CQHQ

SOS Radio Week - GB2FLB

2012-01-27T07:48:00.002Z

I will be on the air with the call GB2FLB on air from Flint Lifeboat station 28th and 29th January. Mike M1DAP and I along with members of Flintshire Raynet and Mold and District Amateur Radio Club will be operating from 10am Saturday 28th Jan through to the evening of Sunday 29th January 2011. We will be operating mainly HF SSB and 2m FM. Other bands as the mood takes us and modes depending who else turns up. The purpose is to raise awareness of SOS Radio Week and the work of the RNLI (Lifeboat volunteers). We are not allowed to ask for donations on the air but please give generously at your local station, donate on line or drop in and pay us a visit. The lifeboat station in Flint is opposite Flint Castle (worth a visit its self) on the banks of the River Dee.

http://www.sosradioweek.org.uk/

Apologies to my regular readers for the lack of contents recently, but it is a long story. The result is that changes at work and things going on at home mean I don't have much time to devote to the blog at present.

Raspberry Pi - A PC for the price of a round of drinks

2011-12-25T22:15:00.000Z

Go to http://www.raspberrypi.org/ and find out about this little marvel which is a week or two from going into production. This tiny little PC with a 700MHz processor looks just the thing for those shack projects such as a dedicated APRS server, software defined radio or dozens of other ham radio uses. At £16 for the basic model and £22 for the enhanced version maybe a string of these wonders could be used working in tandem to do heavy duty processing tasks faster than the latest machines at a fraction of the cost. The potential is enormous and I wish these guys every success.

Hidden Morse Message

2011-12-25T21:58:00.000Z

Morse messages hidden in brickwork are nothing new, but here is the new National Guard Building in Milan Illinois. Go here to find out more.

Empathy and action

2011-11-11T11:11:00.120Z

One of the great things about amateur radio over the years has been how having friends all around the world can make you feel less insular. It is a pity I have to use the word 'can' because even in such a global hobby bigotry is still all around us. For me it has brought me a feeling of being closer to world events but these days with the Internet and the ability to travel a lot more folk are starting to realise that this is a shrinking world and we are all on it together.

Not that many years ago when there was a disaster in some far off country it never even crossed my mind that it could be anything to do with me. Amateur radio however has put me in the position of knowing people on both sides of military conflict, who have lost there homes due to forest fires, floods, tornadoes and earthquakes and suddenly far off events become so much more personal.

This week the issues surrounding the floods in Thailand were brought home to me as I realised I know not only several Thai amateurs that have been effected, but that two UK hams I know had to cut short their trips to the country and my own brother's holiday there had been cancelled.

Amateur radio has saved around 1,000 lives in this disaster by coordinating rescue communications in cases of medical emergencies. Radio amateurs have been helping by providing communications support and this have been especially helpful in flooded areas where several mobile phone cell sites have failed. Amateur radio repeaters were kept busy and government agencies have taken advantage of the amateur radio communications infrastructure when their own networks failed or where there has been interference, such as when many different agencies are trying to communicate simultaneously on nearby frequencies from a central location. Thailand's radio amateurs have been an essential part of the relief and rescue efforts in the country's worst flooding for sixty years.

Through communications comes understanding and through our actions we can set an example to the world. Well done to those hard working Thai radio amateurs for setting an example and showing the world a small glimpse of what being a ham is all about.

Amateur Radio at Shorpy

2011-11-08T10:20:00.000Z

There is always something interesting at Shorpy.

For those that have never found this fascinating way to waste time, Shorpy is a blog with literally thousands of high resolution vintage photographs, it is a great way of educating or reminding ourselves of the recent past. Occasionally something pops up there that appeals more than the rest. I am referring of course to photographs that include radio gear, although personally some of the images of old cars, aircraft and motorcycles have a similar appeal. The pictures of beauties of a bygone era however evoke in me a strange guilt though, should I really be admiring the looks of a woman who would have been older than my great grandmother had either of them still been alive. The changes in architecture over the last hundred or so years are also interesting to see and I have to ask myself if in another 100 years people will be looking at similar images taken today or to put it another way; Who is documenting everyday life today? When did you last take a photograph of your high street or your amateur radio station?

Here are just a few links to ham radio related images, if you find more please post them in the comments.

http://www.shorpy.com/node/8086
http://www.shorpy.com/node/8087
http://www.shorpy.com/node/10634
http://www.shorpy.com/node/1937

SummitsBase - New web site

2011-10-27T18:28:00.001+01:00

For those who take an interest in SOTA, WOTA or HUMPS or simply like to combine hill walking with radio Summitsbase has moved to a new a new home. The site has a new url in www.summits.org.uk and with the move to a new host, the opportunity has also been taken to upgrade the software from version 1.zz to version 7.zz. This was no mean task as it involved upgrading in several stages.

They have also tried to improve the look of the website with, amongst other things, a new colour scheme. The work is not yet complete and there are a few teething problems as you would expect. While most things have been transferred over successfully, anything that was added to the old site during the last 10-14 days or so may have missed the 'transfer window' but they will endeavour to 'copy and paste' any such material (where possible) in due course. Several functions that were available in the old Wiki have not yet been enabled; the new software has many extra commands and these are being looked at initially (a steep learning curve) before they implement some of them.

Summitsbase registered users do not need to re-register to use the new website, your user IDs and passwords have been transferred to the new site and should work without any problem. If you have forgotten your password, perhaps because it was saved with the old URL in your web browser, then simply send an Email to admin@summits.org.uk asking for your user ID to be deleted. Once it has been deleted, we will send you an Email to that effect and you can then re-register with your normal callsign.

Don't forget to update your bookmarks or any links you have on blogs and web pages.

RSGB EGM - Make up your mind time

2011-10-26T17:17:00.000+01:00

Most of you will have seen or heard that the Radio Society of Great Britain is to hold an Extraordinary General Meeting on 19th November 2011 at the NEC in Birmingham. Without going in to too much detail it is a matter that effects all UK radio amateurs, not only the members of the RSGB but also those of us who for one reason or another choose not to be members. Some amateurs I know have even rejoined the society after many years so that their voice can be heard at this meeting.

Can I appeal to you to read the the open letters sent out by Dave Wilson (bellow), the items in RadCom and to read what is being said on the RSGB Governance Changes Discussion Group and elsewhere and either get to the meeting yourself or use your proxy vote. If you've not seen RadCom, then the proposals are at: http://www.rsgb.org/EGM/

Well worth a listen is the ICQ Podcast. The most recent one, contains an interview with Leslie Butterfield, the board member who resigned, in which he lays out the good and the bad (mainly bad) points of what the Interim Board will mean to the RSGB and its members.

The next episode, which should be released over the weekend, will contain a rebuttal/answers from RSGB President Dave Wilson.

Note: In the interests of the wider picture I leave out my own opinions of Mr Wilson, the RSGB and the proposals at this time and ask you to make up your own mind. Please just do not sit, back do nothing and then moan that your national radio society is being run by a bunch of tossers who could not organise a riotous drinking session in a brewing establishment.

To all radio clubs in the UK
From: Dave Wilson, RSGB President
25th October 2011

Dear Colleagues,

I am writing to all clubs (and copying others) after discussions with the Regional Teams.

The proposals being presented to the EGM are important for the Society. They will fundamentally impact the way we handle current difficulties. And yet some have sought to ridicule the proposals, based on an incomplete understanding of exactly what is being proposed and why. Hence this letter.

Contrary to the chatter on the wires, this is not about democracy – it’s about giving the Society the best chance to fix its problems. We have a crisis, and a crisis demands exceptional actions.

The current chatter is the result of selective disclosure (against the Board’s wishes) of some elements of the Board discussion on 10th September. The board recognised that careful communication was needed and agreed to prepare a full communication pack. In the interim, the matter was confidential. One Board member has inflicted serious damage on the Society by disregarding that decision. That is unacceptable, does not reflect well on the individual concerned and is inconsistent with his position as a Director.

In a recent podcast, a former Director said that he did not recognise that there was a crisis. That in itself speaks volumes. The impending problems had been flagged to the Board over the last year or so, and now are with us. To be specific:

‐ There have been some significant errors in governance over the last five years. This has led the Society into dangerous waters financially.
‐ Cash is running low, and next year places a huge additional cash demand on the Society from needed capital investment and the running costs of BP. Whilst not insolvent, we cannot sustain further drains on our cash
‐ Yet right now we do not have an acceptable budget for 2012. The current one shows, against our aspirations to run BP and GB4FUN and other factors in the 2012 budget, a loss of some £ 60k. We simply cannot afford this and have no option but to take very significant action to keep our budget balanced. This in itself will demand some hard choices.
‐ Nor do we have a General Manager.
‐ Furthermore we are regularly told that we do not have the right attitudes and behaviours towards our members and our volunteers.
‐ Action is needed quickly by a sure‐footed Board to pull things round, both financially and in terms of the way the Society works.

It is understandable that those who do not recognise the crisis might say “we don’t see the need for change”. As soon as you recognise the seriousness of the position, it suddenly becomes clearer.

That is why the Board is proposing an Interim Board (IB) for some 15 months made up of highly professional and experienced amateur radio people, professionally engaged in running companies. Their focus will be to restore health to the finances whilst at the same time maintaining or enhancing membership services, instilling the ethos into RSGB described in RadCom for November, and developing all aspects of the Advisory Group proposals to present to members for consultation and member input. Some of these proposals have not yet been considered in detail by the Board, some have been rejected and some – most notably the “Web” and “Ethos” recommendations, have been generally accepted as suitable for member consultation. In everything it does, the IB will be accountable to the membership. And, just like any other Board, it cannot make changes to the Society’s Constitution without the approval of the membership. So the claims that the Interim Board is “not accountable” are simply scare‐mongering and disinformation.

The IB members will be expected to devote a significant amount of time to turning the Society around. It will be a working Board and will be in a position to support the Acting GM (who cannot continue to carry his current load) in the absence of a full time GM replacement. During this time the National and Regional Councils will continue, with enhanced frequency for the NC, ensuring close consultation with representatives of the membership at large.

If, however, the EGM proposals are rejected the Society will continue as at present, with an uncertain outcome.

The Board believes that the proposals being put to the EGM represent the best chance of addressing the Society’s difficulties with confidence and certainty.

Rather than focus on the democracy issue (the EGM proposals are democratic – just different) members might want to consider whether the RSGB described in the AG report summary and the “future” article on page 15 is the sort of RSGB they want to see. That’s where we need feedback – quickly.

The Board deserves your support in being frank and open about the issues and no matter how different the proposals are for resolving the current issues, please support them. The alternative is far less certain of securing the right outcome.

Dave Wilson
RSGB President

Follow on letter:

To all radio clubs in the UK
From: Dave Wilson, RSGB President
26th October 2011

Dear Colleagues,

Since writing to you yesterday about the issues relating to the forthcoming EGM, I have been made aware of an apparent concern being expressed by some about the proposed Interim Board.

It seems that there is a concern amongst some members that the Interim Board, once in place, will seek to consolidate its position. Let me state quite categorically that this is not possible. The terms of Resolution 1 (specifically the clause immediately after (b)(iv)) clearly state that the M&As will revert to the current ones no later than the 2013 AGM. This means that the IB cannot continue to exist beyond that date. The only way that this can change is if the IB calls another General Meeting of members to propose further changes to the Memorandum and Articles of the Society.

Members can therefore be assured that the IB has a limited lifespan, in which to discharge its role, and that after that the current Board arrangements will return, unless the members agree otherwise in a further EGM.

I hope this allays any fears in this regard.

73
Dave Wilson
RSGB President.

North Wales Radio Rally Traders

2011-10-25T11:38:00.000+01:00

I am off to the 24th North Wales Amateur Radio Show this weekend and a lot off people have been asking me if I know what traders will be there, so I snaffled this off the North Wales Radio Club site...

Saturday & Sunday, 29th & 30st October 2011, 10am – 5pm both days. The rally will be held at Llandudno’s new high school, Ysgol John Bright, Maesdu Road, Llandudno. LL30 1LF.

Directions:

From the A55, take the A470 into Llandudno, after approximately 3 miles at the end of the dual carriageway, turn left at The Links Hotel Roundabout. After 300yds go across the mini-roundabout and the venue is immediately on your right.
From Llandudno Railway Station, turn right on exiting the station. Immediately as Augusta St bears left, turn right into Oxford Rd. Take the 1st right onto Builder St and then 2nd left into Cwm Rd. After 150 yds you will find John Bright School on your right. No more than 10 minutes walk at a leisurely pace.
If anyone has any difficulty finding us please call in on S22. See you there !!!!

View Map

This Year’s Exhibitors

Traders

Radioworld
Moonraker
RSGB
Ian Kenyon Electronics
Snowdonia Radio Company
Derby Communications
Air Band Online
Rigfix
Harp
Mark Wowra
Francis Norris
AM TOOLS UK
Kanga Products
Pro-Whip Antennas
Pooley
Linear Amp UK
PR Hall Embroidery
G S Electronics
Cross Country Wireless
Rocket Radio
AGS Software
North Wales PMR

Club,Groups & Individuals

UKFM
WAB
RSARS
RAFARS
V-MARS
Dragon ARC
Conwy Valley ARC
R.Roberts & O.Clarke
BARLS
St. John’s Ambulance
Lifeboat ARS
Bob O’Callaghan
RNLI
IOMARS
RAIBC

Iron Fist Velvet Glove

2011-10-25T11:25:00.000+01:00

Working shifts has its advantages sometimes. For example I get to work a lot of DX and SOTA expeditions that occur mid week. It used to be great when I played a lot of golf because I could go when ever I liked and not have to wait until the weekends and join the crowds. One disadvantage at the golf club was that all the competitions tended to be weekend affairs, which meant my handicap never truly reflected how crap I was at the game. On the radio too there are disadvantages to shift work with most of the activity being at weekends. Even when contests are like the RSGB 80m club contest are mid-week evening affairs it can be difficult and this year I managed to be available for one round.One advantage I have had has been getting a few hours quiet time when on the night shift in which to update this blog.

A long time ago our union persuaded our then employer that there were things that shift workers needed to do from time to time that folk working 9 to 5 took for granted and that the company got away with a lot of things, such as if a day worker needed to visit the hospital, dentist or doctor they either took a day off or were given a day off. Shift workers in contrast were expected to go on their days off, which is like saying to your days staff they had to do these things at the weekend. As a result of the negotiations we were given limited Internet access so that we could deal with stuff like paying bills and arranging deliveries to coincide while we were at home. This was particularly useful to the single guys who worked lots of overtime as they could get their weekly shopping delivered when they had no time to do it themselves because they were doing 6,7 or 8 12 hour shifts in a row.

I don't smoke and don't read the papers so I used my breaks to search the net for interesting stuff to put on the blog or to write a post. I never saw any difference between doing that and sitting in the mess room reading the news paper. Not any more I am afraid as our new employer whose softly softly approach so far is showing now its true colours and has cut off almost all Internet access. One of the reasons the blog has not been updated as regularly as it might have been has been that I was half expecting it and I did not want to be the one to rock the boat.

The company have missed the boat however if they think removing this handy privilege is going to somehow improve productivity as most of the things we do can now be done on smart phones, Ipads, and even Kindles. All it has done is alienate the staff who are already demoralised after the take over. The velvet gloves are coming off and the iron fist is about to be shown so if my posts get more negative you know why, its just me getting depressed about the way things are going.

On a happier note, I have deflected a call on my time which would have meant doing a three 12 hour night shifts, then going straight to a hospital appointment followed by a fourth 12 hour night shift and then travelling down to Llandudno for the North Wales Rally Rally. I would have been like a complete zombie, but now I am going to Llandudno on Friday and stopping all weekend. I have raided the piggy bank and hope to pick up some bargains, hopefully including an antenna analyser.

Accusation that did not add up.

2011-10-22T12:20:00.002+01:00

Once again amateur radio is in the news for all the wrong reasons. Porn_slur_leads_to_dock

Apparently, Gareth Evans (G4SDW?) emailed a school to say one of its teachers was a pornographer and a danger to children. The teacher of mathamatics, Brian Reay (G8OSN?) is also a ham and the two men fell out on internet forum. Mr Evans accused Mr Reay of being racist towards the Welsh after comments on an amateur radio forum. The mutual dislike persisted for some years before Mr Evans sort his revenge by making his unsubstantiated accusations to the school, which caused massive disruption and much distress to Mr Reay. Gareth Evans has been given a three-year conditional discharge by the court.

(Please note that the callsigns listed above are assumed correct but as yet are unconfirmed.)

This should be a lesson to all of us. Trolling on Internet forums may be taken as harmless banter by some but others may not see it the same way. Amateur radio is just a hobby and silly little remarks either on air or on line are simply not worth getting your blood pressure up. They certainly are not worth going to jail over or causing someone to loose their job, both of these scenarios being a possible outcome of the above tiff.

Talks on possible 5MHz extension

2011-10-20T16:51:00.000+01:00

Talks on possible 5MHz extension

Following their meeting with the Ministry of Defence earlier in the month, Ofcom has been in touch with the RSGB to discuss harmonisation improvements to the 5MHz Experiment. Whilst MoD is not in a position to release a continuous tuning band like that available to some other countries, they have agreed to consider some additional bandwidth for access by UK NoV holders. We will bring you any further news as it develops.

OFCOM Jobs Worths

2011-10-17T20:23:00.000+01:00

I do not suffer fools gladly and I am constantly astounded at the incompetence of officialdom.

Last week my wife posted off a form to OFCOM to get a special events call that we had last year reissued. The event is five months and three weeks away but OFCOM spent more time telling Helen via email that she needed to apply six months in advance, but that she could apply for the call for use the same event in 2013, if she sent yet another copy off the form in, than it would have taken them to reissue the call.

Note: Last year they issued the call but the paperwork arrived two days after the event. The rule at that time was the call had to be applied for at least one month before and this is still what it says on the top of the form.

Caveat emptor

2011-10-17T19:57:00.003+01:00

Caveat emptor is Latin for "Let the buyer beware" and nowhere is that more true than when buying off the Internet.

I have a couple of 3-15V DC 25/30A power supplies which I purchased cheap and second hand off eBay. They are identical apart from one is badged Palstar PS-30M and the other Manson EP-925. They usually retail new at between £90 and £120, although you can find some unscrupulous sellers vending them to the Tattoo market at well over £250. I only paid around £30 each and so I was not bothered that one had a noisy fan, it would be a cheap and easy repair.

This morning in my email I received an advertisement from a computer retailer from whom I have dealt since well before the Internet and eBay. Yes, that was way back in the days of printed adverts in magazines and telephoning orders in. What caught my eye was a fan of the type I needed for my power supply for 49 pence. So I went to the retailers site and thought while I was there I would purchase a hard drive as well. The hard drive had free post and packing.

I was about to buy a 2TB Western Digital HDD which came with free postage, but when I added the 49 pence fan to my basket it said my postage would be £6.95 plus VAT, therefore making the true cost of the 49 pence fan £9.42. Annoyed I wrote a letter asking them to explain and received this explanation...

The free delivery offer is only intended to be on the hard drive but the same parcel that the hard drive ships in can accommodate up to 5 kgs and we’re happy to ship other items in that parcel for no additional delivery charge if you order over the phone.

The web site needs re-programming in order to accommodate this scenario and the costs will run into thousands in programmers time so we’re stuck with the anomaly until we order a new web site.

Please call to order or send your number and we'll call you.

Which is fine until you call and they then say these two items are web order only.

Oh well I ordered my fan from eBay for £3.42 including P&P, but wonder how many others have thought they were getting free P&P only to be charged 18 times what the item cost for the postage. The only reason I don't mention the retailer by name is because I have had some great deals and excellent service from them in the past but I shall be keeping a close eye on them for tricks of this type in future.

Welcome to 'Rip Off Britain'!

Radio Inactive

2011-10-05T22:13:00.000+01:00

Do you ever feel like your get up and go has got up and gone? I know I do and quite regularly too. Stressed out and fed up everything can go to hell when I feel like this. It is usually just for a short period after I finish my night shifts and my brain feels like it is stuffed with cotton wool. The one thing that has been my constant comfort has been my radio and the company of good pals with a sense of ironic humour that makes me laugh. Even when I do not feel too much like talking there are SOTA activations and DX contacts that require a minimum of conversational skills. I can usually sit at the radio and literally loose days at a time either ragchewing or spinning the dials on a dozen rigs. Just lately however it has been different; I have found myself either turning the radios off or forgetting to turn them on in the first place.

Today I sat sorting screws that had accumulated in a tray in a draw of my computer desk. Somebody had left a microphone keyed on the 2m calling frequency and was working a station in Algeria on 10m. My initial reaction was like most folk and that was to call him all the plonkers under the sun, but unlike the idiots who tried to tell him by calling on the same 2m frequency he was transmitting on or tried to key him out I thought I would see if I could hear the DX too. My rig was tuned to 80m and as I came up through the bands everything above 40m was buzzing. When I finally got to 10m there was wall to wall activity. I tuned up and down the band trying to decide who to work and then unable to make up my mind I went down to 12m, had a listen and the carried on down the bands until I got to 20m when I turned off.

I just could not be bothered and it bothered me. A little later I had a look for MS0WRC Isle Of Tiree IOTA Expedition who someone called Peter had told me about on the local repeater earlier and soon found them. I had my microphone in hand but someone beat me to the call and although I listened for ten minutes I did not pick up the mic again.

My new Icom 7400 is still sat in the box, much to the annoyance of Helen who has more than once threatened to sell it or give it away. I can't even really put my finger on why I feel like this, it is not like I feel particularly depressed and I have been busy with other things. This weekend we have a RAYNET event so I have the perfect excuse as to why the new rig is not installed in the shack, but I really must motivate myself to get it done and maybe the shiny rig will rejuvenate my enthusiasm for the hobby again. After all with winter approaching what else do I want to do on cold wet days and long dark nights? Then there is the North Wales Radio Rally at the end of the month, no point in going if I don't have a big list of toys to buy and I would not want miss that.

Here I am now kicking myself for not getting some of the great DX there was today in to the log or am I bothered? Mmm! Oh well here's hoping you guys and gals grabbed some of the action I didn't.

Updates and Excuses

2011-09-26T02:20:00.000+01:00

When I first started this blog I was inspired by other bloggers most of whom over the intervening period between then and now seemed to have dropped by the wayside. You know what I mean; For a while they post every day or every week and then all of a sudden weeks or months go by with nothing posted. I never really understood why, but gradually it dawns on me as I look at my own blog and a lack of posts the denies the fact that I haven't really run out of things to say. It is not even as if I have had one of those "When did it become a chore?" moments either. It is all just down to being too busy. I have had to look at each day and say to myself "What should I concentrate on?" and as a result even my log book is looking like I have lost interest in the hobby, which clearly is not the case.

I have been somewhat tied up at work with a change of employer (same job), training and covering colleagues holidays and then I have had two rather wet weeks holiday with the family in Scotland and a week away with Helen to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. In both cases poor or none existent Internet access did not help. My 3 mobile broadband dongle when it could get a signal was painfully slow (and it is faster than my landline at home) and although we had occasional access via BT Open Zone that too got very slow when my kids tried to use it too. My O2 mobile phone was even more useless with no access in three separate holiday cottages. Text messages occasionally made their way through including SOTA spots that I receive via Twitter, but often they were three or more hours old before I got them.

While I was away I did have HF set up and another indication of how things have been going is that I still have not transcribed my logs from our Scottish trip. Even the logs from my SOTA activations are still in the form of scribble on a reporters pad.

For my birthday Helen bought me an Icom IC-7400, which is still in the box waiting for me to make space in the shack. It is almost sacrilegious to have such a wonderful piece of kit sitting there unused, but I have just not had the time.

My 2m/70cm/23cm collinear is lying in the garden too, having developed a fault that I have not had time to trace. Time for a complete overhaul of the antennas and a rearranging of the shack, but when will I get the time?

At least one worry is over, the club sale went down a storm. There were a couple of mutterings from folk who expected a full blown rally, but they were fortunately in the minority. What do people expect? Even if we hope to turn the event in to something approaching a full blown ham fest it is unlikely to start out that way. Why had a fair number of traders who in the main sold 'not much' but the private sales did a roaring business. Most of the traders said that they enjoyed the event even if the did not cover their costs and as one of them said "It is much about meeting people as selling stuff." His logic was along the lines that "If folk know me then next time, when they want something I am selling, they will come to me (their old mate), rather than someone they don't know", it sort of makes sense.

The Mold club stall made enough money for the club for it to have been worthwhile. The silent key sale sold everything bar the Elecraft K3 and then at the end we had a reasonable offer for that too, that was a big relief for one of our members who had been unable to get in to his garage due to all the equipment stored there. The bar takings meant the Rugby club would be kept happy to.

When I arrived (late straight from work) everything was in full swing and after getting a pint I circulated around the stall owners to thank them for coming. I missed at least one stall owner who initially had a large crowd around him, by the time I got back he had sold everything and gone. From what I gather all the private sellers and club stalls made it at least worth their while. I felt particularly sorry for one trader who managed to pick up a puncture and not just a fixable little nail but a fist size hole in the sidewall. He told me he had taken £97 but a new tire would be £100. Ouch! At least we did not charge anyone to be there. Maybe the message to the traders is "Are you really selling what people want to buy and at the right price?" Time for you guys to think about that one before Saturday & Sunday, 29th & 30st October 2011 and the 24th North Wales Amateur Radio Show. Meanwhile I need to get my shack sorted so that when I head to Ysgol John Bright, Maesdu Road, Llandudno LL30 1LF for the rally I have my shopping list up to date.

North Wales Ham Sale one week away

2011-09-07T01:33:00.002+01:00

I make no apologies for reposting the information bellow. The event is one week today and the interest from traders alone has been impressive. Unfortunately due to the size of the venue we have had to restrict numbers. One guy alone would have had 12 tables if he could. If I had let him there would have been little room for anyone else (as I already had other people booked in) and as I have no idea if we will get 5 or 5,000 visitors he might well have been disappointed. Anyway the event looks like being a good one for our first attempt, but we need your support.

The star of the show is in the silent key sale, we have a mint Elecraft K3, which had only been used a couple of times on CW before the owner passed away. This and the best bits from our friend's collection will be auctioned with reserves. There is also plenty of interesting junk in the collection.

We will also have a club stand selling items donated to Mold and District Amateur Radio Club for funds.

There will be a number of traders and individuals with tables and some club members with items to sell. Everyone is welcome to bring their own gear to sell, swap or trade and it is all free. That's right no admission charge but if you buy a drink or two at the bar it will go some way to making sure we can do this again, possibly on a larger scale.

The Mold and District Amateur Radio Club http://www.madarc.org.uk/ would like to invite all radio amateurs and short wave listeners to a silent key, shack surplus, bring and buy, junk swap and sell evening to be held at 8pm in the Mold Rugby Club Mold in Flintshire North Wales on Wednesday 14th September 2011.

What we hope makes this sale a little different is the quality of some of the silent key items in the sale, which includes an Elecraft K3 and the fact that there is no charge for private sellers. If required a limited number of commercial sellers would be welcomed but please contact Steve GW7AAV (email correct on QRZ.com) in advance for a table reservation. Again no charge for commercial sellers but a small donation to be split 50/50 with the Rugby and Radio clubs would be welcomed.

There should be some very tempting high quality gear on sale as well as some real bargains.

There is a bar too, so team up with your mates and organize a designate driver. Let’s make this a great social evening too and it will be a chance to put faces to callsigns.

For directions see - http://www.madarc.org.uk/location.html

Not quite dead yet!

2011-09-04T16:00:00.001+01:00

Contrary to what my regular reader might be thinking CQHQ is not dead and neither am I. As I have said several times in the past sometimes life just gets in the way of living. It would almost be true to say that in some ways amateur radio has had to take a back seat in my life for a while, but as I am rarely away from it for more than 12 hours at a time it would be stretching the point somewhat.

So where have I been? you may well ask, but mostly the answer would be nowhere in particular. The facts are these; My employer of thirty odd years has sold his business, I still have the same job working for the same bosses but the name on the signs have changed. This all results in some upset both in terms of things that need sorting as well as some emotional turmoil. It also has meant me learning another function. Something that should have been done some time ago, but the funds for the training resource were not forthcoming. Knowing they would no longer have to worry about budget issues with the old employer meant I got my training, and have been up to my neck in corporate bull ever since. The last two months have been busy too due to covering my colleagues holidays and visiting hospitals, loads of folk scaring the hell out of me. Will people please stop being ill it is starting to effect my health too, worrying about you all. I have my own issues but nothing life threatening just at the moment.

On top of this my second eldest son moved back home, so that he can learn to drive and get a car with the goal of getting a better paid job. He is a talented graphic designer but without transport he cannot get to where the well paid jobs are and almost all of his pay was going on paying his rent etcetera. It seemed like a good idea but a lot of work later and we now have two houses of stuff in one house. Correct that, we had three or four houses of stuff already and it now really is a bit cramped.

It was recently slightly worse than that due to an issue we had at the radio club. One day some time ago we turned up for a meeting to find our radio shack and workshop had vanished along with all its contents. The shack and workshop were in a forty foot steel container that the Mold Rugby Club had kindly said we could "Do with what we want.", unfortunately it was not theirs to give away. Therein lies the problem of ever changing committees and the control of assets. It belonged in fact to a senior benefactor to the rugby club who from what I gather had a disagreement with the rugby club, over some issue to which I was not privy, threw his rattle out of his pram and took all his toys with him. We had by that time being using the container for over two years. Our initial problem was getting our gear back. Thousands of pounds of radio and test equipment, which had been swung up on a crane and transported and then swung off the wagon by crane. We feared everything was broken. The Police said it was nothing to do with them and was a civil matter. Even our wrecked antennas and chopped coax (surely criminal damage at least) were nothing to do with them. Typical British Bobbies too bone idle lazy to help someone even when the perpetrator is known. Eventually I calmed down, but I still had to ask a third party to intercede with the guy.

Anyhow, to cut a long story short the mini-bus full of Ukrainian Bratva with pick axe handles were called off and we got our gear back, mostly undamaged. This was mainly due to the power cables and coaxes that stopped the rigs and equipment from sliding off the benches. Many thanks to the guy from GB4FUN for assuring me things might not be as bad as I suspected when I told him the situation. A travelling shack with gear left on benches, he knew a thing or two about how things move about or rather don't move as much as they might.

So we collected all the gear and it too was stowed at my house until we could find alternative storage. Thank goodness that stuff is out of my shack and the lounge floor and the passage, but what a crippling loss to the club. We used the workshop as a temporary school room for the Radio Amateurs Exam courses, away from the noisy bar in the main club and were able to do practical and on air tests and lessons .

Finally I have been on my annual two week SOTA holiday/pilgrimage to Scotland. There is another story there but it mostly rained and we only did two summits, however it did have it's moments and I did return with a new rig, an Icom IC-7400 as a birthday present from my wife. What a fabulous radio and there are loads of them out there, taken as to trade-ins for the 7410 and 9100 Icoms and the Kenwood 590S. So now really is the time to buy one, if like me you cannot justify the price of the latest rigs. Mine looks absolutely new and the mic was still sealed in the packet. I paid a lot less than I would for a second hand IC-7000 and that is a mobile rig without a built in tuner. If like me you have wanted one since they came out then get one now before they all disappear. Trade in that old Yaesu FT-857D or Icom IC-706 MKIIG if you have too, you may only have a couple of hundred to pay. By the way I didn't I still have mine, it is an emotional thing, but I might part with one for an IC-910X to match the 7400. Oh well Christmas is coming and when you wish upon a star...

By the way if you have a steel container you would like to donate to Mold and District Amateur Radio Club we have just the spot and don't forget our silent key/sale and swap meet event, it is turning in to a mini rally fast. 8pm 14th September 2011.

Wouxun KG-UVD1P/L 2m/4m Dual Band Review

2011-07-17T22:41:00.004+01:00

I just could not resist the new Wouxun KG-UVD1P/L 2m/4m dual band handheld amateur radio, even though I have far too many portable rigs already. The fact that it was the only radio to ever be produced that was dual band and dual watch on these two bands might have swayed me, but I have become a bit of a fan of this companies products and I really wanted to see if my predictions on how their quality and range improves over time prove true.

Straight out of the box I saw the first improvement, a much better quality charger with a thirteen amp UK plug. Gone is the wall wart charger but so is the ability to use the charger from a cigar socket, it is no big loss to me as I have several of the old type already which I can use on long Raynet incidents or between SOTA activations. The look and feel of the new charger is a good improvement on the old ones, which seemed cheap, tacky and somewhat flimsy.

The antenna was taped to the outside of the box which seemed a bit strange but comparing the size of the rubber duck to that of the ones on the KG-UVD1P 2m/70cm rig and the Wouxun KG-699E it was somewhat longer. Surprisingly it is probably responsible for the improved receive that was the next advancement I found.

I was sat at my PC with the rig just out of the box and just called “GW7AAV testing” while listening back on my MyDEL ML-5189. Much to my surprise my pal Graham GW0HUS called me back. Graham is only 5 miles away but from the same position I could not hear him on the KG-699E. Several test calls later I am convinced that the KG-UVD1P/L is better on both receive and transmit on 4m that the KG-699E and on 2m than the KG-UVD1P. I believe this is only due to a more efficient antenna on both bands, but I have yet to test the theory by trying the supplied antenna on the other rigs. All the rigs have the now familiar reversed SMA antenna connection that had us scratching our heads when we first saw them.

Tests side by side using a Kenwood TH-G71E and a Yaesu VX-7 showed the new Wouxun to be better on receive than both the other rigs, using the supplied antennas. On TX very little difference was noticed but one station reported a little white noise on the Yaesu, and apart from that all stations reported the audio quality very similar. The Yaesu was the quietest, the Kenwood was reported as “just right” and the Wouxun a little louder, but not too loud. The Yaesu had me almost shouting, the Kenwood talking normally and I found I could double my normal distance from the mic with the Wouxun and still be easy to read.

Do not think that I am basing my tests on the S-meter readings either because like its predecessors it reads S9+ or nothing, whatever the signal. In fact the only time I ever saw the S-meter read somewhere in between was when I had some desensing from a nearby commercial transmitter on a SOTA activation.

The build quality of the Wouxun rigs is better than most of those emerging from China but as these are new rigs in the same case as the 2m/70cms version there has been no opportunity to improve the look. To be really picky the plastic of the case feels good but looks a little too shiny. It might not look as tacky if it had a matt finish.

For those familiar with the Wouxun range the controls should be no problem, but the same old issues remain with this rig as the others in the stable, it is a pig to program memories from the keypad. It is however an absolute doddle to do if you have the computer programming cable, which is very cheap to buy and works with Kenwood handies too. It was easy to import my settings in to the software from the 2m/70cm rig delete the 70cm settings and add the channels for 70MHz in their place. I saved the result with a new file name and I imported it in to a use with the new rig. It all took five minute start to finish. Using the keypad would have taken days.

Over all I am impressed, I was not expecting any improvements over the other Wouxuns, I just wanted to be able to carry one rig less up the hills. Previously Helen and I both carried a 2m/70cm KG-UVD1P rig on the hills and I also carried the KG-699E for 4m. This way I can replace my two rigs with one, Helen and I can still communicate on 2m and we can still cover the three bands. I still have the Icom 23cm rig and the Yaesu FT-857 in the rucksack though.

I wonder who will be the first to come up with a good 2 and 4m antenna for SOTA and portable or mobile or even home base?

Pros:

* No one else makes a rig that does these two bands

* Price.

* Excellent RX audio quality.

* Great RX sensitivity.

* Better immunity to out of band desensing than some more expensive rigs.

* TX audio reported by several people as very good.

* Solid feel and high quality construction almost as good as Japanese rigs.

* Desktop charger supplied with 13amp plug rather than the wall wart

* Very cheap batteries and accessories.

* Clear LCD display.

* Enough memories to never have to use the VFO.

* You can name the memory channels easily with programming cable.

* Cheap programming lead and free software.

* Lighter than my other (Japanese) handhelds.

* CTCSS decode/counter function.

* Voice announcement of functions (if they don’t drive you nuts).

* Narrow TX & RX FM mode available.

* Good battery life.

* Good belt clip.

* Supplied rubber duck works surprisingly well.

* LED torch (Great for finding the fuse box when the lights go out).

* FM radio for when no one is talking to you.

* Stop watch. I almost forgot this one because I only used it once.

* Cheap and easily available accessories from dealers or direct import (eBay).

Cons:

* Build quality is not quite what we get from the Japanese manufacturers.

* The out of the box wideband nature could lead to problems for those who don’t know their band plan. Tip: use memories for the ham bands and the VFO for out of band listening or use programming software to lock down to just the ham bands.

* Turning repeater shift on for the first time can be 'tricky', but once learnt, it's not difficult. Tip: Read the manual or use memories.

* The S-meter reads full scale even on weak signals.

* Hard to understand manual.

Note: One or two people complained on the net previously that they could not get the USB driver that comes with the Wouxun software working with Windows 7. That would be because you don’t need it with Windows 7 due to USB support being built in. It is no wonder folk screw up their computers; they just don’t know what they are doing. If all else fails read the manual!

For the rig specs see this post: http://www.cqhq.co.uk/2011/06/wouxun-kg-uvd1pl-2m4m-full-dual-band.html

Martyn Lynch and Sons are the offical UK importer and so far this is the only place to get this rig.

Wouxun KG-UVD1P/L 2m/4m are here.

2011-07-13T19:12:00.000+01:00

It is in the post! My Wouxun KG-UVD1P/L 2m/4m dual band amateur radio has been dispatched. Review here soon.

See this post for more details: http://www.cqhq.co.uk/2011/06/wouxun-kg-uvd1pl-2m4m-full-dual-band.html

30 years too late- 27MHz SSB CB in the UK

2011-07-12T23:06:00.001+01:00

Thirty years ago I would have been jumping around for joy at the news that because of an ECC Decision as of 24th June 20 the use of 27 MHz SSB CB across the British Isles and Europe is to be harmonised.

The new ruling permits the use of SSB equipment running 12 watts PEP output in the frequency band 26.960 - 27.410 MHz. The ECC Decision came into force on June 24, 2011 and the preferred date for implementation of this ECC Decision by national administrations is October 1, 2011.

Read the ECC Decision ECC/DEC/(11)03 - The harmonised use of frequencies for Citizens’ Band (CB) radio equipment http://www.erodocdb.dk/Docs/doc98/official/pdf/ECCDEC1103.PDF

I wonder how many of us would have made the move to amateur radio if this had been done in 1981. Especially as B class licences were only permitted VHF and above back then. It would have been almost a backward step for someone used to eleven metre DXing to only have 144 and 433 MHz to play on, indeed some of my old chums took a lot longer to see the big picture than I did. If you every have listened on these frequencies you will realise just how often ten metres should be open, but there is no-one on there and yet the eleven metre frequencies are bouncing. Some of those UK pirates will wonder what hit them as all those Cobras and Tristars are dragged from lofts and fired up legally for the first time. What worried me for a long time was the number of familiar voices that could be heard on 27, now they can come out of the closet.

As a ham, think of it as an extension to ten metres. Sure there are lids but we have them on the ham bands too and we always have. I am happy for all the old CBers who never gave up. Thirty years what a wait!

CB is dead, long live CB - Back at you good buddie!

Radio gear sell or swap

2011-07-08T22:00:00.000+01:00

There are too few radio rallies these days so...

The Mold and District Amateur Radio Club http://www.madarc.org.uk/ would like to invite all radio amateurs and short wave listeners to a silent key, shack surplus, bring and buy, junk swap and sell evening to be held at 8pm in the Mold Rugby Club Mold in Flintshire North Wales on Wednesday 14th September 2011.

What we hope makes this sale a little different is the quality of some of the silent key items in the sale, which includes an Elecraft K3 and the fact that there is no charge for private sellers. If required a limited number of commercial sellers would be welcomed but please contact Steve GW7AAV (email correct on QRZ.com) in advance for a table reservation. Again no charge for commercial sellers but a small donation to be split 50/50 with the Rugby and Radio clubs would be welcomed.

There should be some very tempting high quality gear on sale as well as some real bargains.

There is a bar too, so team up with your mates and organize a designate driver. Let’s make this a great social evening too and it will be a chance to put faces to callsigns.

In the meantime the club has a lecture on 13th July by Keith GW4OKT on the building, maintenance and use of the Elecraft K series and on the 3rd August Phil VK5SRP will tell us about radio restoration and Ham Radio ‘Down Under’ (http://www.philipstorr.id.au/).

For directions see - http://www.madarc.org.uk/location.html

Make circuit, kill vampires

2011-07-03T14:19:00.003+01:00

My regular readers will have noticed that I have been 'otherwise engaged' of late so I am catching up on the news items I may have missed. One that caught my eye on Southgate ARC News is a ScienceDaily report on a pen that can be used to create flexible electronic circuits. Apparently University of Illinois engineers have developed a silver-inked rollerball pen capable of writing electrical circuits and interconnects on paper, wood and other surfaces. The pen is writing whole new chapters in low-cost, flexible and disposable electronics.
Read the ScienceDaily report at: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110628151632.htm

Now me being something of a cynic, a thing is of more interest if I can poke holes in it, so here I go...

You University of Illinois engineers are too late, it has been done before!

In the early 1980s I had a car, 1750cc a Hillman Hunter GLS. In fact over a number of years I had between seven and ten of them, or their equivalents the Sunbeam Rapier and Humber Sceptre. I never paid more than £100 each for them and used to keep all the best bits of the one I was scrapping to embellish the next. The first one I had, had a break in the rear heated window element and I bought a silver-inked fibre pen to repair it. By sticking two strips of tape aligned with the elements and drawing over the gap I was able to carry out an invisible repair to the heating element.

Later I did repairs on a Hi-Fi unit and reinstated burnt out tracks with the silver pen. A couple of CBs had a Ten Metre mod and where part of the new electronics joined the old circuit the pen came in useful again. Lastly I started experimenting with on glass antennas (on perspex actually) by using the pen and copper strip sticky tape. Later I used aluminium flashing tape to do the same. One time I even mad a loading coil by drawing a spiral thread on a plastic pop bottle. My two metre on glass J-pole worked a treat as did a 70cm quad out of the aluminium flashing tape, both real stealth antennas.

So once again University of Illinois engineers, been there, seen that and got the tee shirt. There is nothing new under the sun. One of these pens could be handy to have in your pocket in case you get attacked by vampires, but of course the real interest will not be in the pen but in a printer with their silver based ink.

IOTA and rare WAB via the birds

2011-07-03T11:56:00.001+01:00

There are some things in life and in amateur radio that I will never understand. It is not nessasarily the complex stuff that baffles me either. For example some people like spare ribs and to be frank I don't mind them myself, but they are somewhat messy and 75% bone, so why would anyone chose ribs from a menu when for the same price or a little extra they could have a 16 ounce steak? It is totally beyond me. I am not knocking the rib lover, I just don't understand them. So it is with this next news item...

Paul 2E1EUB operating as 2M1EUB/P will be activating some rare Grid Squares on the Amateur Radio satellites over the next two weeks. In a post on the AMSAT bulletin board he says: Leaving for [IOTA] EU-010 [Outer Hebrides] early Sunday morning about 600 mile drive, so don't expect much action the first day! Will catch the ferry I hope on Monday next ...then first stop will be the island of South Uist, moving upwards to Harris and then Lewis. I'll put as much time in on AO7 mode A and B as poss and FO29 etc. This will be a 14 day opp so I'll be around at least a week on the islands then moving North and back down the East . Hope to be QRV on 145.847 USB mode B AO7 and around .50 on mode A. Hope to be active from IO67OV, IO68TF, IO67VJ and others.

Now I am not knocking Paul but to me operating satellites from rare squares is like doing SOTA via repeaters, collecting DX CCs via Echo Link or making love with your socks on. I guess there is some call for this which is why I am puttting it on CQHQ but I don't understand it. Maybe some of the satellite operators can explain the attraction. Everyone to his/her own. Anyway I wish Paul the greatest of success with his venture and if he wants to do those squares on simplex then I would be interested . Paul's 'Sat Van' and the picture of his shack on QRZ look quite impressive so check them out.

Stolen Radio - There is an app for that

2011-07-03T10:49:00.000+01:00

In August last year I told you about Hugh Golding G7UOD and online rig register called, Rigregister Online The idea is you keep an online list of all your equipment’s serial numbers and then if they get stolen you can flag it so a buyer will be alerted if someone tries to sell it. Hugh recently contacted me to say the the site is going strong and has a few thousand users now and their listed equipment. There also is a Smart Phone / PDA search tool for checking serials too so you can check out any gear you are buying in the field at rallies, junksales or on a sellers doorstep. Check it out.

Note: If you discover a piece of equipment that is lost or stolen you should notify the police. DO NOT confront the person offering you the equipment ! Give the police the details and tell them the equipment is registered on The Rig Register. Information regarding the owner and contact details can be obtained by them.

UK RAE Exams - No Change

2011-06-27T20:58:00.000+01:00

Despite rumours to the contrary, Alan Betts has confirmed that the Advanced (or any of the exams for that matter) are NOT about to be made tougher. So if anyone says anything to the contrary tell them it ain't so.

Sorry for the lack of posts here of late. Another case of life's little hiccups getting in the way of life. Not that I have had much to write about, my last planned SOTA outings got cancelled due to persistent rain and I was all set up for the RSGB's 80 metre SSB club contest when I was told I was moving boxes for my son Adam 2W0DPI was has moved back home for a while. My brother recently was in a serious condition in hospital and now we are worried sick about my eldest son James' fiance who has been rushed in to hospital. It always seems to rain but just lately it is the monsoon season in our lives. Lots of upheaval at work too has kept me busy.

Wouxun KG-UVD1P/L 2m/4m Full Dual Band Handie

2011-06-01T13:50:00.005+01:00

These days I tend to be quite up to date on what is happening in the world of amateur radio mainly because I constantly am on the prowl for something to write about, so when Radcom (the Radio Society of Great Britain's magazine) drops through my door it is usually yesterday's news. The June issue had a little surprise for me however because on page 15 I saw the words 'Wouxun handy with 70 & 144MHz' and over on the back page a full page colour advertisement from Martin Lynch and Sons announcing the KG-UVD1P/L. I had heard rumours of this rig but had put them down to an April Fools joke that arrived too late. It seemed almost too unlikely to be possible and for those sceptics amongst us the doctored photograph used in the advert tells me that (at least the time of the photograph) M&S did not have one in their sticky palms. The tell tales in the image is that the seven is not consistent with the seven on the other Wouxuns and both bands are selected at the same time as shown by the arrows.

I searched the Internet and there was nothing at all about this rig even from the Wouxun web site. So all the data shown is from the ML&S advertisement.

Wouxun KG-UVD1P/L 2m/4m Full Dual Band Handie!

Main Features:

Frequency Range: 66-88 MHz (4m) & 136-174 MHz (2m) RX/TX
Work Mode:VL-V or V-V or VL-VL can be set freely
SOS Function
1750Hz tone
DTMF Encoding Function
CTCSS/DCS Scan(Digital/Analog)
Bright Flashlight Illumination
Band Can Be Set Freely on The Same Channel VHF TX-UHF RX or UHF TX-VHF RX
Output power 5W
English Voice Guide
FM Radio (76-108 MHz RX)
Wide/Narrow Bandwidth Selection(25khz/12.5khz)
Priority Scan, Add Scanning Channel
High/Low Power Selection
Channel Name Edit and Display
50 Groups CTSS/105Groups DCS
Multi Step Frequency:(5K/6.25K/10K/25K/50K/100K)
Multi Scan
VOX Transmission
Transmit Overtime Voice Prompt
Begin/End Transmitting BEEP Prompt
Auto/Manual Keypad Lock
Wire Clone, Programmable By Computer
Stopwatch Function
Low Voltage VOICE prompt
Busy Channel Lockout

The supplied accessories are: 1.3Ah LI-ion battery pack, Base charger with mains transformer and 12V leads, Belt clip, Dual band antenna, Wrist strap and Handbook.

Available from Martin Lynch & Sons from end June 2011, taking orders now. Please note your card will not be debited until stock arrives. Price (Inc VAT at 20%): £99.95

http://www.hamradio.co.uk/acatalog/Am_Handheld_Wouxun.html#a4853

Personally I need another handy like a hole in the head but I am biting my lip trying not to pick up the telephone and order a couple. Will I resist the temptation? Watch this space!

PS: I faked my photograph too.

Update: from Martin Lynch via Twitter 1400 1/6/2011: "Wouxun KG-UVD1P/L 2m/4m Full Dual Band - Over 300 Orders placed Already"

Update 3/6/11: I have ordered mine from ML&S. Estimated time of stock arrival: 5 weeks

You’ve Been Warned

2011-05-30T02:58:00.000+01:00

You must read this... You’ve Been Warned

RSGB and the Tower of Shame

2011-05-30T02:25:00.000+01:00

When a UK radio amateur decides he wants to put up a mast the first thing they do is some homework. They ask themselves “Will my neighbours object?” and “Am I likely to get planning permission?” They approach other hams and ask what problems they encountered in getting the necessary plans passed. If they are a member of the Radio Society of Great Britain there is a fine service http://www.rsgb.org/committees/pac/ offered by them that can help to make sure the process goes as smoothly as possible and give them the best chance of getting the essential piece of paper.

What a UK radio amateur does not do is rush out and order the biggest tower he can afford and then learn like the Radio Society of Great Britain did that they cannot erect the tower at Bletchley Park, home of the National Radio Centre because it is a ‘Heritage Site’. Where was the fine advice? Where was the forward planning?

The society now has to sell off their fine tower at a discounted price (http://www.rsgb.org/lusotower/) to cut their losses and when those losses are added to those already incurred by the ‘Green Shed Fiasco’ and being ripped off by the legal vultures for advice that amounted to,”Don’t bother!” over the PLT/ Spectrum Defence action, it puts the society in a very fragile state. That fragile state involves not only bleeding funds like a stuck pig, but bleeding angry members too. Some of those members are already very upset at what has allegedly gone on with the former General Manager and the limited facts that have emerged, due to the threat or potential threat of legal action for libel/slander that hangs like the sword of Damocles over the board members.

From the ranting in the forums it is clear that a great number of both members and ‘would not be members if you paid thems’ are wishing that there was indeed a huge sword hanging above the heads of the RSGB’s board and that they could be brought to task for their mismanagement. Unfortunately RSGB is a limited company and there is very little that can be done. If RSGB were a charity for example then each board member would be personally responsible both legally and financially for their actions. Even school governors can be fired, fined and even imprisoned for mismanagement, even if it was the Headmaster was the one who ran up debts the budget could not meet and they had no knowledge of it (and it has happened).

The questions keep mounting up about what on earth is happening at RSGB and the answers when they do come seem to always be far from satisfying. Over the years ex-members have left the society both money and equipment. Last year it was the turn of a museum full of radio heritage that was sold by the society on eBay and now we hear that one old timer’s donation of several thousand pounds is to be used to employ a fund raiser rather than being fed in to some practical project like keeping GB4FUN on the road. Where will the funds be raised from I wonder? Oh that is right from us members.

I would hate to see the society fold and it’s hundreds of volunteers do a fine job, but I feel that as a member it is just like the management has steered us all down some blind alley and got us all mugged, I just want to punch somebody but there is no one to hit. None of us has personally lost a large amount of money but it is the principle of the thing. Collectively we all want justice, but personally I would settle on revenge. I just can’t see there being any satisfaction either way. I just hope the society can pick itself up and be stronger as a result. The key would be tightening the rules so these things cannot occur again. Maybe this is just what happens when things are run be well meaning amateurs?

In praise of zip ties.

2011-05-28T13:11:00.000+01:00

In this hobby of amateur radio there are so many things we take for granted, one of those is the zip cable tie. I pondered the other day what we did before these things were invented and to be perfectly honest I could not really remember what I did before they became commonly available in the high street. I suspect I used pieces of string and stiff wire or wraps of insulation tape, but whatever is was it was neither as neat or convenient as the cable ties I use today. It took a couple of radio amateurs to remind me that wiring looms used to be wrapped with a none adhesive cotton tape, painted with tar and then lacquered. Nowadays zip ties and self amalgamating tape make wiring loom manufacturer a lot simpler or at least it would be if the looms weren't twenty times more complex due to the toys on our modern vehicles. I have since recalled that on my motorcycles rubber ties were often used along with a sort of aluminium tie with a slot one end and a round head at the other, but just how did I hold up my antennas? I am at a loss.

This morning as I returned from the kitchen with my second coffee of the morning I spotted that the centre of my 5 MHz dipole was about three feet above the ground, turning it in to a Vee. Surprisingly it still tuned with only a tiny adjustment, but I had to fix it anyway. It was a zip tie that had failed due to exposure to UV and the high winds we had been experiencing. I took the opportunity to replace one section of the telescopic fishing pole that I use to hold up the centre of the antenna. It had split length wise some time ago and was held together with gaffer tape. Afterwards I wondered how long that zip tie had been in service and I found I had put up me 5MHz dipole in December 2005, so had been waving about being pulled by the wind on the antenna for five and a half years, I think I am happy with that. In most applications a tie would not experience the forces this one was subject to and so should last much longer even outside exposed to that nasty UV from the sunlight.

Three cheers for zip ties! Hip Hip Hooray!

Dayton - Smells like the ham spirit

2011-05-22T02:35:00.000+01:00

The flea market section of the world famous Ham Radio extravaganva known as the Dayton Hamvention was disrupted Saturday when a sewer line ruptured. Vendors were quickly moved to another area and a crew moved in to clean up the area shortly after.

One vistor told me "The flea market was impressive and there was no shortage of s##t to buy." Another told me "The smell was a bit of a problem, but no worse than the delicate aroma of armpit that can make your eyes sting in the more crowded sections."

By the way Elecraft have the KX3 on display at the show, which looks very interesting. G4ILO's blog has a link to a video which I can't access just at the moment, but should be worth a look.

Glasgow and Clyde Raynet on Jura IOTA EU008

2011-05-22T00:04:00.000+01:00

The Isle of Jura Fell Race is not for wimps, 28km over seven mountain summits, including the Paps of Jura, with 2370 metres of climbing. The safety of the fell runners is paramount and solid communication is essential. The duty of providing that communication falls to the volunteers from Glasgow and Clyde Raynet.

Anyone who has worked with Raynet on this type of event will tell you it can be no walk in the park. Often to get to checkpoints Raynet volunteers need to be nearly as fit as the fell runners themselves as although they will not be travelling as far they will be carrying radio gear, including masts and beams and enough battery power to last the event and beyond, food and enough warm clothes to remain on the mountain all day in any weather. Weather in the mountains can change rapidly and the volunteers need to be able to stay in position whatever nature throws at them.

In my book it is volunteers such as Raynet, St. John Ambulance, Red Cross and Mountain Rescue (Scotland) (England & Wales) who should be getting medals at the end of such an event, because although I am impressed by the fitness and dedication of these fell runners I am certain they must be stark raving bonkers to even think about entering. Still everyone to his or her own, if we were all alike then we would never have invented the wheel yet.

I have no medals for Glasgow and Clyde Raynet but we can all show our support because they will be active from Jura, which is IOTA-EU008 on all bands HF from 26th May to 2nd June using the call GS0RAY/P. Please look out for them and show your support by giving them a call.

Lindisfarne (Holy) Island EU120 Up-date

2011-05-17T21:27:00.000+01:00

A little up date from Ricky G0LZX about the GB0HI amateur radio activation of Lindisfarne (Holy) Island for IOTA he says...

Just to let you know we worked exactly 1200 contacts in 18.5 hours and the radio was manned all that time, we generated a lot of interest and the people we spoke to were genuinely appreciative of our activation. If you work the maths it works out about 67 contacts per hour. We tried 2m which was a none starter, 6m which no contacts were obtained and stayed on HF the rest of the time. It was worthwhile and we did enjoy it, had a laugh and made a lot of amateurs happy in the process 100% success.

Ricky G0LZX

Well done to Ricky and the team. Not a bad tally when you consider the amount of other special calls flying around for Mills on the Air weekend, and various other events.

I would just like to say if you have never visited Lindisfarne it is well worth a visit, particularly if you are in to history and culture, there is plenty to see for such a compact place. Take plenty of money however especially if you are not a member of the National Trust. There are some nice places to eat and at least one real spit and sawdust pub which may make a change from the mass market clone establishments we tend to get these days. I can't remember the name but the food and beer was great even if the place was in a time warp.

Don't forget GB2HI from Hilbre Island this weekend 20th - 22nd May 2011. Hopefully that will be equally successful to the Lindisfarne event.

RSGB National Amateur Radio Centre (The Big Green Shed)

2011-05-10T18:53:00.001+01:00

Are you a member of the Radio Society of Great Britain? Wondering where you subscriptions are going? Well you may be glad to know not all of it has been fiddled on unauthorised expenses or gone to pay off the interest on the ex-general manager's credit card bill. No some of it has been poured in to what appears to be a money pit called the RSGB National Amateur Radio Centre. From what I gather the story goes something like this... RSGB is offered one of the many 'huts' at Bletchley Park in which to establish a National Amateur Radio Centre. The centre would be a show piece for the hobby and offer a great opportunity to introduce the ham radio to the general public. I am sure we would all back the thinking behind this, however after much effort and not a little expenditure it was found that the hut our national society had been offered was 'beyond economical repair'. Not wanting to retreat from their announcements of a wonderful new facility or miss the chance of a foothold in the now legendary Bletchley Park RSGB decided to replace the hut with there own building. Probably because of planning constraints the building had to be in keeping with the style of the surrounding huts, despite the fact that most of them are in such a bad state of repair that they will probably not still be standing in another couple of years. So instead of getting a building for next to nothing or building something more substantial RSGB paid a couple of hundred thousand pounds on a shed. Having seen the building prior to painting it seems a terrible shame that it had to be painted that yucky green to match the other huts but we cannot blame RSGB for the vomit inducing colour, however a nice coat of yacht varnish would have gone down a treat. What really gets my goat about this new centre is not the insane price of the 'shed' but the fact that it was scheduled to open in April 2010 and from what I saw through the dusty windows it is still an empty shell twelve months down the line. The money has been spent, there is no going back on that, but for Pete's sake (that is a metaphorical expression, I don't mean Mr Kirby) let's get the place open and start attracting in the visitors to Bletchley Park and maybe some new blood in to the hobby. Okay I am a little miffed that I planned this trip six months ago and they still had not got it open when I got there, but a lot of us have been asking questions about why it is taking so long. In a more tongue in cheek thought surely the RSGB would have wanted to have got away from the giving the impression that all radio hams are shed dwellers.

Begin Activating Summits on the Air

2011-05-10T00:29:00.000+01:00

Every now and then I am approached by a fellow radio amateur with questions about Summits on the Air. Often those questions are about the rules, but more often I get asked “What gear do I need to start activating?” Usually it will be when I am half way to work on a repeater and the answer can be a long and complicated one. So hopefully I can explain a little better here.

The answer is complex because everyone is different; you need to find your own level. If you are an experienced climber or hill walker the answer will be different from the answer for a complete beginner. The answer also depends on the summit you are intent on activating and the bands you want to work.

Take the beginner on a small summit, a ten minute walk from the road that overlooks a major urban conurbation with a large number of radio amateurs active on VHF. The minimum equipment that could be used might be a handheld 2m radio with a rubber duck antenna, a waterproof and windproof coat, stout shoes, a log book (preferably waterproof) and a pencil.

A stage further on and the transceiver might be replaced by a Yaesu FT-817 or FT-290 and a small portable beam so as to operate SSB. The preferred antenna amongst SOTA operators is the so called SOTABeam, either the one made by G3CWI or a homemade version. There are plenty of designs on the Net to try, but the object is to keep the design lightweight. The SOTABeam uses a boom made of PVC conduit and stainless steel elements. The elements are stored inside the boom for transport.

To utilise a SOTABeam a mast is required and for this purpose most SOTA activator opt for cheap telescopic fishing pole (often called Roach Poles in the UK or Squid Poles in the US). I say cheap because the good poles are carbon fibre and we want the cheaper fibreglass versions, for reasons that should be obvious. Then we need some way to hold up the mast on the hills. If there is a handy fence post then cable ties, elastic bungees or even gaffer tape could be utilised, but the usual method is guy ropes and tent pegs. I personally use three short guys attached via a ring (made from the inside reel off insulation tape) that fits just above the first section of the fishing pole. The size of pole will depend on what you are prepared to carry a 7m pole is probably a good compromise, 6m will just about do if you want to keep the weight down and 10m ones are okay for easy summits but a bit heavy.

So you have moved on from the handheld and you have a little too much gear to lug up the hills, so you need a quality rucksack. Make sure you buy a big one and one that is waterproof.You now have a rig, mast, SOTABeam, guys, tent pegs, coax, a mallet for the pegs, your log and pencil in a shiny new rucksack. It is time to consider what you need to do to take you station on the bigger hills.

If you are planning a longer hike you first of all need to think of navigation. These days most people think of a GPS. If you take a GPS then make sure you know how to use it and take spare batteries. Even if you use a GPS and have well planned your route you should still have a map and a compass. Most experienced hill walkers will even take a spare compass. Again know how to navigate by map and compass. One danger of trying to follow a GPS track in a white out is you can easily walk over a shear drop. Your map should be the very best scale you can buy.
Water: Even in the mildest weather there is the danger of become dehydrated while hill walking. This may first show itself by getting cramp, which can be extremely debilitating and turn a pleasant stroll in to a painful limp or worse. The amount of water to carry will depend on the temperature and the individual, but one litre should probably be considered the minimum.

Spare clothing: The weather in the hills can change dramatically from minute to minute so just because it is sunny and warm when you start out does not mean you will not experience all four seasons as you climb you intended peak. As a minimum I would suggest a spare fleece, water poof jacket and trousers, gloves and a woollen hat, one of those silver blankets that runners like to parade in after a race (they are tiny when packed away) and maybe a bivi bag.

Extras: I would suggest a whistle should be attached to the outside of your rucksack. This is to attract the attention of would be rescuers should you experience a problem. A luminous waistcoat or jacket to aid your being found or to ensure all your party can keep in sight during a white out. A torch possibly a wind up type and a head torch with spare batteries are a good idea.

If you are beyond the beginner stage and thinking of tackling more serious hills the next thing to look at is footwear. Buy the best boots you can afford and you will get years of wear out of them. Choose Gortex lined or similar that will keep your feet dry even when the boots get soaked. Socks are important too, in avoiding blisters. I wear a thin pair of cotton socks beneath thick woollen walking socks. This way the cotton socks rub against the woollen ones rather than your feet which might cause blisters.

Not all hills have nice paths up them and crossing moorland it is easy to step into knee deep pools so waterproof gaiters can be a great saver. They can also protect your lower legs from thorns, nettles and nasty biting things.

So we pretty much have all the gear now but what we wear is important. Denim jeans are a no go because when wet they stay wet. It is worth looking at trousers designed for the job, they may be more expensive but worth it. The type I choose are very thin combat style cargo trousers. Although they are very thin they are surprisingly windproof, cool in summer and warm in winter, but the best thing is they can be soaking wet and after only ten minutes walking they are as dry as a bone again.

Woollen sweaters may seem warm but they offer no protection against the wind, become heavy and take a long time to dry when wet. Fleeces can be bought that are wind and shower proof yet let the body breath and keep you warm.

Tee shirts and underwear can be of the wicking type which draws moisture from sweating away from the skin.

Finally we are kitted out for our mountain adventures or are we? A first aid kit and sugary sweets should be added to our bag along with our lunch which may include a flask with a hot drink or soup. I also pack a small MP3 player which I use to record my sessions if the weather makes conventional logging a problem and of course a camera to take some pictures of the views and the station.
Now with all that kit some thought as to where your adventures are taking you. Is that peak that you want to climb going to be easily to qualify on VHF or do you just want to do some HF?

If the answer is HF the next question is, which band? The activator is King and you should activate on the bands you want to do. If you just want to do SOTA with a VHF hand held rig then don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, but don’t moan when in the wilds of Scotland you fail to get a single contact.

It is important to know how much room you will have for antennas. It is no point in trying to get an 80m dipole up on a rocky summit with a small activation area. In that case VHF might be a good option, but on a remote summit you might consider 20m and a vertical antenna. You need to judge for yourself what bands suit you and your chosen location.

Antennas for HF: In order to not carry an ATU I carry a linked dipole for HF. I have made several one covers 80/60/40/20/10 metres and another 60/40/20/10 and is tuned on each band for the frequencies we use on SOTA. My wife’s liked dipole covers 20/17/15/12 metres and is tuned for the data modes sections of those bands.
These antennas work by inserting or removing plugged links to leave a resonant dipole on the chosen band.

For twenty metres operation you could use a wire vertical on your fishing pole with a 9:1 balun See: Rybakov 806 Multiband Antenna

I would recommend against antennas such as the Miracle Whip and Walkabout type antennas as I have found them incredibly inefficient. I am also not a fan of the Buddipole as I think it is too heavy for lugging up hills and is less efficient than a simple dipole in an inverted vee configuration.

What modes to use? Most activations are done on CW, FM or SSB but do not be afraid to try something different. My XYL is experimenting with PSK via a portable NUE PSK unit at the moment.

Personally on a summit I like to do as many bands as I can, before I either get too cold or my batteries run out. I use a Yaesu FT-857 so I can run 25/30 watts on HF and I carry two 7 AH seal lead acid batteries for power. I usually have the ability to operate 80/60/40/20/10/6/4/2 metres and 70 and 23cms from hilltops although I rarely get the chance or conditions to cover all the bands.

Hopefully that lot will help you decide if SOTA is for you or not. If I missed anything please add a comment so as to help others. Above all do it your way and have fun but stay safe, be aware of other folk out to enjoy the countryside, take care of the environment and when someone asks what you are doing be a good ambassador for amateur radio and SOTA

East to West - Holy Island to Hilbre

2011-05-09T04:23:00.003+01:00

It has come to my notice that some likely lads from Merseyside and West Lancs are due to activate Lindisfarne (Holy) Island EU120 next weekend Kev Haworth, M0TNX, Paul Scarratt, G0WRE and Ricky Knowles, G0LZX will use the callsign GB0HI (Holy Island). They will be active on 40,30,20,17 and 15 metres on SSB, Data and CW from 0500 UTC on the 14th of May until 0500 on the 15th May. If conditions make it worthwhile they may operate 6m as well.

Well I wish them every success in this endevour but when I tried to activate Lindisfarne (Holy) Island EU120 I could not generate any interest at all. The GB call will probably make all the difference but an island you can drive to did not seem to be exotic enough and I worked a handful of friends.

The same mob are at it again on the weekend of 20-22nd May this time from Hilbre Island with the call GB2HI on the same bands. In this case they say 6 and 2 metres are also possible.

Possible! I am sure at least one operator on 2m could generate enough interest on FM and SSB to make it worthwhile operating the band all day. This is due to the high numbers of amateurs from Wirral, Wales and the Lancashire coast who will have almost a direct sea path.

In their press release (as seen at Southgate ARC Newsline) they say the Island has not been activated for 10 years. Strange that because I have it in my log several times during the last seven years and I know at least one radio amateur who regularly walks across at low tide to bird watch and is never seen without his dual band handheld. Likewise I know another amateur who regularly canoes out to the island with his waterproof floating 2m rig for company. I also seem to recall that I have worked Hilbre during Lighthouses week in the past couple of years. Maybe Hilbre is not as rare as they would like people to think, not that it would put me off giving them a call.

So good luck to them. If you hear GB0HI or GB2HI call in and say "Hi!" or you could just pop over and say hello. If you do then be sure to consult the tide tables as the RAF rescue helicopter pilot from Valley is busy keeping his Princess happy by eating his Waitrose own brand rice pudding and does not need any call outs.

Bletchley Park - A lack of direction?

2011-05-09T01:09:00.002+01:00

In the midst of that piece Southern Englishness that is Buckinghamshire sits the town of Bletchley a strange mix of run down housing estates and the homes of wealthy commuters who are something in the city. It was probably very different in 1882 when Sir Herbert Leon started building his mansion. Bletchley Park must have been stunning in its day, from the understated gatehouse with its grand gates through the manicured lawns complete with lakes and fountains to the Victorian splendour of the manor itself; with its built in pigeon loft, home to a flock of white doves, a dairy and ice house, it’s stable and yard and of course the garage for Sir Herbert’s two Roll Royces. Sir Herbert was a wealthy financier and the second son of George Isaac Leon, a stockbroker, and Julia Ann Samuel. He was elected as a Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for Buckingham at a by-election 1891.

The high life at Bletchley Park lasted until, like a number of the countries historic buildings, it was enlisted in to the war effort. In 1938 the Government Code and Cypher School took up residency. From that point on it faded from existence behind a veil of secrecy to all but those who worked there or needed to know. Eventually the tales were allowed to be told and the Park’s part in that conflict and many others became legendary.

Many radio hams were recruited to work at Bletchley and many more that trained or worked in the Code and Cypher School eventually became interested in the hobby. No surprise then that for as long as I can remember I have heard tales of espionage, code breaking and covert radio operations, sometimes in hushed voices and sometimes in fascinating talks at various radio clubs. One such talk involved how the person had been involved in breaking the Japanese version of Morse code and although I heard this talk several times over the years it never ceased to fascinate and enthral.

Books I read about the goings on at Bletchley Park such as the breaking of the Enigma code and the cloak and dagger of the cold war blended in my mind with the James Bond I had loved since childhood and spy fiction from John le Carré, Alistair MacLean, Frederick Forsyth and others to make a potent mix of expectation, which when blended with the personal accounts I had been privy to over the years was in retrospect bound to lead to disappointment.

What I expected to find when I visited Bletchley Park I cannot really say, but whatever it was I did not find it. The first impression when we handed over a small fortune for my family was good, the shop was well stocked with posters and tea towels emblazoned with the words ‘Don’t Panic’ , Union flags and postcards of Sir Winston Churchill giving his trademark two fingered salute (was it really V for victory or was he just telling Gerry to Foxtrot Oscar?). As we made our way through the exhibits the chaotic disorganised nature of the place became clear, here was a number of well meaning individuals doing their own thing without any systematic logic or plan.

Firstly all the displays had far too much reading material for anyone to truly absorb within a reasonable time and stood reading the more interesting of the panels one became aware you were holding up the queue if you stood long enough to read one thoroughly. Then the displays seemed to have been used as an excuse to get rid of someone’s lifelong passion for Airfix model aircraft, there were hundreds of them. Odd bits of memorabilia had been haphazardly strewn about to give the impression of a 1950’s jumble sale. Here and there the ignorance of the person assembling the mess shone through as we recognised items my wife and I had possessed and which were made a long time after the war. Occasionally some toys owned by my children cropped up and even my granddaughter said “I have got one of those”.

The Enigma display was better thought out but looked like someone had been sacked before they quite finished. Moving on to the Winston Churchill collection and a warehouse worth of the British Bulldog memorabilia, here we were greeted by the owner who had been collecting since the end of the war. After seeing the dusty disorganised mess of mostly complete tat it was hard not to feel sorry for the loony and feel he should probably have a nice cosy padded cell somewhere.

Eventually we made our way towards the main house and the cafe next door. After lunch we visited the manor but were shocked to find every room was a bare conference room and no attempt had been made to restore the place to its former Victorian splendour. The so called toy museum seemed to be another personal collection that looked and smelled like it had been recovered from a council tip. The Railways at War feature was just an excuse for the local model railway enthusiasts to show off their collection of toys and those in attendance seemed more interested in doing their own thing than entertaining the public. As a result hardly any of the displays actually had any running trains and none of them actually had anything to do with ‘Railways at War’.

There were other displays in various dingy, rotten and flaking huts but all of them were equally disorganised. The exception was the National Museum of Computing, the highlight of which was the full working replica of Colossus. It was at least clean and almost organized, but above all it was staffed by real enthusiasts who could talk the talk with the even most knowledgeable visitor. It was here my kids were in there element and we had to drag them away from vintage computers such as the Commodore 64, BBC, Spectrum and Amiga 1200. “Hey kids I have all those in boxes if want to use them” I said “and all those games”, but eventually we just had to wander off and hope they caught up.

Great swaths of the park is still covered in more dingy, rotten and flaking green huts, which when we looked through the dusty windows appear to have been used to store yet more obsolete computer junk and un-seen items for display. The local sea cadets have a place at Bletchley but we could not find the Milton Keynes Amateur Radio Society whose station is supposedly open to visiting amateurs. Then there is the Radio Society of Great Britain’s new headquarters, originally due to open in April 2010 and still not occupied, but more about the ‘Big Green Shed’ later.

What disappointed me most about my visit was not the impression of a dirty disorganised mess, but the fact that nothing had been done to capture the atmosphere of the geniuses at work, of the great minds that had worked feverishly for days, weeks and years to make sure we were always at least one step ahead of our enemy. Imagine the tension, the brain wrenching puzzles, the gallons of coffee and a million cigarettes. Take your average hippy hacker shave his head, put him in uniform and send him in a room with a hundred clones then give them a slide rule and an exercise book each, now your nearly there.

How good were these guys? How clever were these guys? One radio amateur who told me a tale or two was sat in his shack one day holding a conversation with me, at the same time he was working a Japanese maritime mobile station in Tokyo harbour on twenty metres on CW in Japanese and also at the same time playing chess with another amateur via SSB on eighty metres while filling in return QSL cards. I believe my friend was an unsung genius but if what he told me is true there were some people at Bletchley who almost redefined the word and yet a lot of them left after the war to live normal unsung, unremarkable lives. Blessed are the geeks for without them the wicked would have taken over the world!

Wendover Windmill

2011-05-07T13:10:00.001+01:00

Hanging my amateur radio antennas from a fifty to sixty foot high windmill seemed like a great idea and it was always a bit of a dream to stay in either a windmill or a lighthouse, but the reality was somewhat less than the expectations. The problem being that Wendover Windmill is in the midst of Wendover, which is a smallish urban sprawl in Buckinghamshire not far from Aylesbury occupied mainly by commuters working in the capital.

The weather was fantastic but as holiday accommodation goes although Wendover Windmill more than adequate but having eight flights of stairs to climb to go to bed is at least seven flights too many and when you come down to breakfast it is a long way back up for your reading glasses, to change you footwear or pick up the camera.

As a HF radio location Wendover Windmill could not have been very much worse. At home I suffer S7-9 noise most of the time on 80m S5-7 on 60 and 40m but very little on the higher bands. Here I had S9+40dB all the time from 80-10m and consequently I did very little on HF and two metres was completely dead.

Probably only a mile away as the crow flies is SOTA summit Wendover Woods G/CE-005 and I was determined to activate it, get my point and cross it off the list. Here was the surprise even with very odd conditions on 60 and 40 metres Helen and I managed 46 contacts, without really trying. The noise level as the summit in the forest on HF was near nil. Stations were reporting massive QSB; Now we hear you, now we don't but S9+ when we do reports followed one after another. I was ready to try another band when a summit to summit contact with Jack GM4COX/P on GM/SI-008 Beinn Tarsuinn came through on 40m suddenly my rig kept going off so after exchanging reports with Jack I left him the frequency and packed away the gear. Later I traced the fault to the two blade type fuses on the power lead both of which had worked loose.

One of the things I said to Helen before we went away was that if the Windmill was any good we might book it for the Mills on the Air week next year. Bearing in mind the noise level at the Mill I think we will give it a miss. Oh well maybe we will look at somewhere with a few more hills instead.

Don't forget International Mills on the Air is over the weekend 14 and 15 May.

Joker exposes RSGB NoV hole

2011-04-21T09:06:00.000+01:00

My thoughts on the NoV being issued to UK radio amateurs in celebration of the Royal Wedding are no secret, as I said previously I am not interested in the slightest in the marriage and I have no intention of applying for an GR callsign. Now it seems I do not need to bother because I have had some joker apply for one for me. I received this email this morning...

Applicant's copy of Electronic Submission: Royal Wedding NoV
Royal Wedding NoV Application submitted: 4/20/2011 11:50:15 PM
Authentication Information: Remote IP Address: 173.45.178.82 Callsign: GW7AAV Email:Removed

Which would seem to indicate a bit of a security hole in the application process. Not that it is of great consequence but this sort of thing should not be allowed to happen. I actually got it wrong when I said you needed to apply to OFCOM, indeed they might well have made the application process a bit more secure. The real route for applications was the RSGB website, where a form that required no more than a callsign and an email address was required.

Bearing in mind the IP Address that the application was posted from is in New York, in the United States via Haefele TV Access high speed Internet access it was easy to see it was not coming from me. Added to that they used a different email address to the one that RSGB and OFCOM should have on record.

Multi-mode rig for 50 and 70MHz

2011-04-19T12:00:00.001+01:00

A multi-mode ham rig for 70MHz seems to be sneaking ever closer to being a possibility. First we had the rumour that a UK dealer was negotiating with a Chinese manufacturer and this was later confirmed by a trusted source who told later me that pre-production testing was going well, but even so it did not seem worth getting too excited about.

Recently I had two unsolicited emails from separate sources telling me they had seen a pre-production dual band multi-mode rig for 50 and 70MHz. That again seemed too good to be true. I had assumed they were referring to the rig we already heard of, but apparently I was wrong because a few days ago a message on the Four Metres Website forum from Rob Van Den Ent PE9PE announced; "I've seen the design of a new DualBand Allmode CW, FM and SSB Transceiver for 50 and 70MHz". The Transceiver may be ready for release by August or September and it is not being made in China. The only other information Rob has imparted is that it does not have AM and its size is similar to that of the Icom IC-718 (which is 240x95x239mm) , so a compact base rig rather than a mobile.

On the subject of 4m; Since the Blackpool radio rally then band has been alive around here. I reckon everyone who went either bought the Anytone mobile or the Wouxun and some of them got both. A multi-mode could be just what is needed to get this band really bouncing.

And talking of mythical rigs; I hope the Wouxun KG-UV920R is released soon, because I need two new mobile dual band rigs. My two Alinco DR-610E rigs have given sterling service but have seen better days. The tone burst only works one time in ten on one rig and both of them have started a little thing were if are tuning down via the tuning knob the frequency will suddenly jump back up a few channels. It can take quite a few clicks to go down only two channels from the calling frequency sometimes.

PLT kills DAB

2011-04-19T10:00:00.004+01:00

Apparently the BBC has finally boarded the train that radio hams have been trying to get out of the station for some time and done some tests on how PLT devices interfere with radio reception. The report here explains that high speed Internet via PLT leaks RF out of the wiring to fill the house, and neighbourhood, with unwanted interference. An article by Bill Ray at the Register explains with damning clarity.

Certain sections of Rays article say a lot that explains the belligerent attitude that our complaints as radio hobbyist have received from OFCOM and Government alike...

The first PLT systems used frequencies between 2 and 30MHz (confusingly known as High Frequency, HF, despite being way down the dial by today's standards), and thus only interfered with the kit of radio hams and the like. But the need for speed has pushed some devices into the 50-305MHz band (Very High Frequency, VHF) where FM and DAB like to play, which is when the BBC got interested.

and

Ofcom still maintains that all the complaints about PLT come from one lobby group, and the problem is only preventing "one man" from pursuing his "hobby".

The irony that the government is pushing two incompatible technologies should come as no surprise, as no one with more than two brain cells to rub together would ever get involved in politics anyway. Just another example of how the worship of mammon takes priority over doing what is right these days.

Apparently when PLT is working well it completely blocks DAB reception and can make broadcast FM unintelligible, however if the devices are struggling for a connection the interference drops down to just the HF bands. I suspect if the PLT devices are interfering with our reception then the chances are we are interfering with its operation, therefore our very presence on HF may actually compound our reception problems by forcing an increase in data traffic as data packets are lost and the rate of retries goes up every time we transmit.

The big question is how to fight this menace and the incompetent belligerence we are seeing from OFCOM. Legal action is slow and expensive and likely to be ineffective. Taking hostages at OFCOM might just get you in to a little trouble and forget the RSGB or writing to the Times, we have tried that already. What we need is to fight fire with fire and up the ante. Suggestions I have heard include deliberately feeding RF into the mains via a close coupled antenna, modifying a PLT device so that when it is turned on it jams other similar devices nearby and spiking the mains using an unsuppressed motor. Not that I am suggesting anyone tries these ideas but it does seem that some form of direct action is the only answer. We need something better, we need someone to listen and act rather than saying "It does not effect me so why should I care".

What we need is the military to see the threat to communications that this technology poses. After all what would the army do if something was jamming there comms? Call in an air strike, that's what.

Mills on the Air Week

2011-04-19T08:00:00.053+01:00

This year’s Mills on the Air is over the weekend 14 and 15 May and any radio amateurs thinking of taking part should register their details on the Denby Dale ARS website www.g4cdd.net or get in touch with Gerald, G3SDY via g3sdy(at)sky.com as soon as possible.

I am off work that weekend so I will be spending a little time in between chasing SOTA stations to try and work as many mills as I can. Maybe there are a few of you out there thinking "I would like to give that a go, but there are no windmills around here" well the mills can be watermills or old steam powered mills as well. Windmills do usually have the advantage of being built on high ground of course. It would be great to see more stations on the air and these stations are usually great fun to do.

The S.P.A.B. Mills section (Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings) run this event every year on or around the second weekend in May, and Denby Dale Radio Society are co-ordinating the Radio side of this event. This event is not a contest, just a chance to have a good time and promote Amateur Radio while helping to preserve some of our heritage.

I will not be in a Mill for Mills weekend but I will be from the 22nd of April until the 29th. So for the chance to sneak in an unofficial early mill in to the log listen for me on 80/60 and 40m SSB from Wendover.

AGM - RSGB close the doors

2011-04-18T23:03:00.001+01:00

It has long been suspected by some radio amateurs that there are dark forces at work within the Radio Society of Great Britain. Indeed some of the comments received on my announcement of the departure of the General Manager said as much. There has always been an almost unspoken link between the shadowy world of James Bond and the old boys that used to run the society. So much so that someone on an Internet forum recently suggested that if you hadn't worked for MI6 then you were probably in a minority. Well that may have been true once but these days hams tend to come from backgrounds other than the military or Foreign office. Heck, some of us even have ordinary jobs and ordinary lives, well at least that is what we want people to think. However, the dark forces I am talking about may have more to do with Harry Potter and Hogwart's than James Bond.

Was it not the Devil's prophet himself Aliester Crowley who said "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole law"? It would seem that he whose name shall not be spoken (the ex Gen. Manager) took these words to heart when he dipped in to what is every RSGB members pockets. Now it seems that the AGM on Saturday, May 14, 2011 is likely to involve the sacrifice of new born babies, drinking of blood and naked orgies for why else would they not want their members to be able to view the meeting live?

According to a statement on the BATC website http://batc.tv/ ; The RSGB and BATC have worked together over the last couple of years to webstream the Society's AGM via live video. BATC again offered the facility this year. The RSGB has considered its position and has reluctantly taken the decision that this year it would not be prudent to go ahead with live streaming. BATC has accepted the Society's position on this but hopes to be able to offer the Society the facility again in 2012.

Okay, so I am having some fun writing this but seriously DO WE NOT HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW? We realise the whole thing could become a fiasco. When the full details of what has been going on comes out there will be a fair old uproar and to be honest it could be the most entertainment seen over amateur television in, well, forever.

RSGB this is a bad move and just says to the world "We still have something to hide" other than the fact that you are mostly Devil worshiping ex-public schoolboys who once worked for MI6, but then the Masons always were fairly good at keeping secrets.

Special GR callsigns - Count me out!

2011-04-16T15:57:00.001+01:00

So somebody decided that radio amateurs in the UK needed a special callsign for the Royal Wedding. Now why on Earth would I be even remotely interested in that particular event? I don't remember a special call being issued when I got married. Who the heck gives a monkey's about the two over pampered inbreds anyway?

It is not that I particularly have any objection to the monarchy per say. It is just that I don't give a damn about them in the same way I am totally underwhelmed by the British newspaper's fascination with the plastic Barbie doll formerly called Jordan or for that matter the Olympic Games coming to the UK.

I have been pressurised by some of my fellow amateurs who have sad things like "Go on the air with your GR prefix and you'll need a big stick to beat off the pileups that these odd prefixes generate. Go on the air as a GW and you'll be left alone." The problem is as I see it if I apply for an R prefix it signifies my approval of what I see as an un-necessary fuss and complete waste of public money. Heck we even have an extra days holiday, how much is that costing our economy? When the Royal divorce, that will inevitably follow, happens will we be able to apply for a special prefix then? Let's just hope they don't decide to knock Kate off the way they did with the best thing to happen to the Royal Family in years.

If you think I am just being a grump you can apply for a GR, MR or 2ER call prefix by filling in the simple form on the OFCOM website. You will be informed by email when your application has been processed.

Radioworld LDG Z817 Tuner Fail

2011-04-15T15:56:00.002+01:00

Today I received my LDG Z817 portable autotuner for use with the Yaesu FT817. Not sure if this is a Radioworld or an LDG fail but can someone tell me how to get the batteries inside without voiding my warranty?

GW3KFA Silent Key.

2011-04-08T21:43:00.001+01:00

It is with regret that I must announce the passing of Mold and District Amateur Radio Club's President Mr Lincoln Lindley GW3KFA. He died this morning in the Countess of Chester Hospital.

Linc was one of life's gentlemen, an all around nice guy and a mine of information on anything technical. Linc always had a great story to tell and was always full of enthusiasm for what ever he was doing. His help and input into the running of the amateur radio courses at the club was invaluable and that enthusiasm could not help but rub off on the students.

His passion about amateur radio was only surpassed by that for his family. Ask him how they were doing and you knew that here was a proud father and devoted husband. He will be sorely missed by them.

Linc had been involved with the radio club since its formation over thirty years ago and it will be hard not to hear the club room door open and expect Linc to be standing there with a big smile on his face. Linc's technical talks were legendary. I remember one fascinating talk when we all looked at each other and I said "He has lost me!" and one person said "He lost me half an hour ago!" and another "He lost me when he told us what the subject was!". We stifled a giggle and continued to listen. A question from the one person who knew as much as Linc brought it all back in line. It got heavy going and he was way over some of our heads at times, but I can honestly say it was both interesting and enjoyable and we all learned something. More than can be said of some speakers we have had over the years. The best thing was that Linc was always there to help if you had a technical issue.

Linc was a CW man through and through and recently acquired a K3, which he loved to bits and raved about at the club. Recently he liked to operate on 30m CW almost exclusively.

Sleep peacefully old friend!

SOTA Television - Portable Ham Radio Videos

2011-04-01T21:41:00.001+01:00

Some of you may know that CQHQ my Amateur Radio blog is only one of a number of projects I have on the net. My Transmission Lines blog takes a big back seat to CQHQ but it is intended as a conduit for me to rant or rave about none amateur radio things such as politics, films and music. I also have a website which is being sadly neglected of late, but I intend to work on again.

Of all the projects SOTA Television is one of the biggest. In the few months since it started over 400 videos from Summits on the Air activations, Chasers shacks, and construction tips have been posted to the site. It is an on going process with extra information such as logbooks, summit information and links to personal blogs and websites being added all the time.

If you have a spare hour or two you will find some of the videos are not only interesting but some are very well and creatively produced.

If you are interested in tackling a summit, either as a SOTA activator or just as a hill bagger, entering the name in to the search may find you useful videos of the assent and give you a clue as to what to expect.

Please visit and enjoy SOTA Television.

More on - RSGB Finacial irregularities

2011-03-31T16:55:00.000+01:00

A little more on the financial irregularities that caused Peter Kirby, the former RSGB General Manager to leave the Society’s employment...

I am told that the financial irregularities refer to £41,000.00 on his company credit card over 4 years. Ow!

...for everything else there is Mastercard!

Icom IC-7600GE - A rig for billionaires

2011-03-31T14:24:00.002+01:00

Are you someone who thinks most of the Amateur Radio producers have lost the plot? Don't have nearly £4,000 for a fully loaded Icom IC-9100 or 7600? Then you won't be interested in the IC-7800 at nearly £8,000. You certainly will not be interested in the GE or gold editions of the Icom range of rigs. Suitable for your Saudi Prince or Billionaire if you need to ask the price you certainly cannot afford one. Gold plated with solid gold knobs and inset with real diamonds these rigs are individually customised to your personal requirements. The very existence of these radios has until now been only known to a select clientèle, but we at CQHQ have had a sneak peak at a IC-7600GE ready to ship to the Middle East. Here is the only known picture of one of the most expensive ham radios on sale today. Yes that is a huge diamond in the tuning knob and smaller diamonds around the volume, RF gain etc.

RSGB General Manager - Amateur radio news from the RSGB

2011-03-28T12:35:00.001+01:00

RSGB General Manager - Amateur radio news from the RSGB

The Board of the RSGB has today released the following announcement:

Peter Kirby, RSGB General Manager, has left the Society’s employment after the discovery of financial irregularities on his part.

For the time being, RSGB Director Don Beattie, G3BJ, will act as General Manager.

Raising of eyebrows and sharp intake of breath as we at CQHQ await further news.

Lost time, poor eyesight, contesting and WOTA

2011-03-27T14:17:00.000+01:00

Here I am stuck in work when I really want to be in the ham radio shack or out on the hills. It is the SOTA UHF funday and to be honest I don't want to loose ground or points on those elusive higher bands to chasers who never normally bother listening for the UHF regulars, but there is nothing I can do about it so I will just have to grin and bear it. I have already (08:30) missed Matt 2E0XTL on Hegest Ridge 1297.5MHz.

I have plenty to sulk about today. If getting up at what would have been 04:30, but because today is the start of British Summer Time is now 05:30, is not bad enough then driving in to work in the dark again certainly is. For the last few weeks the one redeeming feature of the drive to work was some stunning sunrises. Now we are back to cold dark starts and running with headlights on. Why? Just what is the point? For my colleagues on the night shift an eleven hour night beats a twelve hour one, but someone has to do the thirteen hour night when the clocks return to GMT and the shift coming in loose an hours sleep.

It has been a busy week and when I got time to breath I did the mods to Helen's NUE-PSK unit. My nerves were a bit frayed afterwards as my eyesight is no longer up to such fine soldering and my hands not steady enough, probably due to being worried I was going to mess up. I realised after that the reason getting the solder to stick had been so hard was due to the board having been lacquered post production. The problem with removing the lacquer was down to not being able to see the fine tracks on the PCB or work any kind of tool between the other components as I would have liked. Soldering a few wires seemed an easy job but as soon as the iron touched them the insulation melted back so quickly I thought I would end up replacing the lot. Still it is done now and the USB mod is installed and we have the latest software on board too.

Other jobs I had planned for this week took a back seat as what little time I had slipped through my fingers. On Thursday I was back in work for a refresher course that turned out to be another stresser. I was so out of it that later after playing taxi to the family I came in to the shack and looked at the clock. It was twelve minutes to seven but I read it as twelve to eight. I made a mad scramble to get ready for the RSGB 80m Club Contest. I cleared my desk then set up my log and my recording software, found a quiet frequency switched in the 80/40m trap dipole and pushed tune. As the minute hand hit twelve on the atomic synchronized clock I hit record and started to call CQ, an hour early. Opps! When no-one answered I knew something was wrong I looked up at the clock and swore. What a plonker!

I made some coffee and then I retired to the lounge and slumped on the settee and chilled out by watching a rerun of X-Files I had recorded on the Sky Plus box. I never saw the first series when it was on years ago. Then I returned to the shack for another go.

Surprisingly on what was a very busy band I found a free slot and started calling CQ, however after the first half a dozen contacts the dirty tricks started. First of all a tuning signal appeared making a couple of contacts a little slow as although they were end stop signals and fully quietening. I had to ask for many repeats. Then the killer a duo tone signal of the type one puts into a rig under test so you can monitor the output on an oscilloscope, but normally doing this the rig would be on a dummy load. Stations were answering my CQs but I could not make out any calls under this racket. After ten minutes I went to search an pounce mode, which is not the best method to get a high score unless the band is dead when you get better results working other peoples CQs.

It was a bit depressing to get a log number of 32 when you are still in single figures. It was going to be hard going. In the end I only managed a poor 46, while others gave me numbers closing on 200. My only comforting thought was this was a group effort and John GW4BVE gave me an encouraging number. If only I could have maintained my frequency I may have had at least 100 and probably more. As I worked up the band I worked a station on the frequency I had abandoned and made a mental note of the call. I will be watching for that one in future.

On Friday I worked Phil G4OBK/P on a Wainwrights on the Air (WOTA) summit. He asked me to spot him on SOTAwatch as he was on his way to a SOTA summit. Not just any SOTA summit but the highest mountain in England G/LD-001 Scarfell Pike, which for WOTA is designated LDW-001. What had me laughing was the casual way Phil said he had not intended to do the big one, but as the sun was shining and he was passing by he thought he would add it to his itinerary. He did two more WOTA summits after Scarfell Pike but I never heard him.

One thing Phil did was persuaded me to up-date my chases on the WOTA site. It was when I was doing this I realised that there is at the moment a problem with WOTA. I have a good take off towards Lakeland and have worked all of the SOTA summits numerous times, however I have only worked a handful of WOTA summits that are not also SOTA summits. I can see two reasons for this; First off the none SOTA Wainwrights are more often than not shielded by the surrounding much higher mountains and secondly the majority of activations are handheld only on two meters. Some of this might be because to qualify a WOTA summit only one contact is needed for an activation to count and then there is the fact that a lot of WOTA activations are done by activators whose prime objective is one of the higher SOTA summits and they may as well do the lower WOTA fells that are on route. They however they save the batteries for their HF stations until they get to their prime objective. This is just an observation and I am not complaining, it just may be a hell of a long time before I bag all the Wainwrights.

I do not think activating for WOTA will ever be seriously on my agenda as I have no intention of going back and doing those few I already did for SOTA. Two a couple of weeks before it started. So any WOTA activations will have to also be SOTA or not at all. The stunning Lake District calls me but accommodation is over expensive so my forays in to that part of the UK will have to remain few and far between.

Venting Steam

2011-03-21T00:57:00.000Z

Do you ever wonder why you can call CQ on amateur radio and no-one comes back? It could be that you have a poor antenna, cheap coax and badly set-up rig or it could be that it is just because you are an irritating arse, but the chances are it is all of those things. Listen how those other stations call once and everyone wants to talk to them, they have well set up stations and always have something interesting to say. Could it be that the ability to converse and the ability to set up a good station have something to do with that other ability, the ability to listen and not only listen but to learn from what you hear.

I dragged myself out of bed at about 15:30 UTC with a banging head and stumbled down stairs. One more 12 hour nightshift to go. It seemed like forever since I had a day off. Helen put the kettle on to make some coffee and I took something for my poor head. I powered up the shack and read my emails. I really needed something to cheer me up, a funny email or a nice ten pointer SOTA contact would do. I seemed to have missed all the SOTA stations and there was nothing to cheer me up in my inbox either. I looked at Facebook. "Ten metres is bouncing!" said a post from Graham GW0HUS hours earlier. I tuned through the band. One UK station. "Not now it isn't I wanted to shout!" Thanks mate that really cheered me up.

On 5MHz I managed a contact with Dave M0MYA/P on Cleeve Hill G/CE-001. One point in the log. Oh well it is better than nothing, I thought. I had started to do some up-dates on SOTA-TV when just before 16:00 UTC I got another Dave and my second SOTA summit of the day in the log. M0TUB/P was on G/SP-002 Black Hill. Shortly after that my evening meal arrived.

It was after my evening meal that a certain station came on the local 70cms repeater. "Crrrsshh shaahhh for a rig check", "Crrrsshh shaahhh calling on "Crrrsshh shaahhh for a Crackle phisss". What happened next was almost unbelievable "The station for a rig check, you are fully quietening in to the repeater. Great audio." I just could not believe it this guy must be listening on the input because the station calling was 90% noise through the repeater.

The station calling was known to me and he caught me off guard in a grumpy mood, I told him his signal was very poor in to the repeater, as it always is because he is using a handheld with a rubber duck antenna from over 30 miles away. The other station, an M6 with a cracking signal from his mobile set, was not too far from the M0 who was calling on a handheld and I am certain must have been listening to him on the input. My RX on the repeater is always 9+ 60dB as it is a couple of miles away and line of sight.

The issue is that this is not unusual. There are a number of stations locally whose only conversation is "Testing Access!" and "For a rig check". I try to ignore them. There are also a number of idiots who like to go back to these stations and say "You are 5/9 here". I am sure these morons don't know what 5/9 is and on a repeater the signal strength is totally irrelevant. So how can someone be S5 if you have to ask for them to repeat their callsign eight times? Often when I am driving I will tell a station that he is a poor signal in to the repeater only for someone who doesn't understand how repeaters work to tell them they sound great. If you cannot be heard above my engine noise when everyone else can then you have a problem. I just wish people would tell the truth about peoples signals. Is everyone to afraid to offend each other that they have to lie?

The issue with signal reports in contests is another issue entirely. I won't open that can of worms here, but hey it doesn't half screw up the big guns if after you get your 59 you give them 43."43? But I am running 2Kw into an 18 element at 250 feet". Oh Joy!

Shooting the Super Moon - EME for beginers

2011-03-20T05:10:00.000Z

This evening as I drove in to work, for a night shift, while the talking on ham radio with my pal Graham GW0HUS I noticed the so called Super Moon. Between 18:00 and 19:30 the moon was sitting in a clear cloudless sky and looked so close you could touch it. Apparently it is 18 years since the moon has been so close and as last night was a full moon it looked particularly impressive. I am keeping my fingers crossed that Charlie G0PZO has been out with his telescope and camera and will post some more of his amazing moonscapes on the net.

The sight got me to thinking about Moon Bounce or Earth-Moon-Earth communications and I realised I did not really know too much about what is involved. So the Internet being my ~~lobster~~ oyster so to speak I started to do some research and found this PDF by Bob Kocisko, K6PF about getting started on EME.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/507217/K6PF/k6pf.pdf

I was a little put off by this line, that refers to an advanced station "Minimum power should be in the 800 to 1000 watt range" (no good, only allowed 400w in the UK) and because I don't do CW but it is all fascinating reading. The article is a few years old and I wonder if some of the newer low power digital modes such a WSPR and JT65 could be successfully used with a much more modest station than would be required for CW or SSB contact?

The moon in the composite image above was taken using my Canon D-400 using only a 300mm lens. The stars were added later, but the UFO is obviously real. Just call me Spooky Mulder.

Linked Dipole For Portable (SOTA) Operation

2011-03-19T22:51:00.001Z

One of the things those of us involved in amateur radio for a number of years tend to forget is that things we have learned over time are not necessarily common knowledge even among our peers. So when I am operating HF portable and I tell people I am running a linked dipole I expect them to know what I mean. The truth is rather sad in that more often than not they do not have a clue. For the majority of UK hams at least the G5RV is as adventurous as it gets. Try to tell them their antenna is a poor choice and you might as well be an atheist preaching from the pulpit to a church full of Southern Baptists. For home use even something as simple as an Off Centre fed dipole could offer a better bet than the a G5RV in a similar space, but that is a discussion for another time.

For now I want to talk about the linked dipole as used by numerous SOTA operators for two reasons. One: several people have asked me to write something and Two: an Internet search for linked dipoles did not come up with anything useful. The main advantage of a linked dipole is there is no requirement for an ATU (antenna tuning unit) so we have one less heavy item to carry in our back-packs. Because on SOTA we as the activators choose the frequencies we work on we can optimise our antennas for the very frequencies we operate on. So on 10 metres I can normally be found around 28.5MHz and so I started my linked dipole by cutting a half wave dipole for about 28MHz and then using an antenna analyser or the Yaesu FT-817 and an SWR bridge I fold back the ends until the lowest dip in SWR (or max field strength if you have facility to measure it) is at 28.5MHz.

Note: Fold back. Do not trim until you have determined where to cut. A lot of amateurs trim a 1/4 inch a time until the SWR is acceptable, but that way you end up with an antenna that has had either too much or too little lobbed off.

Next I add an insulator as seen above and a link. I have Used Anderson Power Pole and automotive type bullet connectors. I would also recommend the small gold bullet connectors used by the radio control model community and bought cheap in bulk on eBay. Power Poles have the advantage that they are easy to deal with with cold fingers or in gloves. Then I add the section of wire required to make the total length suitable for 20 metres and tune in the same way and so on.

The pictures are of a linked dipole made by John GW4BVE and available on Flickr. I made my linked dipole independently of John and when I did a joint activation with him was surprised at the similarities of his design and mine. The differences are I use a commercial dipole centre, I don't bother with a balun and I use RG-58 coax. I have actually never seen RG174 coax or plugs for sale other than mail order, which is the main reason I don't use it. It would be much lighter to carry of course. The main surprise I got was when I measured my dipole elements they matched John's sizes in the above picture exactly. However if you are using a thicker wire than we used or tuning for the CW end of the bands your lengths could vary a little from the sizes shown. I have since constructed a second dipole blind using John's measurements and when I checked later with an antenna analyser it needed no adjustment.

For deployment in the field the antenna can be strung from handy trees, but as on most hills trees are not an option then a telescopic 6 to 10metre fishing pole (also known as a Roach Pole) is used as a mast. The antenna is deployed in an inverted vee formation.

The fishing pole mast is held up by guys. I use a collar made from PVC which fits just above the bottom section of the fishing pole with three short guys and use heavy duty rock pegs, that look like huge masonry nails to hold the ends. Other activators guy the mast near the top, while some use a single guy and let the antenna act as the other two guys. The choice is yours.

The reason I guy at the bottom is that it keeps the guys short and easier to manage. I do not like the single guy method as it adds additional strain on the antenna. Easy of management is the reason for the next image. Winders can be made from ply as John shows here or made from plastic card (available from model shops) like mine or purchased from kite suppliers, eBay or from Richard G3CWI's SOTApole website.

The ends of the dipole as shown in John's images have an insulator and then a length of thin guy rope. When deploying the dipole it is a good idea to get the ends as high off the ground as possible. Tests have shown that the difference between having the ends of the dipole low to the ground and at a mere three feet (1m) off the ground can be considerable. As a result of these tests I now raise the ends of the dipole by using my walking poles, extended to their full length, to hold the guys on the dipole ends just before they pegged. To simplify this a Y shaped double guy can be fitted to simplify the support. Because I rarely activate alone I use a single guy and a pair of walking poles on a cross formation to do the same thing.

This last image shows John's dipole centre made from a disc of perspex with a hole for using the single guy method of supporting the dipole and a choke balun. As I said I use a commercial dipole centre and although the choke balun is a good idea I have never noticed any RF feedback running even 100 watts without one.

My thanks to John GW4BVE for use of his images. John says:

I have been asked to publish some photos of my /P HF antenna. It is a dipole with the element lengths adjustable by plugging/unplugging connectors. The antenna weighs 580grams including feeder and winders. The wire is surplus thin connecting wire and the feeder is RG316 (PTFE RG174). Insulators are small pieces of scrap plastic. It is normally erected inverted V fashion with the centre supported by a 7 metre fibreglass fishing pole and the ends by my walking poles. This antenna covers 80m, 60m, 40m, 20 & 10m, but it can be made for any combination you chose. No ATU is required. The winders are made from Lightply, which is sold by good model shops.

The drawing shows approximate dimensions of my HF dipole. The balun has been omitted for simplicity and I now use RG316 feeder which I find is higher quality and of course has less loss, although as the feeder is so short the loss at HF is negligible. Please note that you should tune the antenna at the height you are going to use it on the hills. Make each section slightly longer and cut to minimum SWR starting at the highest frequency and working to the lowest. You will not get full coverage on 80m so it it is best cut for your preferred operational frequency.

The balun could be omitted to make the antenna lighter. The balun core is 3.5cm diameter and is made of type 77 ferrite with about 20 turns of coax.

The insulators ensure that there is no strain on the connector itself. The connectors are Powerpoles and are available from CPC and Farnell in the UK or can be ordered from the USA. Of course any reliable single pole connector could be substituted.

Note: Click on the images to take you to John's images on Flickr where they can be seen full size.

International Space Station heard in Yorkshire too.

2011-03-14T07:39:00.002Z

In response to my previous post about the International Space Station being heard in Wales on amateur radio, Tom AB9NZ found this YouTube Video of the very transmission it was made by Mike M6OZZ. Thanks guys!

International Space Station heard in North Wales

2011-03-13T00:16:00.000Z

My old pal Ian GW6MXJ was on the local 70cm ham radio repeater while I was on the way in to work this evening (12th March 2011) and he tells me he heard the International Space Station on 145.800 today. Ian was tuning through the band and found the conversation purely by accident. He heard them via his two metre collinear antenna and was quite surprised he did not need any special antennas to pick them up. I wonder if any more experienced satellite enthusiasts picked up and made a recording of this particular fly past?

A Tear for Japan

2011-03-12T23:52:00.000Z

Japan has over 1.3 million radio amateurs and every school child learns early what to do in the event of an emergency such as an Earth Quake. Local authorities run regular drills and there are sirens to warn everyone of an impending quake. Nature is however an untamed beast and even the most disaster prepared country in the world was helpless in its jaws. Even the old Japanese favourite Godzilla looks like a pussy cat compared with what nature had in store for the Japanese people. 1,300 people killed or missing and billions of pounds worth of damage and the chances are it is not over yet. A nuclear emergency has been declared caused by the failure of cooling systems and the like at numerous power stations.

911 aside I have never been one to get emotional at what I see on TV but the sight and the scale of this disaster brought a lump to my throat and a tear to my eye. One of the problems with modern living is we now see things as they happen on TV and with YouTube and Twitter it can become very personal. It also makes one feel somewhat impotent as we watch things unfold unable to do anything to help.

Personally I have always been fascinated by Japanese culture, but for most British people they are not our favourite nation. For many Brits whose grandfathers suffered at the hands of the Japanese in WWII the very idea of buying a Japanese car is abhorrent even today. Until recently I had friends who had been involved in building the bridge over the river Kwai or had spent time in Jananese POW camps. After hearing their experiences it is not hard to understand peoples feelings. Strangely less of us hold those same feelings for the Germans and would buy a BMW or Mercedes over and above a British car any day. I think at long last the British people in general can put aside those feeling and sympathise with a people we find hard to understand. Unfortunately this might be the only good to come from this disaster.

I think what has gone on should be a warning to us all. You cannot be too prepared for a disaster and you cannot predict what nature will throw at us. Just because we in the UK live somewhere that Earth quakes and tsunami are rare does not mean something similar might not happen here (or where ever you are). My advice is, be as prepared as you can and have a plan and don't expect the authorities to help you out, in an emergency you may be way down their list. Now I don't expect everyone to join their local RAYNET or EmCom but a grab bag of essentials should include at least a hand held VHF radio and some fully charged batteries as well as clothes, a toothbrush, matches etc. Now hope you never need it.

My heart goes out to the Japanese people, but if anyone has the ability to bounce back, rebuild and restructure it is them. Let us hope and pray that there is not more destruction around the corner. Hush Godzilla go back to sleep.

New World, Old Dominion, New Licensee

2011-03-12T22:21:00.000Z

Regular readers of CQHQ amateur radio blog will know how delighted to hear that my American cousin Elaine and here husband Tim had been inspired to get involved with ham radio after reading links to my blog from my Facebook posts. On 21st October 2010 Tim was granted his General licence (KJ4YWR), but due to circumstances beyond her control Elaine had to put her plans on the back burner for a while.

A few days ago I got a message from 'Laney' as she likes to be called to say she was taking Technicians license on Saturday 5th March. At 18:16 UTC I got a message from my cousin Elaine in Virginia USA to say “Passed my Technicians license!" This morning I got another message "This is KK4AUW/AG..... yes, I got my callsign and 2.5 hours after it was posted in the FCC database, I got my General (hence the /AG, to designate temporary General)". She does not hang about, does she?

Not only that but she tells me that the guys at the club want me to do my Extra, next week.
She says that "Tim doesn't even have his Extra yet and he's a broadcast engineer, so what chance do I have?" However by the time they had all been talking to her about it for 2 hrs straight, she found herself agreeing to have a go. Poor Laney was talked into having a go last night, but she gave up when I didn't even understand most of the questions, never mind have a go at answering them.

KK4AUW is not impressed with her Callsign, so is looking for a Vanity Callsign in my very near future. The problem is of course all the good ones are taken. It will need to start with W,K, N or AA-AL. Tim has found some really funny but quite rude ones but I can't tell you what they are as Elaine said "Please don't post the last paragraph on your blog!" Oh well I will just have to let you work them out for yourself.

Any suggestions of available calls can be posted in the comments and I will pass them on.

First Look - The Icom IC-9100 in the shack

2011-03-12T21:31:00.001Z

One of the first videos of the Icom IC-9100 in the shack. Pardon me while I mop the drool off my keyboard.

Air Training Corps - Ham Radio Help Needed

2011-03-12T21:09:00.000Z

Since I started CQHQ I have received a large number of requests from radio amateurs and when ever I have I try to help out if I can. Sometimes it might just be a case of emailing some information or a link, at other times it gets more complex, but usually through one or other of the hundreds of contacts I have made in this fascinating hobby I can point someone in the right direction. If all else fails someone out of CQHQ's many readers can usually help.

My latest challenge came in the form of an email from Jim G3YDL who has just started as Squadron Radio Officer (CI) at Mirfield 868 SQDN Air Training Corps. He says, "We are just starting out in the world of radio at cadets though I have had several years if not my whole life in the world of Amateur Radio. The shack is coming along quite nicely and our first Foundation Course will be starting shortly. However I'm lacking in ACP31 knowledge and materials, we have a little training material but seems a little out dated". Jim's colleague is FlGT SGT Mark Andrews M6MIA was comms in the RAF.

If anyone can help out with advice or up to date training materials please contact Mirfield 868 Squadron, Jim G3YDL (his email is correct on QRZ.com), Mark M6MIA or myself and I will pass it on.

Jim hopes to be on the air next Saturday (19th March 2011) afternoon with the cadets so any calls would be gratefully received, so listen out for MX0GWG.

If anyone can help their local ATC in a similar way to Jim please contact your local ATC and offer to help. My own experience of working with cadets during RAYNET activities show them to be usually well behaved and polite young people, just the sort of youngsters we want in amateur radio.

XYL up-grades NUE-PSK

2011-03-10T23:46:00.002Z

Regular readers of CQHQ the informative, cynical and sometimes humorous look at what is happening in the world of amateur radio will know about my wife Helen and the NUE-PSK portable PSK device. So for those not in the know here is a quick up-date...

Last year a group of Norwegian radio amateurs came over to the UK for a conference and to do some Summits on the Air activations. Helen and I met up with the group for drinks and was most taken by the NUE-PSK portable PSK device used by one of the group, Halvard LA1DNA. I suggested that Helen might like one for Christmas but was slightly put off by having to order it from the US. Recently one came up for sale and I asked Helen if she was still interested. She was so I bought it. Helen and I liked the idea of the add on USB board for up grades and to allow logging to a USB memory stick so it was ordered. Unfortunately the software on the unit turned out to be version 1.2 and that needed to be upgraded first or it would not even see the new board. That involved ordering another serial cable or sending the unit and board back to the US. If you are in the US it is a reasonably cheap option but two way postage to/from the UK makes it a little expensive option.

The latest news is that one of the Mold and District Amateur Radio Club members was able to knock up a serial cable from parts he already had and on Wednesday night he supplied Helen not only with the cable but the software and a simple step by step guide to doing the up-grade.

Having done these type of up-grades in the past I know just what can go wrong so I was expecting a nervous half hour at some point in the next couple of days. Imagine my surprise when I got home from work this morning (Thursday) and Helen told me she had done the up-date and the unit was running the latest software. It is great to see her getting stuck in at the sticky end of ham radio and getting a buzz out of it. Well the next one that comes along the Helen GW7AAU is the expert.

There are a couple of small mods and some chassis bashing to fit the new board and I have to make a new linked dipole for her to use and then after some testing we can head for the hills and Helen can call CQ SOTA on PSK and thanks to the up-date on RTTY as well. Hopefully I can have it ready before our next holiday and we can find the time to get out on a hill or two.

It is Helen's birthday soon and I have promised her a Kindle eReader, but due to all my portable antennas being tuned for the SSB section we could do with a portable tuner for the FT-817, so if anyone has an LDG Z-817 autotuner or similar going cheap please let me know.

Wouxun KG-UV920R - "Still testing"

2011-03-10T22:40:00.000Z

News about the Wouxun KG-UV920R Dual-Band Mobile ham radio is not very encouraging. It had been expected to be in the shops by now but the only information coming out of China (8th March 2011) is that their engineers are "Still testing". No release dates and no prices yet. Last I heard was they were rumoured to be waiting for FCC approval, so the suspicion is they have some issues with meeting the approval and need to sort those and reapply, which could mean a long wait for what is hoped to be a real bargain market buster. Still, I think we would all rather have a nice RF clean rig tomorrow rather than a cheap but dodgy one today. There is a growing group of people who think this radio is a myth, but delays of this kind are common in the industry.

Icom IC-9100 £2,999.00

2011-03-10T21:11:00.001Z

It has finally arrived in the stores! The ham radio dream machine the Icom IC-9100 is available at all the major dealers at a price designed to keep it a dream. At a best 'introductory' price of £2,999.00 for the basic model it is double what I think is a fair price and then there are the extras.

The Icom IC-9100HX which includes 23cm's is around £3499.95 and the list price is £3622.99.
If you want D-Star without 23cms the IC-9100 D-STAR is £3099.95 and that lists at £3176.20.
For the fully loaded IC-9100HX D-STAR is £3599.95 with a list price £3797.89.

This makes it one of those radios where travelling to the US or Asia to pick one up is actually cheaper than getting it from a UK dealer. If you really want one now, do not delay as although all the dealers have them there are limited stocks and at that price it might just be the last batch. All I can hope for is that it sells like hot cakes and I can pick up a IC-910X and IC-7400 as folk ditch them for the new toy.

http://www.wsplc.com/acatalog/IC-9100_Icom_HF_to_UHF_Trsnsceiver.html
http://www.hamradio.co.uk/acatalog/Am_BaseSta_Icom.html#a3780
http://www.lamcommunications.net/shop/products_new.php?osCsid=aad483f340085eeaf39403c28c38d8ee

Radio Gaga

2011-03-06T21:13:00.000Z

What a weekend! It has been a hamtastic couple of days on amateur radio. In my post on Thursday I said I thought this might be a good weekend for VHF propagation and boy has it. The 2m/70cms contest helped.
Saturday seemed to be wall to wall SOTA and I never realised conditions were so good on two metres until the last SOTA station was in the log. That was Carolyn G6WRW who activated GW/NW-050 Gyrn Ddu, a little two point summit with a sting in the tale. It was one of only two North Wales Summits in my un-worked list and at only 522m it sounded a real easy one. The problem is the climb starts at just about sea level and it is quite a walk in for a mere two points. Okay there are some Scottish one pointers were you need a day to walk to them a day to climb them and a day to walk out, it is not that bad.

I had worked Carolyn earlier on a previous summit and was watching her progress on APRS via http://aprs.fi/ I was a little surprised when the track of her car mounted unit shot of past were I suspected she would stop, but figured she was going around the hill to tackle it from the high side. When her track told me she was now headed back the way she came I got a little anxious. I wondered if she had forgotten something on the last hill or was lost. I admit my concern was that the activation would be cancelled due to some misfortune. When she eventually parked near were I was expecting I breathed a sigh of relief, but like watching a pot that never boils her progress up,the hill seemed unusually slow for her. That was easily explained by the topography but now I had all my fingers and toes crossed that the band conditions would be conducive to a contact. I need not have worried at 16:28 Carolyn's signal boomed through on 5.3985MHz SSB and we exchanged 59 reports. I was most surprised to find 60 metres still working inter G but very grateful. Even more of a surprise was when she went on to 40 metres that was open inter G as well and we once again exchanged 59 reports. It was the icing on my cake for a day when I bagged well over 70 SOTA chaser points, but the fun was not over.

After our evening meal I was at the PC and at 18:16 I got a message from my cousin Elaine in Virginia USA to say "Passed my Technicians license, with 34/35. Only missed getting my General license by 3 questions... pretty incredible seeing as I haven't even opened the book yet !!!!" Wow! This was turning in to a good day. Elaine and her husband Tim got fired up by reading my blog. It was something Tim had wanted to do but had never got around to it. Elaine had said "Well if Tim is going for it so am I" and she thought if Helen (my XYL) could do it so could she. A little talk the other night had her brimming with enthusiasm. It would not at all surprise me if she did not get her Extra Class licence in the next couple of months. It seems to me the local hams are fast tracking her. I wonder if they want to get a female voice on the mic for field day, sounds like a sure fire winner too me.

A little later I remembered about the VHF/UHF contest and thought I would give some points away. This is a 24 hour contest running from 14:00 Saturday to 14:00 Sunday and as the contest had been running seven hours already I was not expecting much. The first station I found on two metres was G7HOA/P in IO93AD but he QSYed to 70cms. I only had the 2m beam but I used it to get him on 432 MHz. I listened around but could not hear anyone else working 70cms. Two was buzzing however and it was not long before the DX started coming in thick and fast. DK0ZB in JO42ID started the ball rolling followed by PI4GN in JO33II. The Germans were piling in but I squeezed in a few 2SSB contest regulars such as Dave GI4SNA. More Germans, then an OK station I could not get to hear me. I plugged away at him on and off and eventually bagged OK2M in JN69UN at 22:26. In between loads of Belgium and Dutch stations. I kept hearing French stations but it never was their frequency. At one minute past midnight I called it a day after getting DJ8WK in JN40AV in the log.

At 08:00 Sunday my curiosity got the better of me and before I had finished my first coffee I had PA0GSM in JO21VU logged. Then a few locals before I was distracted to 80m SSB to work John GX0OOO/P on a North Pennines SOTA summit and so it was all day, SOTA and back to the contest. It was a pity really that at the same time most of HF was bouncing Canada and the US were booming through on 20m and up as far as at least 12m, but there is only so much you can work. It was another great SOTA day made better by the fun on 2m.

I have to admit I needed this weekend's fun because tomorrow morning I am up at 05:30 and off to work by 06:00. I have a couple of extra 12 hour night shifts to work and I am not looking forward to that prospect. I finish 07:00 Sunday morning :0( Tomorrow night is the 80m club data contest and I will be seeing if I can get anything to work. I suspect RF may be getting in to the PC on that band and it is why I am not having much success. It may just be that 80m is just too noisy hear for me to decode anything. Anyway if I don't try I will never know. Here's hoping!

VHF DX

2011-03-03T23:03:00.001Z

It was a bit of a strange day today and I awoke to thick fog. "Mmm!" I thought "High pressure? Propagation on VHF?" After taking my son to work and dropping my granddaughter at school I headed for the shack The visibility on the road had been only four cars length at best and down to three or less in patches. The number of idiot with no lights on annoyed me. How come all those without lights are in white cars or vans or silver BMWs? That is all the ones most difficult to see in a whiteout.

I settled down to do some catch up on my logs from our SOTA trip on St. Valentines day weekend, but I had only just settled down when my friend Graham GW0HUS called to say "There is a lift on two metres". He pointed me to 144.310 where a German station was faintly intelligible to me but fairly strong to Graham who is nearly 1,000 feet higher than me. Our German friend did not seem to be interested in the fact there was some DX and carried on talking to his buddy telling the UK and Irish stations calling him that the frequency was in use.

Graham called CQ and picked up a Dutch station Martin PE1BIW and after a short chat I worked him too. While Graham called CQ I scanned up and down the band but heard nothing at all. Graham worked a couple of other stations who I could not hear and then everything went quite. It seemed that as the fog lifted the propagation died. Graham and I were talking on 70cms and he noticed Martin had posted us on the DX cluster. Hopefully this little bit of DX is a sign of good things this weekend.

I am stuck in work now, called in for an extra night shift, but things look quiet for now. Maybe when I get in from work in the morning I will see if there is any more early morning DX. I remember Helen calling me one night with a list of the DX she was working while I was stuck in work. Next morning the band seemed dead but I put out a call anyway and got 17 replies and by 0800hrs I was tucked up in bed having worked most of Europe on two metres SSB in an hour. I was still grinning when I was getting ready for work that night.

I just had an email from Helen (my XYL) telling me the lead for the NUE-PSK unit and Yaesu FT-817 also works on the Icom 706 so I am expecting the shack to be in bits when I get home in the morning and Helen asleep over her keyboard, but she has not been spotted on the cluster yet.

Saint David's Day Challenge

2011-03-01T00:36:00.000Z

Today (1st March) is Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant or Saint David's Day. St. David is the patron saint of Wales and many Welsh people wear one or both of the national emblems of Wales on their lapel to celebrate they are the daffodil or the leek. Although I live in Wales I was born in England so I do not get quite as passionate about this truly Welsh day as some of my Welsh friends so I will not be wearing a leek or a daffoldil, but I may just sport the national team's rugby shirt to show my support. To be honest I have yet to see any daffodils in my garden yet this year, so I can use that as an excuse.

So what has this to do with amateur radio you may ask; It is just a suggestion but why not call CQ for any GW stations and wish them a 'happy Saint David's Day'. How many GWs, MWs and 2W stations can you work today?

Copper Thieves

2011-02-28T00:29:00.001Z

According to the RSGB amateur radio news 'copper thefts are on the rise'. I wondered where my local beat bobbies had gone and there was me thinking it was down to de-manning due to government cuts.

Hang on maybe they mean the coppers are doing the thefts. That would not surprise me either, but no...

Apparently an amateur in Yorkshire was a victim of one of these copper thefts when all his cabling was stolen overnight. That included the coax and ladder line used for a G5RV antenna. While I personally would suspect it more likely this was the work of an aggrieved neighbour, wife, mistress or someone he upset on the local repeater, than someone collecting copper for scrap, it probably pays to be vigilant and to keep you wires and feeder out of easy reach.

For anyone thinking of doing the same here a warning, my garden is a death trap with an unfinished hole for my mast and trip hazards everywhere and when your lying in my hole with a broken leg be warned I don't take prisoners and then there are the tigers. Which reminds me I must get the lawn cut this week or I will loose the giraffes again.

New Electric Parrot on Six Metres

2011-02-27T23:29:00.002Z

I am no lover of repeaters on Amateur Radio but they do serve a useful purpose for mobiles on VHF/UHF when the terrain is not conducive to normal simplex communications. I tend to steer clear of the ones on VHF around here as they are a magnet for morons. The lack of control is one reason I do not support my local repeater group. I am happy from time to time to occasionally use VHF repeaters in areas where the locals are a bit more civilised. Locally UHF is mostly okay apart from when the VHF ones are off the air at which point the zombies migrate and the massive interference we get from overhead pendant crane remotes that seems to emanate from the local aerospace factory. However despite my misgivings about the need for repeaters I will do my best to support any amateur endeavour that benefits the hobby in any way I can. Ask me to publicize or lend a hand, just don't ask for money. My opinion is 'it is your project so you fund it' and if you put a repeater on one of the frequencies I am entitled to use then I will use it if I want to. I will not be blackmailed by being told "You use the repeater you should pay". Sorry, but you put the damn thing there.

Maybe if I lived in another part of the UK I could be persuaded that joining my local repeater group had anything going for it, but for it is just not going to happen. Personality clashes aside the only reason for keeping our local VHF repeaters on the air is to keep all the lunatics in the same asylum.

So it will come as no surprise that I am even more sceptical of repeaters on say 10 or 6 metres. Even more so as I rarely use FM on those bands and would prefer the bandwidth was given over to other modes. The danger is it allows the chaos to spread further than on 2m with the ability to offend even more people and put them off this otherwise wonderful hobby. However in the dim and distant when I was first licenced 10m repeaters in the USA were easily picked up in the UK and I used to listen to the truckers hauling ass down the American freeways. It is a while since the propagation on 10 was that good but it could be again and I think I would rather listen to distant repeaters than blinking beacons as an indication the band is open and a cue to call CQ further down the band. So maybe I should not be so quick to dismiss a UK repeater on 6m.

The Friskney and East Lincolnshire Communications Club have been investing their time in a new 6m repeater. GB3XD is now on the air from locator IO93WH. At this stage, (27-02-2011), it is operating in CW indentifiction test mode only, (becon every 5 minuntes). The output frequency is 50.730MHz and the input frequency is 51.230MHz with a CTCSS tone of 71.9Hz. It will be a bit deaf at first, as there is still some work to be done to the filters. All reports should be sent to G7AJP via GB3XD itself or via the 70cm repeater GB3LC.

If nothing else it should be a good indicator of inter UK propagation for things like the Tuesday night RSGB 6m contest every 4th Tuesday of the month and the Post Codes and Counties 50MHz contest on 09:00-1200 on 10th April 2011. RSGB VHF Calender.

Chester 610 squadron take to the air

2011-02-27T21:25:00.003Z

My friends over the border in England at the Chester and District Amateur Radio Society are getting together with the Air Cadets of Chester 610 squadron to hold a radio weekend. Stations on VHF, UHF and HF will be operational on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th March 2011. The event is to celebrate the launch of the Squadron’s own permanent radio station which will be under the supervision of Corporal Neil Hosker of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. All radio amateurs are asked to listen out for them and call in to encourage the young people taking part over the weekend. Cadets will get hands on experience of operating the radio equipment using speech, Morse code and digital modes on both amateur and air cadet frequencies.

I do hope that includes 5MHz (60m) which is primarily a military frequency and the one place where amateur to cadet contacts (using military calls) can take place for those of us with NoVs. When I first had my NoV I worked numerous cadet stations but it seems like a long time since I even heard any.

Good luck to them and may the propagation be good that weekend.

Icom 9100 Pricing

2011-02-27T20:48:00.000Z

The Icom 9100 shack in a box ham radio is due in the shops any day now and at least one big American dealer is taking orders. Ham Radio Outlet has the rig listed at a disappointing $3,795.95, which at current exchange rates is £2,375. What is even more disapointing is that is is not even a fully loaded price and it does not come with the IC-UX9100 23cms unit which is another $649.95 or the UT-121 D-Star digital unit at $219.95. Add the auto tuner, speaker, base mic and roofing filters and most of us will have to go back to dreaming. I am pretty sure the UK price will once again prove this is rip off Britian and more of these will find their way in to the UK via suitcases than are actually sold by the dealers. It should be by rights £2,375 but if it is less than £3,500 here I will be most surprised.

For now I can only hope that there is a sudden glut of IC-7400s and IC-910Xs going cheap as those that can afford to up-grade or that Icom will send me a sample to review. As I say we can all dream!

Life's Roller Coaster

2011-02-26T16:30:00.000Z

Wow! Over a week has gone by and I have put nothing on my amateur radio blog. It has been a roller coaster week for me here in all sorts of ways. First of all finding out that by the end of the year I would be working for an almost unknown Indian company famed for asset stripping, poor safety and worker relations and being unable to pay their bills, rather than the Blue Chip superstar I am currently employed by was a blow. I had hoped that the financiers would see things in the same light, but it seems they have an inability to do their homework. The information is all out there on the Net for anyone to read.

I did manage some blog related stuff this week and a whole raft of new videos were added to SOTA Television. SOTA TV is a video blog I set up so that all the videos made by SOTA activations are available on one searchable site. There are nearly 400 videos posted so far about portable ham radio activations for Summits on the Air. It is a work in progress and I hope once I am through the backlog keeping it up to date will be only an hour or so a week.

My second eldest son had been away for the weekend and when he arrived in work on Tuesday morning he was called in for a meeting with the bosses. They informed him he was out of a job as they were closing his department. I had visions of us both signing on together, not a pleasant thought. Tuesday was also my eldest son's girlfriend's birthday and that evening over a celebratory meal he proposed. To complete the roller coaster so far on Wednesday number two son was once again called in to the office to be told he was being moved to another department and his job was safe. He then had to tell his colleagues who were loosing their jobs that he was okay, which has made a tense situation worse in a lot of ways. Many thanks to my Ukrainian friends Alex and Ivan, I am sorry guys but no knee caps to break this week.

There were lots of thing I hoped to do this week that never got done but the tick list far outweighed the cross list. I expected to have uploaded my SOTA activations from last week but the log books are still in our rucksacks. I did however do some antenna work. High winds had recently brought down my two metres cross Yagi and wrenched the coax from the N-type plug on my colinear leaving me trying to work the locals on a handheld with limited success and missing everything VHF and above on SOTA. First the N-type was refitted and the antenna re-errected and on Thursday after replacing one director and one reflector element I got that back up too. On Wednesday I had a little return favour from a friend who replaced the damaged cowl on my chimney and at the same time put up a bracket that was to hold the end of my 80/40m trap dipole and get it 10 feet above the roof. The new bracket tuned out to be as poor as the one I already had up and so it is back to the drawing board there. Part of the problem is the antenna is made of hard drawn copper wire that makes it quite heavy, add the traps and the feeder hanging from the middle, then some tension from a counter weight to reduce the sag a the chimney bracket twists out of shape. I have since had a call from another amateur friend who may have just the bracket I need.

The good times seemed to really roll on SOTA this week with the last of the Belgium summits I needed activated by Hans PA3FYG. Steve G1INK was up in Scotland again and supplied a host of Unique Summits including a couple I had activated but not worked. There were lots of others of course but these days uniques mean more to me than the points. I just hope the my last required English summit will fall soon. Crowsborough G/SE-007 still eludes me and if I don't get it soon I might have to drive down there and send Helen up with a hand held. There are a handful of Welsh summits playing hard to get but it is nice to know that there are still some unactivated Scottish hills and then there are all the other hills in SOTA. I just wish more GI and EI stations were active from the hills.

Plenty other ups and downs this week, however nothing I can talk about here, but every time the postman arrived both Helen and I were a little disappointed, because the USB board for the NUE-PSK unit has not arrived. It was due to be posted by airmail from the US on Tuesday and we hoped it might be here by now. Going on other things ordered from the states that arrived almost next day I had high expectations. I did however get some Anderson Powerpoles (About) I needed the next day and they will be put in to use for Helen's linked dipole that will cover 30m, 20m, 17m, 15m and 12m. What this means is with my dipole and Helen's we now can cover all the HF bands apart from 160m on our potable operations. We already have portable antennas for 6m, 4m, 2m, 70 and 23cms so on a nice sunny day the potential to stay all day on a hilltop working almost every band comes ever closer. The fact that a lot of summits have only been activated on a couple of bands makes it more interesting.

I need some nice weather next week to make Helen's dipole and I also need to mend the one I broke last time out. By Wednesday night I may have another chimney bracket to try and then there is the 2/3s dug hole for the Tennamast to finish. This next few weeks could be exciting with some long awaited new rigs arriving in the shops. Oh dear! Not much time left for anything but radio next week, I guess something will have to give.

Romancing The Stones

2011-02-18T02:21:00.002Z

Here I am back at work after a short break and some portable amateur radio from three Welsh Borders SOTA summits. Helen and I decided we needed a break after some particularly hectic and stressful months. We found a little cottage near Ross-on-Wye for a romantic long weekend and packed the chocolates and Champagne. I was told this was a no SOTA weekend and I of course said okay and was prepared to just chill out.

Maybe it was Helen's little test for me to see which I loved more her or ham radio, but she then said that because she was off all day Friday and we did not have the cottage until 4pm we could do a couple of hills en route. There were six within easy reach. All were one point hills, so no winter bonus.

The trip down seemed to take much longer than it should have done and we seemed forever stuck behind some slow-moving truck or other. Eventually we arrived at G/WB-013 Garway Hill and while I did 60 metres SSB Helen did 2 metres FM. The top of Garway Hill has the remains of a WW2 radio direction finding tower on top and a couple of benches. Neither bench was out of the wind unfortunately. We decided not to do any other bands or modes as by the time we had exhausted our contacts we were both very cold. We packed up and as soon as we were on the decent we were out of the wind and so almost thawed by the time we reached the car.

After a little shopping in a supermarket in Ross-on-Wye we found ourselves snuggled together on a sofa in the cottage. We had taken a few unwatched DVDs with us and settled down to watch one. Hitch one: The DVD player advertised was none existent and we had left our portable one at home. So it was Freeview or nothing and half the channels we have at home seemed to be missing. I found a music channel to listen to and Helen got out the Netbook. Hitch two: The battery was flat and the PSU we missing. Hitch three: Was the dining table that was in an unheated conservatory. Lunch on our knees then!

Despite the hitches we had a nice evening and then headed for bed. It was great to not have to get up for or be woken up by the kids and after late a lie in we got up and realised we had bought nothing for breakfast. So for the first time in a long time we ate bacon on some of our rolls we intended to use for sandwiches later. Eventually after lunch I was ready to go and burn some calories and suggested we walk along the River and take some photographs and then explore the town. The sun was shining and Helen said "It is too nice let's do some SOTA while the sun is out?", "But you said" I started and she laughed.

Forty minutes later we were sat on G/WB-019 May Hill and had a great time made all that bit longer by the curious muggles who asked us a longer stream of questions. May Hill is a nice hill with a copse of trees on each side of the trees is a seat that makes an ideal operating position. I opted for one of the benches while Helen moved away and put out a picnic blanket for her operating position. Again only 60 metres and 2 metres were attempted as time was getting on and we needed to get moving.

From May Hill we headed for G/WB-021 Ruardean Hill and were surprised that on this roadside summit the local RAYNET group had set up station in the cricket club for the monitoring of a motor rally through the Forest of Dean. The trig on this summit is out-of-bounds but there is a small park down a gravelled track called Pan-Tod Beacon. The beacon area is no more than a couple of feet lower than the true summit and well within the activation zone. I set up on 60 metres and as I ran the dipole out Helen called out to me that the fishing pole mast was being bent too far. From my position it looked straight and although I slacked of the tension something had broken. I still have not found the break but when I called the SWR was far too high. I made two contacts on half a dipole and then we swapped over to 2 meters FM were we had a great run of contacts including a summit to summit with Eleri M3NYR on G/WB-005 Long Mynd - Pole Bank. By the time we packed up it was so dark we needed head torches.

After a fantastic day we rounded it off with a nice steak in peppercorn sauce with baked potatoes and a few glasses of something ice-cold and bubbly. Hitch four had been the dipole breaking and now when I tried to charge the batteries the charger refused to work and the spare was still where I left it after charging the batteries before we left. Not that it was needed because we were woken earlier than planned by the loft door bouncing in the wind and rain hammering the windows. We pulled the covers over our heads and hoped it would go away.

The rain never stopped all day so after a bowl of porridge we had a little discussion and came to the conclusion we would just chill out and spent the day watching inane TV programs in our pyjamas. Helen was a little upset when she saw the Mr Men had changed and were now exploring space, it was just not the program she knew and loved from when the boys were little. An episode of Time Team seemed like they were trying as usual to make an archaeological mountain out of a thimble full of nothing. A couple of episodes of Scrap Heap Challenge were the usual big build up to a whimper rather than a big bang. Finally Coach Trip reminded me why I do not watch much television, a guide who I could happily strangle and a coach load of the most objectionable thick morons making idiots of them selves. I did enjoy however seeing some of the interesting Spanish locations they went to, which reminded me there is more to Spain than Benidorm, drunk Brits and scorched earth. In truth it seemed like a wasted day but it had the desired effect of leaving us totally chilled out.

Next day before we headed home we went to take those pictures I had wanted by the river. Unfortunately the river had recently been over the top and the pathways were half an inch deep in mud. I took photographs of two riverbank sculptures and then we headed for the town where I took pictures of another sculpture outside of the Man of Ross pub and of Market House. We had intended to look around the town but for some reason neither of us was too bothered and we were both a little cold so we headed for the car and were back home for lunch time.

We had a great weekend but back in work on Tuesday and within two hours it felt like I had not been away. By 9am it felt like 4pm and my stress levels were as high as ever. Was it worth it? Too right it was. If you have children and you have never been away without them I cannot stress how much you need to get away without them for the occasional weekend. I just wish we had realised this twenty years earlier.

Today I had a few chores to do including finding out why the colinear had stopped working. I guessed that as the mast had been moving in the wind at least three feet in any direction that the coax had pulled out. I was right but not only had the centre pin of the N-type retracted but the braid had disappeared into the insulation. After digging out the sealing washer and re-cutting and soldering the plug I was able to reassemble the plug with a new rubber o-ring and as soon as I reconnected it to the antenna the local 70cms repeater was coming in at 5/5 with it on the ground. After an hour and a halves work the mast was back up and I was getting good reports again. The 2 meter crossed Yagi however is still in a heap, but I needed sleep before I went to work on 12 hour nights. Hopefully this weekend the weather will be kind enough to get that sorted out.

On getting back on the air on two metres one of my chums asked how my "dirty weekend" went, I replied "Great! I am sure the mud will wash out eventually." I should have added that the Land Rover will need a trip to the car wash too. Dirty weekend indeed! It depends on what one defines as dirty, I am pretty sure my output is clean at least until the batteries start to run down. Time to plan our next trip? There are still three more summits we can do from Ross-on-Wye. Mmmm! More days of wine and roses.

XYL gets the portable PSK bug

2011-02-08T22:33:00.001Z

My enthusiasm for things amateur radio have always been at worst tolerated by my wife Helen (GW7AAU) but most of the time she understands what and why I do what I do. Of course the fact that she holds a licence too has something to do with it. I may get a bit off stick sometimes when she feels I am pushing her to do some more SOTA activations or something but when she gets the mic in her hand I often have to wait for her to clear her pile ups long after my batteries are flat and her face always betrays her when she says she only does it for me. She quite obviously loves being on the end of a pile up as much as I do.

Recently two of our five children became licenced and have joined in our SOTA expeditions. Rather than share contacts Helen wanted to try something different. When we met up with Norwegian SOTA activators Mads LA1TPA, Aage LA1ENA, Kjell LA1KHA and Halvard LA1DNA, Helen was fascinated by the NUE-PSK Digital Modem that Halvard was using to do PSK from the summits. The NUE-PSK digital modem could easily be used in the shack but is perfect for field portable operations. I offered to get Helen one and when a unit appeared recently on eBay it was duly purchased.

On Sunday night I disconnected the 80/40m trap dipole from the main stations and set up the Yaesu FT-817 and using the NUE-PSK unit we trawled the bands looking for some PSK to decode. After two hours we had not got the unit to decode anything and I even had pocket digi running on my PDA as a cross check. I was convinced the unit was not working. I left Helen to it and went for a shower. When I came back downstairs I asked if she was coming to bed and she said no, she was having fun. Sure enough she had it working. She was only listening (or should that be reading) because the antenna was tuned higher up the band and without pulling the shack apart I could not feed the antenna through a tuner.

Monday I was on nights and I never saw Helen before I left for work, but spoke to her on the local 70cm repeater. Had I sorted out the tuner she wanted to know, but I had been somewhat busy doing other things, she sounded disappointed. When I arrived home this morning she was full of what she had been able to decode with the unit and gave me a list of callsigns from across the globe, maybe there is something to this PSK thing I thought as I slumped in to bed. She seemed most pleased to have decoded error free a Canadian station and I tried to remember when she last got this enthusiast about the radio.

Tonight I got the same question "had I sorted out the tuner?" This is getting serious.

Just a couple of problems; The small format keyboard we bought does not seem to want to work, even though it is a PS2 plug and the firmware needs updating. The easiest way to up date is if you have the USB board add-on so it looks like I will be sending for one of those soon. The mod also allows for automatic logging to a USB memory stick which can then be uploaded to your PC when back in the shack. The latest firmware allows you to converse via RTTY as well as PSK and a CW mode is in development too.

Helen was talking of trying out the set-up with the Miracle Whip. If it works it will be a miracle I have never managed a two way contact on that glorified dummy load yet. I guess using the 9:1 UnUn for a vertical is on the cards, as is a linked dipole for the WARC bands and maybe an LDG tuner for the 817. Digimode SOTA here we come! "What do you mean, we?" I can hear her saying.

IC-7410 released in US

2011-02-08T21:08:00.000Z

The new IC-7410 amateur radio transceiver has been released in the US and is already being hailed as a winner. In many ways this new mid-priced rig out performs its more expensive predecessors. A lot of it is due to faster processors such as the one in the DSP unit which is 20 times as fast as the one in the 746PRO.

In an email I recieved yesterday from one of our major UK dealers the UK stock will not be far behind with the long awaited IC-9100 also expected. Added to the persistant rumour that the dual band mobile Wouxun KG-UV920R may be in the shops soon, the next eight weekscould be an exciting time for new radios. If all that is true what will we have to look forward to? A further rumour on the Wouxun is that pending FCC approval is all that is holding up their release.

Golf ball-sized mobile phone base station

2011-02-07T22:10:00.000Z

Mobile phone base stations no bigger than a golf ball could help to bridge the digital divide and bring mobile broadband to distant areas both in the developing and developed world, the networking company Alcatel-Lucent has claimed.

Read more here...http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/feb/07/mobile-communications

What does this say for the future of other communications technologies? Here's to a mobile phone similar to the Star Trek communicator badge with the ability to operate all my ham gear back at home and in my car via the net on voice control alone as I am wandering around the supermarket. What about the ham radios? All replaced by a USB dongle or board in the PC with a coaxial connection to the auto sensing ATU and power amplifiers for the various bands.

My Week as a Zombie

2011-02-05T13:17:00.000Z

Last week we had some high winds and down came one of my ham radio antennas. My two metre ten element Yagi is a Jaybeam and probably 20 years old. It has been down before and a number of the elements replaced, but the beam was not the problem. For reasons that will be obvious to most of you it was mounted on a short fibreglass scaffolding pole attached to the aluminium mast. This is the second failure of a fibreglass scaffolding pole I have had recently and I suspect it is down to UV degradation due to age.

It has been a strange kind of week for me. I finished work last Sunday morning and got to bed by 8am, for some reason I was wide awake by twelve and so I worked some SOTA activations on various bands and a couple of SOS radio week stations. I missed quite a few stations simply because I could not hear them on the collinear, but although I was awake I did not feel like I was in a fit enough state to sort the beam out.

On Monday I got as far as deciding it was too cold to tackle the beam problem when I felt the pain shooting through my hands on the cold metal of the mast. For some reason from that point on I had an attack of ennui.
I just could not motivate myself. Everything was a real effort. I looked at the jobs I wanted to get done and then forced myself to do only the ones that had to be done. I filled the dishwasher, put some washing on and prepared an evening meal, but I could not even be bothered to make my own lunch. I read my emails but only replied to those that needed a reply. All the radios were on but apart from a few SOTA stations I could not be bothered answering CQs even from friends. I starred at my blog pages. I had stuff I could write about but did not seem to know where to start. I looked at my empty rucksack and the pile of radios that needed charging and I knew what I needed, but I left them there, looked out of the window at the dark grey sky and slumped on the sofa. The whole week was the same, anything I did was with supreme effort.

Not that the week did not have some highlights; I really enjoyed my trip to the radio club, once I got there and Helen's NUE-PSK unit finally arrived. I mentioned to her how I was feeling and said "I would have set it up for you if I wasn't so out of it!" I loved her reply "It is mine I'll will do it". That was telling me! It goes to show she is deadly serious about giving portable PSK a go. I might have to beg her to let me have a go.

It was however fortunate that I was a little out of sorts with myself, because I am fairly sure if I had got the beam back up it would be down again by now. For the last 36 hours I have been seriously worried that not only my antennas and fence panels were about to go west, but that the roof was about to come off my house. It took a long time to get to sleep last night because of the wind and I expected to find slates embedded in the roof of both the Land Rovers this morning.

One thing that made me feel a little ashamed this week was a fairly local radio amateur who has been making a nuisance of himself. His previous antics on the GB3MP repeater have been posted by a number of people on YouTube, he spent Christmas day 2009 through to New Year 2010 on the two metre calling channel playing music and having a ham radio quiz with himself. I refused, a long time ago, to speak to him after he was disgustingly abusive to my wife when he interrupted a net, which included my wife who was mobile and myself (at home). This week he was whining on for hours on 145.500 how someone would not let back on their net. It culminated in him threatening to kill himself. This guy needs professional medical help, but although I feel ashamed of myself I just wanted to to pick up the mic and shout "Go ahead do it! Give us all some peace. The Runcorn Widnes Bridge looks good." I am ashamed of myself but not as ashamed as I am of a system that lets people like this keep their licence and is not providing the obvious mental health treatments that they need. At one time he was an okay guy and he knew his stuff, but now he is just an embarrassment and a danger to himself and others.

I am stuck in work over the weekend so no SOTA this weekend, however if the weather is good I may be on a hilltop or two on Friday 9th February in the form of some little one pointers in the Welsh Borders region. This might be just what I need; Fresh air and the wind in my hair, but the winds had better calm down or these tiddlers could be difficult to qualify using rubber duck antennas on two metres only. If the weather is any good it will be as many HF/VHF/UHF bands as possible and I will be able to cross off a few WBs from my activated list. The rest of the weekend might be interesting too but may not involve radio. I have something to look forward to so why do I feel so down. Maybe it is an age thing, maybe I am turning into an even more grumpy old git. Just so long as I don't loose my marbles and become a nuisance with nothing better to do than mic key and curse at people on the radio.

Fuzzy Antennas

2011-01-30T02:57:00.001Z

There is a lot of interest these days in extremely wideband antennas. One reason is the potential for low power ultra wide band date transmissions, which would allow the transfer of massive amounts of data very quickly. The problem with UWB transmissions is that a normal antenna is only resonant at one frequency and near resonant over a narrow band of frequencies. What is needed is an antenna that is resonant on the whole of the bandwidth being used. This is usually achieved by arrays of antennas each covering a portion of the total band in use.

What is needed did not exist until recently but answer are being sought. The main contender in this field is fractal antennas, which I have mentioned briefly before in this blog. Fractal antennas exhibit wideband characteristics probably due to the fact that within their complex structure electrical lengths exist from almost the atomic level through to... well however long it is you make them.

This got me to thinking does the system actually need to use fractals at all? We hear a lot about fuzzy logic would not a fuzzy antenna have similar wideband characteristics? I mean a real fuzzy antenna. Look at a length of wool, it may be a metre long but within that length there is nearly every length of stand in between and at some point down the length there is one of those strands sticking out, this is the fuzziness. Now imagine we did this with an antenna, surely it would exhibit those wanted wide band characteristics.

Now I know some of you reading this will be thinking okay he has lost the plot, but without people thinking outside the box we would never discover new things. To prove my theory I am constructing a dipole antenna which should be resonant from 3.5MHz through to 10GHz. I have purchased 200 balls of wire wool and my mother is knitting it as we speak. It should be finished testing by the end of March and hopefully if it is as big a success as we suspect we will hold a press conference on 1st April 2011.

D-Star Come To North Wales

2011-01-29T23:52:00.000Z

I noticed from the website of the North Wales Amateur Radio Society that...

An NOV application to host a DV access point has been submitted to the ETCC and we are hopeful of a positive outcome very soon. This will be the first GMSK node in North Wales. We have had discussions with the suppliers and once frequencies have been allocated we can have the equipment within a few days. The system has been well researched and we are confident of a smooth install.

At last all you frustrated D-Star radio owners will be able to connect! For those of you that don’t have a D-Star rig, NWRS have decided to install one in the club shack which will be available for members to stick their toe in the D-Star water!

Actually all the flustrated Death Star owners I know have sold up due to the complete lack of repeaters and the fact that were they have access they are finding no-one to talk to.

Now me saying that will probably bring a rush of people to the defence of this mode but the problem is the system is not functional due to the lack of repeaters where needed and the fact that those there are, in the main, not intergrated with either Internet or site to site connectivity enough to form a usable backbone for the network to function. They therefore are just a digital version of the analogue repeaters we already have with a very tiny number of amateurs actually having the equipment and inclination to get involved.

Although I wish the guys behind this every success I don't believe there is enough interest in D-Star to warrent the outlay.

The alternative that may drive the final nail in the coffin of D-Star is Codec2 the open source digital speech codec.

Codec2 is an open source low bit rate speech codec designed for communications quality speech at around 2400 bit/s. Applications include low bandwidth HF/VHF digital radio and VOIP trunking. Codec 2 operating at 2000 bit/s can send 32 phone calls using the bandwidth required for one 64 kbit/s uncompressed phone call. It fills a gap in open source, free-as-in-speech voice codecs beneath 5000 bit/s and is released under the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL).

The motivations behind the project are summarised in this blog post.

You can help and support Codec2 development via a Donation.

RSGB QSL Manager Changes and issues

2011-01-29T22:56:00.000Z

QSL cards are the radio amateurs way of saying thank you. These days with postal costs going in to orbit a lot of people are giving up on the traditional QSL card and opting for the electronic alternative. The RSGB QSL bureau is still busy however dealing with hundreds of thousands of cards each year. To make sure you get any cards you are due you need to send stamped addressed envelopes to your particular QSL sub manager and RSGB have just announced the following changes so make sure that if they apply to you that you are up to date...

The G7 volunteer QSL sub manager, Martin Forrester, G7JWR has moved. Please check his new address on the RSGB website members' area before sending C5 size SAEs to collect your cards. Also, MM3 & MM6 licence holders are advised that their sub manager, Ray Simpson, GM7NZI, is stepping down. Our thanks go to him for his service to his fellow amateurs. These two groups are being consolidated with MM1 and MM5 calls under the guidance of long-time manager Brain Shearer, MM1HMV. All outstanding cards and envelopes are being transferred but all new envelopes should now be sent to him. Details on the RSGB website or via e-mail from qslrsgb.org.uk.

This message reminds me that here in the UK we have a little problem with the QSL bureau that needs solving. In fact a complete rethink on how the managers are organised is needed.

Sometime ago I received a message from (I think) Martin Forrester, G7JWR the G7 QSL sub manager, telling me I had cards waiting. That to me seemed strange as my sub manager is not Martin because I live in Wales. The problem is I operate from all over the UK so I could in theory be operating as GW, GM, G, GI, GD or even GU or GJ. So what do I do? Do I hope that everyone checks QRZ.com and sends the cards to my home call or lodge envelopes with each possible sub manager?

At the time I sent a couple of envelopes to Martin but possibly because I only had a couple of cards I never saw them and if I got them tomorrow I would probably need to pay extra postage on them. I also checked on cards sent to me as GM7AAV and sure enough there were some, but I never acted on it and then promptly forgot.

The answer seems obvious that the managers should be dealing with a series that takes no notice of what the prefix is and then this would not happen. Of course if everyone just checked QSZ it would not be an issue, but for stations outside the UK realising that our prefix changes when we cross internal borders is just not going to get through. When I speak to Americans who have never heard of Wales how can I expect them to be familiar with the anomalies in the UK's licencing system.

23cms Activity Night in the North West UK

2011-01-29T21:28:00.000Z

In another ham radio email I opened today was from Ross G6GVI. I quite often speak to Ross on 23cm or 4m when he is operating portable while walking on a Winter Hill. It is always a pleasure to chat to Ross with the added advantage that Winter Hill is a SOTA summit (G/SP-010) and while Ross is not a SOTA activator I can still claim the point if he happens to be walking within the activation zone at some point.

Ross's email was to tell me that Bolton Wireless Club are to hold a 23cm activity night on Monday. He says:

We have a few BWC members just getting going on this band, who would welcome the opportunity to make a few contacts outside the contest sessions, and experiment with beam-headings to exploit reflections over
difficult paths. A few of our members should be QRV from 8pm: first on SSB around 1296.2, and then on FM around 1297.5. We'll also be monitoring 2m SSB (around 144.175 &
.210) for talkback - please call in if you hear us.

BWC stations with 23cm include: G6GVI & G7ROM in Bolton; M0ICK in Wigan; G0MRL in Westhoughton; M0UFC in Manchester; G1SWH in Standish and G1SMI in Skelmersdale

I intend to be operating from my home in North Wales during the FM portion of the evening and hope that others will also be encouraged to get on as well. I suspect that at least one other Welsh station will also be on. I wish the lads from Bolton Wireless Club every success and think it would be nice to see this turn into a regular thing.

While we are on the subject, can I encourage those contesting on 23cms to at least try a few minutes on FM. There are others like me who would love to work you but only have FM on this band. The same applies to both 70cms and 4m.

More about the Anytone AT-5189

2011-01-29T20:47:00.000Z

I haven't had any time to play much with my new amateur radio set the 4m Anytone AT-5189, but from what I heard this afternoon I am pleased with it compared with the AKD 4001 and PMR sets I have had. As I said in a previous post it is much more pleasant to listen to than the AKD 4001 that I have been using and the complements on the audio are encouraging.

An email I opened this evening sheds some light on why it is better on the ears. Tony Allen EI4DIB also has this radio and has had a bit more time to look in to things. In his blog post Tony says " There is one thing that I was surprised to find in the Menu was a thing they call “Compander Function” this I discovered operates a bit like a very fancy Noise Blanker as it totally eliminates the static heard on a very weak station." Well what ever you call it it works! There was an M6 station calling someone this afternoon and when I have heard him in the past he was 25% white noise. There is no S-meter so it is difficult to tell if he was actually a stronger signal but I suspect not, so wow! My antenna is quite low so I have great hopes for the future when I get the 4m antenna up above the roof line.

I am slightly jealous that Tony got a DTMF mic with his, where as mine is a standard mic. The ability to enter frequencies directly would be nice, so I think it is time to scan eBay and see if I can get one cheap enough. I will have to look in to which rigs have compatable wiring. The programming cable is a USB to RJ45 which plugs into the mic socket. One of those would be nice too.

Read Tony's blog post reviewing the Anytone AT-5189 here.

Note the Anytone AT-5189 is sold as the MyDel MY-5189 at Martyn Lynch and Sons.

Photo shows the 2m version.

How to afford an Icom IC-9100

2011-01-29T02:22:00.006Z

Should I be blaming all the RF from my amateur radio gear for my failing memory?

A little birdy tells me we may see the new Icom IC-9100 in the shops by March, but can I like as heck remember were I saw this little gem so I can point a link at it or confirm it anywhere else. The Icom sites have no mention of it and as we were once being told we would see it on sale be August last year I will not hold my breath. March would be good for me as I get my bonus then but Helen has already earmarked that for new French doors to replace the patio doors :0(

How to afford an Icom IC-9100

I could work a bit of OT.

I could get an extra job.

I sell drugs for a gangster,

Who works for the mob.

I could learn to cheat at poker.

I could rob or steal a car.

I could sell some of my ham gear,

No I wouldn't go that far!

HB-1A MKII QRP SSB/CW Rig

2011-01-29T01:22:00.005Z

With the imminent arrival of Helens NUE-PSK device I remembered about the HB-1A tri-band QRP ham radio. The HB-1A started life as a kit produced by BU XIANZHI BD4RG from NANJING, CHINA. From a kit it grew in to a ready assembled device that was available direct from eBay. When I first saw it it was CW only but Bu and his brother Yimin announced plans for a MKII version that would do SSB. Read more here.

In July 2010 nothing could be found of the Chinese product but suddenly TenTec were marketing something with one less band at twice the price. It was in fact the MKII and it did SSB making it possibly a perfect match for the NUE-PSK with a similar size case, but until recently I would have to order from the USA. Then a few days ago an advert appeared on the Waters and Stanton website...

Waters & Stanton have been appointed sole distributors of the first of these new HF transceivers from China.

The HB-1A-MK3 transceivers offers 2 band coverage with up to 5 Watts output. It includes a digital display, built-in CW keyer with auto CQ and switched bandwidth filters. Designed very much with the portable QRP operator in mind, it can be run from internal cells or external 12v system. There are two models available, the HB-1A-MK3-40-20 which offers 40m & 20m and the HB-1A-MK3-30-20 which offers 30m & 20m.

This radio is sold in the USA under the TenTec banner. The China factory has now appointed Waters & Stanton as their exclusive UK distributor and this radio will be the first of a range of HF models. Look out for the new 6-band HF rig SSB and CW!

To find out more about these radios which will be arriving soon click here

My only issue here is how much more expensive this is to what they were selling on eBay for. At £199 they are neither cheap or too expensive, so the jury is still out here. As I have a Yaesu FT-817 the does 160m to 6m plus 2m and 70cms which I paid £350 for I don't think I will be buying one soon. Anyone know of a similar radio maybe in kit form?

Everything, nothing and fuel protests

2011-01-28T22:33:00.004Z

Some days in amateur radio things can be like buses, nothing seems to be happening and then it all comes at once. You know the scenario everything is dead and then as 40 metres opens up and you find a station you want to work a 20 metre spot on the cluster alerts you of someone you need for that DXCC and at the same time you find you are being called on 2 metres by a mate. At that point my wife usually calls on the local 70cm repeater and the phone rings.

I can vividly remember one such occasion were I was hopping between radios trying to work three separate SOTA stations, one on 80m, one on 60m and the other on 2m SSB. I had heard one mate call me on 2 FM, my wife was on GB3CR 70cms repeater calling me, my house phone, mobile and Skype were all ringing at that point I thought I was going mad.

I answered the land line and then rang the mobile back by the time I got to Skype I notice a trend emerging. The landline call was from someone telling me my wife was calling me on the radio, as was the Skype call, the mobile was from someone telling me the SOTA station on 2m SSB was there as was the 2m FM call and my wife was calling to tell me she had worked the 2m SSB station on FM and that he was now on SSB. By the time I sorted that lot out I missed all three SOTA stations.

There has not been much going on here just lately and the bands have seemed unnervingly quiet, but thing seem to still be happening all at once. I have finally got Helen's Christmas present on order and the NUE-PSK unit should be here sometime soon. Then I was tipped off that the 4m (70MHz) Anytone 5189 was back in stock at Martin Lynch and Sons. I ordered one as soon as they went on sale before Christmas but got an email saying they were out of stock. A quick telephone call and it arrived next morning. I must say it is so much more pleasant to listen to than the AKD 4001 that I have been using and the complements on the audio are encouraging, but no time for a full test yet. The one thing I have noticed is whenever someone put a call out on 4m the AKD would precede it with a burst of static noise and follow it in the same way as if the squelch was too slow, no such problems on the Anytone. Although the two rigs seems to be similar in sensitivity single generally seem to have less noise on them. In other words I don't seem to be hearing any more stations but they appear slightly stronger. The telling will be when I get someone who I know is a weak signal to me on.

We have the Advanced course in full swing down at Mold Amateur Radio club and it cost me a small fortune paying fees and buying drinks for my two kids who are doing the course. A couple of our club/Raynet members are down at Flintshire Lifeboat station for SOS radio week. We hoped to have a special events call but it never arrived in time. I was down there this morning and they were having trouble getting the HF antennas to tune up. I suspect the tuner but I had no time to get them another as I had to come home to go to bed being on nights tonight. They are using the club call GW7HRG so if you hear them give them a call.

I wanted to get down to the RNLI early to help with the setting up but I had to wait in for a tradesman to measure up for a new door we are having. That gave me the chance to work three SOTA stations before I left. Two of those stations (Carolyn G6WRW) and Robert (G0PEB) were using APRS tracking so I was able to delay my leaving by 10 minutes as I could see they were on the summit before they started calling CQ. The more I follow people the more I like APRS but I am still not sure I like the idea of being watched myself.

Tonight we had fuel protests at work, but the protest convoy got delayed by an accident on the motorway so I got in before they got here and they all got too cold and went home by 23:00 hours. So if you see a Black Freelander with a big 2m/70cm antenna on the back drive behind a SKY TV interview on the news it was me. These guys have my support just so long as the don't come back in the morning and stop me going home ;0)

Amateur radio op buys a new ham radio, wife not pleased

2011-01-27T20:52:00.000Z

Thank goodness my XYL is licensed already.

Ham Radio is for all the family, all you have to do is pass the test...and I'll start loving you again. Sweet!

Embroidered SOTA patches

2011-01-25T12:20:00.003Z

Diego EC1CW just received some custom embroidered SOTA patches. They are first quality patches, 3" x 3", with 100% of the surface embroidered in 4 colours, heat sealed iron-on backing and stitched border. There are two versions one with a yellow and one with a red border.

You can order from Diego by emailing him. His email is on QRZ.com. You may like to visit his blog here for information about his Summits on the Air adventures and other related amateur radio items.

You can also view many of Diego's SOTA activations on the video blog SOTA Television ,which is another CQHQ production. There are now over 375 videos to be viewed all to do with Summits on the Air and portable amateur radio operations.

Local SOTA activators - I have ordered a limited number of patches from Diego, which I will pass on at cost to you if you can see me in person. If there is demand I will see if I can get more.

Update: 27th January 2011 - Got my shipment of badges from Diego. The Spanish postal service must be much more efficient than the Royal Mail, that is all I can say. Thanks Diego.

Dot Dot Dash Dash Tweet Tweet

2011-01-25T10:42:00.005Z

One is not at all surprised when a radio amateur comes up with strange uses for Morse code. So when my friend Graham GW0HUS sent me something about using the code to send Tweets to Twitter I expected an iPhone app that would let you tap Morse on the screen and a ham to have been behind it. I was a little off the mark; it was not an iPhone app and it was not a ham who had made it. It is a bit odd but the fascination with Morse code runs way deeper than amateur radio operators and short wave listeners. Do a bit of searching on line and we find that youngsters in Japan are using Morse as a more efficient way to send text messages.

Joe McKay is no wizz on the Morse code but his ingenuity makes up for his lack of skill. Watch the video to see what this is all about.

From Joe's website...

The Tweetargraph uses an arduino to capture the dots and dashes created by the telegraph. The Arudio itself is running Firmata (now comes as a built in library with the arduino software) so that it can talk to Processing. The Processing sketch is using the java library twitter4j which handles the communication with the Twitter API.

You need to establish a Twitter account (obviously) but you also need to "register" your application through Twitter. This is new - as of the summer of 2010 Twitter uses OAuth for their permissions. Here's the twitter page to begin authenticating. Admittedly, this can be a bit confusing - you need authorization codes AND also the "token" and the "token secret" codes.

Twitter4J does not have very good documentation online when it comes to integrating it into Processing, but robotgrrl does an awesome job of walking you through the process.
I found that acquiring the token and token secret through Twitter is much easier than through processing as robotgrrl has you doing in steps three through six (to be fair to robotgrrl that was probably the only way to get the token at the time of writing).

Processing, arduino, twitter4j and twitter are all free and open source. The arduino micro-controller costs about $35 US, and the telegraph I got on ebay for $27.

You can download my Processing code here. Please respect the Creative Common license below. I wasn't really writing it with public consumption in mind, but you're welcome to take a look at what I did. If you're new to Processing and the Arduino, this is not the best project to start with.

Read the original here...

Check out Joe's other projects here...

Things to be loved...

2011-01-19T00:57:00.004Z

In the words of an obscure song (except to fans of Sparks) miss the start, miss the end. It goes on 'Cause they're such very good friends, there are things to be loved and things to only attend, miss the start, miss the end.

It looks like we may have been a bit late for SOS radio week, but we have just booked a week in a Windmill and after a great deal of searching I find we are two weeks early for Mills on the Air. I say a great deal of searching because Denby Dale ARC's website did not seem to want to let me in. It also says because of technical difficulties the new Mills on the Air web page is not available. I am tempted to apply for a special events call for the week anyway as I see at least one other club is doing their mill activation the weekend before. With four of us licenced it should at least guarantee something to keep us occupied for a couple of hours each night. It might make up for the fact that although there is a SOTA summit a stones throw away the next nearest is 47 miles distant. Radio was never going to take a backseat where ever we went but who can turn down the chance to get an antenna to the dizzy heights of the top of a windmill.

MILLS ON THE AIR is the weekend 15th/16th May 2011.
Denby Dale ARC will be on from 10-30am to 4pm at Thwaite Mills Stourton Nr Leeds.

As for me; keep watching this space for details.

"The opening bars and the closing bars might as well not exist. They're not needed, needed, really needed."

Play Safe Stay Safe

2011-01-18T23:48:00.005Z

Over at Bob VA3QV's Amateur Radio Weblog he tells the sad news of a Canadian solider Cpl. Jean-Michel Deziel who having survived the horrors of the Afghanistan conflict died falling from a roof while installing a communications antenna.

This story comes hot on the tale last week of an Amateur in the US installing a vertical that came in contact with some overhead power lines. His step daughter ended up in hospital critically ill with severe electrical burns.

Every year we hear of people killed on mountains in poor visibility and with the growing popularity of Summits on the Air the next one we hear of could be a ham radio operator.

So be careful out there. It may be a great hobby but it is not worth dying for. Stay safe people.

Missed the boat?

2011-01-18T23:05:00.004Z

At mid-night 22nd January a nine day amateur radio fund-raising event will start in aid of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, SOS Radio Week runs until 23:39 on the 30th. Anyone can participate, be they clubs, individuals, adults or youths. Simply register on the event web site, download a sponsorship form and raise at least £5. As an encouragement there are over £700 worth of prizes from Icom, the SRC Young Persons award, a radio from Martin Lynch and four antennas from Sigma Euro-Comm to give away.

Flintshire Raynet works closely with Flintshire RNLI and we were hoping to be running a special event station for the event, although any cash we raised would go directly to our local lifeboat team rather than in to some arbitrary distributed scheme. However the suggestion was a little late being proposed and then with the madness that is the Christmas preparations the forms for the special events callsign got put to one side and then finally ended up in the Christmas post. Assuming the forms got through the post unhindered and even if the weather had not probably backed things up, taking all the holidays in to consideration I am begining to think our application is at the bottom of a big pile on someones desk. Maybe I am being sceptical but it looks as though we may have just missed the boat. It will be a pity if we don't get it in time as we had a few Raynet and few radio club members who were keen to have a go. If we fail we will have to make sure we are ready for next year. I think this is an event which will go from strength to strength and unlike Raynet no one tells these guys to "leave it to the professionals".

Unchallenged 2011

2011-01-09T23:42:00.009Z

In amateur radio we all need challenges from time to time to keep thing fresh. That was one reason for my CQHQ challenge, which has resulted in a steady stream of emails vowing to have a go at doing a few things not normally routinely attempted. The idea was to get out of your comfort zone every once in a while and at the very least prove to yourselves you really do hate contests, SSB, FM or whatever. The hope is you will actually find these things more fun than you expected. I suggested picking 10 items from my list, but it is all really about personal challenges.

Now having proposed a series of personal challenges I should not knock someone elses challenge, but I laughed my socks off when I heard of Keith Maton G6NHU and his "ambitious challenge" to have a QSO every day for a year. To me a more difficult challenge would be to stay off the air for more than 24 hours. A more serious challenge for me would be to have a minimum of 25 QSOs a day.

I picked this gem up from Amateur Radio Newsline for January 7 2011 who had managed to cock up Keith callsign in their previous issue. I was surprised to find I missed it the first time around. So off I go to Keith's blog to suss out the details not quite expecting to spray coffee all over my monitor when I read this... The caveat to this is that if I’m away from home (holiday, working away, etc) then I won’t be able to have a QSO on those days – It’s difficult to have any contacts when one isn’t near a wireless! Talk about setting yourself up to fail. Personally I am never more than a few feet from a radio transceiver for very long wherever I am. I would never go on holiday if I could not take a radio, what would I do. If I am in work the radio is in the car for at least the trip to and from work.

While I wish Keith every success in his venture I do find it a little underwhelming, a bit like telling someone you intend to get fit by leaving the remote control on top of the TV. Still whatever works for you! By the way who on earth still uses the word "wireless" other than when talking about Internet connections?

Solution Looking For A Problem

2011-01-09T21:27:00.003Z

I am a like most radio amateurs a gadget man. My home is a hard wired network with multiple users all using multiple devices to access the Internet, but on top of the myriad of desktop PCs, games consuls, networked printers and media player there is the wireless network. Despite having desktop PCs running everything from DoS to Windows 7, Red Hat to Unbuntu 10, Chrome, and Snow Leopard I still find the need for a laptop, a netbook and a PDA.

These days the PDA is seeming a little redundant because of the development of mobile telephones and has not been used in a while. This is a pity because the Mio P550 also included a GPS, but even this useful function is somewhat redundant with my present vehicle having built in GPS. Also due to poor battery life the PDA was never much use for walking and I own a couple Garmins for that purpose.

The battery of the PDA seems to have finally died and I wondered if I really needed it anymore. If I was to sell it it would need a new battery anyway so I ordered one. The replacement battery I have ordered was twice the capacity of the old one and my brain sort of went, "Um! that's useful." I was still wondering what I could do with the revitalised PDA when I came across someone elses solution to the poor battery life, an external battery booster with three time the PDA battery's capacity so I have ordered one of those too. The unit is roughly the same size as the PDA but only half as thick.

So now I have a PDA that will run for five times as long as before, what to do with it. It then occured to me that with the built in GPS, wireless and Bluetooth in would be an idea platform for APRS. If I could only find the right application, it could link via either WiFi or Bluetooth to my mobile telephone and upload to an APRS server.

There seems to be a couple of applications out there that might work, but they look like they expect an external GPS source to be connected and they seem to be crippled until you pay for them. One thing I won't do is pay for something that may not work.

Any suggestions welcomed, for how to do this or other ham radio uses for my old PDA. By the way Pocket Digi is one fun use I have already tried.

Smart Meters a Public Nuisance

2011-01-09T04:33:00.003Z

One reason cited for the trial of the the Devil's spawn that destroys peoples’ enjoyment of ham radio (and every other form of radio in fact) PLC in Liverpool is smart meters. So it may come as a surprise to the idiot supporters of this scheme to hear that one Californian County has criminalised smart meters.

The Marin County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed an ordinance (pdf) that deems the installation of smart meters a public nuisance in some areas. In addition to electromagnetic health risks, the board cited concerns about meters being used to collect information about residents' activities, impacts on aesthetics and potential damage to amateur radio networks.

You can read more in the New York Times.

FCC Put the boot in

2011-01-09T03:13:00.003Z

One of the perceived issues in amateur radio circles is the lack of action against those that choose to abuse the airwaves. In a similar way that the Police are never there when you need them but always in you wing mirror when you are in a tearing hurry, there never seems to be any action against pirate radio, mic keyers, foul mouths or people operating out of band, but we often see stories of legitimate operators being given a hard time because of misunderstanding and it seems to be the same the world over. It is a little reassuring therefore when we see that someone is doing there job. It is just a pity that OFCOM was not following our US cousins lead.

During October last year the FCC raided Doctor Radio's CB Shop in Monroe, Michigan. The store was selling amongst other things, a radio that was described as “an Amateur Radio that could operate on CB frequencies” and that was modified to operate above the approved power limits. The salesperson explained that the Cobra 150 GTL DX was an Amateur Radio transceiver that could operate on CB frequencies and had been modified to generate 170 W of power. Section 95.655(a) of the FCC rules prohibit radios that can transmit on both the amateur and CB bands. The FCC therefore issued a Citation to the store on January 4 for marketing unauthorized radio frequency devices in the United States in violation of Section 302(b) of the Communications Act and Section 2.803(a)(1) of the Commission’s rules.

The FCC may impose monetary forfeitures of up to $16,000 for each such violation or each day of a continuing violation, and up to $112,500 for any single act or failure to act. In addition, violations of the Communications Act or the Rules can result in seizure of equipment through in rem forfeiture actions as well as criminal sanctions, including imprisonment.

Time To Be Alarmed

2011-01-09T00:56:00.003Z

What do you think when one of your ham radio buddies is suddenly not around any more? If they are over fifty you think the worst but if they are a bit younger you suspect they found a new woman or something. Sometimes we get surprised like the time a wrinkly old 96 year old G2 turned up with twenty something fashion model on his arm and told anyone who would listen that he was going to be a daddy again.

It was that long since we had heard from our friend Dave 2W0PWR that we thought he had given up radio completely or emigrated. He was no longer even part of the "Tell you who we haven't heard for a while" conversations. Dave had not moved away but had set himself a big project that left little time for anything else, Dave had gone in to business. Now I don't normally plug anything none radio related but I feel I should give Dave a plug so here it comes...

Alarm Boyz supply, fit and service Wireless Alarms (Okay a little radio related). They pride themselves on their "100% Customer Service". Servicing Wrexham, Chester, North Wales, Wirral and Shropshire they offer Free Consultation, Wireless Alarms, Installation, Servicing, Vacation Alarms.

For only £249 they can even fit a wireless alarm that calls your mobile when activated. Not that it would be much use to me as I have to turn my mobile off when I am in work, but it seems a good idea at an affordable price. If you are in the market for a new alarm give Dave a call, I can guarantee he is a genuine nice guy, does not have spurs on his boots, so will not take you for a ride and has worked in this business for some time.

Must say Dave I am not struck on the name, the spelling things with Z instead of S is a bit stuck in the 1990's and we gave up calling ourselves boys when we were ten years old. We were "Dudes" back then and the term boys was for little kids and sissies. I would have gone with something like Power Alarms or how about Mafia Alarms that should put the burglers off? AlarmNinja? Jedi Alarms? Dalek Home Protection System?

Good luck Dave!

San Marino Republic DX Invite

2011-01-09T00:21:00.008Z

I just got invited to DxCoffee’s Birthday Party and other UK radio hams are welcome to join me. Well you can join me if someone buys me tickets to San Marino Republic and I can get a passport in time. It all sounds great, if only getting there was as easy as the email bellow suggests. If only work and family commitments did not prevent me from jumping on the next available flight. Oh well the least I can do it publisise the event on CQHQ.

This is the invitation...

Hello!

We invite you to join into the DxCoffee’s Birthday Party that will take place next month in San Marino Republic.

There will be a radio station there and you can operate the special event callsign T70DXC.
All the program and schedules are here: www.dxcoffee.com/happybirthday

If you can’t join us, please make a post in your blog and insert a link to http://www.dxcoffee.com/ also.

We think there are a lot of low cost flights from U.K. and reaching San Marino is very easy.

Maybe some other hams from UK will join.

Best regards

DxCoffee Team
http://www.dxcoffee.com/

I wish I could go, I bet there will be ice cream, jelly and cakes and everything!

Waters and Stanton VAT beaters

2011-01-05T18:56:00.003Z

Everyone's favourite cartoon characters Wallace and Gromit are doing some cracking deals on ham radio gear. Sorry private joke, that should read... Those great guys at Waters and Stanton are holding back the VAT increase on amateur radio gear (and more) until 1st February. They also have a few special offers worth looking at that may seem even more special if you get in quick and avoid the inevitable price increases. At a time when other companies are sneaking a bit on top of the VAT rise it is nice to see.

Okay let us see what the rest of them can come up with. Come on ML&S, Radioworld and LAM you need to try harder. Email or Tweet me if you have deals and I let my reader know.

Steve has a ham radio

2011-01-05T12:28:00.003Z

Okay this one is not much about amateur radio and maybe it is because I am suffering from the flu but I need to get this one off my congested chest. I am starting to feel a little paranoid, but we all know that saying "Just because you are paranoid does not mean they are not out to get you", so let me run this by you and see what everyone thinks.

Firstly as a background I hate strangers in my home, I see it as a violation of my space. Therefore when I got a visit a few months back from a company called EON offering to do a "complete home insulation survey, for free". It would only take 30 minutes. I told them to go away. Imagine my surprise when a week or so later I got the same offer from a company called 'The Energy Savings Trust' they too were sent packing. This was followed by another similar offer from a company whose name I no longer remember that told me they could arrange massive grants on double glazing and insulation. I have checked out these sorts of claims before and I always find I earn too much for the grants to apply, so they did not interest me at all either.

Then in November I had a letter from the local council telling me my home had been randomly chosen to receive a full structural survey as part of an assessment of housing in the area. The survey would take at least 30 minutes and I would be entitled to a copy of the report. Why the hell the council was interested in a private residence was totally beyond me. There was no way to say no and they turned up on the door at 'their' appointed time getting me out of bed after a night shift. They argued black was blue that I "had to let them in" but in the end the extremely angry half naked maniac got through to their thick heads that they were as welcome as Syphilis at an orgy.

This morning in my mailbox I received the following: "North Wales Fire and Rescue Service will be carrying out FREE home fire safety checks in your area on Thursday 13th and Friday 14th January. This visit will take 30 minutes maximum. " 30 minutes? That sounds familiar! At least with this one there is a get out clause in the from of a big red cross to place in your window, but even that sounds kind of weird, almost biblical. No thanks, no Angel of Death today!

I also recently turned down free check of my gas appliances and a "we want to tell you how you can save money by not leaving your appliances on standby" talk, which would only take up 30 minutes of my time.

Why does everyone want to spend 30 minutes in my home? Do they think I am making crystal meth in the garage or anthrax in my bathroom? Maybe it is the intercontinental ballistic missile I am building in the garden. More likely it is just a run of coincidences but I am feeling like the guy in that episode of the Twilight Zone.

The neighbours find out Steve has a ham radio...

Liverpool PLC plan

2011-01-03T18:05:00.004Z

The worst criminals are not the guys in stocking masks and stripped tee shirts, who sneak around after dark, they are the men in grey suits with thin watches. They dish out misery for profit and in most cases do not even realise they are doing wrong, for they have no morals. They are just as likely to start a war as sell their own mothers. The little fish quite often will sell a miracle cure without revealing the true misery it brings. For those without a broadband connection Broadband Powerline Communications (PLC) may seem like an answer, but for the amateur radio community it is death on a telegraph pole.

Just when we think we might be winning the war against PLCs some other scumbag pops up.

Five years after PLC was last used in the Britain, the technology that destroys peoples' enjoyment of radio is to be trialled in Liverpool in 2011.

Liverpool has announced plans for a 200Mbps ISP trial to supply 1,000 homes with broadband Internet access. It's believed that the trial is being run by Scottish Power and Plus Dane Homes.

The Mersey Partnership (TMP), a regional inward investment agency, hopes that the trial, which started in the summer, will lead to a major jobs boom for the city region.

An essential element of the scheme is the smart meter, which gives a very detailed breakdown of how much energy is being used by a household. It will mean that, instead of utility companies getting an electricity reading between one and four times a year, they will receive readings every 30 seconds. So what happens is, even in the middle of the night when no-one is using their broadband, there is data from 1,000 homes flowing 120 times every minute and this means the interference is continuous without a break.

Work apparently stated in July and has been going on at 12 substation in secret, supposedly to avoid cable thefts. It would seem to me that the real reason is to avoid direct action and protest at the trial.

The smiling assassin behind the evil scheme would seem to be Mark Knowles the "Low Carbon Economy Manager" for TMP. I would suggest that those who will be effected and other interested parties contact this guy first. I would also suggest that as radio amateurs we should boycott Scottish Power and write telling them why we are changing electricity supplier.

Read the story as it was released at the Daily Post

The following video is a display of the interference caused by this technology.

My thanks to my good friend Joe G7KDZ for alerting me on this story.

Solar Panel stolen from GB3JB.

2011-01-03T17:27:00.004Z

It is the kindness and generosity of radio amateurs over the years that keeps my faith in human nature hanging by a thread. I hear people say things like "there is good in everyone" and I think they are sadly deluded. People are not born good they choose it as a path. Some of us choose good over evil because our parents had morals which they passed on and others in defiance at the immorality of our parents. The same can be said of the other path. If I break the rules it is because I choose to do so and if I do something kind I choose to do that also. Unfortunately we live in a world where those that choose to be kind are out weighed by those who are totally selfish.

One of those selfish people has stolen the Solar Panel at GB3JB.

I received this email from the team...

Hi All,

Well, in my communication of the 29th December, I stated "Unless anything unexpected happens, then GB3JB, will keep going until the end of October 2011, when the site fee is due and the insurance is also due for renewal." I must have tempted fate!

Since over the last day or so, we believe, the Solar Panel was stolen from the site. Having arrived at the site for a general inspection and battery voltage check, it very quickly became obvious that the panel was missing. The bolts securing the brackets that held the panel and its frame to the wall had been removed, and the panel and the entire mounting frame assembly have been stolen. The battery voltage, nominally 24 volts, and typically floating between 25 and 27 volts, was down at 13.5 and despite the turbine rotating at a reasonable speed and gusting to quite high speeds, it could not be determined if charging was taking place or not. GB3JB was switched off. Of primary concern are the batteries themselves, the turbine and the charge controller. The latter, which is microprocessor controlled and contains significant quantities of IC's could well have been damaged by what must have been a significant transient spark / current surge that would have occurred when the cable to the solar panel, was cut. As will be appreciated the batteries themselves could well have been damaged, having been discharged to that terminal voltage in the very cold ambient temperatures. We are not sure, at this time if the turbine has been damaged in anyway, either, as the turbine assembly contains the a.c. generation to d.c. supply rectification. I will return to the site tomorrow, with suitable equipment, and have a look at the battery condition. If the terminal volts are still low, then we really could have a problem, as this would point to the turbine having been damaged. So to the B*@&$#d's who stole the panel ....

(1) I hope that you blew-up the isolating diodes when you cut the cable, which would probably render the panel useless, and

(2) if not, I wish you a very early and very expensive disaster when you connect it to some kit, especially if you think it’s a 12v module. The theft has been reported to the Police. However, the chances of them being able to track down the culprits, is somewhat slim, at best. I'll send out a further e-mail after my visit to the site tomorrow.

Please let us know, if you hear of anyone trying to sell off what is a very expensive and physically large solar panel, cheaply.

Please feel free to forward this communication on to any individuals whom you feel would be interested in its contents.

Cheers & 73’s (Too all bar the culprits)
Dave, G3ZXX.

I wonder if the theft had anything to do with the posting of this video on the Southgate ARC Newsline, possibly giving the thieves an indication of the remoteness of the repeater, its solar panel and wind generator.

So it looks like GB3JB requires some of that uncalled for kindness. Can you help?

70Mhz mod for Yaesu FT-897

2011-01-01T14:22:00.006Z

Duane Mayberry ZS6DJM has posted an amateur radio video on YouTube showing his Spectrum Communications 70MHz transverter built in to the battery compartment of his Yaesu FT-897. I'm sure if he was making these commercially he would be killed in the initial rush. The last time I saw anything this neat it was a home built transverter in the battery compartment of a Yaesu FT-290. This design looks somewhat more accessible due to the use of a kit for the mod. It is a pity there are no more details of what was done to get it to fit. Thanks to Tim G4VXE for putting the video on his blog and to Dave G4AQK for tipping off Tim about it.