AmateurRadio.com

Anyone who knows me well may be slightly taken aback to find me writing about QSL cards! Each to their own, but it’s a part of the hobby that really doesn’t appeal to me at all. However, I’ve always said that I think it’s nice to be able to QSL contacts which are special to you in some way.

And so it was, I felt, the other day when I worked Berend, PA3ARK on FO-29. Berend often inspires me to try something new and so I thought it might be nice to try and create a QSL to commemorate the QSO.

I looked around and found the HAMQSLer program from VA3HJ. I managed to get past the ‘the final courtesy of a QSO is a QSL’statement at the top of the website! In my opinion, the final courtesy of a QSO is to say 73, but therein lies why I find myself at odds with the ‘every contact must be QSLed’ brigade!

The program is free to download and I found it well-designed and easy to use. I did have to install the Microsoft .Net framework 4.5.1 and install it on my PC before I could install the software.

I was able to import a background image of a photo of our village church to use. I really had wanted to try and use one of the aerial photographs I took of the village when I flew over in G3WGV’s aircraft a couple of years back. However, I found the colours didn’t really lend themselves to overlaying text on top of the photo. Actually, I’m sure a more artistically gifted person would have managed, but I opted for the easy approach – one where I had a nice blue sky, where I could place most of the text.

I found that I was able to setup various static text fields and create a QSOs box, which could be populated  from an ADIF file from my logger.

After a bit of resizing and trying various options, I was ready to import my ADIF records. I did tweak the Mode field in the ADIF record, so that I could show that the QSO took place on a satellite. The logger, of course, records that I was (in this case) transmitting on 144MHz, but not that it was a satellite QSO. I wanted this to be clear, so I amended the Mode field in the ADIF field to say CW Via FO-29, which I thought was clearer.

Series Seven Episode Eight of the ICQ Amateur / Ham Radio Podcast has been released. The latest news, Martin (M1MRB) and Colin (M6BOY) discuss the recent Kempton Park Amateur / Ham Radio Rally and Martin (M1MRB) reviews the Yaesu FT-252E 2m Handhelad Amateur / Ham Radio.

• MacLoggerDX Version 5.53 released
• Important update - 5 MHz Band
• Ofcom 2300 and 3400 MHz ham radio bands statement
• Marconi Day - 26 April 2014
• U.S. Coast Guard, Liberian tanker, and Panamanian ham operator rescue from sinking sailboat
• 915-921 MHz Licence Exempt allocation
• ISS HamTV moves to 2369 MHz

I heard spring peepers for the first time this year. I hiked in an old field off Johnson Road and worked Russia, Panama and a couple of stations in the Michigan QSO Party.

I hiked about a quarter of a mile on a trail from the road and turned south skirting the edge of the field when I heard the peepers. I know where they are! There’s a vernal pool down a horse path through a large and prickly raspberry patch. I look through the woods and onto the small pond. Every time one of these tiny frogs sings, his body trembles enough to send circular ripples into the pond. They are, of course, calling CQ. It is a clear sign of spring and I am overjoyed.

I wandered through this overgrown field for a while. I was searching for a warm spot out of the wind. It’s only about 45F with a stiff breeze and a bit chilly. I pass the telltale signs of a long winter… tiny holes in the grass where mice and voles have sought cover while enduring the bitter cold.

I set up under a tall pine tree on a little hillside facing the sun.

I heave my wire over a branch and tune the KX3 on 20 meters. Stations are strong, but they don’t hear me well. I work UA2FL who is operating the Mineira DX Contest from Russia. Then I work two stations in the Michigan QSO party… N8KS and K8BZ. I switch to 12 meters. HO100CANAL is calling CQ and he answers right away. This is a special event station in Panama celebrating the opening of the canal 100 years ago.

With this I pack up and head back to the car. I check for ticks (usually out
by now) but thankfully, I don’t find any. Maybe the hard winter has reduced
their numbers.

If you ever needed proof that QRP is good fun and very rewarding, look no further than my latest project. I just (today) finished building the QRP Labs Ultimate 3 kit. This kit is amazing and I’ve ordered mine with the 20m BPF as thats the lowest band my home Antenna will go to.

In its current configuration my kit only pumps out 200mW and I left it running while i went out to a party with the family. On my return I was staggered by the reach on the little kit. The longest distance it was heard was a staggering 6408Km ! all that way with just 200mW of RF..

Here is a map I’ve downloaded of the plots :

and a list of the stations that heard it. You will notice some frequency fluctuation. I have to box the kit up and think about some stabilisation on the DDS. but hey for its first outing – I’m very happy !

INCOMING STORM CLOUDS: Three or four CMEs that left the sun earlier this week will arrive in quick succession this weekend. Mostly, the blows they deliver to Earth's magnetic field are expected to be weak, but the combined impacts could stir up significant geomagnetic activity. NOAA forecasters put the odds of a high-latitude geomagnetic storm at 55% on Saturday, increasing to 75% on Sunday. Check http://spaceweather.com for updates.

I was asked to write a final paper for my University of Phoenix Class on a topic that I was passionate about. I thought that how Ham Radio helps communities would be a good paper as wells help others understand a little more about what makes Ham’s so passionate about the topic. I received an A on the paper and in the class and thought I would share with the community. The interesting part of the paper is that two of the people in the class were doing some disaster planning as they lived on the West Coast and they are getting more and more worried about earthquakes. My teacher is now going to get his license and I send the other person more information about the process. Add a Ham a year is my goal.

Here is the full post:

http://nicktoday.com/ham-radio-helping-communities/

After what appears to be a life time of waiting HRD now supports Clublog, with automated uploads of your QSOs straight to the Clublog server. Its pretty simple, and runs in exactly the same way as HRDLog and eSQL plugs ins currently do within the Logbook application.. So here is how to do it.

Firstly download the latest version of HRD. At time of writing its version is 6.2.3.255 and is in public Beta.

Back up your files as described on the site, and install this new version.

Once downloaded and installed everything seems pretty familiar. Your logbook, layouts and program settings. will all be the same as they were before. But now you have a few options.

1. Click on Configure and in the drop down you will see ClubLog.

2. Add your registered email address and password to the fields, and you are Done !!

When ever you now log a QSO HRD Logbook will automatically upload the details to the Clublog server. Perfect for keeping an online log and embedding the Clublog log book facility on your web page (Like mine)

You can also bulk upload QSOs that you have not syncronised. You can do this by :
1. Select the QSOs that need to be uploaded to ClubLog.
2. Right mouse click and select File.
3. Select Clublog and select Upload.
4. The results will be loaded into a log file that you can view, by clicking “View” and “Logfile” from the top line menu.

These QSOs will now be uploaded to your Clublog account, and Clublog will send you an email (if you have chosen to receive them) confirming the upload, and any issues.

Again this is pretty simple stuff, but its been a long time coming and I for one am glad its finally enabled. !