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

ULF is quite interesting, it's not something I've really dabbled in yet. I believe there are a few QRSS/WSPR grabbers on both 136 and 475kHz which could interest me though. I'm running a mixture of QRSS/WSPR/Slow Hell and CW in a single ten minute frame with around 200mW on 30m at the moment. I tend to sit on one band for anything between two weeks and a month just seeing how well the signal propagates around the world.

It's odd, when it comes to actually making QSOs, the more power the better but I also love throwing flea power into an aerial to see where I can be heard!

I've just replaced my Kenwood TM-D710GE in the Feekmobile with an Icom ID-5100E because we've now got a DSTAR repeater locally and I thought that I really ought to be able to use it as I'm secretary of the local group. I liked the wireless so much that I've got a second one for the shack even though I'm still not 100% convinced about DSTAR.
 
Hey Mike, I was just reading all back through this thread and I spotted your Kanga QRSS transmitter and wondered if you ever got it going? Hans Summers has done a lot of work with new kits over the last couple of years and the U3S is the latest model. All bells and whistles, GPS synchronised and with an OCXO instead of the DDS module. Mine's running all the time and if you did join the Knights mailing list, you'll see a lot of people using them.
stigggeh said:
just the same old duffers chatting about what medication they are taking.
Click to expand...
Sure that's not 160, 80 or 40m? ;)
 
Nomisf said:
Its funny, since I have some spare time on my hands I decided to go googling and have spent quite a bit of today DX-ing with JT65 on 20m this morning, south america on 5W was the highlight - didn't realise this was quite as fun!
Click to expand...
The low power modes like JT65 and JT9 really can wring the best out of a station and allow you to work distances you simply can't do on SSB or even CW. My first QSO with VK was using JT65 on 40m using just a random length of long wire, sloping from 15ft down to about 5ft off the ground through a smarttuner with practically no grounding system.

Although I have the Hexbeam for 20m upwards, I don't have a great aerial for the lower bands, just the random length doublet through the smarttuner and so most of my 40m DX has been using JT65, only recently working Pete, ZL2IK on that band and mode. That was a nice QSO, I'd been talking to Pete via email for quite a while and he'd regularly seen my 40m and 30m QRSS signals so we arranged a sked. He hand delivered my QSL card earlier this year when he was in the UK for a couple of months :)
 
As already stated, my neighbours are fine with it, it's not a problem.

Cosimo - I wonder if you're going to find a local club? I'm not sure what part of London you're in but I'm sure you'll find one nearby which is running the exams. Good luck!
 
A couple of days ago I noticed that my QRSS/WSPR transmitter seemed to be running lower power than usual (less than 100mW instead of the more normal 200-250mW) and figured the doublet was perhaps wetter than normal and it just needed a retune so I forced the smarttuner to retune.

This morning I looked out of the window and noticed that one end of the doublet was hanging on the floor and the centre was just supported by the open feeder! The paracord supporting one end had snapped and half the aerial was dragging along the floor.

Despite that, I was still getting WSPR spots to north and south america.

It was a simple job to lower the mast, drag the paracord back through and attach it to the insulator. What had happened is that were the cord runs through the mast, it had been rubbing somewhere and broken. I was expecting it to have gone at the insulator.

An hour later and it's all back up and working. This is the only downside of not being at home during daylight hours in the winter, I simply didn't spot it was down.
 
Oh yes, very much so.

My group are running a special event station on the old Radio Caroline ship the MV Ross Revenge in about three weeks and we've had massive interest. I think it should work really well and we're expecting some good pileups.

We've been setting up aerials over the last few weeks.


(yes, I know about the spelling error on the first graphic).

We're also planning our DXPedition to Herm (EU-114) in October which should be another good week away.

I've replaced my TS-590S with a 590SG.

QRSS and WSPR are still running from here and I've managed to squeeze five modes into a single ten minute frame. As soon as Hans includes RTTY, I'll make it six!
 
From left to right you can see the 20m, 40m and 15m verticals all ready for our special event station next weekend. With a couple of stations using 590SGs and 400W, we're going to be a big signal!

ross-20160730-170033.jpg
 
I struggle with handhelds.

When I don't own a handbag, I crave one. I think "I'll get a handbag, I'll use it for the local repeater" etc.

So I buy one. I use it for a couple of weeks then it sits in a cupboard, losing value. A couple of years later, I'll dig it out and sell it for a massive loss.

Then two or three years later, I think "I'll get a handbag, I'll use it for the local repeater" etc. So I buy another one, use it for a couple of weeks then bung it in a cupboard.

Are you seeing a pattern here? :)

The good thing is that with the advent of cheap £25 dual band handbags, I've now got two of them. Neither get used much but they're practically worthless so I'll never sell them and then when I fancy a handheld for using the local repeater, etc. I've already got two. If I can find them!
 
Nomisf said:
Bump!

Just last week passed by Intermediate exam, getting there slowly - just waiting for Ofcom to process the new license, and then I can turn up the power dial on my FT450D. This said, I have worked so many countries and people on 10W, I am curious to see how much an extra 40W helps!
Click to expand...
Congratulations :)

Realistically you won't see much difference. Going from 10W to 50W is an increase of just over 6dB so your signal will be fractionally over one S-point stronger.

However, if you're trying to break a pileup and the other station starts working by numbers *shudder* you'll have double the number of chances to get through 'cos you'll have both a 2 and a 0 in your callsign ;)
 
Picked up a frequency counter from eBay last week and it's working well. It's a Yaege FC-1 and it's good to know my QRSS transmitter is on frequency. I'd be surprised if it wasn't though, it is GPS set and running with an OCXO.

w2PfwVB.jpeg

My Hexbeam has been down since around October because the brake on my rotator broke! I've got a replacement rotator and a set of new elements for the beam and hopefully that'll be going back up soon. In the meantime I've slapped up a Sirio 827 for 10m and a Diamond X510N for 2m and 70cms. You can see I've put an old tri-band collinear on the mast while the beam isn't there and that's running an APRS RX only iGate at the moment.

fcQmfoo.jpeg


stigggeh said:
Me, only on 40m though. I didnt know you were part of the team when i worked it.
Click to expand...
Missed this comment - @stigggeh, have you seen TXFactor #13? Remind me of your callsign (by Trust if you like) and I'll bung you a QSL card.

And @Cosimo, did you ever get around to getting your ticket?
 
@mjm8975 That's really good news - It's great to hear of people progressing their way through the hobby to the full licence and not sticking at the two lower levels. it's all about self training and education and by doing what you're doing, it shows a commitment. I understand that the Bath courses are very highly rated.

Agree with @Snaggle, the 7300 is a nice wireless but I've had a play and do still prefer the ergonomics of my 590SG.
 
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).

neRczUe.png
 
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 :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom