10m 500mW WSPR (Sunday)

As I decided to try 4m FT8 RX using the V2000 vertical omni, I decided to try 10m QRP WSPR with my beacon on the endfed antenna.

UPDATE 1705z:  No spots of me.

4m FT8 RX (Sunday)

Apparently the FT8 frequency to monitor on 4m is 70.154 MHz. So, using my endfed antenna used 10m-17m I have set my IC-705 to 70.154 MHz RX to see what happens. 

No idea at all how this antenna performs on 4m! It may work or may be incredibly lossy!

UPDATE 1337z: G3YHM (168km) spotted so it must be doing something.

15m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

For a total change I tried FT8 at 5W on 15m. It was too easy with spots on RX and TX from across the planet. 

Station rationalisation

At the moment my main activities are 6m and 10m FT8, 2m and 70cm SSB in the UKAC activity sessions, 2m FM in the local net and 10m QRP  WSPR with my W5OLF beacon.  

It occurred to me that all could be done with the IC-705, although the stand-alone 10m WSPR beacon (500mW) is useful when I am on 6m FT8.

So, for now, I have rationalised my set-up.

27 MHz CB

When CB was first legal in the UK, it was very busy. I seem to recall monitoring, but don't think I ever transmitted on CB. 

I still have pair of 1 channel CB handhelds that I used once many years later. These were going to be converted to 10m FM on 29.6 MHz, but never were.  A range of 1 km back-to-back was achieved that surprised me. 

These days I think it is much quieter with advent of the internet and 446 licence free. In the last century we also had a 934 MHz CB band in the UK! 

These days there are far fewer users as these alternatives exist for chatting, leaving the CB frequencies for farmers and any enthusiasts left.

CB gear is low cost as there is lots around ....and probably not selling!

FT8 on CB?

Is FT8 legal on CB in Europe including the UK?  I gather there is some activity around 27.265 MHz. 

When solar conditions decline there is often far more activity on the CB frequencies than on the 10m amateur band suggesting it is a lack of activity rather than poor conditions.

In the UK I believe you do not need a licence to operate CB gear, but I think you must use CE marked gear?  It is a bit vague if you use compliant gear that is not marked. Also, I presume you can make up a call!

I doubt CB is policed and I know many use beams and (illegal) high power. I am just wondering if I should monitor and possibly TX?

10m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

My 5W was turned on at about 0900z.

UPDATE 1034z:  50 spots of me on TX and 24 stations spotted on RX. Mostly Es?

Sunspots - Sunday June 8th

 Solar flux is 121 and the SSN 103. A=20 and K=2.

10m QRP WSPR yesterday

 In all, 31 stations spotted my 500mW WSPR yesterday. All were European, probably mostly via Es.

6m pirates?

Earlier, when I went on 6m FT8, I was supposed to have spotted stations in Somalia, Asiatic Russia and North Korea. 

Somehow I don't think so!