FT8 contacts with only 1 Watt TX power from the Icom IC-705 + AH-705 automatic antenna matching unit @OxfordShortwaveLog

Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

Hi there, I decided to have another go at low-power FT8 last night. I have been known to throw up to 300W at FT8, but it's actually more rewarding to make contacts with low power. Here's a few and a narrative. (sorry a portion of this video is not properly focused on the laptop screen...so you will just have to listen to my narrative lol).

Thanks for watching and 73.

FT8 contacts with only 1 Watt TX power from the Icom IC-705 + AH-705 automatic antenna matching unit

MW DX: Harbour Light of the Windwards 1400 kHz Carriacou, Grenada on the vintage Yaesu FRG-7 with ID

New York Radio 5520 kHz ATC: Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico & Florida Waters, copied witih Tecsun S-2200X

Channel Marker L copied for the first time on 5156.8 kHz - TX site believed to be St. Petersburg

Automatically tuned stations on the shortwave bands using the Tecsun S2200x coupled to a Wellbrook

Dxing from my hotel in Pittsburgh: surprising daylight copy of Radio Educación 6185 kHz Mexico City

USAF Emergency Action Message tests on 8992 kHz: callsigns Sanwick and Soda Pop

Radio 4 on 198 kHz copied this morning at 00:48 hrs BST: this will be one of my last ever recordings

Whats left on medium wave? Washford 882 kHz BBC R Wales, Westerglen/Burghead 810 kHz BBC R Scotland

Whats left on Medium Wave? Radio Sultanate of Oman 1242 kHz copied with the Tecsun S2200X

Radio Algérie Chaîne 3, 252 kHz daylight signal in the woods on the Sony ICF-SW100 internal ferrite

FT8 experiment: 500mW TX power into my end-fed wire using the Icom IC-705