******** The Official amateur radio thread ********

[mjm8975]

@Feek Totally agree about people progressing through the licences - It seems a shame when you hear people who have been M3/M6's for years, strangely most of them seem more than capable of passing the Advanced exam.

@stigggeh Thanks, halfway through the course now and still really enjoying it. Yes, we have been using Qadv, found it really helpful to see how we are progressing with the course and seeing our weak areas.

Looking forward to actually taking the exam so I can get back to enjoying playing radio rather spending most of my spare time studying!

 

[Chris Wilson]

Running WSPR, Chris? I see you're listed on Mike's 136kHz presentation - I knew Mike from years back and the days of the packet working group.

Having killed a few more FET's experimenting I have very recently got into the USA a few times on 136kHz, using WSPR2 and OPERA, in fact I'm the second ever UK
station to work the US on 136 using OPERA, for whatever that's worth <LOL> 1.2kW needed at the PA, a t best 1/2W at the antenna. Just playing (rather unsuccessfully...) with a combiner for "MORE POWER". More business for RS's FET's department coming up

Which Mike is this Feek? G3XDV, Mike Dennison? If so he's a charming man, very helpful. All the best!

 

[mjm8975]

Just to update - We both got our Advanced exam pass certificate yesterday - I even somehow managed to get a distinction!

 

[Feek]

Excellent news, congratulations

 

[stigggeh]

Just to update - We both got our Advanced exam pass certificate yesterday - I even somehow managed to get a distinction!

Nice one! You'll need to choose your call carefully for this one because it's the keeper For me I can remember the great feeling knowing that they are all out of the way.

 

[Feek]

As I'm sure people are aware, I do a lot of data and I wondered how well WSJT-X would work on a Raspberry Pi.

It doesn't work at all on a Zero!

But it does work surprisingly well on a Pi3, certainly well enough to make QSOs using FT8 and very well indeed for WSPR (transmission and reception).

 

[Feek]

@Lakeland Built your K2 yet?
@Cosimo Got a licence yet?

 

[Nomisf]

@Feek , thank you for (indirectly) reminding me I needed to update my main station address. Getting the radios out of their boxes however, thats another task

 

[Feek]

It's CQWW this weekend so a good excuse to unbox the wirelesses to give away a few points

 

[Nomisf]

It's CQWW this weekend so a good excuse to unbox the wirelesses to give away a few points

I guess its time to get figuring out a landlord friendly, mostly invisible antenna for a mid terrace long back garden. Usually my favourite bit of the hobby, but its cold, dark and wet

 

[Feek]

How long? A very quick suggestion would be an inverted L, going from the bottom of the house up to the eves and then all the way down the garden to be tied off at the end. Slap a smarttuner at the bottom of the aerial with coax back to the shack. Easy

 

[Nomisf]

Just shy of 70ft/20m house to rear fence and maybe 12ft wide - I have just been playing with the calcs on an Inverted L, looks like I might be able to go lower again than my last house.

 

[Feek]

My 40m QCX kit turned up this week - I'm going to use it along with QrssPiG as the basis for a remote QRSS grabber. Looking forward to getting it built.

@Nomisf You should do reasonably well with an inverted L on the low bands in your garden if you can get some height. I've been using one with about a 25ft vertical section and around 65ft horizontal down to the end of the garden and it's certainly useable on 80m and I've even worked a few on top band CW out to around 1,000 miles.

 

[Feek]

Started building today, I've assembled the initial part of the QCX, ie the QLG1 GPS module.

 

[Lakeland]

@Lakeland Built your K2 yet?

Still only part built I am going to make sure I get my intermediate license done this year though.

Do you know how SDR radio is coming along? When I first got in to AR I was loaned a quicksilver? off someone who'd cloned it, a properly amazing piece of kit.

Going to have to think clever about where to set up new gear as I'm in a fairly new house and I don't think the neighours would appreciate my 132' dipole

 

[Feek]

If you don't want to finish the K2, @Lakeland, I'll do it for you

My QCX build is coming along nicely, I installed the ICs yesterday and got the rest of this done today. It's the ARRL RTTY Roundup tomorrow but if I get a chance, I'll start winding the inductors.



/edit - Forgot to comment... SDR radios have come on in leaps and bounds, the top range Flex radios are absolutely superb. But I still prefer a proper wireless with knobs and buttons rather than doing it via a computer screen.

 

[Lakeland]

It's one of them where I'd appreciate the cash but I really want to finish it, it cost a fortune and I'd never recoup enough selling it part done.






The simplicity of the quicksilver SDR was amazing when I first got in to AR, literally sling an ethernet cable round the garden, install a program and boot her up.

 

[Ian_Eb]

Finally decided to reinstate my licence after about 15 years. I just need to think of something quick, cheap and easy to do

 

[Chris Wilson]

Finally decided to reinstate my licence after about 15 years. I just need to think of something quick, cheap and easy to do

My best decisions are made in the pub, for what it's worth. I then often spend a few weeks regretting them.... Try an SDR, despite Feek still wanting dials knobs and buttons they are the way forward

 

[Ian_Eb]

I have one of the cheapo sticks which is what piqued my interest originally. Current plan for that is to locate it in the shed on a spare machine and then access ir over the network so i don't have to sit out in the cold and it would also allow antennae to be hidden from view.

Transmit wise, I was considering looking at QRSS or similar for much the same reasons. Once shed is rebuilt to be warm and so on, then maybe more