Posts

Radio Licence Course

Image
Portable at The STAR CENTRE The Last couple of weeks The YL M3TLL Louise and Myself have been running a training course at the works QTH The STAR CENTRE,this is where the Ham Station is based down at Keighley College. The picture above shows the Communcation Centre where the rigs are in company with computer technology.To the right is a 6/2/70 tri-band Beam parrallel to an Oscar 437 30 element XSat-Beam.Below a view across the mars landscape to a Science Pod and Rocket, and bottom right shows an image recieved from NOAA 12. The Cushcraft MA5B mini beam for HF operation We also use a Hustler 6BTV and a Carolina Windom160 We have been Teaching some Air Training Corps Cadets.The Air Cadets are from Bradford and are 44F squadron A.T.C. We have worked with other squadrons and some have become Licenced Amatuers. This Course covers theory and practical tasks followed by an Examination so hopefully these cadets will achieve the Foundation licence We will be both on Air with the Cadets on Monda

New Antenna Courtesy of the 2006 BARNSLEY HAMRADIO RALLY

On Sunday Morning myself and the YL headed down the M1 to Barnsley South Yorkshire.It was the 2006 Barnsley Ham Radio Rally and i was on the lookout for another mobile Antenna.I already own quite a few tryed and tested beautys which include Maldol 80m,40m,20m,mono-banders a Maldol multibander 40m,15m,10m,6m,2m & 70cms.A mono-band 6M,10m,2m,and a Tri-band 6m,2m,70cms from Watson. This mission was to obtain a 15m-21mhz mobile Antenna,after a tour round the stalls i ended up at the Lam Communications stall where Lee the owner offered me a Comet 15m mobile Antenna. I was really after Maldol but i decided to try the comet and after the friendly discount i was quite happy with the purchase. I installed the Antenna to my second HF mount which is fed through a 2Way Antenna Switch in my DX machine (RAV4 TOYOTA powered FT100). On the return journey back up North to my QTH i was recieving good signals from the Blueridge Mountain in the USA,also South America, and I had a QSO with a 5/9+ signa

2006 WWW CQ Contest

A few Stations from this years World Wide CQ Contest . I was operating on the FT847 Earth Station From Yaesu .The Antenna's i used were Hustler 6btv on 21mhz,and on 14mhz i was expermenting between the Hustler and a Hombrew 20m Dipole, which was horizontal in an L configaration.It is 33ft in total length and is made from good quality 3mm multi strand copper wire which is sleeved.The Antenna is resonant across the 20m band so i run direct from the 2 way switch i use to change between the Hustler and the Homebrew 20m Dipole ,i was extremley surprised with the Dipole's excellent performance i managed 14 Zones and 8 new countries. Here are some DXCC Worked on 21mhz using the Hustler 6BTV and 50W. 6W1RY Senagal,PR2A Brazil,3V6T Tunisia,CX5BW Uruguay,FY5KE French Guiana,K9BGL USA,V26B Antigua and Barbuda,VC3R Canada,ZS9X South Africa,8R1EA Guyana all worked and many others. DXCC Worked on 14mhz using a combination of Hustler and Hombrew 20m Dipole KC1XX USA,7S2E Sweden,UU7J Ukraine

DX in the Dark!

It was dark as I was waiting for Blackpool Illuminations (historical light show) to start when I heard an old friend, Steve WZ1Y from Conneticut USA. We made contact on 20m he was impressed with my mobile I normally work him from the home QTH, this was a first from my mobile station. Also you get to see the lights come on and a quick view of Blackpool by night.

More DX Action

More DX action on my day trip to Blackpool. I worked 3 Stations on 20M using 50 watts through a mono band maldol HF20 mobile antenna,the radio is Yaesu FT100.QSO's are with 3A/IZ2EID/P (Monaco),HA501CW (Hungary) and AB8AL (USA).

Mobile Contact 27/10/2006

Here is one of many contacts I had on the way to Blackpool operating mobile.As you will see i live on the top of the Moors which is good for radio,however you need a 4x4 because its a bumpy ride down the the old dirt track.You can also hear my Dog trying to get in on the action!

Jamboree on the Air

Image
Cq Cq Cq JOTA !!!! That was what you could hear today down at the works QTH the Starcentre at Keighley College .This is where i work im a full time teaching technician in fabrication and welding,also a part time position in the Star Centre which is the college's Science Technology Aeronaughtical Regional Centre (STAR). This Years JOTA/JOTI event went down great with a fun day for the 50 Scouts that attended the event which was being held world wide over this weekend. AT the Star centre i was operating from the shack, helping the scouts obtain there Communications Badge .I was part of a team that did a total of 5 activities. The Scouts had to,build a crystal radio,down load a pod cast, jamboree on the internet ,Cool codes and playing radio. My YL Louise M3TLL was delivering cool codes which was Q codes,Phonetics,Call Signs and Pre-fixes etc.She made what a scout leader said was usually boring, fun and interesting.So with the use of PMR radio's and a head full of radio s