AmateurRadio.com

With headphones clamped to my ears, the past two Saturday nights have been spent in the Bruce Kelley 1929 QSO Party. Before I was hit with the '29-bug, these two weekends were usually taken up with the ARRL 160 CW Contest, and then with the ARRL 10m Contest the following weekend. Perhaps it's just as well that the BK has taken priority as I'm not sure if I could hang-in until 0100 or so anymore for the topband affair....or sit all weekend for the 10m fracas. At least the BK action finishes up early here out west, as by the time 10pm rolls around, most of the guys further east have hit the sack...my kind of contest!

Courtesy: http://www.spaceweatherlive.com

This year's conditions were rather dismal, on both weekends, as...once again...the planet was whacked with more coronal hole streaming. These things are ionospheric-killers from what I can see, as the level of signal absorption shoots way up, and quickly...not as much however, the further you get from the auroral zone.


Not to disappoint, the usual BK winds came up, right on schedule as well, almost coincidental with the start of the Party. Thankfully, weekend number two saw no wind whatsoever....a rare event in December....but, from the sound of many other notes, I wasn't the only one having windy weather.
  
More information on '29 building may be found here in previous "'29-style blogs" and good project discussions always abound at the Yahoo "AWA Group" builder's site.

It's really not too early to start building for next year's BK!
Steve McDonald, VE7SL, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from British Columbia, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].

The Ultimate3 QRSS/WSPR Transmitter Kit is the third version in the “Ultimate” QRSS/WSPR kit trilogy. It can produce QRSS, Hell, WSPR, Opera and PI4 slow-signal modes anywhere from audio to 10m and above. Plug-in LPF filters are available for all 12 HF/MF/LF bands.

The price is USD $29.00. To order please visit QRP Labs.

The Ultimate 3 is probably the lowest cost beacon available. I still have my unbuilt kit awaiting better health to build, although several kind folk have offered to build mine for me. Jay W5OLF kindly supplied me a 10m 500mW, single PCB, WSPR beacon (WSPR-AXE-CW) ready assembled and that has blown me away: it has been copied in every continent on 10m.  The Ultimate 3 is the more flexible design but the WSPR-AXE-CW is an ideal tiny WSPR only beacon.

My Ultimate 3 kit was ordered with GPS, but it was supplied without this, but with an extra PCB – I think I got the wrong order. I really should write to Hans Summers, but I have been too unwell. For now, the kit remains unbuilt. I intend to build it when I am fitter and less clumsy, hopefully in 2015.

Roger Lapthorn, G3XBM, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Cambridge, England.

Its been quite some time since I have added anything to my blog, and indeed quiet some time since I’ve added any videos. Don’t worry though, everything is fine, I’ve just been really busy on other projects.

Radio and all radio related items has taken quite a large step back over the past 6 months, work commitments and other personal commitments have really swallowed up any spare minutes that I have.

However I have still kept up with the distance learning classes and also been involved in the upcoming Club Relay for 2015 (now 2016) for the RSGB. So its not all lost.

So what has prompted the sudden blog entry ? well I received this week a Volunteer 2015 badge for the RSGB for all the activities I have completed over the past 12 months. For which I’m very grateful for the recognition.

It got me thinking – how we take the RSGB for granted, and indeed watching other constantly belittle the society, how we should actually take a moment and celebrate the society and everything that it has accomplished over the past years.

I even wrote a quick entry on the RSGB unofficial Facebook page, which is often a melting pot full of moans and groans – and I added that we should all note down what makes up proud to be a member, and add an open thanks to things that the society has done for us.

A few liked the posting but even better quite a few agreed with my comments and also added what they are proud of and how the Society had helped them.

Its times like this that we really should step back form the immediate issues that we face in the hobby and remind ourselves – its just a hobby. We all volunteer, we all do out best, and we really should be grateful for what we have achieved.

This is likely to be the last post of 2014 – so until next year (and I promise not to leave it so long) have a very happy Christmas and happy new year.

Dan Trudgian, MØTGN, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Wiltshire, England. He's a radio nut, IT guru, general good guy and an all round good egg. Contact him him here.

Its been quite some time since I have added anything to my blog, and indeed quiet some time since I’ve added any videos. Don’t worry though, everything is fine, I’ve just been really busy on other projects.

Radio and all radio related items has taken quite a large step back over the past 6 months, work commitments and other personal commitments have really swallowed up any spare minutes that I have.

However I have still kept up with the distance learning classes and also been involved in the upcoming Club Relay for 2015 (now 2016) for the RSGB. So its not all lost.

So what has prompted the sudden blog entry ? well I received this week a Volunteer 2015 badge for the RSGB for all the activities I have completed over the past 12 months. For which I’m very grateful for the recognition.

It got me thinking – how we take the RSGB for granted, and indeed watching other constantly belittle the society, how we should actually take a moment and celebrate the society and everything that it has accomplished over the past years.

I even wrote a quick entry on the RSGB unofficial Facebook page, which is often a melting pot full of moans and groans – and I added that we should all note down what makes up proud to be a member, and add an open thanks to things that the society has done for us.

A few liked the posting but even better quite a few agreed with my comments and also added what they are proud of and how the Society had helped them.

Its times like this that we really should step back form the immediate issues that we face in the hobby and remind ourselves – its just a hobby. We all volunteer, we all do out best, and we really should be grateful for what we have achieved.

This is likely to be the last post of 2014 – so until next year (and I promise not to leave it so long) have a very happy Christmas and happy new year.

Dan Trudgian, MØTGN, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Wiltshire, England. He's a radio nut, IT guru, general good guy and an all round good egg. Contact him him here.

I just ordered an AP510/AVRT5 APRS tracker and am anxious to get my hands on it to try it out. I like the small size and the fact that it is self contained – no external wires are needed to have a fully functional tracker for the automatic packet reporting system APRS: But is it useful or just a toy?

The specifications from the Amazon.co.uk site are (adapted from Chinenglish):

• SainSonic AVRT5 APRS Tracker VHF with GPS/Bluetooth/Thermometer/TF Card, Support of APRSdroid
• GPS module: SIRF3 module, high sensitivity, fast positioning, stable power.
• GPS antenna: 18mm x 18mm active GPS antenna, built-in LNA amplification, Star Search, locate quickly.
• VHF Module (1W): The latest 1W VHF transceiver modules, small size, high stability for all types of wireless data transmission.
• VHF antennas are individually matched to transmitter to ensure that the standing wave ratio is proper and the emission is efficient.

I also signed up for the Yahoo group AP510 AVRT5 APRS.

Sverre Holm, LA3ZA, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Norway. Contact him at [email protected].

Last Friday, I was working from home. I generally have one of the radios on in the background and of late, it has been the revived TS-940S, generally on 10m or 40m.

Thursday evening had been very windy, so when 10m seemed very quiet indeed, I wasn’t too surprised, I thought the coax had fallen off at the feed or something. I popped out and checked – it looked ok, but I tightened it all up and tried again. Still nothing!

I replaced the barrel coax connector between the antenna and the feedline, No luck!

Then I put a dummy load at the end of the coax – hmm. SWR 1:1.5 or so in the shack, but no receive noise. I quickly connected the FT-817 to the base of the antenna. Lots of signals!

A coax problem then! That could be interesting as the coax was buried in undergrowth around the perimeter of the garden. I gently started to trace the coax from the antenna back towards the termination point. Rather tellingly, just a few moments later the cause became obvious. The coax had been gnawed through.

Rats!

A hasty bit of splicing and we’re back in business!

Tim Kirby, G4VXE, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Oxfordshire, England. Contact him at [email protected].

Last Friday, I was working from home. I generally have one of the radios on in the background and of late, it has been the revived TS-940S, generally on 10m or 40m.

Thursday evening had been very windy, so when 10m seemed very quiet indeed, I wasn’t too surprised, I thought the coax had fallen off at the feed or something. I popped out and checked – it looked ok, but I tightened it all up and tried again. Still nothing!

I replaced the barrel coax connector between the antenna and the feedline, No luck!

Then I put a dummy load at the end of the coax – hmm. SWR 1:1.5 or so in the shack, but no receive noise. I quickly connected the FT-817 to the base of the antenna. Lots of signals!

A coax problem then! That could be interesting as the coax was buried in undergrowth around the perimeter of the garden. I gently started to trace the coax from the antenna back towards the termination point. Rather tellingly, just a few moments later the cause became obvious. The coax had been gnawed through.

Rats!

A hasty bit of splicing and we’re back in business!

Tim Kirby, G4VXE, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Oxfordshire, England. Contact him at [email protected].