Hans G0UPL posted the following:I'm so happy. That's why I am writing this. CESSB works! I have recorded
a 1-minute YouTube demo (Churchill's speech still) showing a QMX
receiving QMX+ CESSB transmissions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vnJZ7-j6gc I'm getting my mic ready!..
Having convinced myself that QSL cards are indeed an important detail in our daily amateur radio lives, the question becomes how can this practice be saved and restored? Assuming the cost of a printed QSL card purchased in bulk is around 30 cents each, and an optional envelope 20 cents, we’re looking at roughly 50 cents before postage. First-class postage these days costs 73 cents though post card stamps are 56 cents so there are a few options for savings.
But these numbers aren’t static. The rise in postal rates has been steady and frequent and there’s no reason to believe that might slow down. The current worst case situation for QSLs is sending a card, in an envelope, with an SASE inside. That comes to $2.16 per QSL at today’s rate. Send 500 of those a year and you’re out more than a thousand dollars, an expensive proposition for any of us.
That’s the main reason why “free” Logbook of the World confirmations seemed like such a good deal. And it is, if your interest is only collecting ARRL awards. But LoTW provides only a check mark on a big spreadsheet intended for ARRL awards. There’s no place for photos, personal notes, equipment, antenna or how much power was used, etc. And as we have seen this last summer, LoTW comes with the possibility of problems. We know now the original system, which is still in use today, was assembled with baling wire and duct tape twenty years ago and there is apparently nothing to replace it on the immediate horizon. It’s free, for now, but rumblings and rumors persist that ARRL will one day assign a fee to use it.
We need a completely new service, and it’s probably best if it’s not from ARRL, that permits storage and retrieval of QSL card images. These could be from a static image that could be edited to add pertinent QSO data along with comments, etc. Someone would log into the system, see that they have waiting QSLs that hadn’t been viewed, and have the option of downloading those images or simply viewing them online. It would be nearly the same as traditional QSLing, but without the postal burden - or the actual paper card.
Of course the ARRL (and others) won’t accept these confirmations for award credit, but who cares if you aren’t interested in ARRL credit? And if you are, you can continue to use LoTW too. No harm, no foul. A system like this would provide an option to inexpensively send a reasonable facsimile of an actual QSL card complete with photo, comments, and everything that makes a QSL card special.
While there are services now that allow these to be sent via email, I think it best that whatever comes next be a service where retrieval is optional and doesn’t come via unsolicited email. I simply want to log-in on occasion, and download whatever is available for me. I’d be willing to pay $20-$30 a year for such a service so I think there is a potential business opportunity here for someone, doesn’t matter where, to jump on and build something fresh and new.
Let’s fix this and resume the quaint, cozy practice of collecting QSL cards.
Helene Aftermath: Aid, community resilience, and egress/ingress We are still using a simplex frequency (147.55 MHz) for communications in the neighborhood and another (146.52 MHz) for the Swannanoa area on the VHF calling frequency. QRPer Ham Radio and the aftermath of Helene Traditional media reports are beginning to pop up, highlighting the ability for Amateur […]
After a lovely day yesterday on Lochnagar and Conachcraig, I was looking to see where I could go today. There was a swimming competition on, in addition to the usual activities, so I needed to be back for 3pm. Last week when I was on An Socach, the others went to Carn a’Gheoidh, and I remembered them leaving later than me but arriving at the top at the same time. Sure enough when I check all the times, it looked doable to get there and back in time. The longest part is the drive to Glenshee ski centre, and that’s right at the limit of the electric car - returning home with 20 miles range still makes me a little nervous!
A grey day
The weather forecast had it cloudy with chance of showers and reasonably breezy. It did rain a little on the way out but was dry when I arrived. I wasted about 10 minutes getting a parking ticket from the cafe - I should’ve just opened the link in the car park when I was up the hill and had signal, like I did with Glas Maol.
Look, snow!
The track follows up the ski maintenance tracks, which are quite steep to start. There’s a shortcut across part way up which I just walked right past. My Inreach mini started beeping as I’d gone of course and so I backtracked and found it. It was a small track at right angles to the main path just behind a fence, so not too obvious, so thanks to the Garmin!
Navigation via Inreach Mini
I was soon in the cloud and did check on the inreach every so often to make sure I was heading in the right direction. I doesn’t have topo maps, and just a line but it has a compass and so points in the right direction and is enough to make sure you’re following the right path.
Cloudy
I didn’t see much on the way up, other than about 20m around me, mostly looking like the photo. In exposed places the wind picked up a lot and gave me a good push. At one point I was about 3m from a small loch and I didn’t realise until I was right upon it. The track was decent and only in a few places was it boggy but nothing like The Buck. The final ascent to the summit is steep again after a while of walking on the mostly flat plateau. At this point the wind was howling and I was glad there was a cairn at the top.
Made it!
I setup behind the cairn, which was a very good shelter from the wind, had a sandwich and then got on the air. I thought I’d try a bit more power on 2m and see if I could get any further than usual. I’d brought the Kenwood V71 and battery. This is the first time I’ve taken it out with me, and I also haven’t used it much at home, so I was hoping I wouldn’t get into any operating issues with it! I had the slim G, and was glad I hadn’t brought the yagi to try and setup in the wind.
Wind battered carbon mast
Kenwood V71, trying to keep dry
I now wonder if I’d setup the mast on the outside of the cairn pointing into the wind, if I could’ve made it more vertical. Particularly as right at the end the antenna got blown off and I ended up holding it with my arm to finish the QSO - I didn’t do an EMF assessment on that setup…
QSOs
It was a little slow to start, but eventually I’d work 9 stations, including GM4OAS 90 miles to the west in Mallaig. I did find the lowest squelch on the V71 was quite high and not breaking for several stations. I eventually turned it off and then heard several locals and others. I do wonder how many had been replying to my CQs before. Did 50W make any difference? The map looks remarkably similar to when I was on Glas Maol, and that was with the 5W D72 handheld. Technically, it’s 10 dB which is 1.x S points, and on Glas Maol GM4OAS gave me 32 and this time he gave me 42, so whilst not more power, I was readable more? I do like the form factor of using the mobile rig with the fist mic, means I can position things easier than being tied directly to the end of the mast, but probably for the most part it makes no real difference and it’s all in my head!
Cloud clearing…for a moment
Keeping an eye on the time, I needed to pack up and head back. The wind was still relentless and on the top I had to lean into it. I was grateful of my big hood as I followed the path back down. It’s amazing how you can forget some of the details of the walk on the way back, being surprised that I had to climb up and down a few places which I didn’t remember on the way up to the summit! For a few moments the wind seemed to blow the clouds away and there was even a hint of sunshine coming through. The view opened up and I could see all around. Certainly not the spectacular views of last week, but enjoyable for the few moments. Back down to the car and back home.
Lift to the clouds
I think this summit and Glas Maol would make a nice day trip out, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, with the option of a hot lunch at the ski centre cafe. For 6 and 8 pointers, they have fairly easy and short walks, and both great locations for 2m, particularly to the south. Doing both would be 14 points, and a lot less walking and climbing than my 14 point day yesterday on Lochnagar and Conachcraig!
My 2.5W to the horizontal low dipole was turned on at about 0812z. The usual "watering hole" for both FT8 and WSPR is 40.680 MHz USB dial. If you set your receiver here you will catch most of the activity.
UPDATE 0951z: G0KTN (211km) has at last spotted me. Pretty sure he has been trying for some time. Not sure if he has a better antenna, higher antenna, more sensitive RX or if conditions were up. Also spotting me was EI3KF (574km).
UPDATE 1000z: It would appear that every time I try 8m QRP FT8, I get spotted by several stations. If I get spotted with my very tiny power (2.5W) and low dipole then imagine the results with 50W and a beam. There have been some amazing 10mW FT8 QSOs. Under ISM rules many countries can TX on the band without a special permit or even a licence. Check what the rules are in your country.
Stations spotting my 8m FT8 today
UPDATE 1817z: No further spots on TX. Slovenia spotted on 8m FT8 RX.
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