It is now 0905z. I have been on 10m FT8 RX for abour an hour. So far, 64 stations have been spotted. As is to be expected, most of these are to the east including Australia. Later, the Americans will start to appear.
Usually in the early days of the month my favourite site for solar information updates it's data.
See https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/birds/waterfowl/mandarin-duck .
Peace and harmony have always been my wish. We in the west are far from perfect, but I think recent actions by Russia are counter-productive with many countries being appalled by Putin's heavy handedness against fellow slavs.
In the end we all want peace. Let's hope good sense will prevail.
OFCOM is consulting on the indoor use of this band. See the OFCOM website for details.
OFCOM has assured me that it has granted all I asked for, but seem unable to tell me exactly what I am getting before I pay £50!
As I do not know several things, I have asked them to clarify these before I shell out. I think this is reasonable. My wish is to go ahead.
Assuming all is OK, I hope to start TXing FT8 before the Es season and all reports will be appreciated. I suspect this summer could be most interesting on 8m regarding propagation studies.
UPDATE 1239z: OFCOM has clarified things. It has granted me 40-42MHz and I can use my own amateur callsign. It is soon to invoice me. The permit is for a year starting April 2nd 2022. I must not cause interference!
After a very brief TX period with 2.5W FT8 (3 DX spots), I am now RX only. 49 spots so far with the furthermost YB2IQ (11988km).
Most days, DX from across the globe has been copied on 10m FT8.
If you are after a simple RX to monitor 10m FT8, then my 10FT8R RX may be the answer. You may be able to make yours better or simpler!
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/10ft8r-rx .
John Lewis is one of the most respected store chains in the UK.
Recently, they announced they would be "retiring" (don't you love that?) their long held policy of never knowingly undersold. This basically meant if you could buy it cheaper elsewhere, they would match the price. With the internet, this policy is far more difficult now.
Whilst I understand this, it is yet another example of things getting worse rather than better. In my view John Lewis, like many high street shops, is struggling. I hope they survive.
At about 1900z I QSYed to 40m FT8 RX using the 10m endfed antenna untuned. So far (at 1957z) 221 stations spotted. At the moment 40m seems to be the best all round band day and night. I shall probably leave it on overnight.
UPDATE 2020z: 264 stations spotted.
Yesterday I had an email from OFCOM saying they have approved my application for an 8m permit. They forgot to tell me what the permit will say! Assuming it is what I asked for, I shall be invoiced and will start transmitting before the Es season starts.
It seems this OFCOM department is more efficient than the last. It has taken a few weeks whereas the last department took almost 5 months to tell me to get a different licence!
At the moment I am on 10m FT8 QRP with 2.5W. After a brief period on TX (2 G spots). I am RX only with 4 spots so far, all European. I have also spotted an FR4 earlier, but for some reason this did not appear on PSKreporter. Both G stations were not local. So, this was either normal tropo or aircraft I suspect. In the past, I have copied G stations from across the country on normal propagation on SSB. FT8 is likely to be far more effective.
UPDATE 0916z: Now one station in South Africa also spotted - ZS6KED (8874km).
UPDATE 1026z: Now 25 stations spotted.
UPDATE 1415z: 56 stations spotted.
With the recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia, it suddenly feels that the world order is changing.
Now, I know that there are always 2 sides to any stories in the propaganda circulated in the run-up to wars and we in the west are not prefect.
However, I am concerned that many in Russia and Ukraine would much prefer not to have wars, destruction and loss of lives. This is especially true when many have relatives in the other country. Why can't peace prevail?
I also worry about Belarus. If its leader decides to try to attack any of the Baltic states that are NATO members, then by the articles of the treaty, all NATO members are being attacked.
What about China and Taiwan?
No, the balance of power is changing and it will impact the lives of our children and grandchildren.
All I ask is that we all try to live at peace with our neighbours.
Interesting that there we're several people on 40m FT8 sending "CQ STOPTHE WAR" and "CQ ST0PPUTIN".
Let history judge.
Some years ago I wanted a simple antenna for the band and the Homebase-10 was born.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/antennas/homebase10-10m-halo.
It is now 1648z. About an hour ago I QSYed to 40m FT8 RX using the untuned 10m antenna. I guess the untuned 10m antenna is just like sticking an attenuator in, which is no bad thing on 40m. So far, 206 stations already spotted on 40m FT8 RX.
UPDATE 2202z: 684 stations spotted on 40m FT8 RX with the furthermost WP3R (6851km).
Before my 2013 stroke, I had every intention for designing and making a very simple rig for 10m sideband. Several ideas were already on the table, but I never had time to do this. Since my stroke I have found it almost impossible to design and make things.
Times have moved on and a synthesised VFO is probably the way to go nowadays. Also, for a single band like 10m, a phasing SSB rig would probably be fine, even if the LSB suppression was not perfect.
In my view, 10m will be a great DX band for many years. I hope somebody else (not me) will take my ideas and design a simple, low cost 10m sideband rig. I can imagine a nice, simple and easily reproduced sideband rig for £20-40 being possible. Imagine, working the world on a simple sideband rig you made.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/10m-simple-sideband .
Today I decided to go on 10m FT8 QRP with 2.5W. The gear was turned on at 1002z. So far (ar 1014z) my signal has been spotted in Kenya by 5Z4VJ (6858km). No QSOs . On RX 2 spots so far.
UPDATE 1447z: A brief QRP transmission just before 1400z resulted in no spots of me. On 10m FT8 RX today 60 stations spotted so far. I get the impression that 10m conditions are not as good as they have been?
UPDATE 1532z: A brief 10m FT8 QRP transmission just now resulted in nobody spotting me! On RX 63 stations have been spotted.
It has some fine old buildings and on the waterfront old warehouses are being replaced with luxury flats.
This means it is a place where old meets new.
We had been told it was a dump, but our impression was different.
There are some fine old houses and the area by the docks looks quite good these days. People on the train and in Ipswich were kind and friendly. In all, a good day out.
The photo shows The Ancient House.
Very briefly I was on 6m FT8 TX with 2.5W and the vertical omni V2000 antenna and was spotted by GB0SNB/SDR (65km). I am now QRT on 6m.
At the moment I am on 10m WSPR with the W5OLF 500mW beacon. So far, at 0857z, 7 local spots only by G4KPX (14km).
These 2 trees were planted in our churchyard in the 1800s to celebrate the battle of Waterloo in 1815. They are just coming in to leaf. For...
.png)
