Holiday Shack

           M0YKS Holiday Shack

The bands are fairly quiet, the British summer weather is as mixed up as ever but the holiday shack is as excellent as ever...
As you can see I'm getting some rest bite from the hustle and bustle of everyday life as we all enjoy plenty of fresh air walks and radio.

As you can imagine there is lots to do exploring the outdoors and the family have a good time doing so.
 I brought my telescope and let my oldest have look at last night's moon which was very exciting for her. She keeps wanting to make some qsos as well so maybe you will hear her soon.
I also have my handheld transceivers charged and ARROW satellite antenna set up ready to go if the chance arises.
In the shack I am running my FT-767, 817 and 2600m and active mainly on 40m and 20m so far.

I hope band conditions start to improve throughout the week, I heard but didn't manage to get back to YB71RI Indonesia and VU2RCT India yesterday eary evening on 20m. Their signals were good but unfortunately so was the pile up. Catch you again  soon. Best 73 De Simon M0YKS.

Hustler 6btv

After 6 months of testing I decided to take my 40m delta loop down. The verdict was it tuned up amazing from 80m through to 10m but was no better than the Carolina Windom on performance. The biggest positive to come out was the visual impact of the fibre glass pole and delta shaped wire which has been engraved on the YL and neighbours minds so my Hustler 6btv could sneak in to the open without being noticed.

With this in mind I carried out some servicing of the Hustler, soldered up some new coaxial feed and hammered a new mounting stake.

I used a sold steel 40mm diameter bar as my ground spike and some stainless box section which slides over snug.

The job went well and the result is good with the Hustler 6btv up away from the trees. Last night the bands were quiet but I made a couple of nice qso using it. The next job will be refitting some radials. 

Catch up with you all soon. Thanks for the visit, best 73 De M0YKS Simon 

Clear Sky For ISS Pass Over IO93CU

The ISS caught my eye just now as I let the dog out.

I caught ISS on my Samsung Galaxy S5 as it hurtled past high in the sky at a speed of 7 miles a second. 73.

M0YKS/A

Operating from the holiday shack is still as good fun as ever!

The bands are not particularly good at the moment but I still managed a few  qso' s and some good radio time on my old setup that I use at my holiday shack. Listen out for me playing radio throughout August as I continue to enjoy family time and holiday's. 73

Happy Yorkshire Day!

Today is YORKSHIRE Day and as I am born and bred in Yorkshire I always enjoy myself and feel proud to be part of this special day.
Whilst we were out and about in the Yorkshire Dales earlier today I worked special event station GB0YD from my DX mobile up on the 2 meter band. GB0 Yorkshire Day was operating from a high point on the North Yorkshire Moor Tops known as Garrowby Hill which was about 50 miles east of my mobile location. It made the day complete getting a qso with the Yorkshire Day call sign, my own call M0YKS also has a Yorkshire ring to it.
That's all for now apart from.."Si Thi later..73..Av a Appy YORKSHIRE DAY"!

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!