2m activity contest (UKAC) - February 6th

Better late than never!  Last time, I was rock bottom of the AL (low power) section of this contest that runs every month for a year. One thing is certain: things can only get better, HI.  In all, 5 stations were worked (see map).

2m FT8 activity contest

Stations spotted on
2m FT8 to 2000z

There is a lift on 2m!  

There is an FT8 activity contest at the moment and 126 stations spotted on RX and my 2.5W to the omni has been widely copied.

UPDATE 2136z:  181 stations spotted. QRT.

2m activity contest last evening

Last evening was the June 2023 2m activity contest (UKAC). 

Conditions were well up, but I found it very hard work with my 2.5W to the big-wheel omni. I guess this is a combination of several factors.  Firstly, my low ERP is obviously a handicap with stronger signals being copied over me. Secondly, I have a very poor voice, not cut out to "outshout" others. Thirdly, I have no compressor, so my signal lacks punch. 

In the end 6 stations were worked before I gave up. These days, I find FT8 easier as I do not need to "outshout" other stations. To be honest, I am no longer attracted to VHF/UHF voice contests.

4m UKAC tonight

 As you can tell, I seem to back losers!! A reminder that the 4m activity contest is on tonight starting at 1900z (8pm UK clock time). I hope to come on and maybe work someone. 

Oh look, there goes another flying pig! 😁

70cm FT8 activity contest

The RSGB activity contest (UKAC) starts at 1900z, but I think the European contest starts earlier.

The map shows the activity on 70cm FT8 well before the UK contest starts! 

My antenna is just a 2m big-wheel omni too!

Changes

When I was first involved with amateur radio it was 1962. 

My first venture into radio was when my dad bought me a Heathkit Electronics Workshop for Christmas 1961. This allowed you to make a variety of circuits without soldering. That first Christmas I was DXing on Medium Wave. I joined the RSGB shortly afterwards. My first G8 call was in 1966 and I became a G3 in 1967, taking my Morse test in the famous Liver building in Liverpool.

My first serious TX activity was when I moved to Cambridge in the early 1970s. My first outings were on 2m AM, then 70cm AM with a simple homemade QRP transverter. In those days most people were crystal controlled, so it was "tuning high to low" to get a contact.

These days, people rarely come on just for a chat. Times are changing.

My 2m-70cm transverter was based on this circuit in the old "VHF Communication" magazine. It produced  about 100mW on 70cm. From a local hill you could almost guarantee a QSO with this in the 1970s.

2m activity contest last Tuesday

As usual, I go on the 2m activity contest on the first Tuesday evening in the month. As I run 2.5W and an omni big-wheel antenna and my voice is poor, I am usually on for less than an hour. Conditions seemed a bit "up" and it was quite busy.  In 37 minutes 7 contacts were had (see map). Next Tuesday is the 70cm activity contest.

2m activity contest (UKAC)

The May leg of the RSGB organised activity contest on 2m is tonight starting at 1900z. Activity levels are usually good with portables on hilltops. 

It lasts (I think) for 2.5  hours although with my QRP, omni antenna and poor voice I am usually on less than an hour. 

This really does not feel like a contest. It is more a way to stimulate activity and work squares.

70cm activity contest

After copying no stations at all (!) I gave up. I expect the next 70cm FT8 activity contest will be much better!

2m activty contest (UKAC) last week

 Last Tuesday was the activity contest organised by the RSGB. My incredible score (I am joking!!) has just been submitted as I almost forgot. Tomorrow evening is the 70cm activity contest.

The impression I am getting is interest in this contest is waning with the FT8 contest on the following evening doing better. This is pity as it is a very "un"contest contest with people happy to see the activity levels up. I have been taking part for several years.

The stations contacted are shown on the map.

Activity levels

Today was an interesting experiment. I tried 6m and 4m FT8. The difference could not be more stark. On 6m I got plenty of spots, whereas on 4m none at all. Many modern transceivers in Europe include 4m, yet activity on this great band seems very poor. 

I guess people are more interested in working new DX than chatting, not that you can chat on FT8!  There is no doubt amateur radio is changing. In many ways this is for the worse. 

Putting a RX on 6m FT8 is more likely to have something "new" than 4m FT8 outside of the Es season. Even so, I am surprised how bad 4m seems to be. I was expecting some activity!

Unless things change, amateur radio will be gone before 2040. At the very least, it will be radically different.

UPDATE 1336z: What will the future of amateur radio look like? The short answer is I do not know! I can see national agencies like the FCC and OFCOM tiring of amateur radio. Instead I can see the allocation of callsigns being delegated to the ARRL and the RSGB. I can see this spreading across the world. I can see a time when the amateur bands that remain become a free for all, without licences, as long as no interference is caused. I can see a merging of licence free bands and amateur radio.

SSB activity lower?

Every month I take part in the 2m and 70cm UKAC activity contests organised by the RSGB. My voice is poor and I only run QRP to my big-wheel omni antenna. I am usually on for less than an hour. I also have a go at the FT8 activity contests.

Although I rarely use SSB and FM outside contests, I gather activity with these modes is down on the past. I guess there are several reasons. Firstly, people can chat for free on the internet by video with anywhere on the planet, so there is less need to use the amateur bands just for chatting. Secondly, the average age of amateurs is increasing, with the hobby appealing to retired people. Some of these are now getting infirm so less active. Thirdly, there are more digital modes not needing much bandwidth. For example, the FT8 slot is often busy, but very little bandwidth is needed.

QSOs on 2m UKAC
last Tuesday

Certainly, SSB UKAC contest QSOs seem harder now on 2m than a few years ago. My average used to be about 10 QSOs whereas now even getting a couple is harder.

Change is inevitable, but you do not just chance upon FT8 as this needs specialist software. People will no longer just chance upon amateur radio. The danger is numbers decline over the next 10-20 years unless we can galvanise the interest of younger people.

2m activity contest results

The results have just been published for the 2m UKAC contest. These results are for December and the overall scores for the year. Despite just one QSO in December, I managed to end up in 67th place in the low power section (I run 10W to my big-wheel omni antenna) out of 175 stations.  As my voice is poor these days, I find SSB contests hard work, so I usually stop on for 30-60 minutes only.

70cm activity contest results

These have been published. My position is unchanged in the low power section.

See https://www.rsgbcc.org/cgi-bin/vhfresults.pl?Contest=432MHz%20UKAC&year=2022 .

Last night's 70cm activity contest

Last night I was only on for 30 minutes. Conditions seemed a bit up, but after 30 minutes my voice had had enough. Also, I had probably worked all the stations that I was likely to with my 10W pep and 2m big-wheel omni antenna. In all, 5 stations were worked. The map shows the stations worked.

2m activity contest (August) results published

Every month I enter this UKAC activity contest. I can only run 10W to my big-wheel omni and because of my poor voice I manage an hour. Results were published today and, surprise, surprise, I am in the top half of the low power section. My points go to the Cambridge club CDARC. In the 70cm UKAC I gave up.

2m activity contest

5W pep QRP 2m SSB
contacts last evening

Last evening was the 2m monthly activity contest (UKAC) organised by the RSGB. As usual, I went on for about an hour with my QRP and the big-wheel omni antenna. 8 contacts were made, but with my poor voice it was hard work. 

I think tonight is the FT8 activity contest. I sometimes go on, but rarely submit results.

UPDATE 1301z: My VHF power max was set to 5W, so last night all my QSOs were with 5W pep, not 10W!!

70cm activity contest (UKAC)

Last evening I took part (briefly) in the 70cm activity contest organised by the RSGB. As I have no antennas for 70cm horizontal I went on for about 50 minutes with 10W to my 2m big-wheel omni. 

3 QSOs were made before I stopped because of my poor voice with the best being G4CLA (105km).

2m activity contest (UKAC)

Last night was the May 2022 leg of the UKAC activity contest organised by the RSGB. In the 50 minutes I was on, I managed 6 QSOs with the furthermost G4RUL/P (172km) on the south coast.

70cm activity contest last Tuesday

At the moment I have no 70cm horizontal antennas so I use my 2m big-wheel omni antenna. Because of my poor voice I usually stay on for about 45 minutes. I run 10W SSB  QRP. Last week I had 3 QSOs with the furthermost 105km.