Well this year has certainly been one to remember, mostly for all the wrong reasons, however the extra time indoors has reignited people's love for radio. Indeed, radio has been a lifeline for many, helping to take away the loneliness of a locked-down world.
We've made it to Christmas and the New Year is in sight. A Brexit deal is done and the Covid vaccinations are in full swing (At least they are here in the UK... Come on Europe, Catch Up!).
So I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a very happy, healthy New Year.
Many thanks to Stephen who dropped me a line telling me about his latest video which features the new Wouxun KG-UK8G handheld.
This is certainly an interesting looking radio which provides an easy route to operating on the very underused 4m band.
Myself, I've had a 4m handheld for a couple of years but can count on one hand the number of stations heard. Interest in 4m is certainly increasing so it might be the time to get up to the top of a hill and give out a call.
Anyway, the radio sells for £99.95 here in the UK and is available from Martin Lynch & Sons.
News over the weekend is that Croatia has become the latest in a very short list of countries allowed to use the 40MHz (8m) band with operators given an experimental 1-Year license to use 40.660 - 40.670MHz.
Croatia is now the fifth country in which it is possible to operate legally on 40 MHz. Ireland, Slovenia & South Africa have allocations on the band, Lithuania also allocates spot frequencies for experimental purposes.