8m between seasons

My experimental licence has been held since April 2022. So, I have experienced two Es seasons and F2 last autumn and winter. My 2.5W to a low dipole has been copied widely in Europe by Es and in the USA, Caribbean and Canada by F2. 

On RX I have spotted S.Africans on several occasions. In the autumn it would be great to be copied in South Africa with my QRP FT8. Last summer was disappointing with fewer active TX stations than in 2022.

At the moment, we are between seasons. The big Es openings have all but ended and F2 has not really started. Better equipped stations are tapping in to TEP either directly or with F2 linking up with Es.

Overall, I am disappointed in 8m. I was hoping there would be far more activity by now, but if anything there are fewer stations active on TX. Where are the experimenters?

Sunspots - Tuesday August 22nd 2023

 Solar flux is 149 and the SSN 102. A=9 and K=2. 

Dahlias - NOT amateur radio

 

The dahlia garden at nearby Anglesey Abbey is now open. These are some of them. 

The area in front of the dahlias is grassed and this gets very churned up after wet weather.

The next solar peak

In the past, there has been a lot of doubt and uncertainty over the timing of this. The site I mostly use has been predicting the next maximum in November or December 2023 for some time. 

Quite often we get a second peak after the first. What is clear from other cycles is that conditions could be good for several years after the peak. 

In the past I have worked stations in Argentina on QRP 10m SSB when the sunspot count right at the minimum has been zero. Quite often 10m propagation is there but there is a lack of activity. With FT8, we can now monitor the higher bands and see. Stand alone 5W FT8 transceivers for 10m can be obtained quite inexpensively freeing up "the big rig".

See https://www.solen.info/solar/images/comparison_similar_cycles.png .

Said on FaceBook in 2012 - NOT amateur radio

This was said by me on FaceBook in 2012. Nothing changes!

Bill and Ben - NOT amateur radio

If you are of a certain age (old) in the UK you may remember the TV show for children called "Bill and Ben". In it, two flower pot men were accompanied by a little weed. 

This sunflower poking over a wall on our walk yesterday reminded me! 

8m QRP FT8 (Monday)

My 2.5W gear was turned on just before breakfast. 

UPDATE 2112z:  No spots all day.  My inclination is to concentrate on QRP 10m FT8 for now. If I go on 8m QRP FT8 I must remember to try 10m QRP WSPR TX with my 500mW TX beacon. Now QRT. If anyone needs me on 8m I can be active on 40.680 MHz FT8 TX in minutes.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Monday)

My 500mW 10m WSPR TX beacon was turned on just before breakfast. So far, 2 stations have spotted me.

UPDATE 1355z: 4 stations have spotted me. Most of these look like F2. 

UPDATE 1730z:  6 stations have spotted me.

UPDATE 2100z: 10 stations spotted me in the end. QRT now.

Sunspots - Monday August 21st 2023

Sunspot numbers seem to be a bit lower this month. 

Solar flux is 146 and the SSN 93. A=11 and K=2. 

OFCOM consultation on amateur radio

A reminder that OFCOM is consulting views on amateur radio.The deadline for responses is rapidly approaching, so make your views known ASAP.

See https://www.ofcom.org.uk/consultations-and-statements/category-2/updating-amateur-radio-licensing-framework . 

There is a form if you need it to help make a response. At a guess, just 10 minutes should allow the form to be completed. 

This is important.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Sunday)

At 1346z, my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon was turned on. 

UPDATE 1709z: 4 stations have spotted me. 3 are outside the UK.

8m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

 At about 1340z I switched to 8m QRP FT8 on 40.680 MHz. So far, no spots. I gather there is some TEP. 

UPDATE 1625z: Spotted by EI9KP (649km), I am pretty sure this is not Es . He spots me regularly. As the time varies, I do not think it is aircraft. I suppose it could be random MS, but think this unlikely. It is too far for tropo.

UPDATE 1906z:  The jury is out on the propagation to EI9KP , but it is most likely aircraft scatter. What I had not thought about is that there could be many aircraft on the path.

Classic Car Day - NOT amateur radio

Every year, the museum next door holds a classic car day. It was filled with vintage cars and motorbikes. 

Like radio amateurs, most are geeks!! A very good turn out. The weather was warm and dry.

Getting maudlin - NOT amateur radio

This must come with old age. 

As we get older, we know our time is limited. Certainly it is highly likely that our health will fail. So, every chance to do a walk is a gift to be enjoyed. 

Today we saw, a green woodpecker, blackberries, Ely cathedral and lots more.

TINY Shetland ponies - NOT amateur radio

It is hard to get an impression of size from this photo of Shetland ponies seen on our walk earlier. We walked around the village of Reach.

10m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

My 2.5W FT8 was turned on at 0524z. No spots at 0532z. 

UPDATE 0932z:  28 stations have spotted my 2.5W FT8.  124 stations spotted on RX with the furthermost  YG9EDE (12436km).

Sunspots - Sunday August 20th 2023

Solar flux is 151 and the SSN 104. A=8 and K=3.

8m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

My QRP signal has been copied in Portugal this evening by Hugh HC02, although this has not appeared (yet) on PSKreporter. I went on 8m FT8 as Hugh was getting G9PUV well.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Saturday)

 As I am on 8m QRP FT8, I am on 10m WSPR TX with my 500mW TX beacon. The beacon was turned o at about 1814z. Already spotted in the Canary Is.. I presume this is F2 propagation.

8m - am I wasting my time?

To be honest, I am disappointed in the interest shown in 8m. This is between 10m and 6m and especially around sunspot maximum (like now) there is a lot of useful research that radio amateurs could do. 

Instead, we have had fewer active TX stations on 8m this summer and the FCC is not renewing the few USA permits I understand. In Belgium higher class amateur licencees will be able to TX on 8m. One station in Greece has been granted special access for a limited time. EI, ZS, S51 and 9A I think have amateur bands and a few Caribbean stations (I think) have been given access to 8m.

In most countries everyone is able to run very low power beacons in the 40-66-4.70 MHz ISM bands without a licence, I think. We know from Australia that just 5mW WSPR can be copied 5000km away. As far as I know, few have tried 8m WSPR ISM beacons, instead preferring to talk about tomatoes with commercial rigs on 80m. Self training is interpreted as testing weedkiller. 

Amateur radio is meant to be about self training and research! I despair for the future. At this rate, the hobby will be gone by 2040.