The last I heard was a rumour that the worldwide release of the Yaesu FTX-1F was waiting on the FCC approval.
Despite this, I am puzzled by the lack of more detailed specs.. Has anyone seen any more detailed specs than those released last summer and any idea of the price?
There is far more competition than when the FT817 was first released.
Tomorrow is the first day of meteorological spring.
I always look forward to the first swallows returning from Africa on migration. They usually arrive here in mid April, although they are a bit earlier in Devon. Swifts, that we see more of, arrive about mid-May. These are often heard screaming before being seen.
Google Adsense amazes me. The phrase that they have come up with to say they are ending something is "sunsetting" which is a way of saying stopping! They always use a turn of phrase that disguises the real meaning, making it sound something good.
So, if you want to say something is stopping, it is "sunsetting"
Today, I am concluding my experiment with very low power on 10m. Today, I am running 10mW 10m WSPR. Conditions are more disturbed than yesterday.
UPDATE 1654z: 14 spots of me so far today. I think my experiment has demonstrated that very low power digital modes really do work on 10m. WSPR is better than FT8, but even 10mW of FT8 can be enough, although you need a clear frequency! Back to QRO (3W HI) tomorrow!
This is an outlet for Chinese (only?) companies. I find some of their prices remarkable. Often the goods come by air in just a few days. On some items I guess you might have to pay some duty. Even so, their prices are unbelievable.
I suppose the downside is that this kills western manufacturing that cannot compete with labour costs. Making in Europe or the USA we would not be able to compete on price. Making consumer goods more locally would stoke inflation.
On Saturday we enter meteorological spring and rallies occur more often. The following have been notified to me, but I always advise to check before going far.
As mentioned before, tomorrow night (Friday) at 2000z, I am giving a talk on 8m at the Cambridge Radio Club. As my voice is poor, someone else is doing the speaking even though I prepared the slides and notes. We did this last year and it worked. I am sure if you are not a regular CDARC member you would be welcomed as a guest.
UPDATE 1209z: Still no spots on 10mW 10m FT8 TX, so I have QSYed in case I am being clobbered. On the evidence so far, 10mW FT8 is just too little. 100mW was fine. As the sunspots decline I think I will use 2-3W FT8 from the QDX on most occasions. It would seem the 10dB more reduction on FT8 TX power makes it hugely harder. I guess WSPR is better as it takes up less bandwidth (less chance of being clobbered) and works with signals far weaker. Maybe I should try 10m WSPR TX tomorrow at 10mW?
UPDATE 1440z: Spotted by 2 stations when running 10mW 10m FT8. It is much harder at very low power. I suspect it would be far easier on 10m WSPR with its much smaller bandwidth (about 6 Hz rather than about 50 Hz) and far better sensitivity. WSPR can decode signals probably about 10dB weaker than those on FT8.
UPDATE 2144z: QRT. 10mW 10m WSPR tomorrow.
My typical breakfast is Weetabix with fruit.
A local friend of mine reports that he has been spotted in South Australia with just 2mW WSPR on 17m. It goes to prove that not much power is really needed!
My gear has been on since before breakfast.The IC-705 power out is set to 1% (100mW).
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| Stations spotting my 100mW 10m FT8 at 1320z |
It is saddening that the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches in the UK seem to be untrustworthy when it comes to sexual abuse.
I know personally of one Anglican priest who was moved on to another parish rather than being sacked after having carried out sexual abuse. He carried out abuse against minors (not me!) and was moved to another parish.
It is my view that this sort of thing is widespread and the churches are more concerned about themselves and less concerned about the victims. A similar situation seems to be the case in the Roman Catholic church in the UK.
You would hope that all churches could be trusted without question.
In my view any safeguarding investigations absolutely must be independent.
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My IC-705 at 5W was turned on just before breakfast.
UPDATE 0945z: Spotted by 21 stations with the furtherest South America and Reunion Is..
This is one of those "new age" phrases that many find annoying.
What it is really trying to get you to do is live and enjoy the "now". We are often crowded out by thoughts and worries in our heads and forget to enjoy the simple pleasures all around us right now.
Often the most mundane thing is pleasurable, but we are too busy worrying to just enjoy it.
See https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/tips-and-support/mindfulness/.
Today I think I shall go on 10m QRP FT8. Probably my QRP will span the world. Probably I shall use the IC-705 at 5W.
It is located on a place called Pound Hill as it was once the location of the village pound where animals found wandering were locked up and released when the owner paid a fine!
It is also the tiny village green.
When my wife was young she took a wolf whistle as a compliment. These days even just a touch is an infringement of civil liberties and is a sackable offence! Get real, please. I really hope a judge somewhere says, "case dismissed, stop wasting my time".
Yes, everyone regardless of race, sexuality, colour and nationality has a right to be treated properly and with respect, but there is a vast difference between abusing someone and just a friendly and unharmful touch or comment.
My FT817ND to the low dipole was turned on at about 0915z on 40.680 MHz with a DF of about 1960Hz.
UPDATE 1017z: Spotted by a couple of stations in the Canary Is at about 3000km.
My 500mW 10m WSPR beacon was turned on at 0914z. EA8BFK (2880km) and local G4KPX (14km) spotting me.
UPDATE 1019z: 4 stations spotting me with the furthermost ZD7GB (7607km).
UPDATE 1535z: 31 stations spotting me including JW1ITS Jan Mayen (2945km) in the frozen north. Best DX is a spot from Brazil.
Shortly, I intend to try 10m QRP WSPR TX and 8m QRP FT8 TX. The solar forecast is quite promising.
There is no doubt that AI can be very good at analysing lots of data very fast and can be much better than a human. Large language models are trained and GPT4 is vastly bigger and better than the last version. Mistakes still occur, yet many people believe it is true!
Recently I have seen several things on Facebook that may have been done with AI. The trouble now is telling what is real and what is not. As time goes by, AI will only get better. All I can advice is you take great care and assume anything a person is supposed to have said is AI unless you know for certain it is real.
This was recently on the FTX-1F IO group...
"Talked to the folks at the Yaesu Booth, at the Orlando Hamfest, today. They said the FTX-1F was ready to be released, worldwide. The current holdup is type acceptance, by the FCC, here in the United States. They want to release the radio simultaneously, around the world. They said they could not even bring a radio to look at, because it was not type accepted, yet.Buddy WB4OMG”
What surprises me is that better specs have not been released giving more detail.
When I briefly owned a Yaesu FT710 I tried 4m FT8 and was copied all over the UK and mainland Europe despite not having a "proper" antenna and loading up my 2m big-wheel via the auto ATU. Outside the Es season activity was very disappointing. I was surprised.
Also, it is a pity we don't have the WARC 60m band like many others. Many are probably put off by the "bitty" nature of the UK allocations. No doubt we share this with the military who keep saying "no". I bet if we look at all the bands kept "just in case" for the UK military, it would be huge chunks of spectrum.
I fail to understand why radio amateurs cannot gain limited secondary access to some of these with very low power, by NoV, and us being asked to go QRT at any time there was heightened tension, war or interference. After all they know our callsigns and location! In the meantime huge swathes of spectrum ripe for experimentation stay fallow.
If you ask me .... stupid.
My gear was turned on about 0730z .
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| 8m monitors earlier |
My 500mW beacon was turned on about 0730z . 2 stations spotting me at 0822z .
Some like it and some hate it.
I agree that if you believe amateur radio is about 2-way chats, possibly with stations across the world, then FT8 is not for you. Also, with FT8 people will not chance upon amateur radio as many of us did on AM years ago.
In my own case, I have little alternative as my voice is very poor these days! FT8 works with very weak signals and only occupies about 50Hz whereas SSB takes about 2.3kHz. With FT8 exchanges are very basic.
I am "on the fence" over FT8. There is no way without FT8 nearly 900 stations would have copied my 5W on 10m today.
At the same time, I really believe modes like FT8 could lead to the end of amateur radio as we know it.
We have had no snow, but several frosts. It is also wetter than I remember. I am sure we have not done with winter yet, but at least there is a hint of spring.
At the moment I am on 10m QRP FT8 with 5W from the IC-705.
UPDATE 0958z: So far, I have been spotted by 39 stations, despite only being on for a few minutes.
UPDATE 1030z: Spotted by 114 stations. On RX the furthermost is the Solomon Is H44MS (14814km) in the Pacific.
Sunday February 23rd - Red Rose Winter Rally, Leigh, WN7 2PJ. Contact lesjackson@ntlworld.com .
We hear a lot these days about AI. One of my Cambridge University of the Third Age courses is about AI. It is very good and thought provoking.
At the moment AI is not very good with irony or jokes. No doubt with time and better training this will improve.
I guess what we fail to really understand is human consciousness. Just what makes us able to think, become aware of ourselves etc.? In my mind there is a huge difference between the accumulation of all the knowledge on the internet, and of wisdom. AI can learn all about all the knowledge on the internet, but still not be wise or be able to contemplate its very existence.
At some point I wonder if we will be able to say exactly what human consciousness really is? In many ways this is a philosophical question.
In this part of the UK it is meant to be getting much milder, with a hint of spring. It is quite windy here and I have not noticed it getting milder yet.
Roll on spring!
Once again, I am on 40.680 MHz FT8 with the FT817ND hoping for some spots.
UPDATE 1134z: Just one spot by EA8RCP (3022km) of me so far today. I estimate about 2.5W to the low dipole.
My beacon was turned on just before breakfast.
UPDATE 1139z: Just EA8BFK (2880km) spotting me. It seems the single hop F2 to the Canary Is is often open. Interesting that reports of me vary from -25dB S/N to -5dB S/N on this path. This implies he could still copy me with microwatts at times!
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| WSPRrocks by Phil VK7JJ |
A few moments ago I sent an email to an old work colleague who now lives in Moscow. He is a very keen radio amateur who has done a great deal for the hobby.
This is one thing I really like about amateur radio. Whether the person lives in the USA, China or Russia matters not one bit. We are all human beings and all equal. In the days of the USSR it mattered not and Americans freely talked to stations in the USSR.
Amateur radio is above politics.
Let's hope the thought police don't come knocking!!
The Ukrainian 🇺🇦 leader is not impressed with President Trump!! I can't say I blame him.
One of the things I remember from a time management course at work a long time ago was to think of issues in bite sized chunks. Every problem has a solution.
I am reminded of a famous quote by Descartes:
"Divide each difficulty into as many parts as is feasible to resolve it"
See https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/rene-descartes-quotes.
Basically every problem, however complex, can be solved.
Today, I am on 10m QRP FT8 with the IC-705 at 5W.
UPDATE 0915z: 59 stations spotting me with the furthermost ZD7GB (7606km). An SV has his locator wrong as it appears he is in the Pacific Ocean!
Saw this earlier:
“The world is not static, and the status quo is not sacred.” |
See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/ .
Looking around, there are other tranverters on offer. For example, see https://www.leijenaarelectronics.nl/downloads/LE016-R5_System_Manual_13-09-2021.pdf .
See also https://www.passion-radio.com/satellite-qo-100/pack-dxpatrol-100-880.html .
Some have come up with "all in one box" solutions, but I guess this is too hard for most sadly. It requires engineering, rather than a cheque book. Engineering is a dying art these days in the amateur community. Full marks for those prepared to do it.
Using my IC-705 at 7W, I am on 6m FT8. It was turned on just before breakfast
My 500mW 10m WSPR TX beacon was turned on just before breakfast.
Since I have been active on 8m (nearly 3 years now) I have tried again and again to get a tiny narrow digital only 8m amateur band in the UK.
I was suggesting 5kHz, but even 3kHz would be enough to allow propagation research to proceed. In the past, just a Notice of Variation (NoV) would have been allocated, much as was done years ago when I started VLF tests.
Sadly, it would appear the RSGB and OFCOM just cannot be bothered: it is all too much hassle. Instead they are happy for people who want to do 8m research to pay up for doing so. In the USA the FCC seems equally blinkered.
The most important things would have been found out around sunspot maximum. Sadly, it would seem self-training and propagation research no longer matter! 2000kHz of low VHF spectrum can be found for DTV work, yet just 3kHz can not be found.
After my 8m Trial and Innovation TX permit runs out, I do not intend to renew it.
RSGB membership? Why do I bother?
Both in the Ukraine and Gaza, peace is possible.
Whatever the outcomes, it is essential that the peace is totally just for the inhabitants of those that live in these troubled lands.
Peace cannot and must not be imposed on them.
My gear was turned on at about 1000z.
UPDATE 1747z: Spotted by EI4DQ (580km) in southern Eire. This is the first 8m spot in several days. QRT.
My beacon was turned on about 30 minutes ago.
One wonders what lives within! I expect the kids love it and imagine all sorts!
It would appear a new world order is emerging. For over a century the USA was seen as the dominant world power. We are now seeing this change as China comes to the fore.
At one time the USA was seen as a beacon of democracy and one that could be aspired to.
Recently, I cannot see many in the world wishing to follow the USA.
No political system is perfect.
In a few moments I expect to turn on my 500mW W5OLF 10m WSPR beacon.
UPDATE 1008z: My beacon was turned on about 1000z. Just EA8BFK (2880km) spotting me so far.
UPDATE 1639z: 25 stations have spotted me today. Plenty of spotters in the USA.
Very shortly, I hope to go on 40.680MHz FT8.
UPDATE 1004z: My 8m gear was turned on at about 1000z.
UPDATE 1638z: No spots.
This photo is totally untouched and this is exactly as it was.
Once I had resolved my "finger trouble", I went on 10m QRP FT8 with my tiny QDX transceiver. Lots of RX spots and 5 spots on TX, although I think I am being clobbered by a strong station. I had better QSY!
I keep forgetting that when the audio is muted it also mutes the audio coming in on the USB port! Once mute was turned off, RX audio was received.
Although everything was working on TX, the PC was seeing no audio despite the correct source being selected. It is probably finger trouble, but I have gone QRT for now.
My 500mW beacon was turned on just after 1000z.
UPDATE 1020z: Just spots of me by EA8BFK (2880km).
When she remembered they were brought into the kitchen where they have thrived.
My IC-705 set at 7W was turned on at 0933z.
UPDATE 0950z: Spotted by 6 English stations so far. As I am using the V2000 vertical, I am probably cross-polarized to most serious 6m operators. I imagine if I was using a 6m halo or similar, I could be 20dB stronger on UK stations. I doubt it matters with real 6m DX.
My 500mW beacon was turned on at 0932z.
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| Map by WSPRrocks Phil VK7JJ |
The map shows the stations worked - all two of them!
As mentioned before, one of my friends on 365project lives up in the Shetland Isles. They get plenty of weather up there interspersed with ...
