AmateurRadio.com

Today I unpacked this kit which I’ve had a couple of months. I have been waiting until I feel a bit better (less wobbly and clumsy) but now feel well enough to start the build.

Ultimate 3 beacon kit – received from Japan

I’ll build the TX low pass filter for 10m first as this looks “do-able”. The other parts may have to wait a few weeks. I want the kit building but want to do it when I am fit enough. The big issue will be boxing it. My brain bleed makes drilling cases a nightmare for me.

I was surprised to find no enclosed instructions. Guess one is meant to look on the net. Only unpacked the LPF module so far.  Being very careful.

Roger Lapthorn, G3XBM, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Cambridge, England.

Why would an amateur radio operator be interested in space weather?  Is it worth the time and resources to forecast propagation, in the daily operation of a typical ham radio station?

Gary, host of the popular ‘Ham Radio Now’ video podcast, talks with Tomas Hood (NW7US), propagation and space weather columnist for CQ Amateur Radio Magazine (and in the late ‘Popular Communications Magazine’ as well as ‘CQ VHF Quarterly Magazine’) and The Spectrum Monitor Magazine. Gary discusses with Tomas how scientists forecast space weather, and how the average ham radio operator can also make predictions, and what propagation forecasting can bring to the daily operations of an amateur radio enthusiast.

Watch on YouTube: ‘Ham Radio Now’ Episode 156: Propagation…

 

Visit, subscribe: NW7US Radio Communications and Propagation YouTube Channel

Today we went on a day return by train to London to be with our son Tim, his wife Jo and our grandchildren Lucien and Amandine. Tim met us and took us back to Kings Cross. Booking in advance and with Senior Rail Cards if works out cheaper than driving. At present I cannot drive because of my brain bleed last year.  It was good to spend time in their home again after so long.

With the grandchildren in London today

Totally by accident, we sat next to Nick G4IKZ on the train back from London. I’d not seen Nick since work days over 6 years ago. Many years ago we worked together in several Cambridge companies. Nick is one of the brightest minds I’ve had the privilege to know. There are few better RF engineers. We compared notes on 6m WSPR of course. He confirmed his 6m antenna is a horizontal Moxon.

Being late back, I decided not to turn the rigs on tonight.

Roger Lapthorn, G3XBM, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Cambridge, England.

I was up in Kasabonika, Ontario last week June 25th and 26th. I was up there doing Chainsaw training in this remote fly-in only Native Reserve. Kasabonika is located about 575kms North of Thunder Bay, Ontario. I took along my HB1B MKII with built in battery, my Elecraft T1 tuner, Chameleon Hy-Brid Micro coil and my PRC-271 whip along with a 15′ counterpoise and jaw mount to attach Hy-Brid coil to.
I called CQ for what seemed a long time while battling black flies and mosquitoes. A tune down the band on 20 meters showed W1AW loud in this community that is very much quiet in the way of line noise and other man made QRN. I tuned up just a bit to hear Peter OX3XR calling CQ with no takers, here is the information on that QSO.
Time: 2314z
Date:06-25-2014
Freq: 14052.5
Pwr:4 watts
Rig:HB1B MKII
Key:Micro switch
Antenna: Chameleon Hy-Brid Micro and PRC271 whip and 15’counterpoise with jaw mount
Location: Kasabonika, Ontario
Station worked: OX3XR
Name: Peter
His report:559
My report:539

Needless to say the contact made my day all the way around. Thanks Peter for the great contact.

Fred VE3FAL

Fred Lesnick, VE3FAL, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Thunder Bay Ontario, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].

Courtesy: DXMAPS.COM

Having been on 6m now for over 40 years (yikes!), like most 6m operators I've come to expect a fairly good number of Es openings by the end of June. This summer's Es season has been beyond poor, with far too many days looking much like Saturday morning's 6m propagation map (above) from DX Sherlock.

So far, the only bright spot for me has been a very short twenty-minute opening to Argentina and a CW QSO with LU5FF on May 24 at around 1500 hours local time.



Most 6m ops feel that sunspot cycle peak years also produce poorer than normal Es activity so maybe this is all just normal...or perhaps our global climate shifts are having an effect on the triggering mechanisms for Sporadic-E, just 60 miles above our heads.

Real-time 6m propagation can be followed here; Region 2 for North America and Region 3 for Europe.

After so many summers on six, I personally believe that the best propagation usually happens during the first week of July, so there is still hope for a really terrific month ahead and still time for whoever controls the magic to yet redeem themselves.



Steve McDonald, VE7SL, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from British Columbia, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].

Series Seven Episode Thirteen of the ICQ Amateur / Ham Radio Podcast has been released. The latest news, Martin (M1MRB & W9ICQ) and Colin (M6BOY) remember Amateur / Ham Radio Podcaster Tom Samacicio KB4HQA of HQA Radio who is now Silent Key. Martin (M1MRB & W9ICQ) interviews Sue Pycroft, G6DDS regarding Museums on the Air.

• Revalidation Figures of UK Amateur / Ham Radio Licences
• 13cm Amateur Radio Band Threatened in Holland
• New mode trial for VK medium wave beacon
• 27 MHz SSB CB legal
• Changes to Amateur Service Part 97 Rules
• Queen Shown Radio Ham’s Raspberry Pi Balloon  

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

Series Seven Episode Thirteen of the ICQ Amateur / Ham Radio Podcast has been released. The latest news, Martin (M1MRB & W9ICQ) and Colin (M6BOY) remember Amateur / Ham Radio Podcaster Tom Samacicio KB4HQA of HQA Radio who is now Silent Key. Martin (M1MRB & W9ICQ) interviews Sue Pycroft, G6DDS regarding Museums on the Air.

• Revalidation Figures of UK Amateur / Ham Radio Licences
• 13cm Amateur Radio Band Threatened in Holland
• New mode trial for VK medium wave beacon
• 27 MHz SSB CB legal
• Changes to Amateur Service Part 97 Rules
• Queen Shown Radio Ham’s Raspberry Pi Balloon  

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