Gremlins in the Blog

I had a few problems displaying the blog listing of previous blogs yesterday, after I had uploaded a new blog about the FT8CN app. I have found out what caused it and all should now display correctly on your phones, tablets and PC's.


73's Steve

FT8CN 10m decodes

Around 16:30z I switched to 10m, the band was wide open to the UK.

Examples of FT8 decoded using FT8CN on my android tablet:

 

 




FT8CN a new FREE android APP..

There is a new FT8 APP for Android doing the rounds, called FT8CN from BG7YOZ (China). It is a free download and unrestricted in use. It is in the early stages of development, but is already up to version 0.86.

Download the APK file from here:https://github.com/N0BOY/FT8CN/releases

You  will need to give your device permission to allow install of the APP.

There are various ways to configure the radio connection. The simplest VOX appears to use the Android device's internal mic and speaker.(Of course you could pipe the audio directly in and out via the audio socket on your Tablet or Phone). Direct CAT allows a USB connection, Bluetooth is available, and connection via a WiFi network. All these seem to be in early stages of development.




 I soon got it installed, and enabled, decoding the audio using the internal mic of my Android tablet..

 



 

Split mode enabled showing Spectrum scope and received decodes.


 

 

 

It also plots the action to a live map via another quick tap on the screen.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The G3XBM legacy now in print

Roger "G3XBM" has now published a book titled  "G3XBM Project Scrapbook".

It takes you through his historic years of homebrew construction and operating to present day. To include portable operating, Antennas, LF, HF, VHF, Fredbox and Sixbox designs with full circuit info, even stuff that never got built etc etc.

All Roger's designs, are not over engineered, and very simple to understand and build.

It is a  FREE download here:https://tinyurl.com/y56vjhd6

If you feel this has been of good use after reading, you can always support him with a coffee or two here:https://ko-fi.com/rogerg3xbm



New GQRP videos released

From the recent GQRP club convention, video recordings are now available to view:

Just go the GQRP Club YouTube channel and you should find:

* Charlie, ZL2CTM, talking about his approach to RF Construction
* Tony, G4WIF, sharing his experiences of building and using RF Test Equipment:
* Farhan, VU2ESE, talking about his latest BITX transceiver for 2m
* Steve, G0KYA, sharing his experiences of building and using the End Fed Half Wave antenna:
* Pete, N6QW, talking about building a valve (tube) transmitter in the 21st century
* John, M0JAV, sharing the latest information and answering questions about EMF Assessments:
* Steve, G0FUW, talking about getting started with surface mount devices
* Michael, G0POT, sharing his experiences of operating from hill tops
* Roy, W7EL, talking about antenna modelling using EZNEC
* Anthony, K8ZT, sharing his experiences of operating with QRP
* Alan, W2AEW, talking about a range of RF test equipment
* Bonus Session, Operating Panel with Peter, G3XJS and Carl, GW0VSW

 

 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClhe-ybLZzpnJh80VmFuS-A

 

If your not a member of the GQRP club, why now join today. From only £6 (UK) inc 4 issues of Sprat, and a just a few more shekels if you are in DX land: http://www.gqrp.com/join.htm

 

 

VOAPROP configuring 2021

Sunspots are getting higher! 
 
Band conditions are improving once again, it's time to get active!  It is nice to be able crunch all the data and get a daily understandable, updated plot, and find out what bands may be workable, where and when, under this improving cycle.

VOAPROP is a graphical propagation presentation program, written many years ago by the late G4ILO, used in conjunction with VOACAP as its engine. It is something I have used for years, until I encountered a PC crash recently that took out my motherboard, and which I had to scrap off  the entire computer and set up a newer PC with a copy of Windows 10.  
 


 
However the new installation of VOAPROP didn't go smooth, and it made me scratch my head over a few long nights.
 
The first problem encountered the software was not updating the Solar data? I know G4ILO had done some work on this around 2014 when WWV changed the solar file format. This is  logged in G4ILO's last notes about the update.
 
 Important notice: 
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Because of a change in the format of the WWV solar information file updates now fail with an error. Thanks to Mirek, OK1DUB a fixed version of the file has been made available. The URL in the Solar Data window must be http://ok1dub.cz/wwv/wwv.txt ) 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
OK1DUB runs the server that takes the newer file format, and then converts it to the old one|VOAPROP can use
 
However the above link which the software comes packaged with now proves dead!
 
But the server still continues to work, and it's new link which URL I eventually found, must be pasted into the program Solar Data window is:  https://ure.cz/wwv/wwv.txt
 
Second problem encountered with Windows 10. When I pasted the new URL into the software, still produced an error and was't updating voaprop.config file? Again another few hours of late night head banging and scratching Grrr!  I found the reason why?
 
 
This is down to a configuration setting against the program itself, and Windows 10. What you must do, is right click on the VOAPROP icon on the Windows desktop, and click Run as administrator then add the URL again to the Solar data window, and this time it will update the file, and everything will then start to work, and you will see the Solardata update.
 

 
 
If you also pop down to Mirak's site http://ok1dub.cz/wwv/ you will also be able to find updated ssndata.txt and beacons.txt files which you can download and update in the root of the program.

Once you have all this updated, the program will perform flawless without any problem.

  

My thanks must be to the late G4ILO for writing such a superb piece of software, and his family that still keep his website open https://www.g4ilo.com/

 

 


Remember what it was like without it all?

 

Remember what it was once like without Facebook, and Instagram, and we had dial up Internet..

The dark nights are certainly back and Facebook has failed!
 
 
Time to return back to Blogging, watch this space! :-)
 
 
 



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  • Matt W1MST, Managing Editor