First PSK31 Contact

Takes me back to my first CW contact and that was also with a German station. Pretty scary stuff for me as it was beta software and i am not yet familiar with it but the contact was made! I guess i need to sit down and practice with someone i know, just to get the feel of things and build confidence but, guess what, i think i enjoyed it ;-)

This Time it Wasn't My Fault!

Well it makes a change for it not to be something i had done wrong! Spent the last week trying to get DigitalMaster 780 working on PSK31 but, try as i might, i could not get it to receive! Now, after god knows how many questions asked and people tearing their hair out, it turns out i have found a bug in the program ( it can only happen to me ) The program worked fine for everyone else, it turned out to be the buffer level on my soundcard! Sent my logfile to Simon HB9DRV who writes the program and he discovered the fault. A new beta, just for me, was released and everything sprung into life! I would like to thank all the people i drove to drink, especially Terry G6CNQ and Gregg W9DHI, and assure them it was nothing to do with me for a change! Now perhaps i can get on with some PSK31 and get up to speed for the RSGB data contest next week.......phew!

Roy and CQ100

Well it has come a full circle with G4VCT. I did tell him the initial thrill of CQ100 would wear off, it has taken just over a week and he has reinstalled Echolink and Skype and vowed not to pay for other software. I just knew it wouldn't last, i feel like starting a campaign for "real radio". Listen for Roy swanning around on 40 metres again....

CQ100/QSONET

Roy G4VCT spent this morning on our 80m net raving about the virtues of cq100, a virtual transceiver on the internet. This caused quite a debate, the majority of us agreeing that it wasn't "real" radio. Roy enjoys it because of the large interface, the lack of QRM and the ease of use! So i thought i would have a look at it, even though this sort of thing holds no interest for me. I have used IRLP only once and Echolink when G3ZFZ was out in Malta.
The interface looks like a proper radio and the controls react how you would expect them to, it is also very easy to use. I had a quick listen round but after 10 minutes got extremely bored especially when i found out you used the keyboard to send CW! As far as i can see it is just like Echolink with perhaps more potential. It is internet communication with a fancy front end but if thats what some people enjoy then thats up to them. Sorry Roy i am not impressed.

Comet Capers

Thought you would like to see the Comet dipole that Bob G1OCK used in Tenerife. Its a rotary dipole for 10/15/20m and it worked very well for him mounted on the roof of the villa. Wish we had that sort of sunny weather over here at the moment!

On the Air with HRD

As you can see from the sidebar it is now possible to see what frequency i am working on HF at the present time. This is achieved using Ham Radio Deluxe sending information back to the blog pages every few minutes. It was quite difficult to get it working right but with the help of G6CRV , the guys on the HRD forums and my long suffering husband it is finally up and running! I might not always be running this feature but it is an interesting concept to try out. Ham Radio Deluxe continues to improve in leaps and bounds and i highly recommend it!

Start of the New Year

I really seem to have not got into any serious radio this week, time seems to be flying by somehow. What i have been doing is listening a lot on 30 metres. The trap dipole tunes well on this band and signals seem to be very good indeed. I used to own a Cushcraft D3W rotary dipole which would have been ideal but somehow i never did make the effort to make any contacts on there. I must admit to enjoying the listening and it makes a pleasant change to do something different for once. Now i need to get my Bencher out of the cupboard and do some transmitting ;-)

Happy New Year!

Hope everyone has a good 2007 and enjoys radio to the full. My new years resolution is to brush up on my CW and get back on the key as i am seriously out of practice. I also intend to be more active on the contest scene instead of watching the guys do all the work. It a very breezy New Years Eve here so don't think we will get up to much. Good news from our friends in Tenerife, Sue is doing great and hopefully will be flying back tomorrow.

Best Wishes for Sue

Bob G1OCK's wife Sue was unfortunately taken ill on Christmas Day. At the moment she is doing ok in hospital in Tenerife. Everyone wishes her the speediest of recoveries and a safe journey back home at the earliest opportunity.

A Sad Day!

End of an Era: FCC to Drop Morse Testing for All Amateur License Classes (Dec 15, 2006 [REVISED Dec 15, 2006 23:33 ET]) -- NEWINGTON, CT, Dec 15, 2006 -- In an historic move, the FCC has acted to drop the Morse code requirement for all Amateur Radio license classes. The Commission today adopted, but hasn't yet released, the long-awaited Report and Order (R in WT Docket 05-235, the "Morse code" proceeding. Also today, the FCC adopted an Order on Reconsideration in WT Docket 04-140 -- the "omnibus" proceeding -- modifying the Amateur Radio rules in response to an ARRL request to accommodate automatically controlled narrowband digital stations on 80 meters in the wake of rule changes that became effective today at 12:01 AM Eastern Time. The Commission said it will designate the 3585 to 3600 kHz frequency segment for such operations, although the segment will remain available for CW, RTTY and data as has been. In a break from what's been the usual practice in Amateur Radio proceedings, the FCC only issued a public notice at or about the close of business today and not the actual Report Order, so some details -- including the effective dates of the two orders -- remain uncertain. Currently, Amateur Radio applicants for General and higher class licenses have to pass a 5 WPM Morse code test to operate on HF. Today's R will eliminate that requirement all around.

Success on 20 Metres!!

Brilliant contact with EA8/G1OCK/P on 20m this lunchtime! I am Chuffed because i worked him on my wire, peaked 5/9 with me. Also on the net was Gordon G3ZFZ, Dave G6CRV and Tim M1JCB/M who astounded us all by getting the best report of us all and he was mobile in his works van around the Preston area. Will try again a little later today and see if conditions hold up.

Bob also now worked by Keith G3SZU and another of the Coast-to Coasters Geoff G4PXR

CQ CQ EA8/G1OCK/P

Well Bob i have shouted until i was hoarse on 15 metres! Actually i did hear Bob but very faintly and the best report i could give him was 4/4. It may be that we will have to try greyline or another band, possibly 20 metres but that is a very crowded band at the moment. Unfortunately i can't get the beam fully up as it is still fairly windy here. Still another 5 weeks in which to get a decent contact, just hope nobody spots him on the DXCluster, he might not be fully ready or even sober enough for a good old pileup ;-)

Christmas Bash

Friday evening saw me out with the Contest Group gang. We were at our usual haunt, The Hest Bank Hotel. Its always good to see everyone, although Keith G3SZU was poorly and could not make it and Bob and Sue are in Tenerife until mid January ( listen out for EA8/G1OCK on the bands ). The food was up to usual high standards but Christmas crackers seem to get worse each year, i think the score stood at 15 plastic seahores, a couple of plastic handbags and the rest i forget. Even party hats can't stand the pace nowadays!

Still Raining!

Its still raining and blowing a gale here. The mast is still over as yet more bad weather is forecast. I have spent very little time on radio as the holiday season is nearly upon us. Spent most of yesterday putting up what Christmas decorations i could without the cat running off with the tinsel and baubles, hence the tree this year is in the porch ( i might end up in there myself if he does not behave himself! ) The FT8900 is now back in the car but the car has to go back to Honda this weekend as it needs a few things sorting out and we will have a courtesy car for the next few days! Looking forward now to the contest group Christmas meal later this week.

Here We Go Again!

The weatherman says it is going to be stormy this weekend! They are predicting 80mph gusts and driving rain. This time we decided to take the mast over. Its a two man job, one to lower the mast and one to turn the beam as it comes down in order to avoid the wire antennas. So far so good! Its the first time the Force 12 beam has been over since it was installed over a year ago and its so much better having less load on the mast. Anyway we are "battening down the hatches" here and hoping the guys at the Met Office are wrong.