The future of amateur radio

This is a subject we have touched on many times. 

However, an increasing proportion of people in our hobby (the vast majority?) are getting very old and frail. Most are old men. We seem to have become (in the main) appliance operators where the main challenge seems to be the knobs on the latest and greatest product from Japan. Real researchers seem to be very much in the minority.

It is my firm view that national authorities will increasingly see the Amateur Radio Service as an unwanted burden. I can see the day coming when the Amateur Radio Service ceases. One possibility is that all non-licenced services are combined in some administrations. I cannot see the Amateur Radio Service existing beyond 2040. 

Already in the UK 3 dealers seem to have merged. The writing is on the wall....

Personally, I am not bothered as long as we have free access to interesting spectrum for research.

Magnet fishing - NOT amateur radio

 

Last week, our younger grandson went fishing with a magnet. Among the finds was a very old key. Just imagine the story it could tell. Was it just lost? Did someone throw it i? We shall never know.

Sunspots - Tuesday July 25th 2023

 Solar flux is 165 and the SSN 141. A=7 and K=1. 

Near Hathersage, Derbyshire - NOT amateur radio

This was the view out of the train window earlier. 

Sunspots - Monday July 24th 2023

Solar flux is 173 and the SSN 117. A=6 and K=1.

Loop antenna testing

This was 10 years ago at our old house when I was testing a loop antenna in the garden. The loop works surprisingly well. 

Russia and Ukraine - NOT amateur radio

 After all this time, I am completely puzzled why Russia is doing the damage it is on Ukraine. For many years to come the Ukrainian people will hate Russia, as will much of the world. Surely this is not productive. All this wanton destruction seems so pointless. Why don't we concentrate on real threats rather than waste all this money on destroying things?

JAs again on 6m

 Many Japanese stations are being worked (again) on 6m FT8. This is a case where ERP really does matter. Although I am being spotted by Es around Europe, I think high power and big, high beams are getting the DX contacts! 

At the moment, I am RX only on 6m FT8. I shall let the "grown-ups" have the fun, HI.

UPDATE 1003z: 107 stations spotted on 6m FT8 with the furthermost HL4GAV (8944km) in South Korea. Looking at his/her spots this looks genuine.

UPDATE 1212z: 150 stations spotted on 6m VHF FT8 today. I wonder who is chasing 6m DXCC 😆? In another month there will be almost nobody on 6m! Sorry, but I reckon the Amateur Radio Service, as we know it, will be gone by 2040.

10m QRP WSPR TX (Sunday)

My 500mW WSPR TX beacon has been on for a little while. Already 9 stations spotting me. Plenty of Es around.

UPDATE 0907z: 10 spots of me. Later in the Es season I detect a pattern. I seem to have more northerly spots. I am wondering if this is the traditional Es or something else? It happens every year on 10m. The co-incidence is odd.

UPDATE 1400z: 20 stations have spotted my 500mW 10m WSPR with the furthermost PU5ALE (10191km) in Brazil.

How simple can you go?

This has been on before, but I make no excuses for posting it again. One of the challenges in amateur radio is to see how simple a complete transceiver can be made that really works. This is just one possibility. There must be many others. My main issue was adjusting the RX to be precisely on the TX frequency. Maybe you have some ideas?