Spanning the Atlantic on 2m

Southgate News reports that a Cornish amateur was copied in Newfoundland using the International Space Station as a passive reflector. At some point the Atlantic will be spanned by "natural" means (not including EME), probably by Es, MS, aurora or tropo or a combination of these modes. It has happened on 6m and 4m. It is only a matter of time.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2016/may/gk4loh_received_over_3467_km_on_144_mhz.htm.

2m UKAC tonight

I may try the 2m leg of the UKAC this evening using my halo fed with the non-too-brilliant feeder. This is a totally different antenna and feeder to the one which may be faulty. My voice is not good, so I probably won't stop on too long.

2m UKAC Aug 4th with 5W and a halo

UPDATE 2110z:  In the end, after about 1 hour of operating I managed 8 QSOs with the halo, UR58 (lossy feeder), and 5W from the FT817. I was quite pleased with the results considering the very poor antenna and low power.

Local 2m FM net

Most Mondays, a group of us in Cambridge and East Cambridgeshire meet for a net on 144.575MHz FM. We started as an AM net on 144.55MHz but had to QSY as one net member had no AM.

Although my voice is still very poor, I try to come on most Mondays but I prefer to listen more than talk. The net is open and we welcome newcomers. Some Mondays there is no-one around, but that is the exception. Usually there are about 3-5 of us on. Note 144.575MHz FM, not 145.575MHz. 8pm local time Mondays.

UPDATE 2035z:  Only 2 of us this evening G3KKD and G3XBM.

UKAC - 2m SSB tonight

Just 5 QSOs this evening on 2m SSB (5W pep) with best DX 204km to G7RAU on the Isle of Wight. As my antenna would still not rotate (bolts too tight) I decided to use the halo again, which is fed with lossy RG58 coax. I am very tempted to swap the rotatable antenna for stacked big wheels with low loss feed coax. Being omni would help in these contests as if I can work over 200km with the halo and lossy cable I'd be at least one S point better on stacked big wheels and a low loss cable. I could have worked far more if I stayed on longer but after an hour my very poor voice told me to stop. There were several workable stations in IO92 square. I worked none of these this evening.

Stations worked tonight with 5W + halo on 144MHz SSB.

UK Activity Contests

Every Tuesday evening the RSGB organises a VHF/UHF activity contest.  I have just in time submitted my entry for the low power section of last Tuesday evenings 50MHz contest. With just 3 QSOs logged there is no way on this earth that I'll be anywhere but near the bottom! Having a V2000 omni vertical antenna, 5W, and a stroke damaged voice is no way to enter a 50MHz, UK based, contest! The V2000 and even 2.5W is great in the Es season (I work most that is around), but it is far from ideal working inter-G on 6m SSB.

Tonight is the 144MHz (2m) March leg of the UKAC. My small 3el beam should turn again now (manually) so I'll see how long my voice holds out. 45 minutes to 60 minutes is usually my limit. Last week I was on very little time. My best DX seems to be around 200km with 5W on 2m in "normal" conditions.

At this time of the year there are fewer portable stations active but activity (SSB and CW) is usually very high so this is a good opportunity to work some new squares. People have been very friendly. If in the UK or nearby join the fun 2000-2230z on 2m.  I usually go QRT by 2100z because of the strain on my voice.

Just checked where I sit in the Jan 2015 AL section of the 50MHz UKAC. You guessed? Bottom! Well someone has to be!

Fredbox derivatives

Since my original Fredbox 2m AM design, a number of derivatives have been designed and built around the world. This is what our hobby is all about. Although the original Fredbox worked well and its results surprised me, it was always ripe for further developments, which is healthy. My Sixbox was a 6m version and at some point, when fitter, I'd like to make a simple 10m AM version for local natters.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/fredbox for the original Fredbox. Click on the schematic to enlarge. Other derivative ideas are on my website www.g3xbm.co.uk.   By the way, it got its name from Fred G8BWI who was a disabled local in the Cambridge area back in the 1970s. Fred was a regular contact and he could talk for hours and hours and hours and hours zzzzzzzzzzz. RIP Fred.

2m UKAC this evening

Unfortunately I was unable to rotate my small (hand rotated) 2m beam this evening. I think one of the fixings has worked loose and it was dark so I did not fancy fixing it in the dark. I was active for around 70 minutes but only raised locals and then gave in to my poor voice and went QRT.  Working SSB VHF contests really does strain my voice. Usually I have had enough after an hour.

Next Tuesday is the first 70cm UKAC. I'll have a go in that, after fixing the beam supports!

GB3MCB (144.469MHz)

You may recall I had not copied this 2m Cornish beacon, even on MS pings here in East Anglia and was wondering why.  Well, it turns out it is off air because it interferes with a local repeater.  I was actually quite pleased to read this - my kit was not deaf after all. On 2m I use the FT817ND with a 3el beam.The QTH is on an East Anglian "hill" i.e. a small bump. In UKAC Tuesday evening contests I can usually work 200km+ with 5W from home.  In the last UKAC 2m contest I worked a /P station in Scotland, which was much further.

UPDATE 5.10.14 0932z:   According to the beacon keeper, they plan to turn the 2m beacon back on at GB3MCB when coax has been replaced and antennas re-sited. It is a small group though and funds are tight.

2m UKAC results

Last night I went on 2m SSB with 5W in the monthly UKAC activity contest. After 1 hour and 40 minutes I had to stop as my voice was gone (stroke).  Best DX missed was GI6ATZ in N.Ireland. I called him a few times without success.

In all 16 QSOs were completed showing that modest power and antenna from the home QTH is enough to enjoy the contest. Had I stayed on longer I'm sure I would have worked more squares. Quite a few stations in northern England worked too on the small, hand rotated, 3el beam, from the home QTH.

Looking at the map, I should have turned the beam towards the SW.  Hardly likely I'll come other than close to the bottom, but that was not the point - it was good fun taking part.

2m stations worked with 5w/3el UKAC June 3rd 2014

144MHz across the Atlantic?

A new beacon, GB3WGI in Ulster, has been approved by OFCOM. When turned on it will radiate at least 100W ERP (possibly much more) in the direction of the USA. It will be monitored in the USA and Canada for possible 144MHz openings across the Atlantic.

For many years people have speculated about the possibility of working across the Atlantic on 144MHz. On very rare occasions, this might be achieved by various propagation modes including multi-hop Es, auroral E, tropo or MS, or more probably a combination of these. There have been tantalising hints that this path has been open before now, but no objectively verifiable proof. With new weak signal modes it surely will happen sometime soon.

144MHz Cumulative Contest

Last evening I went out portable with my halo and FT817 to a local (small) hilltop to operate in the RSGB 144MHz cumulative contest. What surprised me was the great amount of activity: the band from 144.17 - 144.36 was packed with SSB stations from all over the UK.  Just over an hour of operation gave me best DX of 203km and 7 stations worked. It was great fun. Next Tuesday evening is the 70cms cumulative contest, so I may well give this a try too from the same spot.

144MHz WSPR

For the first time I tried WSPR on 2m this evening. G4IKZ at 18km was a VERY strong signal but with a huge amount of Doppler shift which meant he did not decode. I've just seen G4IKZ has spotted me at +3dB S/N though, so perhaps it was just a passing plane.