Ham Radio Operator - M0YKS

With the CondX being as good as ever, I have continued making some brilliant DX QSOs on the 15M Band using the SSB Phone mode. Yesterday was very good up until dusk with a repeat of the same excellent openings today also on the 15M Band. I have been working with my good old Yaesu FT-767GX and 50W into the Vertical Hustler 6BTV which is fitted with wire radials and is ground mounted with a 5’ foot length of 1 ½ inch, solid steel bar that protrudes from the ground 18 inches for the fixing of the antenna base. I have had the Hustler for over 5 years and find it works excellently on the higher portion of HF, especially during the day times when the F-Layer position suits the vertical angle of radiation perfectly. I find that during the evening when the F-Layer changes the three sided vertically polarized delta loop usually takes over from the straight forward vertical, giving a different angle of reflection/radiation. Again the Dipole which is totally horizontal at around 30 ft above the g...

I was pleased to awake to the sound of an old friend taking me back thirty years to my youth. I am of course talking about the HF Chipper that I am hearing on 17M and 15 Meters making a pleasant QRM sounding woodpecker noise. I used to hear this noise a lot back in the early 80s when propagation was very good. When State-Side signals from mobile Truckers were coming in loud on AM using simple mobile antennas and little rigs. When I switched on this morning and heard the noise, I said to my YL Louise how conditions should be definitely on the up. Shortly after I tuned around 20m and I found signals coming in from Dominica Republic, Jamaica, India and China all before mid day. I am now making the most of the opening and at present I am active on 15m using the Hustler 6BTV and FT-767. I've just had a great QSO with Gary - VE3XN on 21.290 and right now I am tuning around the many loud signals. Hope to see you on the band somewhere over the weekend, especially now we are entering the ...

As well as Ham Radio, Work and Life in general, I have been studying in service with the University of HUDDERSFIELD.  This has meant that I have spent the last two years teaching, writing papers as well as reading and researching many different types of Theorists. It's been lots of hard work, self discipline and commitment but well worth the effort when I graduated earlier receiving a Certificate in Education (PCET). I took my YL – Louise and Mum – Janet, to the Award Ceremony, where it was a proud moment for all. MUM and Mysel f Louise took some nice pictures to put up for you to see - 2E0HTS, washed, scrubbed and gowned, which is a once in a lifetime experience! Louise and Myself  However after seeing myself in the Cap and Gown I wouldn't be at all surprised if I am found to be appearing in the next Harry Potter, Hog-warts adventure, as a Wizard or something? Hope you enjoy these pictures… The day was extra special as the Chancellors blessing was on screen from Professor Patr...

The past couple of mornings have been a bit frosty so I decided on the Car rather than Motor Cycle to get to work which worked out well as I've heard some great signals coming in on 20m from VK - Australia and  JA - Japan. The distant DX Stations usually start coming  through well up here from now until around late February time. I use the trusty little Toyota 4 X 4 to get through the winter months and at the same time I get more radio time in to operate my FT-100 mobile Ham Station. For the time being, the Motorcycling will be used solely for pleasure when the WX is more reasonable avoiding any unpleasant accidents. Back in the Shack, the past two evenings have been a different story as by the time I get back from work the 20M band has closed down and 40M has not been particularly exciting either. So I have been tuning down on 80M instead and having fun working European Stations on SSB using the recently made home brew 130 ft dipole. I have been getting good reports from the dipol...

The past couple of nights have seen quiet conditions on 20m so I've concentrated on working a couple of satellites as well as listening around on the LF bands. I had some fun last night on PSK -31 working stations up and down Europe. Using my home brew 130ft Dipole, FT-767 interfaced to my PC and Nomic rigblaster I worked quite a few stations on 80m running qrp (30w). Stations were coming in well on 80 meters around 3.582 lsb and I worked stations from Norway, Sweden, Germany and the UK including SM6 AMU and a fellow Twitterer M0 TZO - Paul. For a full transcript of the contact with Paul you can read it here on MØTZO's Blog . Twitter is proving to be a lot of fun and I'm managing to bag a few Twittering followers into my log. Thanks to all my followers so far, hope to get many more. If you're not on Twitter you can join up here feel free to add me to find out when and where I am active on the bands.