Holidays!

Just two days to go before I take my summer leave from the College and I cant wait to play some Ham Radio during my month off! Who knows where I will be operating from? The shack? The Caravan Shack On The Moor? The DX Mobile?
You can bet I will be active from them all as well as by the seaside and other places of interest. Listen out for M0YKS across the bands. 73 enjoy the summer!

New fun Contest - South America Sprint - July the 23rd - 21.00 utc

Attention all radio hams and short wave listener's. Watch out for a brand new 2hr contest coming your way this month courtesy of the South America Sprint group. Please read the message below if you haven't already been invited. It sounds like it could be lots of fun and I will be active during it. Best 73.


We would like to invite you to the SA Sprint Contest.

This is a new contest organized by several South American amateur radio clubs and groups.

The contest is only two hours long, the rules are really straightforward and we have included the QSO/QSY rule to make it really fun.

You can see the full rules at: www.sa-sprint.com/rules

Several logging programs have included support for our contest: www.sa-sprint.com/software

The contest will take place on July 23rd, 2016. From 2100 to 23 UTC, on SSB and CW (40 and 20 meters).

Everyone can contact everyone for QSO points credit. Mults are SA prefixes.

Please feel free to tell your friends about the SA Sprint.

There is a Club/Group competition too!

We look forward to seeing you on the bands.

Vy 73,

SA Sprint Contest

My Current Antenna Setup

Just incase you you don't subscribe to my Ham Radio YouTube Channel here is my latest video showing my antenna setup at my home QTH. 73, tnx and see you again soon.

Always use the ham code lol

Operating The DX Late Shift

The bands are opening up after dark and M0YKS is operating the DX late shift! Listen out for me on 20m and 40m and maybe 80m after 20.00 utc (once the kids are sleeping).

Beware of the YLs

It was fun for all the family as we spent the weekend at our holiday shack up on the Yorkshire moor tops. As you can see my daughters are growing up fast and it won't be long before my shack has  YL voices booming out across the airwaves.

I made some good Qso on 20m using my old FT-767GX and hustler 6btv and suprisingly I caught some troposphere lift as 2m simplex was alive and kicking on my old FT-2600M.

Back at work now but the spring bank holidays are only 8 more work days away! 73 happy DX

Playing around with my homebrew 40m Delta Loop

I moved the 40m delta loop over the weekend and managed to get it higher up in the air by an extra 5 meters. I have been checking it out across the bands and so far it seems hopeful with QSOs into the Azores on 40m as well as Iceland and I just worked Puerto Rico up on 20m.


CU2CO - Paulo, Signal Report 5/9. Band 40 meters.



TF8KY - Keli, Signal Report 5/9. Band 40 meters.

KP4DKE - Peter, Signal Report 5/7. Band 20 meters.

I will be experimenting throughout the week with the delta loop where I will check it out against the other antennas which are Hustler 6BTV, Cobwebb and Carolina Windom 80. I hope to be about in the shack this week after 20.00 utc on the HF bands so keep your ears on standby. 73,   Happy DXing!

Once again it's time to catch the band's wide open

It has been a while since the conditions have been any good during my usual HAM radio operating time which is normally when the kids are in bed fast asleep. However the past week or so has been very good, I have had some excellent DX contacts on the 17m, 20m and 40m bands where reports have been 5/9+.

I got to talk to Mike - W2YP as I made my supper using my dining room shack which is currently hooked up to my trusty old YAESU FT-890 and homebrew 20m Delta loop, as mentioned in the video below. The qso was a solid 5/9 pipeline quality across the atlantic with both stations on less than 100 watts.

Sunday Eve 21.50 utc: Another night of good conditions.

I just worked into ARUBA up on 14.168 MHz with another 5/9 signal both ways from P45A Jean Pierre, this time I was in my main shack running the FT-1000MK V and 40m Quad loop that I recently made.

Lets hope the good conditions and big DX signals are here for a while or a few more evenings at the very least, you can be sure I will be listening out tomorrow night with my fingers crossed.
 73 Happy DX

Last coffee of the day gets me into Bolivia

I fancied a last cup of of coffee before I went bed and as the kettle boiled I powered up my dining room mini station to see if anything was happening on the HF bands. My Yaesu FT-890 pictured below is one of my original spare transceivers that I have had since the beginning of my Ham intrests  and works great especially on receive hooked up to a full wave 20m delta loop.

This evening/morning at around midnight the coffee was smelling good when I tuned my FT-890 onto 14.209.5 MHz where I heard CP6XE coming in loud and clear from Bolivia.

Normally I would have rushed to the main shack station which is my FT-1000MK V but the signal was so clear peaking at 5/9 I decided to call Miguel - CP6XE on the dining room listening station my little FT-890. To my pleasure the home brew delta loop and 100 watts of old school FT-890 did the trick and I made the contact into Bolivia with a 5/3 signal!

A great way to end the evening, the only snag is I am feeling thirsty again and fancy another cup of coffee..  Listen out for me operating M0YKS, I am on holiday away from college for Easter (two weeks) and will be active mainly on HF and some satellite & 2 meter simplex from the shack and mobile in between the family activities. Maybe also active from the room where the kettle and FT-890 are!

73. Good DXing! M0YKS - Simon

The light is shining bright at the end of a very long tunnel

Apologies for my absence....... It has been too long since I posted on my blog so I thought I would put you in the picture as to what has been keeping me from my beloved radio antics.

You may remember I started installing a new central heating system which ended up taking me quite a few weekends of crawling about under the floorboards with my pipe and blow torch.

After that I proceeded to rip out the original lead pipe work and then I successfully switched over to my new copper pipework system. 

I was assisted by a very beautiful pipe bender and screw passer who helped me on numerous occasions which was especially helpful when I was running out of enthusiasm! 

No holding back as I let loose on the old bathroom.

Phew! I can get a shower again and a bath. But better still I have finished!

Work has been busy, last month I sat lots of exams and carried out some welding practical examinations and became a coded welder and welding inspector. This will assist my College teaching role.

And finally it was my oldest daughter's birthday as well as my own last weekend where I got to DJ at her party which was lots of fun and believe it or not quite cool. To celebrate my own birthday I made myself a short stubby exhaust can from stainless steel for my GSXR 1000 which sounds very nice indeed. I got to test it out on a quick ride over the moor tops and enjoyed it a bit too much, all I need now is some sunshine.

Radio in the shack has been on the back burner and apart from my daily mobile operation I have been reasonably quiet. Most of my qso's have taken place on 20m early mornings and also I have been active on 2m via a local repeater GB3TP. I heard japan a few times last month and this evening I heard YB0IBM loud and clear 5/9+ from Indonesia on 20m to my mobile station - YAESU FT-857 and Maldol HFC-20 Mono band antenna. 

So the DIY is done, work are pleased I am now a coded welder and welding inspector as we plan to offer welder codings and training at the college. That must mean it is family fun time and M0YKS is once again back On The Air....Well the bands at least! Catch you soon..C Q CQ Calling CQ. 73!

Back To It!

The kids are asleep, the dog is asleep, Louise my YL is asleep. It's M0YKS Ham Radio Shack Time!

It's been full speed ahead since the new year where I have been off to a fine start when it comes to getting my finger out and cracking on.....Especially when it comes to keeping the family sweet with a bit of home improvement.

There is something about bending pipe that gives a you a special kind of happy feeling when you do it. Before I got into teaching I worked in the industrial sector where I maintained lots of plant, industrial and technical equipment as well as the buildings and workshops. Needless to say I am multi skilled which always comes in handy for keeping the costs down.

As for getting on the bands it will be business as usual which means most evenings after 9pm local and /Mobile, as for any other opportunities I will take them when they appear. I still have got quite a bit of pipework to run and a few radiators to change before I am done and not forgetting lots of family fun. Best 73 and Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

Superb Band Conditions On 20M

I was very pleased to find the 20m band wide open this morning as I drove to work  /Mobile, I was straight into Sydney Australia as I worked VK2DX giving him a juicy 5/6 signal.  Nick VK2DX was booming with a genuine 5/9 signal. Well that's all for now time for some work. If you can get on 20m right now its wide open.

40m Delta Loop

I built myself a full wave 40m loop, ordered a 22m fibreglass flagpole and went outside into my back garden. I erected the loop in a delta formation with one end supported by a convenient tree, the other my new flagpole and used a 4:1 balun and coaxial choke to feed the antenna with 50 ohm heavy coax.

I am amazed that the the 40m delta loop works on 80 without any need for an atu with 1.5 swr. Also swr readings of 1.5 and less on 17m, 15m, 12m and 10m. Thats is awsome! I just need the atu to tune 40m and 20m as they are reading swr at around 2.5:3 which I may have a go at improving on when I get chance. So far the 40m Delta Loop is receiving superbly and seems great on transmit with my single calls getting over the pileup on 100 watts quite easily. Its looking promising and I will enjoy testing it out over the winter months.

Homebrew 40m Delta Loop - There will be much more info including build instructions/dimensions and band results on the new 80m - 10m (40m full wave Loop) in my next post, until then very best 73!

Engineering Students Get A Radio Demo

This afternoon I introduced my engineering/electronics students to the world of amateur radio.
The students are in their second year with me studying part time on a three year schools provision we are delivering at the college. The students have all built FM receivers so as promised I brought in some of my standby ham radio gear to show them how things work.
I set up my YAESU FT -767 in the back of the van which I parked inside the college grounds. I showed the students my collection of mono band antennas explaining their purpose regarding wavelength size and resonance without trying to overcomplicate  things too much.

I decided to make the most of the opportunity and got out the large Hustler mono band mobile antenna which has separate resonators (interchangeable top loaded whip sections)  for most of the HF bands. I powered up the trusty old Transceiver and began to check out the 40m band with the students listening by. We were fortunate as the band conditions were favorable and  I was soon in qso using the college's club call MX0KSC. The students soon got the hang of it and were keen to try and tune the vfo to a voice signal, I gave them a go under strict supervision and to my pleasure they were taking things seriously. I spent the next couple of hours changing over the Hustler resonators to explore the various HF bands as we worked lots of stations on 40m, 20m, 17m and 15m.

The confidence levels soon crept up and when the first student took to the microphone to pass a message and help me work a station in Northern Ireland I then had my hands full because they were hungry for more. We called CQ and had a few takers and in the end managed qsos into Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, Romania, Bavaria and Bulgaria. The students enjoyed the experience and a couple of them might even become Hams of the future. I was very pleased with their behavior and operating manner as well as surprised just how interested they were in ham radio as it was quite a chilly day. Next week they will be back in the welding workshop nice and warm but there will be more from MX0KSC in the very near future. 73