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

CQ WW 2015

Last Call - M0YKS Feeling Pleased & Tired Finishing The CQ WW 2015 Contest at 00.00 utc 

This year during CQ World Wide I managed 172 QSO's and 18 CQ DX Zones, conditions were reasonable throughout the contest but not quite as good as last year. Despite that I heard four other CQ DX Zones, Zone 3, 10, 23 and Zone 30 which if I had managed to work all four I would have beaten my high score of 21 that I had repeated last year. Nevertheless, I had a great time participating as a low power single unassisted operator and managed to log CQ Zones 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 24, 25, 33 and Zone 40. I was happy with the station and everything went well with some interesting DX from China, Japan, The Middle East, The Caribbean and West Indies, North and South America as well as Europe. I worked across the entire HF bands and thoroughly enjoyed myself, Thanks to All Stations Worked! I made a video during this year's CQ World Wide Contest which is now available to view below. I hope I caught you on video during CQ WW 2015. 73

 

Local QRM During The CQ WW Contest

A Steady Climb To 1000 Subscribers

I have had a nice steady stream of subscribers to my Youtube Channel since I first began my video antics back in september 2006.
Drum roll.....followed by loud trumpet!!
Well today I made it to 1000 subscribers on Youtube! Thanks Guys! :-)

I made a couple of ham radio related videos over the past few weeks which I have posted below. Thanks again, your support is very much appreciated. 73 Happy Ham ing!

Once Again, Big VK Signals Into The DX Mobile

My mobile amateur radio set up has been doing a fine job as usual. For the second week in a row solar activity on the 20m band has continued to provide some fantastic openings into VK and I have heard many stations coming in really well early in the morning.

Today at around 7.10 utc I heard VK1MA - Matt from Canberra, Australia.  I had recently worked VK1MA just last week whilst mobile and this morning it was very nice to get another opportunity to test my YAESU FT-857 and MALDOL HFC -20 mono band antenna pictured below. My signal report from Matt this time was 5/6, he was a good 5/9 solid copy into the DX Machine...

I had a quick browse back through my blog and noticed I worked VK1MA back in March so I guess the 10500 miles between our antenna is almost a regular path for good two way communications on the move! 73

20M Is Wide Open

A great drive in to work this morning as I heard lots of VK stations from down under booming through on 20m.

One station - VK1MA heard me calling him and came back to my mobile call with a good report into the shack of Matt - VK1MA

XW-2(CAS-3) Satellites

Nine New Chinese Amateur Satellites 
If you haven't heard already you will be pleased to hear that over the weekend on Saturday China launched their new Chang Zheng 6 (CZ-6) Rocket and successfully deployed 9, XW-2/CAS-3 Amateur Radio Satellites into orbit.

Operational Information 

Current Position Of CAMSAT- XW-2/CAS-3 Satellites

More info via AMSAT UK

M0YKS Satellite Array

Beaming to the North with my 5 element 145MHz Yagi and 15 Element X Beam 432 - 437 MHz.

This weekend I shall try catch a few "birds" with my FT-847 Satellite setup. Hopefully I might even get some weather images from NOAA 18 and 19 to post as well as a QSO via one of the amateur satellites. In the meantime as we say in Yorkshire, "have a good un".
73 and let's hope that the HF bands will start to pick up again!

Starting School

This week my oldest daughter Elsie started school full time and as you can see she is making a good impression already. We are so proud of her obtaining an award certificate for being nice to her brand new classmates and teacher. Well done Elsie!

As for radio.... I have been active from my mobile on the usual 20m band but conditions have been flat due to a geomagnetic storm which is still going on. Back in my shack where it is coming close to bedtime I have just worked LZ215KF on 40m. I was operating with my FT1000mp MKV and Carolina Windom antenna, My power was around 100 watts and I received a 5/9+20 signal report. However right now at 23.30 local time the bands are almost completely closed down from 80m upwards with just the odd station coming in here and there. Hopefully the space weather will get back to normal as we approach Autumn and at least the LF and lower HF bands should stay open into the late night allowing me to have a few qso's here and there when the family have all settled down.  73 Happy Ham-ing!

BBC Weather Man - Paul Hudson

This week whilst enjoying a lunchtime snack outside in the fresh air I saw a guy walking by whom I recognised immediately as local BBC weather presenter Paul Hudson.
Paul was just about to be filmed making a new season of Inside Out which will be aired on BBC 1 this coming monday.
I had a sudden burst of excitement when I saw what was going on and of course I told Paul Hudson that I was a follower of the weather not only from the BBC but via NOAA satellites received in real time using my amateur radio equipment.

Here is a screen capture of Paul in action whilst broadcasting from the BBC television centre.

This one features Paul Hudson - BBC Weather Presenter in Keighley West Yorkshire and yours truly Simon Davison M0YKS Amateur Radio Satellite Weather chaser!

Below are a couple of of previously received satellite images from NOAA 19 using my 5 element yagi, satellite controller and FT-847 YAESU transceiver.

Other news. The 20m band has started to show signs of improvement since the recent disturbance caused by a large solar storm as I have managed some nice QSO's from my mobile station whilst carrying out my daily commute. My FT-857 and Maldol Antenna are still doing a terrific job and the reports I have been getting back from many stations have all been positive.  I worked into CYPRUS one evening last week whilst driving home and spoke with 5B station who said I my signal was very strong for a mobile. Yesterday I heard a VK Station booming in 5/9 + but had reached my workplace and was out of time so I had to be happy with hearing him rather than working back to his distant location on this occasion.  As we draw toward Autumn it will be interesting to see what DX will be available both mobile and back in the shack. 73 Happy DXing

I have got myself a new radio buddy

I didn't quite get his call?

Schools Out For Summer!

I have been having a good summer break away from my workplace and we have been camping in the van, riding on steam engines buying and selling motorbikes and generally having lots of fun up at the holiday caravan/shack.

Camping in the DX machine on the East Coast at Runswick Bay.

Back in time on the worth valley steam railway

More holiday shack fun as well as getting on my FT100 Portable station from our hilltop retreat

And finally I sold a couple of my old motorcycles in order to purchase myself a new toy which is absolutely awesome to ride.

I still have a couple of weeks left before I have to think about going back to work. The DX machine is fuelled up with diesel, food and water as well as a few other creature comforts. The family are ready and willing to go wherever we fancy so listen out for M0YKS maybe at home, /Portable or /Mobile. 73

A71A Qatar Amateur Radio Society Club Station

Once again conditions are favorable with some great DX to be made on 20m as I just smashed through a pile up with a 5/9+ signal into the station of The Qatar Amateur Radio Society A71A