My dipole for 8m has still to be replaced, but I am again on 40.680 MHz QRPP WSPR under ISM rules. My power is 10mW ERP.
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| People spotting my 500uW 10m WSPR yesterday |
Yesterday a club station in Malawi was reported to be TXing on the 8m band. Several countries have issued experimental licences for the band. Some stations, where the licencing authority is rather poor, have come on the band illegally.
What is becoming clearer and clearer is that more and more countries are supportive of research at 8m.
It seems odd to me that places like the USA and UK seem so backward on research at 8m. Just a 5kHz slot with limited power by NoV or equivalent, narrow digital only, with no interference created is surely not too much to ask?
Why the negativity?
See https://www.hamradio.co.uk/g106 .
See also https://www.cqxiegu.com/ .
Perhaps it is because my voice is poor these days, but I actually am quite happy to get 1-way reports on WSPR or FT8. Seeing where my signal gets is quite enough nowadays having worked QRP DXCC way back in the 1980s on 10m SSB.
Some chase DX QSOs, but this is not important to me.
On a couple of occasions recently I could swear I was told something in a WhatsApp message.
However hard I try I have been unable to find the message and there is no proof saying the sender had deleted it.
My only conclusion is that I must have had a dream. This has happened more than once in the last few months. It is as if reality and dreams are sometimes merged. It makes me question reality.
For all of my lifetime I have lived in peace, although until 1989 we lived under the shadow of nuclear war.
These days I sense evil is abroad. Russia has invaded Ukraine. Israel has hit Gaza hard in response to the Hamas attack of October 7th. China is threatening Taiwan where I have been twice. In many countries there is a move to the right. There is every possibility of Mr Trump being the leader of the USA for the next 4 years.
The world seems more unstable than at any time I can remember, perhaps with the exception of the 1962 Cuba crisis.
Western democracy is far from perfect. Unhindered capitalism has many faults. What I hope is that across the world a fairer society emerges.
For the first time in about a week I am back on 630m WSPR with my 10mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. So far, at 1805z, just spotted by G8OCV/SDR (65km) 14 times.
All being well, I hope to replace my 8m dipole in the coming days.
This Es season, as an experiment, I am trying 10mW ERP WSPR under ISM rules. This power should certainly get me into Europe on better days, but will there be people monitoring 40.680 USB dial WSPR?
When the band is really "open" I shall be competing with other ISM sources! At the other end, there is no knowing what interference levels I shall be competing against.
As mentioned, there was a major announcement about the future of MFJ. The owner is now aged 80.
In an earlier post I mentioned that CQ magazine was ceasing production. MFJ can no longer be competetive making on-site.
In my view, amateur radio is reaching a critical point. There is no denying that amateur radio is a hobby that (mainly) appeals to older men. There are a few younger people interested and there are now very few radio magazines on sale in newsagents, whereas there are many about PCs and gaming. In the main, much as many would wish otherwise, younger folk get "turned on" by other things. Younger people are not fascinated by the magic of radio.
As we age, fewer pieces of commercial gear will get made (fewer profits to be made), fewer ads will appear from dealers, magazines will have less revenue, these will shrink or disappear and amateur radio as we knew it will cease to be.
This sounds gloomy and I hope I am proved wrong, but, so far, everything I expected is coming true.
What will the future look like? Many PTTs are losing interest in amateur radio, preferring to concentrate on things that can make them money.
If I had to guess, these are what I expect will happen in the coming years:
Is it all bad? I don't think so. To many people CB and amateur radio are different ways of chatting. Experimentation will carry on.
My 500uW 10m WSPR has been on for several hours. By lunchtime, nobody had spotted me.
UPDATE 1740z: No spots. Perhaps conditions today are poor or EA8BFK (2880km) is away?
My 2.5W to the V2000 vertical has been on for several hours. At 1150z, 7 stations in England had spotted me.
Steve G1KQH informs me that CQ magazine has gone. I understand that they were in financial trouble and have ceased trading. I have no idea about what happens to the CQWW contests.
It’s my sense that more amateur radio magazines will go before too long sadly.
Often they are heard screaming overhead first. It’s about now they are first spotted here.
As I have been away, I only returned to 8m WSPR TX under ISM rules (10mW ERP complying with IR2030) this afternoon. I am currently doing some local tests, although my dipole antenna is faulty and needs replacing. Until this is fixed I am not expecting to be copied.
As I have been away for a few days I have only just returned to QRPP 10m WSPR this afternoon. So far already 68 spots of me by EA8BFK (2880km).
When sunspot numbers and solar flux numbers are high, there is always a chance of the F2 MUF reaching 6m or even higher. I remember some years ago hearing 6m SSB stations from South Africa and the USA just like locals. At the time I just had a wire dipole.
Instead of putting prices up just make things smaller and hope the consumer does not notice. Yesterday I bought a chocolate bar. In 1996 it was 62.5g. Now it is 51g. This happens with so many things.
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This was one of Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s greatest projects.
At the moment, we are meant to be on the downward slope of cycle 25, although in the last few days, the solar flux and sunspot number have been very high. Even if sunspot numbers are declining, solar conditions will be good for several years.
See https://www.echolink.org/ .
With my 8m station using only a low dipole, I suspect that stations need to be quite strong to be spotted here on FT8. Compared with the better stations with beams and more height, I guess I am probably 10dB down. On FT8 this means they will often spot stations I cannot.
Also, with the same power on 6m (2.5W), I can usually be spotted across England on 6m, whereas I struggle on 8m. One of the issues is there are too few people monitoring on 8m compared with 6m.
Nonetheless, I intend to experiment with 10mW ERP 8m WSPR this Es season as this will (hopefully!) show what is possible with a very simple system.
10mW ERP could be generated by a Raspberry PI, I think. It probably needs additional low pass filters to ensure compliance with IR2030. At this power everyone in the UK could have a go without a TX permit as long as ISM rules are followed. I cannot comment on the rules within the EU or elsewhere.
Just over £193 pays for a 5W all mode SDR transceiver. You pay a little more for shipping. This is a lot less than an equivalent Japanese transceiver.
There is a shake-out coming. Expect the Japanese to be facing stiff competition from low cost manufacturers.
China may not be the source in the future as Chinese wages creep up and costs become higher. Canny manufacturers will be on the look-out for countries that can make things for less.
Once again this is via AliExpress.
On my blog is a link to buy me a virtual cup of coffee. This is entirely voluntary.
However, very many thanks to those that have donated. Any money generated will go towards future projects/research.
My wish is that you all have as much fun as I have had on your journey through the hobby. I have particularly enjoyed finding out new things and experimentation.
Two things : The journey is more important than the destination (learn from your mistakes) and you can have lots of fun without spending much.
Yesterday we celebrated our son’s birthday. This was my main course.
I have built versions for 80m amd 40m and had QSOs with each. With something this simple there are compromises. The RX, in some cases, lacks selectivity and can be overloaded by strong broadcast stations. Nonetheless they do work and they are hard to beat for the price.
The cheapest I have seen is £1.35, which is less than the price of just 1 part if bought in the UK!
See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/8040m-pixie-and-micro80-transceivers .
Both Ali-Express and the original manufacturer, I presume, make a profit!
I just cannot see how they do it. It is made in the Far East, shipped by air across the planet and easily cloned I am told.
Shortly, I shall be turning on my 10mW ERP 8m WSPR under ISM rules on 40.680MHz USB dial.
This means my QRPP WSPR will be about 1450Hz higher. I am not really expecting any spots as I have yet to sort out my antenna.
I shall ask locals to check I am getting out.
UPDATE 1436z: No spots.
My QRPP beacon has been re-synced to Internet time, but no spots yet.
UPDATE 1437z: EA8BFK (2880km) has spotted my 500uW 10m WSPR 10 times so far today.
You would not exactly say I am a contest nerd. One thing is certain: guess who will never win! If I come half way up the table I'd be very pleased!
I like to submit an entry into the activity contest even though I stay on very little time, use 10W SSB and a 2m big-wheel omni antenna. In the low power section I am 43rd out of 70, which is not bad.
At about 1620z, I QSYed to 6m FT8. At 1630z, 4 stations had spotted my 2.5W FT8 to the V2000 vertical omni antenna.
UPDATE 1800z: 9 stations have spotted my QRP. On RX, the furthermost is EA9ABC (1873km) in North Africa.
Currently, I am monitoring 40.680MHz USB dial FT8.
UPDATE 1348z: No spots.
UPDATE 1621z: Locally I can see ZS1TX, ZS3/V51PJ and ZR1ADI were spotted but these did not appear on PSKreporter. For some reason, these spots were not uploaded.
UPDATE 0948z: 12 spots already.
It is called "the Isle of Ely" as it is built on a rare hill in these parts.
Much of the Fens area is flat for miles. It is one of the most fertile areas in the UK.
My 10mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground was turned on at about 1810z. So far, spotted by one station.
UPDATE 2104z: 3 stations have spotted me.
OFCOM is inviting applications for small scale DAB multiplex licences. See the OFCOM website for further details.
This morning, I am on 40.680MHz FT8 receive. No spots at 1017z.
UPDATE 1252z: No spots today.
With solar conditions promising, I wonder if I shall be spotted in the USA later?
UPDATE 1635z: 15 spots of my extreme 10m WSPR QRP so far.
Solar flux is 227 and the SSN 247. A=4 and K=2.
Are we seeing a second peak?
The following have been notified to me. As I always advise, check before going a long way.
My 500uW (0.5mW) 10m WSPR beacon has been on again today.
Today was a definite spotting low over the River Great Ouse.
OFCOM is making changes in its auction for 26GHz and 40GHz spectrum to protect radio telescopes near Cambridge. See the OFCOM website for details.
UPDATE 1642z: ZR1ADI (9777km) in South Africa was the only spot today. I guess this is TEP.
No luck yet today with my 500uW (0.5mW) 10m WSPR today.
Yesterday there were quite a few spots of my 500uW WSPR by EA8BFK (2880km). The impression I am getting is this ultra low power works on single hop F2 as long as things are settled, but multiple hop F2 is far harder. Based on these results, I am expecting European spots via Es later.
UPDATE 1545z: No spots today.
UPDATE 1618z: I spoke too soon! 3 spots late afternoon from the Canary Islands (again).
My 2.5W FT8 to the V2000 vertical antenna is on, but just 5 English spots so far.
My 500uW (0.5mW) 10m WSPR beacon has been on all day. I suspect conditions are not good enough.
UPDATE 1354z: No spots.
This afternoon I cut our front laurel hedge. Suddenly a Muntjac deer appeared and I just managed a hasty photo. At one point it was only a...
