The following rallies are due to take place this weekend. As always I advice contacting the organisers to check details.
Sunday June 18th - Bangor and District ARS. Contact MI0OBR.
Sunday June 18th - East Suffolk Wireless Revival, Ipswich, IP10 0PW. Contact Kevin 07710 046846.
My overnight Q65 8m 30A tests overnight with G0KTN failed. I may try another test at a longer TX mode with higher weak signal ability. This will be of a shorter duration overall.
This is a mode I have never tried. Overnight I am doing some tests with G0KTN. Q65 takes fragments of messages and uses these to build up the message. For these tests the power will be 2.5W. I have no idea if it will work.
UPDATE 2115z: No spots.
At the moment, Es in Europe is mainly in the east. Things can change quite quickly, so we will see how the day develops.
See https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/radio-propagation-maps/europe-sporadic-e/
UPDATE 1836z: Things are looking more promising with widespread Es on 6m. Currently I am doing some 8m WSPR QRPP tests at 10mW with HC02 (1808km) in Portugal. No spots all day.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/super-dx
This morning I received a second email about Google Adsense. I am none the wiser!! Why can't they write in plain English instead of crappery?
Assuming the Es looks promising, I hope to try 8m WSPR using 10mW ERP to replicate those who may beacon legally in the ISM band in the UK without a licence as long as the rules are met.
Probably I will use a different callsign for these tests that will get reported to WSPRnet. If you can monitor, please do so.
UPDATE 0742z: On QRPP 8m WSPR at 10mW ERP.
UPDATE 0950z: No spots.
Having got decent results from Portugal on 8m FT8, I have just switched to 8m WSPR with 5mW. You never know. Probably I shall also be on 8m 5mW WSPR tomorrow. If anyone at all spots me, I expect to be weak! If 5mW makes it, 10mW ERP, the ISM limit in the UK without a licence will definitely make it. The main issue on 8m is there are too few RX stations widely spread. Also the 120 seconds for WSPR is quite a long time when conditions are up and down.
Remember, these are ISM research beacons and not the Amateur Radio Service. The experiment is to find out how far away ISM beacons can be spotted, not 2-way communications. This is an interesting experiment.
Even if you do not have an 8m antenna, have a go with whatever antenna you have.
UPDATE 1940z: 2 WSPR spots by HC02 (1808km) of my 5mW 8m WSPR. Hugh was wrongly reporting this as 6m to WSPRnet. If 5mW WSPR can make it, then 3dB more without a licence can definitely make it!
At the moment I am on 8m FT8 using 2.5W and a dipole. G9EFE is active with 10mW FT8 from IO91 square. Not spotted yet.
UPDATE 1655z: No spots on TX or RX.
UPDATE 1756z: Just spotted by HC02 (1808km) in Portugal. Now trying 5mW 8m WSPR.
After starting out with 5mW and getting 6 spots quickly, I am now using 1mW FT8 on 10m as an experiment. I'll check spots at 1mW later. If this is too easy, I shall try QRPP on 8m WSPR.
UPDATE 0900z: No spots so far on 10m FT8 at 1mW. I suspect this is really too low on FT8. For most stations this is below the noise floor or below the decode threshold.
UPDATE 1417z: Much to my amazement, just 1mW of 10m FT8 has resulted in 2 spots this morning from France and Spain. QRPP rocks!!
My current plan is to try 10m FT8 with 5mW. Based on the 10m QRPP WSPR I might get some spots.
In the past, many got into amateur radio because it allowed social contact with like minded people anywhere in the world. To some, this is still the most important aspect of our hobby. However, to others it is not important to have two-way contacts. What matters is the propagation and FT8 or WSPR are perfectly fine.
What is clearly the case is fewer enter the hobby these days for the social aspect as there are many free and better ways to talk across the planet with people of like minds using the internet.
I have no idea of the future, but the magic that got most of us interested is different today.
Our hobby is changing.
For several years I have been worried about Yaesu. At the Dayton Hamvention 2023, I was hoping they would announce a new SDR QRP radio to replace the FT817/818. They have the technology. Sadly, nothing HF was announced just, yet another, VHF/UHF mobile.
Since the early 1970s, I have been a real Yaesu fan. Many Yaesu radios have been bought over the years. At the present time I have 4 Yaesu rigs. In my view, they have blown their last chance.
In my view Yaesu will quit the amateur radio market in the next few years. I hope I am wrong.
The lowest power I can run with WSJT-X is 1mW, so that is what I am running now. No spots yet at 1mW.
UPDATE 1230z: DK6UG (633km) has spotted my 1mW 10m WSPR 4 times already. At best he was getting me at -6dB S/N.
UPDATE 1736z: 5 stations have spotted my 1mW 10m WSPR with the furthermost EA8/DF4UE (2876km). 5mW now seems like high power!
UPDATE 2020z: 8 stations spotted my 1mW 10m WSPR, which was better than I expected. Amazing.
My 10m WSPR is on 40% TX at just 5mW with the attenuator as close as possible to the TX. This also means the 20dB pad is also in line on RX.
How is it going? On TX, 4 unique stations have spotted me (one report is so strong I could certainly be copied at low microwatts!!). On RX, even with the 20dB pad, I have spotted 10 stations already after about 30 minutes!
I am tempted to try FT8!
UPDATE 1115z: I have another 10dB attenuation I could add. Tempted to try 500uW TX WSPR just for fun!
Today, I had every intention of not going on 8m at all.
Instead I was going to make an attenuator for 10m WSPR and concentrate on that. However, I am currently on 8m FT8 TX using my usual 2.5W. I have been on since about 0855z, ad already been spotted by HC02 (1808km) in Portugal.
UPDATE 1040z: On 8m FT8 TX, spotted by 4 stations. On 8m FT8 RX 2 stations spotted.
Just a reminder that OFCOM updates the records it holds on licences and similar matters every week.
If the Es looks encouraging today, I hope to try mW 10m WSPR TX. This means adding attenuation very close to the transceiver.
The following have been notified to me, but do check first if the details are correct.
Sat June 10th - Rochdale and Ditrict Amateur Radio Summer ally, Norden, Rochdal, OL12 7QR. No contact details.
Sun June 11th -Mendips Rally. Farrington Gurnesy, BS39 6TY. Contact mendipsrally@hotmail.com
Sun June 11th - Junction 28 Radio Rally, Alfeton, DE55 7BD. Contact secretary@snadarc.com
I had not noticed but the solar peak is again shown as November this year. We will see.
We are about half way through the Es season in the northern hemisphere. Although there have been some good openings at times, the impression I have is that overall things have been below average.
Although I have been on 8m FT8 since before breakfast, no spots.
UPDATE 1124z: Just spotted by EA3ERE (1153km).
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| Spots of me to 1420z |
Before breakfast my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon was turned on. So far 6 spots. These look like a mix of F2 and Es spots. Tomorrow I intend to do some QRPP tests on 10m WSPR TX.
UPDATE 1420z: 18 spots pf me so far with the furthermost F61695 (9729km) (see table).
My 8m gear (2.5W to a low dipole) has been on since just before breakfast, but no spots.
My beacon has been on 10m QRP WSPR TX since just breakfast. So far, F2 in evidence but not Es. 5 unique stations spotting me so far.
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| Stations spotted on 2m FT8 to 2000z |
Gear turned on at 0853z. No spots.
UPDATE 1326z: Just spots by HC02 (1808km) in Portugal.
My W5OLF beacon was turned on at 0853z. No spots yet.
UPDATE 1148z: 30 stations have spotted me so far today. Although I know some Es signals can be strong, some reports are amazingly strong. Later this week I might try the FT817ND with an attenuator right on the output to see who still copies me at low miliwatts. I could also do this on 8m WSPR.
UPDATE 1329z: 33 stations have spotted my 500mW 10m WSPR today.
Early indications are that European Es is not as good as yesterday, but this can rapidly change. My current plans are 10m 500mW WSPR TX and 8m QRP FT8.
See https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/radio-propagation-maps/europe-sporadic-e/ .
Last evening was the June 2023 2m activity contest (UKAC).
Conditions were well up, but I found it very hard work with my 2.5W to the big-wheel omni. I guess this is a combination of several factors. Firstly, my low ERP is obviously a handicap with stronger signals being copied over me. Secondly, I have a very poor voice, not cut out to "outshout" others. Thirdly, I have no compressor, so my signal lacks punch.
In the end 6 stations were worked before I gave up. These days, I find FT8 easier as I do not need to "outshout" other stations. To be honest, I am no longer attracted to VHF/UHF voice contests.
We go for walks in nearby Anglesey Abbey most months. This is a photo of the main house. The property is owned by the National Trust.
