******** The Official amateur radio thread ********
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Permabanned
Not wanting to be outdone I left the 40m WSPR signal running overnight and today and so far 1mW has reached these destinations.
Nearly 500 Qs in CQ WW CW this weekend, just S&P up through 40m, 20m, 15m and 10m a couple of times. It was fun. What was also fun was tuning round and hearing this chap calling without many takers because he'd just changed frequency. After I worked him, I spotted him and he got busy!
Permabanned
Well done, not had chance to even watch the amateur TV worldwide net this weekend, busy being like a squirell and putting some nuts away for what sounds like a trying winter. No rest for the wicked.... 
Been putting in a 125 Amp changeeover switch for the generator, bought some tails off the `bay and thought these are bloody stiff. Put a bared end against the grinding wheel and saw sparks. Damned stuff is alloyed with steel, bloody Ebay!!! The stuff is a nightmare to bend in a tight radius, will have to get some proper stuff, why do I never learn.... ?
Been putting in a 125 Amp changeeover switch for the generator, bought some tails off the `bay and thought these are bloody stiff. Put a bared end against the grinding wheel and saw sparks. Damned stuff is alloyed with steel, bloody Ebay!!! The stuff is a nightmare to bend in a tight radius, will have to get some proper stuff, why do I never learn.... ?
Are you all fully set up with the geostationary space repeater now, Chris?
Permabanned
Yes, have been for a while, can RX and TX TV and SSB. Steep learning curve, but satisfying to send live TV video. You can send effective TV with a 1 meter dish, even an 80 cms one with a fair bit of PA power. Let me know if you fancy a go, I can bore the pants off you about it <LOL>
Soldato
If you fancy trying the exam. I would highly recommend looking up EssexHam. They offer a free easy coarse which teaches you what you need to know to pass the exam. Worked for me
If you fancy trying the exam. I would highly recommend looking up EssexHam. They offer a free easy coarse which teaches you what you need to know to pass the exam. Worked for me
Exactly what I was going to suggest, the Essex Ham stuff is very good, Pete's been a good friend for years (since before he was interested in amateur radio) and he's one of the nicest and most helpful people you could ever meet.
If you fancy trying the exam. I would highly recommend looking up EssexHam. They offer a free easy coarse which teaches you what you need to know to pass the exam. Worked for me
Awesome. Thank you both! I'll be sure to do that.
I've been meaning to post in here for a while. I've fallen out of love with the hexbeam, I'm sure the one I got second hand was never really right and it's just put me off. I'm looking at replacing it with a SteppIR in the summer.
Man of Honour
If you do go ahead with this buy Exam Secrets For Radio Amateurs. It covers all three License exams. There is a section for each topic in the textbook and some sample papers. My study/revision was based on this and it helped me sail through all the exams.
The Foundation exam is easy so book one and get on with the study.
Oh. That is a lot cheaper than I was expecting. I'll get that as well, then. Thank you!If you do go ahead with this buy Exam Secrets For Radio Amateurs. It covers all three License exams. There is a section for each topic in the textbook and some sample papers. My study/revision was based on this and it helped me sail through all the exams.
The Foundation exam is easy so book one and get on with the study.
I've tried listening a few times for 3Y0J but I've not heard them at all, they're going off tomorrow when they run out of fuel and that'll be it. It's been a nightmare, all they've managed to do is get two stations on with small aerials and 100W instead of the twelve they planned running 1500W. It's been like a zoo, listening to the DQRM and the 'up' police. It's easy to be an armchair critic but I'm amazed at the updates that have come from Bouvet where the team seem surprised by the conditions.
They've done well to even make the activation considering a group sailed there last year and couldn't land but they just seem a bit ill prepared. They've not even been able to get FT8 working correctly, running in F/H mode and transmitting at the wrong period. They've been asking people not to fill slots so as to give as many ATNOs as possible but there are still some muppets who have been boasting about multiple slots.
It's good that FT8WW has been able to carry on. I was very frustrated on Thursday when I was trying to work him on 15m FT8, he sent me a report twice and that was it, I didn't get a 73 and I wasn't in his log upload on Saturday morning and so I tried again yesterday afternoon. That was even worse, he sent me a report once and then straight on to another person with no 73 but when he uploaded this morning, he's logged that one. There's just no consistency in his operation but at least I bagged Crozet Island for an ATNO (#3 in the most wanted).
I'm trying to use less FT8 this year, as I did last year but sometimes there's no other option for DXPeditions like this.
In other news, I'm now decided on a SteppIR UrbanBeam (see attachment) to replace the Hexbeam along with an automatic tilt-plate so I can easily lower the mast. It'll be a big job to do all the work and no doubt will take a couple of weekends (or longer) to complete everything. I'm going to take the opportunity to replace the questionable quality RG213 that I originally used with HyperFlex 10 and to make some new GM3SEK chokes. The SteppIR will give me all the bands that the Hex has with the addition of a folded dipole for 30m. I do have a dipole up for 30m already but it's fixed east-west and lower than this will be. It'll also free up some poles and mountings where I'll fit a horizontal loop to my smartuner for top band and 80m. Of course, it'll be a bit of a cloudwarmer as it'll be low but at least it should get me on those bands.
This weekend was (and technically still is) CQ WPX RTTY. I've put in an entry for 15m and although there were plenty of USA stations on, I was disappointed by the lack of far east stations and practically nothing in south america either. I only worked 47 countries.
They've done well to even make the activation considering a group sailed there last year and couldn't land but they just seem a bit ill prepared. They've not even been able to get FT8 working correctly, running in F/H mode and transmitting at the wrong period. They've been asking people not to fill slots so as to give as many ATNOs as possible but there are still some muppets who have been boasting about multiple slots.
It's good that FT8WW has been able to carry on. I was very frustrated on Thursday when I was trying to work him on 15m FT8, he sent me a report twice and that was it, I didn't get a 73 and I wasn't in his log upload on Saturday morning and so I tried again yesterday afternoon. That was even worse, he sent me a report once and then straight on to another person with no 73 but when he uploaded this morning, he's logged that one. There's just no consistency in his operation but at least I bagged Crozet Island for an ATNO (#3 in the most wanted).
I'm trying to use less FT8 this year, as I did last year but sometimes there's no other option for DXPeditions like this.
In other news, I'm now decided on a SteppIR UrbanBeam (see attachment) to replace the Hexbeam along with an automatic tilt-plate so I can easily lower the mast. It'll be a big job to do all the work and no doubt will take a couple of weekends (or longer) to complete everything. I'm going to take the opportunity to replace the questionable quality RG213 that I originally used with HyperFlex 10 and to make some new GM3SEK chokes. The SteppIR will give me all the bands that the Hex has with the addition of a folded dipole for 30m. I do have a dipole up for 30m already but it's fixed east-west and lower than this will be. It'll also free up some poles and mountings where I'll fit a horizontal loop to my smartuner for top band and 80m. Of course, it'll be a bit of a cloudwarmer as it'll be low but at least it should get me on those bands.
This weekend was (and technically still is) CQ WPX RTTY. I've put in an entry for 15m and although there were plenty of USA stations on, I was disappointed by the lack of far east stations and practically nothing in south america either. I only worked 47 countries.
Associate
Have finally bitten the bullet and booked my Foundation exam for middle of next month, I could've booked sooner but wanted to get a bit more swatting in. I also bought a lightly used, one previous owner Icom IC-735 and have been listening in on 20m, am a bit restricted antenna wise and went for a magnetic loop with tuning motor. Everything seems to be working, and hope to make a few contacts when I pass.
@13oots2
Excellent news, you really shouldn't have any problems with Foundation, when you look at the syllabus, it's all recall this, recall that so it's basically a memory test with just a few 'understand' bits chucked in. It's a great stepping stone into the hobby. It's not a cakewalk though, there's a lot to remember!
Are you doing a course with anyone or just by yourself?
Good luck, please keep us updated and if you have any questions, I'm sure that we can help you.
Excellent news, you really shouldn't have any problems with Foundation, when you look at the syllabus, it's all recall this, recall that so it's basically a memory test with just a few 'understand' bits chucked in. It's a great stepping stone into the hobby. It's not a cakewalk though, there's a lot to remember!
Are you doing a course with anyone or just by yourself?
Good luck, please keep us updated and if you have any questions, I'm sure that we can help you.
Permabanned
Yes, best of luck 13oots2, I hope all goes well and we can work you on the air soon!
Man of Honour
Well done and good luck. Ask if you have any questions.
Associate
I did the Essex Ham course, which is brilliant, really enjoyed it, I sensibly downloaded all the videos so am able to watch them at my leisure and try to absorb the information.
The only issue I am having at the moment is interference from my wired modem, reading up it must kick out a fair bit of QRM to affect the loop. Previously I was on CB channels and had a 5/8 poked up the loft hatch, living in a housing association flat has its drawbacks with external antennas. With the modem on there was about S7 of noise, I was about to give up until an electrician carried out an electrical safety check. I had bought a car battery and tested with the power off, zero noise. It was then a case of seeing what was causing such a high noise level.
Next plan is to learn how to connect the transceiver up for FT8, there always seems to be some activity on 14.074, I just have to figure out how to connect the Icom up.
See, you've already demonstrated from that post that you're going to pass with flying colours 
Essex Ham are great, I've said it before in this thread and I don't apologise for saying it again. They got my wife through the Foundation exam and she went in with no real prior knowledge or interest in the subject whatsoever. She just decided one day that she wanted to see if she could do it.
I don't think the 735 has a built in USB port but it'll have an accessory socket so that'll be your way in.
Essex Ham are great, I've said it before in this thread and I don't apologise for saying it again. They got my wife through the Foundation exam and she went in with no real prior knowledge or interest in the subject whatsoever. She just decided one day that she wanted to see if she could do it.
I don't think the 735 has a built in USB port but it'll have an accessory socket so that'll be your way in.