The opinion of Lieutenant General Ben Hodges is wise and inciteful.
20 Jun 2026
Amateur radio future?
This is a subject that I have raised on this blog many times. It is a fact that in many countries that the average age of radio amateurs is now very high. Fewer young people are joining the ranks and even fewer stay. Radio no longer is the magic it was to old people.
In my view amateur radio splits into two camps. This may be a simplification.
Some now just prefer to operate, increasingly using digital modes like FT8 with CW and SSB sharply declining. Some of these want to rise to the challenge of DXCC.
A few enjoy the challenge of experimentation. This can take many forms.
Another trend is deregulation, with many PTTS not wanting the hassle of dealing with a service that does not generate money.
In the future I can see a day coming when many PTTs will "throw in the towel" and will no longer police amateur radio and the allocation of callsigns. This could go several ways: amateur radio could merge with CB and become licence free. Experimenters will continue using licence free frequencies or paying for the privilage. Other options may emerge.
What is certain is amateur radio will change.
"Our" windmill at sunset
The windmill right next door looked magical.
6m 3W FT8 (Saturday)
 |
| Stations spotting my 3W 6m FT8 today at 1312z |
My gear was turned on at breakfast.
UPDATE 1725z: Spotted by 177 stations.
10m 200mW WSPR (Saturday)
My beacon was turned on at breakfast time.
UPDATE 1730z: Spotted by 26 stations.
4m in the Caribbean
A station in the USA has an experimental licence for 4m. This station has been received in the Caribbean, presumably by Es on FT8. I hope it is copied in Europe this summer.
19 Jun 2026
Free AVOs
My local radio club is advertising some faulty AVOs for free. I have no idea what is wrong, but this looks like a steal. At one time AVOs were considered the "Rolls Royce" of multi-meters.
Far East 6m openings
So far, with my set-up, I have not managed to catch any Far East openings on 6m FT8 this summer. They occur as regularly as clockwork about now.
These amazing openings seem to be linked to the formation of noctilucent clouds in the mesosphere. Apparently, with global warming, these are becoming more common.
i guess compared with a beam at a decent height I could be down 10-15dB with my V2000 omni fed with CB coax. This means I could well miss some weak signals. I have spotted 6m Japanese signals in some years.
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