We shall call this now the FT819, although I suspect this is now pipe-dreaming! 

Yaesu - very last chance!

These are the features expected:

• All mode 472 kHz to 1296 MHz with 5 MHz, 40 MHz, and 70 MHz.
• 5W RF (2W 1296 MHz).
• 3.5AHr LiPo battery (fast charging).
• Random wire auto ATU.
• SDR RX architecture.
• Full colour OLED display.
• RF speech processor.
• Digital ready.
• DSP noise reduction.

10m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

My gear was turned on shortly before 0800z. So far, my 2.5W to the Par end-fed has been copied in Finland. On RX 3 stations around Europe have been spotted. I suspect this is all Es.

UPDATE 0940z: 27 stations have been spotted and my 10m QRP has been spotted by 12 stations.

Sunspots - Thursday August 3rd 2023

Solar flux is 173 and the SSN 135. A=12 and K=2.

QDX QRP digital transceiver

 This tiny 5W digital transceiver is available from QRP labs. I was amazed how small it is. It is available in 2 versions covering the lower HF bands or the higher ones. Mine is the higher one. With WSJT-X and FT8, it has got me all over the world despite a low Par end-fed antenna. If you only want digital modes like FT8 and WSPR this really is all you need.

All Electric - NOT amateur radio

All the "Park and Ride" buses  in Cambridge are going green and will be electric. 

Bell bonkers - NOT amateur radio

My elder grandson (15) is mad on bell ringing. He has now rung in nearly 130 towers and 2 cathedrals (it may be more). Last night he rang a quarter peel in Newmarket.

See https://drive.google.com/file/d/1873O6zPsert2bTsPCLItIGJ2QtAf4pMW/view?usp=sharing.

Birds - NOT amateur radio

This photo of a stonechat (if it was on before, blame me!) was taken a couple of weeks ago on the Dee estuary near Liverpool. I spotted a swift yesterday, but I suspect the adults have started their migration southwards.

UPDATE 1630z:  5 swifts seen this morning. Young?

10m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

 My 2.5W QRP FT8 was turned on before breakfast. I was called by a station in Portugal when there was already widespread Es.

At 0830z 82 stations have spotted me (all in Europe) and I have spotted 50 unique stations.

UPDATE 1303z: 131 unique spots of me so far today. 

UPDATE 1702z: 261 unique stations have spotted my 2.5W 10m FT8 today.

UPDATE  2004z:  363 unique stations have spotted my 2.5W 10m FT8 (see photo). Furthermost 2-way QSO was with Brazil. Now QRT.

Sunspots - Wednesday August 2nd 2023

 Solar flux is 175 and the SSN 160.  A=9 and K=1.

Solar cycle peak this year?

My favourite site for solar data has just been updated. It still show the peak of solar cycle 25 as November 2023 with a peak of 144.2 (this is up slightly). This seems early, but it has been late this year now for a very long time. If so, conditions could still be good for several years to come. It is definitely worth watching 10m FT8.  I suspect 10m will remain open far more than we thought.

See https://www.solen.info/solar/ .

10m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

 For a change, I am on 10m (not 6m) FT8 with my 2.5W.  The 10m antenna is a low Par end-fed. At 0816z 3 stations spotted on RX with the furthermost FR4OM (9763km) on Reunion in the Indian Ocean. Just 3 spots of me, all in Europe.

UPDATE 0842z: 7 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX today (see photo).

UPDATE 1106z:  13 stations spotted on 10m FT8  RX so far today.

UPDATE 1735z:  132 spots of my 2.5W QRP FT8 with 2 in South America.

6m FT8 yesterday

 As well as the usual crop of 6m FT8 European stations received via Es yesterday I spotted D2UY (6525km) . Call me suspicious, but I suspect this was a pirate in Europe. Does anyone know if this is genuine?

Yes, you may call me "lord"!! - NOT amateur radio

 I had a very ordinary life!

Sunspots - Tuesday August 1st 2023

Solar flux is 177 and the SSN 197. A=6 and K=2. 

FT-710 on 8m

Someone posted on Facebook today that the FT-710 is about 10dB deaf on 8m. It can be persuaded to TX on 8m by putting it is engineering mode by pressing buttons. However use outside of offered amateur bands probably invalidates your warranty. I have no idea what power it puts out on 8m as I never tried it. I sold the FT-710 some time ago.

Optical communications - over the horizon

When fitter, I really enjoyed experimenting with this. Actually, I don't think this needs a licence at all, but it is real experimentation. Anyone can do this without costing much. 

All my gear and much of my test gear was homemade and very inexpensive. It is real "back of the garage" stuff. All my gear was homemade in the back of the garage. The only special test gear was a very weakly lit LED. If you have a multi-meter and scope, you really don't need much else. In my view optical communications is easier than microwaves as the test equipment is easy.

I was quite surprised how easy it was to copy an optical signal "over the horizon".

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/optical-nanowaves/over-the-horizon . 

Water lily - NOT amateur radio

 

This water lily was at RHS Bridgewater, near Salford last week.