PSK reporter

Over the weekend I tried some JT-65 HF again after getting great feedback from my last blog post, I was under the impression I had some JT-65HF hits and in fact it turns out I netted ZERO contacts. The reports I was seeing on PSK reporter were stations I was hearing and  not hearing me! One of those who commented advised me to listen to the signal WSJT-X was sending. It turns out that was one of my problems, the software was not sending out CQ but a solid tuning tone. Seems this was a software issue with WSJT-X if I was to use the "tune" button on the software to see my ALC it would then send the same tone when TX was enabled. The way around this was to just restart WSJT-X and don't use the tune button on the software. There is a bata test software out now version 1.7 and I may download and try it. My results have been much better once this error was corrected.

Ham spots report

Mike Weir, VE9KK, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Brunswick, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].

PSK reporter

Over the weekend I tried some JT-65 HF again after getting great feedback from my last blog post, I was under the impression I had some JT-65HF hits and in fact it turns out I netted ZERO contacts. The reports I was seeing on PSK reporter were stations I was hearing and  not hearing me! One of those who commented advised me to listen to the signal WSJT-X was sending. It turns out that was one of my problems, the software was not sending out CQ but a solid tuning tone. Seems this was a software issue with WSJT-X if I was to use the "tune" button on the software to see my ALC it would then send the same tone when TX was enabled. The way around this was to just restart WSJT-X and don't use the tune button on the software. There is a bata test software out now version 1.7 and I may download and try it. My results have been much better once this error was corrected.

Ham spots report

Mike Weir, VE9KK, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Brunswick, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].

We’ve drawn the 36 winners of our 50+ NooElec SDR receivers. We had 1,398 entries from ham radio operators all over the world.

I’m always amazed how ham radio brings those with diverse backgrounds and geography together with a shared hobby and passionate interest — sometimes I think the world could take a lesson from us! I’ve made so many radio friends from all corners of the globe.

Before I announce the winners, I want to thank NooElec, our contributors, our sponsors and all of our loyal readers who have supported us over the years. We have over 4,500 newsletter readers and nearly 15,000 followers on social media and I’m grateful for every single one!

So… without further delay, here are the winners:

Two (2)
NESDR SMArt HF Bundles

Ray SM5XLP
Chris KD7DBL

One (1)
Raspberry Pi 3 NESDR SMArt Bundle
Includes Raspberry Pi 3, enclosure, SD card, and
2-pack of NESDR SMArt sets with antennas

James KI4HTC

Three (3)
NESDR SMArt sets with antennas
2-pack

Stefano IUØDFT
Dan W0UHF
Daryl N1BGR

Ten (10)
NESDR SMArt SDRs
2-pack

Sandeep VU3GUD
Mike VE3MIC
Roger G6NTQ
Robert KA1VF
Cori 2E0HWG
Bob W2RWM
Jari OH2BU
Rob W8MRL
Richard 4Z4DR
Pierre HB9FUF

Ten (10)
NESDR SMArt sets with antennas

Tim KJ6OIL
Joe KEODBJ
OK3OMG
James K3SE
John N1UMJ
Doug N2DW
Matt AE7DK
William WB6ANR
Egon VE6EGN
Richard WB2PEF

Ten (10)
NESDR SMArt SDRs

John W5AR
Rick K4NCX
Guy VA6GUY
James N1PZP
Landy KF5ZKR
Regis N1KXE
Rick KA0EGL
Bruno W6USC
Mike KD8KZT
Rich KB3NZV

If you’re a winner, check your e-mail for more details and don’t forget to enter our next giveaway scheduled for September.

If you didn’t win and you’re interested in ordering from NooElec, they’ve generously supplied us with a discount code for our readers:

AMRADIOTENOFF – $10 off orders $100 or more.
No restrictions.   Valid until 14 August 2016.

Thank you. again, to Jeff Crispino and the NooElec team. All of us look forward to more amazing giveaways!

Matt Thomas, W1MST, is the managing editor of AmateurRadio.com. Contact him at [email protected].

Here is this week’s space weather and geophysical report, issued 2016 Aug 08 0119 UTC.

Highlights of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 01 – 07 August 2016

Solar activity was at very low to moderate levels. Very low levels occurred on 01-04 and 06 Aug with low levels on 05 Aug and low to moderate levels on 07 Aug. Region 2572 (N13, L=320, class/area Dao/110 on 07 Aug) produced a C1/Sf flare observed at 05/1012 UTC. On 07 Aug, activity increased to moderate levels with an impulsive M1 (R1-Minor) x-ray event observed at 07/1444 UTC from an active region just beyond the SW limb. 07 Aug also saw numerous C-class flares. Region 2571 (N12, L=267, class/area Dai/150 on 07 Aug) produced a C5 event at 07/2232 UTC. New Region 2573 (N08, L=177, class/area Dso/060 on 07 Aug) produced a C8/Sf at 07/1509 UTC. No Earth-directed CMES were observed during the summary period.

No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit was at moderate flux levels on 02-03 Aug and high flux levels on 01 and 04-07 Aug. The highest flux reading was 16, 206 pfu observed at 06/1445 UTC.

Geomagnetic field activity was at quiet to minor storm levels. The period began on 01 Aug at quiet levels under a nominal solar wind regime. Midday on 02 Aug, activity levels increased to unsettled to minor storm (G1-Minor) levels due to shock enhancement from the arrival of the 28 Jul CME coupled with a CIR in advance of a recurrent, positive polarity CH HSS. Solar wind speeds increased from about 310 km/s early on 02 Aug to near 550 km/s by midday on 03 Aug. Unsettled to minor storm levels persisted through 03 Aug.

Wind speeds increased further on 04-05 Aug with a peak speed of near 675 km/s recorded late on 05 Aug. Winds speeds began a slow decay on 06 Aug. Mostly unsettled to active conditions were observed on 04-06 Aug. By 07 Aug, wind speeds decreased to about 500 km/s as effects from the CH HSS waned. Mostly quiet to unsettled levels were observed on 07 Aug.

Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 08 August – 03 September 2016

Solar activity is expected to be at low levels with a chance for M-class flares (R1-R2, Minor-Moderate) on 08-20 Aug due to the flare potential from Regions 2573 and 2574. Very low to low levels are expected on 21 Aug – 01 Sep. An increase to low levels with a chance for M-class flares (R1-R2, Minor-Moderate) are expected on 02-03 Sep with the return of Regions 2573 and 2574.

No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at high flux levels on 08-15, 22-23 and 26-28 Aug and again on 31 Aug-03 Sep due to recurrent CH HSS activity. Normal to moderate levels are expected for the remainder of the outlook period.

Geomagnetic field activity is expected to be at unsettled to G1 (Minor) storm levels on 08 Aug and again on 31 Aug due to recurrent CH HSS activity. Unsettled to active levels are expected on 09-11, 15-16, 18-19, 24-25, 29 and 30-31 Aug along with 01-03 Sep, all due to recurrent CH HSS activity. Mostly quiet conditions are expeced for the remainder of the outlook period.

Don’t forget to visit our live space weather and radio propagation web site, at: http://SunSpotWatch.com/

Live Aurora mapping is at http://aurora.sunspotwatch.com/

If you are on Twitter, please follow these two users: + https://Twitter.com/NW7US + https://Twitter.com/hfradiospacewx

Get the space weather and radio propagation self-study course, today. Visit http://nw7us.us/swc for the latest sale and for more information!

Check out the stunning view of our Sun in action, as seen during the last five years with the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXN-MdoGM9g

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Visit, subscribe: NW7US Radio Communications and Propagation YouTube Channel

The QSO with ON5DN in Rune’s shack would be the only one I made as SM/PA2BX. As I reported in a previous post I packed small and took a Chinese made crystal controlled, direct conversion trx with me. Just for fun and just to try out if you could make some QSOs with it at all.

Before I left Taiwan I tested it in the shack and there was indeed some signal coming out of it. But not the 3 Watts as advertised. Actually not much at all. In fact, barely noticeable on my power meter. And I’m lying here: not noticeable at all on my power meter. But I could hear a lot of Japanese stations on both 20 and 40 meters and I could hear my own signal S9+60 dB on my big rigs in the shack using only a wet noodle. Well, if not QRP then maybe QRPp. Or QRPpp. Or QRPpppppp. I didn’t expect a lot power from a single D802 transistor anyway.

So when we arrived in the small town of Rättvik, in Dalarna County I took out my small box and within 15 minutes I was “on air”. Enjoy with me the beautiful backdrop of my temporary, outdoor shack.Reception was good and I heard most of Europe on 40 and 20 meters by juggling between four different crystals and two end-fed half wave antennas. But my CQs went unanswered and answering the CQs of the strongest stations also didn’t yield a QSO. I didn’t mind, honestly. I had a lot of fun just listening and taking code, something I haven’t had time for in the last 18 months. And what really impressed me was the direct conversion receiver. Even more impressed when I heard a station from the US calling CQ.
Compared to Asia the bands in Europe are much more fun. They are crowded and you can hear many different modes any time of the day. In Asia there aren’t so many hams to begin with and during weekdays most of them work (Japanese retirees being a notable exception). On the weekends it gets busier, but then I have to work. Tough luck, so I was happy to get a good dose of ham radio in Sweden.

So, if you are thinking of buying a Chinese QRP CW kit of off eBay, then prepare yourself for being either surprised, or disappointed. The kit I bought was easy to assemble (surprise), received better than expected (surprise), but lacked the power for a proper QSO (disappointment).

Hans "Fong" van den Boogert, BX2ABT, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Taiwan. Contact him at [email protected].

In this episode, Martin M1MRB / W9ICQ is joined by Caryn-Eve Murray KD2GUT, Ed Durrant DD5LP , Dan Romanchik KB6NU, Martin Rothwell M0SGL and Chris Howard M0TCH to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin M6BOY rounds up the news in brief, and this episodes feature is Solar Powered Shacks by Robert EI2HNB.

• National Parks on the Air 2017 Update

• New Digital Voice Ham Radio Smartphone

• 5 MHz for Belarusian Radio Hams

• Hamvention Relocated

• FCC Considering Amateur Services Changes

• RSGB Lead Negative Response to 5GHz Changes

• Pokémon GO is RadioSport?

• 2016 Perseid Meteor Peak Shower

• Irish Repeater Group Improved Network

Colin Butler, M6BOY, is the host of the ICQ Podcast, a weekly radio show about Amateur Radio. Contact him at [email protected].

In this episode, Martin M1MRB / W9ICQ is joined by Caryn-Eve Murray KD2GUT, Ed Durrant DD5LP , Dan Romanchik KB6NU, Martin Rothwell M0SGL and Chris Howard M0TCH to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin M6BOY rounds up the news in brief, and this episodes feature is Solar Powered Shacks by Robert EI2HNB.

• National Parks on the Air 2017 Update

• New Digital Voice Ham Radio Smartphone

• 5 MHz for Belarusian Radio Hams

• Hamvention Relocated

• FCC Considering Amateur Services Changes

• RSGB Lead Negative Response to 5GHz Changes

• Pokémon GO is RadioSport?

• 2016 Perseid Meteor Peak Shower

• Irish Repeater Group Improved Network

Colin Butler, M6BOY, is the host of the ICQ Podcast, a weekly radio show about Amateur Radio. Contact him at [email protected].