This evening, the 70cm FT8 activity contest organised by the RSGB starts at 1900z. I believe this coincides with a European 70cm FT8 contest that starts earlier. Activity is surprisingly good.
See https://www.rsgbcc.org/cgi-bin/contest_rules.pl?contest=70cmsgmac .
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| Stations spotted on 70cm FT8 RX....with the 2m omni antenna! |
This was the view on the way to Cambridge through the bus window.
At the moment (0848z), I am on 10m WSPR TX using 500mW.
UPDATE 0852z: Spots by a local and SV9KI (2639km) already.
UPDATE 1940z: QRT soon. 19 stations have spotted me today.
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| Stations that spotted me running 500mW 10m WSPR today |
Solar flux is 193 and the SSN 201 (amazingly high). A=6 and K=2.
After 50 minutes, 104 stations spotted (see map).
Tonight is the 70cm leg of the 70cm activity contest organised by the RSGB. It starts at 2000z. I usually go on SSB for about 45 minutes with 10W to the 2m big-wheel omni antenna. As it sounds rough outside, I expect conditions to be flat.
At the moment I am on 70cm FT8 RX. Tomorrow is the 70cm activity contest, so tonight I expect to copy none, or at best, very few stations.
UPDATE 1941z: No spots.
Yet again, I am on 10m WSPR TX with my 500mW W5OLF beacon. Already 4 unique stations spotting me at 1030z after a very short time. No surprises.
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| Stations spotting my 500mW 10m WSPR at 1030z today |
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| Stations spotting my 500mW 10m WSPR to 1505z |
Every few weeks I give an update on activity levels on the narrow-band transponder of this geosynchronous satellite. It is very low!
The only activity seems to be from Germany and these are just "59" exchanges. As far as I can tell, this is a total failure. The satellite works well, but people do not like talking through this "repeater in the sky".
It is a monocular and a zoom camera. It is available from several sources.
As I already have micro-SD cards and a USB-C lead and charger, I would only need to buy the basic camera.
At about 0925z, I turned on my 500mW W5OLF WSPR 10m beacon. So far (at 0957z) 4 unique stations have spotted me.
UPDATE 1550z: 8 unique stations have spotted my 10m WSPR QRP today.
UPDATE 1925z: QRT.
Every month I take part in the 2m and 70cm UKAC activity contests organised by the RSGB. My voice is poor and I only run QRP to my big-wheel omni antenna. I am usually on for less than an hour. I also have a go at the FT8 activity contests.
Although I rarely use SSB and FM outside contests, I gather activity with these modes is down on the past. I guess there are several reasons. Firstly, people can chat for free on the internet by video with anywhere on the planet, so there is less need to use the amateur bands just for chatting. Secondly, the average age of amateurs is increasing, with the hobby appealing to retired people. Some of these are now getting infirm so less active. Thirdly, there are more digital modes not needing much bandwidth. For example, the FT8 slot is often busy, but very little bandwidth is needed.
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| QSOs on 2m UKAC last Tuesday |
Change is inevitable, but you do not just chance upon FT8 as this needs specialist software. People will no longer just chance upon amateur radio. The danger is numbers decline over the next 10-20 years unless we can galvanise the interest of younger people.
Later, I expect to be on 8m TX on 40.680 MHz USB dial FT8 with 2.5W QRP. The winter Es season seems to be in full swing, so I am hopeful some in Europe will spot me.
UPDATE 1927z: No spots. QRT.
Yaesu has announced the ending of production of the FT818 transceiver claiming parts shortage as their reason.
When the FT818 was launched, like many, I was completely under-whelmed. What a complete failure!!
The FT818 offered none of the things people had expected and that would have been very easy to do. Instead, they opened the market to others and gave us the impression of a company that had totally lost its way.
In my view they have one last chance in 2023. Based on their muddled performance in 2022 I am not too hopeful. If they are after profits, they have surely lost their chances already. Compared with, say, 10 years ago there are far more competitors. At one time they ruled the QRP market and were leaders not followers.
In my time I have owned many Yaesu transceivers. I was a Yaesu fan.
It would not surprise me at all if Yaesu left the amateur radio market within 5 years.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/optical-nanowaves/over-the-horizon for some ideas.
In many ways optical communications are easier than microwaves as all the gear (test gear and working kit) may be homemade at low cost.
The photo shows my first tentative steps in daylight along a road. Little did I realise what fun was to follow!
At 0956z, my 500mW WSPR beacon was turned on.
UPDATE 1808z: 30 stations have spotted my 500mW 10m WSPR TX today as shown below in the table.
It is now 0950z. In a few moments I expect to be on 8m TX on 40.680 (TX first) with my 2.5W FT8 QRP and low dipole.
UPDATE 1101z: On now. No spots.
UPDATE 1335z: G0HVQ (181km) has spotted my QRP 8m FT8.
Our elder grandson has a video channel about bellringing. He has new rung in well over 80 towers in London and in the Cambridge area. His channel is called StedmanTriples783.
I have been told that WSJT-X has been generally released as V2.6.0. I use WSJT-X for both FT8 and WSPR. Later today I expect to download this version if it is generally released.
On the official website, it is still shown as a release candidate. Usually a new version is released about now, so perhaps my informant has advanced information?
Apart from today and yesterday, we have had very little rain. More is forecast later.
At 1020z, my 500mW WSPR TX beacon was turned on. At 1035z, just SV9KI (2639km) spotting me.
UPDATE 1247z: 6 unique stations have spotted my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon.UPDATE 1445z: 7 unique stations spotting me today.
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| Stations spotting me to 1718z |
UPDATE 2220z: 15 unique stations spotted me. Now QRT on 10m QRP WSPR TX.
At 1020z my 2.5W 8m FT8 was turned on 40.680 MHz (TX first). No spots today at 1025z.
Yesterday EI9KP (649km) again spotted me strongly. This is a really odd distance being (probably) too close for Es and too far for tropo. Perhaps it is MS or aircraft scatter. I would have thought the 15 second transmit period would have been too long for these? The signal report suggests aircraft? Phil is definitely the person who most frequently spots on 8m.
UPDATE 1240z: EA3ERE (1153km) has spotted me several times on 8m FT8 this morning. Winter Es I guess.
This QRP FT8 transceiver from QRP Labs is on order. I have asked for a built version covering 20-10m as I can no longer build things, sadly. It will mostly get used on 10m.
When I ordered it just before Christmas, the lead-time was expected to be about a month. At present I am 105th on the list. It is going down. I just have to be patient! Hans makes some good kit.
Even though it is only January 6th there were some daffodils and aconites in flower in the grounds, and a kite (bird) overhead. Seeing a kite in central Cambridge would have been amazing 30 years ago.
Since 1358z I have been on 10m WSPR TX with my 500mW W5OLF beacon. It is now 1310z and so far no spots.
UPDATE 1326z: Spotted several times in the Canary Islands.
UPDATE 1546z: First spot today from the USA received on 10m WSPR. It is a pity the USA stations no longer have prefixes that point to locations. In years gone past W7 would have meant western USA. No longer!
