The Banggood portable BF-UV8D retails on eBay for just £14.25 with free shipping to the UK from China. In all honesty, just how can anyone compete?
This is a 5W RF 400-480MHz transceiver and comes complete with charger, back clip, antenna and battery. If I was Yaesu, Icom and Kenwood I'd throw in the towel now. Once the Chinese really wake up, the Japanese manufacturers have no chance of surviving. The Japanese will be driven more and more to niche markets, then die. I cannot see them staying around in the amateur market for too long.
At the moment the Japanese have quality on their side, but the Chinese will soon be as good. At the moment it seems everything, just about, is made in China. Recently I bought some Olympus binoculars - these said "Made in China". The Chinese seem to be able to make most things at prices that simply cannot be matched.
20 years from now we'll be living in a very different world.
You can buy a 433MHz module for just over £1 with free shipping from China!!
They make profits too, so how do they do it?
30 Aug 2017
Drone - NOT amateur radio
Last night we had a drone above our house. I think it was taking photos of "our" windmill next door. I have mixed feelings about drones. They allow some very good photos and videos to be taken, but their uncontrolled use could be dangerous. Personally, I am in favour of some sort of licence.
UPDATE 0840z: Apparently the drone was inspecting the windmill sails (next door) to make sure they are safe.
UPDATE 0840z: Apparently the drone was inspecting the windmill sails (next door) to make sure they are safe.
Labels:
drone
6m FT8
It seems obvious to me that FT8 has become the de facto mode for digital QSOs on 6m. Bandwidth is narrow, it is better than CW and QSOs can be fast. Once again, I am monitoring 6m FT8 RX in the hope of catching some Es.
UPDATE 0838z: Best DX already is IZ7FLP (1840km) by Es.
UPDATE 0906z: Already 6m FT8 is going great with 6 countries spotted with the best DX being SV9RGI (2776km) on Crete. Yet again, good early Es.
UPDATE 0838z: Best DX already is IZ7FLP (1840km) by Es.
UPDATE 0906z: Already 6m FT8 is going great with 6 countries spotted with the best DX being SV9RGI (2776km) on Crete. Yet again, good early Es.
Sunspots - Wednesday August 30th 2017
Solar flux is 85 today. The sunspot number is 35. A=10 and K=1.
Labels:
sunspots
29 Aug 2017
QRT on all bands
The big plug was pulled at 1925z and I went QRT on all bands until the morning. In the end, Es was good yet again on both 10m WSPR and 6m FT8, even though it is late in the season.
September swifts? - NOT amateur radio
Last night (when in the garden) I saw several house martins and one solitary swift. I must admit, I have not really looked today, as yet.
September swifts? Unlikely, but you never know. I guess an odd straggler is just possible. Further south and west is more possible than here in East Anglia.
September swifts? Unlikely, but you never know. I guess an odd straggler is just possible. Further south and west is more possible than here in East Anglia.
Labels:
swift
Sloes - NOT amateur radio
Yesterday we did a walk through nearby Reach Woods. These sloes were seen against a clear blue sky with temperatures around 28 degrees C.
Some people use these to make sloe gin.
See http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/sloegin_7722 .
Some people use these to make sloe gin.
See http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/sloegin_7722 .
Es - on and on?
It seems that this Es season does not want to end. We are nearly at the end of August and there is still good Es on 10m and 6m. Maybe WSPR and FT8 are showing up shorter and weaker openings? For a long time I have said these weak signal modes are helpful. Maybe they are helping to effectively lengthen the Es season?
Sunspots - Tuesday August 29th 2017
Solar flux is 82 today and the sunspot number 17. A=4 and K=2.
Labels:
sunspots
6m FT8
Since before breakfast I have been on 6m FT8 RX, apart from a very brief spell calling CQ before breakfast. The only spots on RX so far have been G and northern France and all could have been by aircraft reflection.
UPDATE 1118z: Es from Bavaria, southern Germany, spotted on 6m FT8 DL7AV (923km).
UPDATE 1802z: 6 countries spotted on 6m FT8 in the last 12 hours, most Es.
UPDATE 1118z: Es from Bavaria, southern Germany, spotted on 6m FT8 DL7AV (923km).
UPDATE 1802z: 6 countries spotted on 6m FT8 in the last 12 hours, most Es.
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