AmateurRadio.com

International Ham Radio News & Opinion

Author Archive

WOW what is NAREM up too!!!!

April 2nd, 2016 |

Here is a link to the Radio Artisan's blog....He shares recommendations from the National Amateur Radio Equipment Manufacturers......The link

I took an extra few days off over the Easter weekend with the intention of getting some solid radio time in. As it turned out the only day I had was yesterday afternoon most likely because I knew my vacation was coming to an end and the plan was to get on the rig! I was planning on doing some JT-65 as with the solar conditions not so great and my 5 watts signal to boot it seemed to be the logical move. Before getting on the radio I looked up a website called Band conditions. This is a very nice site that gives you up to date band conditions via nice easy to read bar type graphs. Each HF band is displayed and is update automatically every 30 seconds. There is an arrow for each band graph that is either in the Red, Yellow or green portion of the bar graph……you can guess what color means what. Seeing that 20m and 30m seemed to be the go to bands I booted up WSJT-X and ended up finding 30m not so great but 20m was booming with lots of European stations. Unfortunately my calling CQ was not being answered. I did check with PSK reporter and my signal was being spotted all over the U.S as well as some places in Europe. I then closed down WSJT-X and opened Fldigi and now the plan was to give PSK 31 a whirl on 20m. I was not disappointed as there was lots of signals in the waterfall. After spending about 45 min’s on the band I only was able to get the attention of one Spanish station to hear my QRP signal……BUT conditions seemed to change and we never completed the QSO. One thing I took away from the time on the radio is that I have to review what PSK-31 macro’s and simplify some and rename some of the buttons to make them more user friendly to me.

Remembering things is the hard part……

March 28th, 2016 |

Author: Mike VE9KK

My work station and my assistant...sleeping.

I find as most do that as you get older somethings get harder to remember! It's like that for me with ham radio at times bouncing from CW to the different digital modes can be a memory game.
Some of my memory games are:
1. Removing cables from a piece of equipment thinking I have a photographic memory....only when it comes time to re-connect the picture is blank!
2. Running digital software and an issue comes up.....I know its happened before and it's a easy fix if I could only remember the dam fix!
3. When software is not playing well together and it's a com port issue....I will be darned if I can remember what com port goes where!
4. A real good one for me is some of my software share the same virtual comports it's always a brain teaser to figure out what software can and can't work together!
It was now time to address the above issues the Easter weekend was here and I have some extra time on my hands.

Murphy strikes

To solve the first issue was very straight forward but again I just could not seem to put aside the time. I got out my label machine and labeled the cables and also wrote out on a document what goes where. There has been some very frustrating times with my Elecraft kX3 trying the digital modes and it's not working. After checking everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) I simply plugged one of the interfacing cables into the wrong jack on the KX3.

Starting the labeling

To deal with the 2nd issue I now have a document going over the settings and common problems I have had and the fix for them. One issue I have had in the past was with Fldigi, I start the program up and hit transmit to check my ALC level. Instead of getting a solid 4 bars the ALC is pulsing from 2 bars to 5 bars. The simple fix (when I remembered) is for some reason my transmit is on the edge of the digi mode band. This causes the funky ALC reading. The fix is to just move your transmit to more centre on the band and your good to go.
Ah yes the 3rd issue....the comport circus! I have found that software does have a mind of it's own and I have had on occasion comports get changed around. So now I have a master list of what comport is for what software.
Finally number 4.......for rig control software I use Win4k3suite and you have available up to 4 virtual comports. Thats fine if you only have 4 programs you would like to use along side Win4k3suite. As for me I have a few more than just 4 programs mind you Im not using them all at the same time but you have to be aware to not run 2 programs that share the same virtual comports.....or.....things will just not work. To help me out I made a list of what programs and their virtual comports.

Iambic Master

March 21st, 2016 |

Author: Mike VE9KK

In my last blog post I was searching for software I could load on my home PC that would allow me to use my Iambic key to interact with contest software. I was wanting to become more familiar with sending code with my key and not the keyboard. Most if not all the software I came across only used the keyboard to enter QSO information. There is nothing wrong at all with that and I have found these programs to be a great benefit at speeding up my keyboarding skills. I was wanting software that would take me in a new direction using my key. One of my blog readers alerted me to really the only contest simulation program out there that tailored to my request and the program is called Iambic Master. This program allows me to enter contest details with my Iambic key. I gave it a go and it works very well, there are only 2 contests (Sprint and Sweepstakes) this program simulates but that is just fine. Iambic Master presents you with a typical contest response that you have to enter with your key. You are allowed to move on the next line if you….

Pound out all the letters and numbers correctly.
Each group of letters and numbers have to flow smoothly…..for example if the sample text is as follows “ NA4K 49 MIKE ON VE3WDM” and you are a bit slow with a letter or number and your text reads “NA4K 49 MIKE O N VE3WDM” you will not be able to go to next letter group with the space between “O N” You have to repeat the whole line again with correct spacing.

Getting the numbers and letters to flow nice and smooth is where I need the practice and I did email the author of the program to thank him for creating such a program. He did mention to me that it would be mastering the flow that would try my nerves. He was right it can get a bit crazy when you are “tapping” out the code and almost done and then you slow the flow down and that’s it you have to start your line over again!! The only other issue I had was my antivirus software blocked the program, once I added an exemption all was good.

Can this be done??

March 6th, 2016 |

Author: Mike VE9KK

I have been using a PC program called Morse runner and going to the LCWO website to increase my contest cw receiving speed and keyboard skill. I wanted to take it up a notch to what I consider a must have contest skill. The skill I am referring to is the ability to exchange contest info with my Iambic key ( Begali Contour) and not only the keyboard. Both Morse Runner and the tools from the LCWO site have been a great help with improving my keyboard and receiving speed and moving it forward. What I'm looking for and asking my blog readers input on is......a PC program similar to Morse Runner were I can use my key to interact with the program. Morse Runner sends you a call, you enter the call in the program (it checks you have enter proper call) then a contest report comes your way you enter it and the program sends your report. If all the info checks out as correct you are able to move on the the next contact. Does anyone know of a PC program out there were I can use my key and not keyboard to brush up on my key proficiency within a contest environment.

Oh and by the way of a radio report..... I was on the rig yesterday not much going on the CW portion of 20m and 30m during the early part of the afternoon. I ventured back around 22:00 UTC and 20m was sending some DX my way. Some of the stations heard but I was unable to contact were LZ300MSP (that call is a key full), T77CS, EA3AIZ from Spain struggled to hear my QRP signal but there was just to much QSB at his end. All was not lost DL3DXX heard me in Germany and gave me a 559 report.

MFJ 1788 vs Weather

February 28th, 2016 |

Author: Mike VE9KK

As like everywhere else it seems the weather up this way is as up and down as the solar conditions! Up this way we have been breaking records with both high and sometimes low temps. Along with this crazy weather comes conditions that can be very hard on our antenna systems. I have read on many blogs of fellow hams dealing with antenna damage due to wind, ice and heavy snow issues. My antenna foot print is a very small one and so I thought sheltered from many of the issues others have been dealing with. Here is my weather related antenna issue to add to the list of weather mishaps. On Wednesday this week Julie and I came home from work and she announced (as she was looking outside) “your not going to like this”. Not very comforting words as I had a look for myself and saw that the high winds had their way with my antenna! I have an MFJ 1788 mag loop antenna. It’s mounted on a tripod on our balcony of the condo. The wind had toppled it on it’s side and then tossed all around the balcony as well. I understand to most of the other hams out there with weather damaged antennas, mine is a walk in the park. In my humble opinion this is the only antenna I have, it’s not cheap to replace and I am very limited on my antenna choices. As a side note I usually place the antenna off to the side when not in use and that way it is totally sheltered from the elements. I admit I was lazy and figured it had been ok for a week with the antenna in that position………..WRONG! I stood the antenna back upright and there seemed to be no broken parts all was in tacked. I crossed my fingers turned on the K3 and gave the antenna a go, the lowest the SWR would go was 4.0:1 and higher on other bands……not good. Below are the steps I went through to eventually fixing the antenna:

In the above picture the 3rd fin from the left was perfect centre and all others had to match.

1. Since the coax had a good few tugs on it as the antenna bounced around the balcony I wanted to first make sure it was not the coax that was the issue. I put it on a dummy load and (unfortunately) it tested fine.

2 2. I then inspected the PL-259 connector just to make sure it was fine and not on it’s way out due to unforeseen damage. It was ok as well.

3 3. I then brought in the MFJ 1788 antenna into the house and first had a look over of the outside case, SO-259 and the antenna loop. All seemed good this way.

4 4. It was now time to open up the plastic housing and have a look inside, I have had the antenna apart on occasion for routine maintenance so I had an idea of how things should look. There was no obvious signs of damage to any of the major parts.

5 5. It was now time to connect the coax and run the internal variable capacitor to the end of each stop via the control box.

Here is where I noticed two problems:

· A.The spacing between the stationary fins and rotating fins was not equal at certain points along the variable capacitor.

· B. When the capacitor was fully seated in one direction both the stationary fins and rotating fins should sit flush with each other and some on the rotating section were sitting higher.

To fix the spacing problem (which I had to do then the antenna was shipped to me) I used a screw driver to manipulate the fins to even up all the air gap between fins. To repair the fins that were not sitting flush I was able to loosen a nut on the shaft that held all the moving capacitor fins in place. I then was able to adjust the fins that were sitting to high and make them all flush.

It's hard to see but from the left about 7 fins over the next five fins start to look odd, this is because these fins are not sitting flush with the other fins and they had to be adjusted so they were flush.

1 6. It was not time to cross my fingers and try the antenna (with plastic cover off) and see if this was in fact the problem. I was able to turn the antenna to 1.1:1- 1.1:4 on all bands and this was with the antenna sitting on a table in my living room. It seems the problem was fixed!

2
7. I then put the plastic cover back on and again check the SWR on all bands, I wanted to make sure nothing changed……. nothing did change and all was still good.

3 8. I then re-mounted the antenna on the tripod and covered it with my canvas patio table cover….so it does not “look” like an antenna. I then tested the SWR again…it was now 8:1!!

4 9. I then removed the canvas cover and the SWR was fine again…..seems canvas was damp do to the rain that accompanied the wind that day. I put the cover in the dryer and then back on the antenna and all was well. I am now going to purchase some waterproofing spray for the canvas to keep the antenna dry.
Below is one section of the fins that have been adjusted and are back to normal position.

ARRL DX CW contest done for 2016

February 21st, 2016 |

Author: Mike VE9KK

The roll top radio desk

The ARRL DX CW has come and gone and I took a part time approach to the contest. I was operating single op, non assisted and QRP. The setup is an Elecraft k3 and P3 along with Win4K3suite, N1MM+, MFJ 1788 loop and MRP 40 cw decoding software. I have MRP running in the background as when the CW speeds hit 33-40 it's just easier to use the software. A contest policy that I have is to NOT update any contest software before a contest. There was a new Win4k3suite and N1MM+ update and I resisted the temptation to update. I have had some very frustrating contest's when I have updated software just before the event. I was able to get on Saturday morning and Sunday morning/afternoon. On Sunday I thought I would get at it early, so I was on the rig at 7am local time on 15m ...BUT... the band was really not all that active out this way. That's a good sign for me as during the next contest I can sleep in a bit and not really miss anything. Around 8:00 A.M local time 15m started to come alive and things were hoping right up until I had to shut things down at 9:30am due to chores. I was back on again around 1pm local and 15 was good and 20 meters had lots of Eastern Europe booming in. I soon exhausted my contacts on 15m as N1MM+ was telling me "DUPE" for a majority signals on 15m. I was then off to 20m and it was interesting there as the signals were booming in but it seemed I was barely making it, I had to do many repeats. I was off and on until about 3:45 local time and I then decided it was time to shut down. I had a great time making 40 contacts with 33 multipliers for a score of 3960.While writing this post to clear my head head of the dit's and dah's I have Motown booming on the Studio Beat wireless headphones!

The contest desktop