Day 7 February QSO Challenge

Today's QSO was with GM4PPT - Dick from Ayrshire Scotland. GM4PPT is what I consider as a radio pal as I have worked Dick many times from my other shack over the years with lots of great rag chewing taking place on 144 SSB.

I worked GM4PPT at 20.52 utc on 144.336MHz (2 Meter band) during tonight's RSGB 144MHz UKAC. Dick - GM4PPT was a 5/1 signal at my end (IO93CU).
I received a 5/2 signal report and serial no back from GM4PPT in IO74SK.

For the Day 7 February QSO challenge, I was using my YAESU FT-847 with 50W into my 5 Element Cushcraft Yagi.

GM4PPT runs an Icom IC910X into 2 x 12 Element M2 stacked Yagis and a Dressler D200s Amplifier.
The total distance between our stations is 154 miles which on 144MHz ticks the box that says DX.

73

Day 6 February QSO Challenge

Today's challenge was the most difficult so far. I tried to make some QSO's via VO-52 and SO-50 without any success so I spent some time listening around 20m and 40m in the hope of hearing an interesting or possible DX station to try and work.

Conditions were not so good but eventually I did find VE2CAQ coming in loud and clear up on the 20m band. VE2CAQ was operating very well and managed to get through many of the stations that were calling him. I tried calling for about 15 minutes when I got lucky and finally punched through the pile up.

VE2CAQ - Chris was 5/9 at my end and he said I was coming in the same 5/9 signal with good audio from my Heil Goldline GM5 base Mic.
Our QSO took place at 20.04 utc on 14.265MHz. My computer log notified me that I had worked Chris back in March 2006 on the same band

Another completed challenge for Day 6 and an opportunity to see the shack and antenna array of VE2CAQ at a total DX Distance of 3057 miles short path to Sherbrooke, Quebec.


















VE2CAQ Shack and Antenna. No wonder I could hear him loud and clear!


   
































Thanks for following the February QSO challenge, if your doing it as well good luck and watch out for
me somewhere on the bands. 73

Day 5 February QSO Challenge

The QSO challenge for Day 5 was made on the 80M band at 20.11 utc where I worked DO1HEP - Hermann operating SSTV on 3.730 MHz. I was sending some slow scan CQ Calls when Hermann - DO1HEP received my signal and came back with some of his own slow scan TV images as seen below.

DO1HEP - Hermann was using Yaesu FT-897, 100W into a long wire antenna. I was using 25W from my FT-1000 with a RIGBlaster plus interface and Mmsstv software into my Windom antenna. I don't operate SSTV as much as I would like to and enjoyed making this QSO. Our stations are at a total distance of 515.6 miles apart, I am pleased with my completed challenge of the day. 73

Day 4 February QSO Challenge

I was up early as today the College I work at had morning "Taster" sessions for local schools booked in. I teach welding and fabrication and was required to be present and able to deliver a couple of sessions to 20 students.

On my journey in I had my FT-100 mobile transceiver switched on to the 20M band where I stumbled across Henk - VK2GWK.

VK2GWK was working many stations as I drove on my journey listening on 14.173 MHz, I was hearing Henk at a signal of 5/5 - 5/8 through my mono band Maldol 20M antenna.

VK2GWK heard me calling /mobile and came back with a 4/4 report for me at around 08.13 utc, I gave a 5/8 report back. Henk also remembered our previous QSO up on 15m from my shack and was pleased we could do it again on a different band and from my mobile at a  total distance of 10500 miles short path or possibly 14357 miles long path. Either way another fantastic challenge for day 4 completed.

VK2GWK Station comprises of Yaesu FT 2000, Emtron Linear, model DX2-b, 3 element SteppIR yagi, 30M dipole at 18m high. 2 sloping dipoles for 40M (sp and lp EU), inverted V dipole for 80M.

Day 3 February QSO Challenge

It was nice to leave work in the day light as Friday is a slightly earlier finish time. When I arrived home a checked the bands to see which were open where I heard stations on 10M, 12M, and 15M. Despite all of the interesting activity I was hearing, I thought I would have a listen down on 40m as well.

I tuned around and found a nice pile up on 7.170 MHz where I received a big signal coming out of Moscow.

R2DA - Valery was booming in to my Ft-1000 with a signal strength of S9+20 with very good audio.
I waited for the right gap to appear in the pile up and put one call out which was heard at R2DA - Valery's station at 16.28 utc.
My report back from Valery was 5/9 and I managed to find out that R2DA was running a 4 element yagi, 40m above the ground. It was doing a fine job for him, I was using my Carolina Windom antenna.

Total distance apart short path 1571 Miles.

This is fun! Day 3 challenge complete, See you tomorrow and have a nice weekend! 73

Day 2 February QSO Challenge

Tonight's challenge has been met!  I caught a nice DX station coming in well on the 15M band earlier this evening.
I am pleased to report that Day 2 see's AI0L - Mark from Northern Colorado entering my February log. I worked AI0L - Mark at 17.34 utc on 21.252 MHz, I heard AI0L 5/9 solid copy with a 5/6 report back. Mark was running an ICOM IC-756 Pro 2, with 400 watts into 4 element stepper antenna. He was sounding great at my end with a DX distance of 4482.6 miles between our shacks.

I am enjoying the February QSO Challenge as set by M3TLL - Louise, very much. Its working out pretty well so far with a couple of nice contacts in my log, I wonder what tomorrow will bring? 73

Day 1 February QSO Challenge

I accepted the challenge set by Louise without too much persuasion and I am pleased to report my first QSO of February.

The QSO took place today at 18.01 utc on the 15M Band where I managed to catch Bill - VY2LI located on Prince Edward Island (IOTA NA-029).
Bill was 5/5 with QSB to my FT-1000 and Carolina Windom antenna, I was given a 5/3 report also with QSB back from VY2LI - Bills station.

So I guess I have got off to a nice start working a total distance of 2699.5 Miles short path for my 1st of many February QSOs. I was also pleased with an opportunity to work on 15M catching the bands last minutes before it closed down.

I have read the comments from Bas - PE4BAS and Paul - M0PCZ and hope we bump into each other one evening somewhere on HF, it would be very nice indeed! I hope to succeed in this terrible challenge Louise has ordered hi hi I wonder what the prize will be ;-)

73 for now, I shall be back  tomorrow with hopefully another nice call sign in the log, until then this is 2E0HTS signing out and listening out for his next QSO.

February QSO Challenge (Guest Post from M3TLL)

Hi everyone, Louise (M3TLL) here.

Louise - M3TLL and ham-in-the-making Elsie

Just thought I'd share with you a radio-themed challenge I've set 2E0HTS which begins tomorrow. Every day throughout February Simon must make at least one contact on the radio. There's no conditions other than he must post the callsign, frequency and time he works the contact here on his blog. It can be any band, any time of day, any country, mobile, portable or from home.

Feel free to join in his February QSO challenge or just visit his blog to see if he actually can make at least one radio contact every day. Listen out on the bands for 2E0HTS who should be more active than usual this month.

Now I just need to think of a reasonable forfeit (if he fails the challenge) and get some earplugs (in case he succeeds and I get sick of it!)

Good luck Simon!

M3TLL - Louise

Ham Radio Links - Update

Just a quickie to inform you that I have removed any tired or inactive links found on the right hand side of  my home page. In return I also added quite a few new useful and informative links which include many satellite sites. All links to other amateur radio information and resources can now be found in an organised list, enjoy checking them out during your visits to my site. 73

SAUDISAT 1C SO-50

I managed some nice QSOs via SO-50 earlier this evening whilst operating from my radio shack. I caught the contacts on camera as the bird passed me by at around 46º above my horizon.



The video shows me working into the bird without too much difficulty running 25w from my FT-847 into my Satellite Array. During the pass signals were coming in well, I worked a total of 4 stations – CT2GOY, F0FVK, SP6XSD & EA6SWportable 6. My Daughter gets very excited when I am active on the Satellites as you can see she is taking after her Dad and straight over for some radio hi hi.

AO-7 Satellite QSO - Video

I was active earlier on the Satellite bands and made QSO with F6HRO, DG1EA, IK8YSS & OH5LK all via AO-7 during a 45° Pass.

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My YL caught me on camera getting a little help from my new shack assistant as I Worked F6HRO & DG1EA via AMSAT OSCAR 7. My new assistant is showing signs of having good radio com skills already? Especially rotating & elevating my SAT Antennas. 73

4U1WRC Special Call - On Air 23 Jan - 17 Feb

During my lunch breaks from work I usually get the chance to "ride shotgun" as my YL - Louise (M3TLL) picks me up from work and brings some lunch followed by a pleasant walk with our dog Dudley and baby daughter Elsie.

 I try to get 10 minutes of SWL-ing in as I eat my sandwich, catch up with Louise and grin like a fool at Elsie. Today however, we were waiting for a rainy spell to ease when I came across Nic operating  the World Radiocommunication Conference special call sign  4U1WRC

4U1WRC is operated at the station of  4U1ITU (International Telecommunication Union) which is located at thier headquarters in Geneva.
4U1WRC is only on the air from today 23rd of January until the 17th of February. There is a special QSL card to collect confirming DXCC Entity - ITU HQ EU 28 14.

Lucky for me I was told by ITU Op Nic that I was the first station to work the 2012 4U1WRC station, which was pretty cool especially from my mobile station.

Our QSO took place earlier today on the 20M band - 14.264MHz at around 12.12 utc. As usual the signals exchanged were nice and strong, I received Nic at 5/9+20 and my report was 5/9 solid copy.

I am still running the same equipment: YAESU FT-100 into a mono Band Maldol HFC 20 antenna. I have had several years of excellent results using the same radio and antenna that I got back in 2005.
I might consider changing the vehicle but the ham radio gear will be staying!

The FT-100 can be seen below

Shack B

With the dark days of winter nearly over we decided to head up to our moor top retreat to check on how things have been holding up.We have been getting lots of gale force winds lately however my antennas were all where I left them and still in good shape.

 Our hill top holiday shack is now becoming very interesting to our 10 month old baby girl, she spent the afternoon exploring the long corridor.  I got some spare minutes when she had a short nap where I managed to set up some of my other radio equipment.

 I shuffled my rigs around to find a pleasing lay out and then connected them up to my antennas. Shack B is now up and running ready for our visits up there once the WX starts to change.

I plan to be experimenting with various kit and equipment in the future but for now Shack B consists of: YAESU FT-2600M - X200 Vertical & IO Beam
YAESU VR5000 - 10 EL 435 Yagi
YAESU FT-767GX - Hustler 6BTV & 20M Delta Loop
HAM INT Multimode II - 10M Vertical

Listen out for me working portable from Shack B from spring time onwards, until then I will be operating from my QTH and hope to catch some of you somewhere on the bands! 73

National Communications Radio System Cabin

I stumbled across the perfect portable radio shack and would love to have it parked outside. Someone will be grabbing themselves a bargain as the MOD (Ministry Of Defence) are having a surplus equipment sale.
Check out National Communications Radio System Cabin for more details.

Radials

I hope you are all having a great New Year! Its been a busy couple of weeks and its great to be finally back here on my old ham radio blog catching up with some of my Ham buddies around the globe.

 Last year I fitted a selection of wire radials covering 40m through to 20M which have now become almost hidden in the grass. If you look carefully you can make a few blue radials out at the base of the mast in the picture above.

 I have been making up some additional radials for my 6BTV which I cut for 20m, 15m and 10m. This time I wanted to fix them slightly above the ground so I fed them directly at the antenna base where I used a mounting bolt as a stud to clamp too. The picture above shows the new radials attached and pinned to the ground which keeps them tidy as well as trip free.

 THE RESULT: My Hustler 6BTV now has a few more 1/4 wave radials and is working well on transmit as well as receive. During a test transmission I recently worked Ian - VK3MO again up on 20m at about 10.30 utc. As usual Ian was 5/9+.
 The 6BTV is also working really well on 40M as is my other antenna - Carolina Windom 80, its nice having the choice and switching between the two. 73 happy DXing