Steve G1KQH and I remember the 1980s when 6m was open across the Atlantic by F2 and we were wondering if the MUF would go high enough to allow this to occur in this solar peak.
I can recall hearing lots of USA 🇺🇸 stations on 6m SSB with just a low wire dipole. It was just like 10m.
Last autumn there were plenty of F2 openings on 8m FT8 "across the pond" by F2 to the USA, Canada and the Caribbean areas. As I recall these were almost daily.
At the moment there are about 6 countries that have granted radio amateurs access to the 8m band. Others have granted access by means of some kind of experimental licence. Also, I believe others may access the 8m band using ISM rules, the power being dependent on the administration. Several people have had success with 10mW ERP (the limit in the UK) using licence free ISM rules.
In my view the situation is a total mess, which could be simply rectified if administrations gave limited amateur radio access as follows:
I cannot understand why this should be such a problem. Essentially it would give radio amateurs access to a tiny part of the 8m ISM band for serious research.
In the meantime, it would be good to have a list showing which administrations have granted legal amateur radio access to the band and which have allowed experimental access. One possible solution would be for EI7GL (John) who has an excellent blog to add this to his 40MHz pages.
In my view OFCOM (and the RSGB) and the FCC have been unbelievable over this.
See https://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=03&month=08&year=2024 .
See https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/house-martin .
Although nobody spotted my QRP FT8, I spotted 3 stations in Spain and one in Croatia. Not bad with my10m antenna.
At the age of 75, probably I have mellowed.
Looking back on my life it is possible to reflect on it. Many mistakes may have been made and paths not taken. In the end it has been far from perfect, but I have had a good innings. It would be good to know what would have happened if other paths had been followed.
One theory is that every path is indeed taken, but we are only aware of one.
OFCOM is consulting on fixed links near 32GHz. See the OFCOM website for details. They also publish information on the number of licences etc.. Again see the OFCOM website for details
My 2.5W 8m FT8 is on 40.680 MHz.
UPDATE 1953z: 3 stations spotted (2 EAs and 1 9A). No spots of me.
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/10ft8r-rx .
A useful guide is the realtime lighting map. If lightning is possible locally I disconnect things before the risk is here.
The map is an example showing the lightning last evening at about 2010z.
See https://www.lightningmaps.org/#m=oss;t=3;s=0;o=0;b=;ts=0;y=51.7212;x=0.2069;z=8;d=2;dl=2;dc=0;
After failing to receive G0KTN on 8m Q65, I am on 40.680 MHz QRP FT8 hoping that someone will spot me. As there is a possibility of thunder, I shall disconnect everything later "just in case".
UPDATE 2047z: No spots of me.
The following have been notified to me. It is always advisable to check details before travelling.
In July, we have had some very high numbers. I suspect the smoothed solar peak of cycle 25 will now be far later in this year than once thought.
What is interesting is the formation of new spots that declined in July 2024.
Trevor G0KTN is again experimenting with 8m Q65. This time he is trying Q65 120E. As yet, I have yet to spot him. Ours is a difficult path. I shall keep monitoring today.
UPDATE 1613z: No copy at all sadly.
In a word? Dire.
Every few weeks I try to give a very unscientific appraisal of activity through the narrowband transponder on this geosynchronous satellite. I do this by looking at the web SDR at Goonhilly in Cornwall, UK. It is a while since I did an update. This time it was a mid afternoon, mid-week, in Europe.
Whilst I admit that some have enjoyed the challenge of building or assembling microwave kit to create a ground station, the level of activity has fallen well below that I was expecting.
See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/ .
I have said before, I suspect the lack of commercial ready made gear has put off "appliance operators" who prefer to spend their money on shiny boxes from Japan.
In my view this tells us a lot about the state of amateur radio. Most have become "black box" operators, who probably have no idea about the technology of the box they are using. Quite probably the vast majority of operators today have never, ever, done any experimentation. More than ever I can see the day coming when amateur radio ceases to exist.
My 2.5W 8m FT8 is again on 40.680 MHz USB dial. No spots.
UPDATE 1525z: 9A4ZM (1289km) spotted on 8m FT8, but nobody has spotted me! 😞
UPDATE 1726z: Spotted by OE3FVU (1189km).
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/homebrew/sixbox.
My 10m WSPR beacon is on. I was surprised (again) to be spotted at 0034z by HB9TMC (905km). Es really is sporadic!
UPDATE 1007z: 8 stations have spotted me this morning.today.
For some reason my 6m QRP FT8 transmissions were not being reported. Perhaps my timing was badly off or for some other reason. Anyway, I resynced to internet time and restarted PSKreporter and am getting plenty of spots. Some look like Es.
UPDATE 0934z: 13 spots of my QRP 6m FT8 with the furthermost OH6CT (2012km).
UPDATE 1437z: Having been RX on 6m FT8 for several hours, I am back on QRP FT8 TX again, although I might try 8m FT8 shortly.
Solar flux is 220 and the SSN 261. A=23 and K=1.
It is hard to think we were fearing we were entering a Maunder Minimum just a few years ago. These numbers are good.
My 6m QRP FT8 to the V2000 omni was turned on at about 1750z. Just 2 English stations have spotted me.
See https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/radio-propagation-maps/europe-sporadic-e/ .
UPDATE 1252z: 5 stations have already spotted me. See table.
UPDATE 1534z: Spotted by 18 stations. Furthermost are OE3GBB (1233km) and S57BAT (1233km).
This poem is about how the world sees certain countries. It is sad but true.
Yesterday I think the lack of spots was due to a coax fault now mended.
Overnight I was surprised to be spotted by 6 stations some right in the middle of the night.
The common view is that swifts are in decline too. That is not my experience. Although this may be local, I have found more swifts this summer than the last few years. Last summer I could look skywards and wait 30 minutes to see a swift. This summer, I look up and almost immediately see a swift. It would be good to know the experience of others in the UK.
Certainly, many swift nest sites have gone. Have they adapted? It would be good if this was true.
We have come a very long way in 30 years. Back then few had heard of the internet. As far I can tell this is the very first webpage:
See https://info.cern.ch/hypertext/WWW/TheProject.html
When I am pushing up daisies in 30 years' time I wonder what my grandchildren will be amazed at?
My first website is still there on the Wayback Machine. It dates from the mid 1990s. In a way, I was a trail blazer!
See https://web.archive.org/web/19970328203144/http://www.lapr.demon.co.uk/ .
Trevor G0KTN is trying some tests with this mode this week on 8m. Although I have not been successful receiving him so far, I shall try again this week.
UPDATE 1236z: Monitoring 8m Q65. Switched to RX on the V2000 vertical (was on the Par endfed for 10m). No spots.
UPDATE 1603z: No spots of G0KTN.
In the past I have mentioned a phenomenon that could be pure coincidence or some Es mechanism not understood.
Later in the Es season I seem to get more northerly Es openings, particularly towards Scandinavia. There are still plenty of stations from other directions, but stations in Norway, Sweden, Scotland and Finland seem far more noticeable than earlier in the Es season. I have noticed this over several summers.
As I have said, this could be nothing, but I don't think so.
"Theories on a postcard" please as they say!
The photo shows my beacon, that was connected to 100mm drain pipe and a Poundland lens. The LED was bought off eBay. Latterly I bought some much brighter Phlatlights, but I never got around to using them before fate intervened.
I was always amazed how well my tiny signal was copied over the horizon. I presume this was clear air scattering as there were no clouds.
My favourite site for solar data pushed into this year the peak of solar cycle 25. It was November 2023 for some time. I am wondering if this has to be adjusted yet again, based on the high solar activity this month? They take an average so the peak is always some months ahead of the month with the highest numbers.
After very good Es yesterday, things look quite promising today. Even though it is still early, there are quite a few spots even on the VHF bands like 4m.
See https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/radio-propagation-maps/europe-sporadic-e/ .
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We deliver local Christmas cards by hand. We were going to do it yesterday, but the rain was horrendous so we did it today instead in the co...
