Testing APRS messenger again (transatlantic)

Since I have no time to be physically in the shack I decided to install the newest HF APRS messenger software and monitor 30m again this weekend. Checking it out once and a while via Teamviewer with my Iphone. This weekend the software did perform well, I had no problems with W10 locking and the whole system ran for about 50-60 hours without any problems. It was also the first time I actually received stations from USA/Canada. I still think this is interesting software although without many users here in Europe it could be useless. This system is a communication tool that is ment to use with several options to communicate. So far I only used PSK63, MFSK16 and MFSK4 but you can also communicate via APRS-IS which is going over the internet. You can connect the program via a software or hardware TNC to a radio on VHF APRS and it is capable of doing APRS via the AX25 protocol. The last version is 3.54 and now you can monitor all the receivers as you can see in the small screen in the picture right side. In the USA there seems to be a Igate with e-mail capabilities, not shure how this works but it seems you can send short e-mail over HF to the Igate then it sends the message to the given e-mail address. So far over the weekend I only exchanged messages with Ari OH5KUY, I noticed I have a path to him almost the whole day.

Interested? Find the program on the internet. But be prepared that it is experimental. The goal of this software is not to make contact after contact and fill your log. The goal is to exchange messages like SMS or Whatsapp including a beacon that gives your location. Best use for it would be during emergency, when everything fails including the internet. Since there are not many users on the air most of the experimenters are disappointed after trying this software. Remember to test and view it like a experimenter and don't expect reliable contacts or receive anything at all...

Visiting PB7Z to fullfill a promise

Last winter PB7Z Bernard asked if it would be possible to remove some branches from a tree behind his house. The problem was that he couldn't safely tilt his antennatower without damaging his antennas. So, I promised to do the work as soon as the weather got better. Bernard is a well known contester and DXer on the HAMbands. Before he and I were licensed we were already fanatic DXers on the 11m band in the ninetees of last century. It was fun to met him and be in his shack.

Sure it was good weather, so far the hottest day of this month. So we did the work we had to do with a lot of sweat and of course a lot of drinks. In between we discussed the radiohobby and the forthcoming CQWW DX SSB in oktober at the same location as we went last year. Thanks Bernard for the nice visit, we will meet again both on radio as in person.

PB7Z is using the same versa tower as me and well, you see the amount of antennas that are in there. I can't show a picture of all the wires and radials in his garden. This photo was made just before cutting the branches. Hopefully it will be enough to safely tilt over the tower now.

Is FT8 damaging hamradio?

Currently there is a poll going on at DX world.net. Is the new FT8 digital mode damaging hamradio? I remember reading same discussions about SSB when it was new. Personally I don't think this mode will kill hamradio but it changed the whole game. However, there are hamradio operators that take this hobby far to serious. They probabely forgot that hamradio is all about experimenting and it doesn't matter what you experiment with. It is fun to experiment and see that others do the same so you can share your experiences. Most experimenters don't share the experiences via radio anymore but via social networks on the internet. And still it is fun! I remember gathering information about antennas before the internet, it was more difficult to get information on any topic. When packetradio was introduced to me it became easier to share and get info and with internet it became a way of life. Our hobby will evolve if you like it or not....

If you like to read SV5DKL's statement about FT8, you think about how serious the whole thing is becoming even for the developers.  I've been writing about Stathis his experimental FT8 robot and later my thoughts about a DXpedition robot (less operators needed, cheaper DXpedition). Stathis will continue his experiments and was unfortenately prevented from using DXpedition mode for 2 days within the WSJT-X software because of this. Suddenly I was thinking about years ago when I was banned from using a certain digital wide band mode called ROS when a number of bloggers commented the bandwidth was just too large compared to other modes. Well, just like I wrote before....some of us take this hobby far too serious....luckely the WSJT development team realized that as well...

Remember this: hamradio is just a hobby, it should be fun. Learn from your experiments!