FT8 in the quiet solar years

At the moment, 10m FT8 seems to be able to deliver worldwide DX daily. In about 5 years' time we will be at the depths of the solar cycle and 10m may appear dead again. This is when WSPR and FT8 could prove extremely useful.

Both the WSPR and FT8 "watering holes" are quite small, but well monitored. I hope many will stick with these modes on 10m as there is a great deal for us to learn. Especially on N-S paths it would not surprise me at all to find paths open, even with very low solar activity.

Often low 10m activity is not because of conditions, but people going ever lower in frequency for an easier life. Just listen to CB nearby.

New 8m T&I licence obtained

Even though I wish the RSGB and OFCOM would see sense and grant real experimenters an NoV for 8m, I have shelled out (yet again) to continue research at 8m until April 2nd 2024.  In my view their position on this seems totally stupid in the extreme!!!   As before, I asked for digital only at QRP.

I really hope as many as possible come on the ISM band without a licence whilst ensuring they are fully compliant with any national requirements. As I said yesterday, it is my view that anyone in the UK can run 10mW ERP WSPR beacons in the 40.66-40.70 ISM band without a licence and with whatever callsign you like!!

Strictly  speaking, you do not need to give your location, even with the T&I licence either! Personally I think this is bizarre.

Callsigns are not a requirement of ISM use, although I think there is nothing whatsoever to stop you using your amateur radio callsign as an identifier. This is not the Amateur Radio Service. You could, of course, make up your own callsign like "your initials"123!  If using WSPR, it is advisable to make sure the format of the callsign will be reported to WSPRnet.

10m QRP FT8 with the QDX

This morning started with a slight panic. I went on 10m FT8 with the QDX and thought the SWR looked high. It was as if the QDX was still on 20m. Then it clicked - I was on PWR not SWR. All was well and the SWR very low!!

My gear was switched on at about 0850z. It is now 0900z and, so far, 25 stations spotted on RX and 4 stations have spotted my QRP FT8 TX.

UPDATE 0921z:  11 spots of my QRP from Eastern Europe. I assume this is F2 propagation.

UPDATE 1036z:   20 stations have spotted me with the furthermost 7Z1IS (4948km). On RX, 99 stations have been spotted here.

UPDATE 1400z:  31 stations have spotted me on 10m FT8 and I have spotted 301 stations.

UPDATE 1424z:  45 stations have spotted me with the furthermost ZS3SH (9149km). On RX, 372 stations spotted on 10m FT8. Still using the tiny QDX.

UPDATE 1542z: Today I have been spotted by 87 stations and I have spotted 487 stations. In just a day, I have been spotted on 5 continents with the QRP QDX on 10m FT8 as well as had many QSOs on 10m FT8.

UPDATE 1918z: 119 stations have spotted my QRP 10m FT8 today and I have spotted 565 stations. Not a single station has been spotted from North America.

UPDATE 2025z:  120 stations have spotted my QRP 10m FT8 today (see map) using the QDX.

Early tests on 481 THz

 

This was 2012. It was an eye opener for me. 

Sunspots - Monday February 27th 2023

 Solar flux is 159 and the 120. A=26 and K=6.

Breakfast 2022

 

This was breakfast a year ago. 

15m FT8 RX (Sunday)

As 10m seems to have stopped, I have QSYed to 15m FT8 RX.  So far, 135 stations have been spotted with most in North and South America. Still using the QDX transceiver. A very brief TX slot was spotted in the Canary Is..

UPDATE 2051z:  Now 15m FT8 seems to have stopped? 138 stations spotted.

8m beaconing without a licence?

 Some months ago, I had an email from OFCOM. The contents are shown here. It convinced me (although I am no legal expert) that beaconing in the 8m ISM band is perfectly legal without a licence as long as certain conditions are met. In the UK, this means 10mW ERP. Half this power at 8m has already spanned 5000km from Australia to the Cook Is on WSPR. With summer Es I am certain that such WSPR beacons in the UK would be copied in Europe. Microwatt 10m WSPR beacons have been copied in Europe from the UK.

This is what OFCOM said in an email:

"The use of licence-exempt apparatus is authorised under exemption regulations, with set emission powers and other criteria.  This is in order for it to be available to all users with minimal risk of disruption or interference.

 

The limits, including maximum power levels and whether airborne use is permitted, are set out in the UK Interface requirement IR2030.  If apparatus being used for testing meets the relevant technical criteria and complies with IR 2030, then a licence will not be necessary.   Please note that some frequency bands which may be licence-exempt in other countries, such as the USA, may not be so in the UK and only the frequency bands listed are eligible for the exemption of qualifying apparatus.

 

In some circumstances we may be able to authorise the test or development of non-compliant radio apparatus under an Innovation and Trial (I&T) licence.  However, this generally will be under conditions that are sufficiently remote, shielded or otherwise unlikely to affect other users.  I&T is not intended for the operational use of radio apparatus, such as for the monitoring / control / telemetry of other apparatus, where a licensed or exempt authorisation is already generally available.  Even if it were the radio apparatus itself that is under test or development (in excess of normally permitted limits) we should emphasise that, as describhe OFCOMed above, it will not be possible to grant an operational permission for its future deployment and use."

My interpretation is 10mW ERP is legal for beacons in the 8m UK ISM band without a licence as long as these conditions are met. This is not the Amateur Radio Service.  

Probably we are OK to experiment in other ISM bands as long as the OFCOM criteria are met. I did not ask this.

This loophole may be available at different power levels in other countries. If so, many more people could legally get on 8m in future.

The important bit is:

 "If apparatus being used for testing meets the relevant technical criteria and complies with IR 2030, then a licence will not be necessary."

10m FT8 (Sunday) with the QDX

Now my QDX transceiver has arrived, I am concentrating on 10m FT8 today. The antenna looks quite a good match to 17m and even on 20m it is not bad. I think the QDX puts out about 4W on 10m.

UPDATE 0943z:   55 spots on 10m FT8 RX and a couple of spots on TX (Ukraine and Canary Is).

UPDATE 1500z:  481 stations spotted today on 10m FT8 using the QDX transceiver. As I was out, I have not been on 10m FT8 TX for several hours.

10m QRP FT8 spots of me to 1600z using the QDX

UPDATE 1621z:  519 stations spotted and my QRP 10m FT8 TX has been spotted by 31 stations with 2 QSOs, although these were stations calling me. If I called others I am pretty sure more QSOs are definitly possible.  I guess it must be the time of year, but no North Americans spotted yet. The map clearly shows F2 skip. Still nothing yet from the USA.

UPDATE 1900z:  45 stations have spotted my 10m QRP FT8 and I have spotted 589 stations.

South Devon - NOT amateur radio

In my childhood and teenage years I lived in South Devon. The photo is near where I come from. We have a continuous record of our family history back to the mid 1500s in this part of Devon.