2m SSB

Certainly here in the UK, 2m SSB is far less active than 30 years ago. Even FM can be quiet. Apart from contests and big lifts 2m can be very quiet. It was very different back then. I had (and still have) an MX2 2m SSB 200mW handheld. Back in its day it worked some impressive DX handheld.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/mx2 .

2m big wheel

2m big-wheel on its temporary mast

Overall, this antenna is giving me good service and "fits the bill" well for my kind of casual SSB operating. It will be interesting to see how it (the 2m big-wheel) does on 70cms tomorrow in the UKAC.  I start with poor expectations, but certainly hope to work the locals. Although the match is good on 70cms that does not mean the omni-directional gain is good on 70cms! When erected finally I may do a review as I am sure others would like to hear how it performs.

I wonder if anyone has modeled this antenna on 2m and 70cms?

All being well, a very kind local is installing this in its permanent location, clearing the roof and above the window on the LHS of the picture, on Sunday afternoon.

2m SSB history

IC202

For me, 2m SSB began with the purchase of a 10W pep Belcom Liner 2, which opened up 2m SSB to the masses. Before then, people used homebrew transverters and HF rigs to get on VHF SSB.

After that I owned the IC202 from ICOM which had a very good VXO but less power (3W pep).  Later, the first digital synthesised rigs appeared and 2m SSB really took off.

In the last 20 years or so, certainly here in the UK, VHF/UHF SSB took a nosedive and what little VHF/UHF activity there is is mainly using FM. Here in the UK there is good SSB activity in contests and in good lifts, but little casual use of the SSB/CW modes, which is a pity. Ranges on SSB can be much greater than FM for similar power levels.

When I first used my Liner 2 I was amazed how far I could reach in flat conditions, even with 10W and a small indoor antenna.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/ic202 .

Mizuho QRP SSB rigs

I don't think this company still exists.

At one time you could buy Mizuho single band SSB handhelds for many bands up to 2m including many HF bands.  I owned the 2m 200mW pep version (MX2) and managed to work some decent SSB DX with mine mostly with a 1/2wave whip on the rig. The main issue was the poor battery life, so I tended to use an external 9.6V battery.

My rig was used in the main with a homebrew 2m-10m transverter and I worked all over the world on 10m with just the tiny Mizuho rig on the desk.

If I remember right I covered the CW and main SSB parts of 10m by having a couple of crystals in the transverter. Somewhere I still have the transverter, although it has not been used for years.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/mx2 .

VK3YE homebrew 7MHz SSB transceiver

Steve G1KQH (font, or is it fount (?) of all knowledge) sent me this link of the homebrew 7MHz SSB transceiver by VK3YE:

New Homebrew 7MHz QRP rig from VK3YE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMSL5KH42m4&feature=em-subs_digest

70cm UKAC this evening

Last week I mended my 2m/70cm antenna so it rotates again. This evening is the UKAC March 70cm leg. With a 5el and 5W pep it is highly unlikely I'll win even the low power section but I hope to be on long enough to work a few stations before my stoke affected voice tells me to stop.

10m Lincoln multi-mode rig

My poor health has rather stopped me using my Lincoln President Mk2 rig. It seems to work fine, but I have stuck with my 500mW WSPR beacon as it requires no talking and less effort on my part.

I am pretty sure it will get well used in the coming months though. A few dB extra power will make some difference when using SSB on 10m as the sunspots come "off the boil".

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.

Semi sked 7MHz

This evening, I shall try again to work a local who is on the Isle of Arran in Scotland. Currently he is working in Glasgow but camping on Arran.

I have an S8 noise floor on 7MHz and am limited to 5W pep maximum. Although WSPR  On 7MHz at 2W WSPR is pretty easy, it is much harder work on SSB.

SSB and AM on CB legal from June 27th in UK

The excellent Southgate News page reports that SSB and AM is now legal on UK CB from June 27th 2014.

I have only briefly operated on CB many years ago and was very disappointed.  I suppose 12W pep of SSB will greatly increase the DX potential on CB. AM is also legal.

We need to watch out for more reports of TVI and hi-fi breakthrough as FM, especially at 4W legal limit, is rarely a problem whereas SSB and AM make such issues more probable. Of course,  some CBers like to use (illegal) add-on amplifiers making matters worse.

I don't think this move will encourage me onto CB any time soon, but it may result in lower cost 10m rigs.

UPDATE 2015z:  Nevada are now selling the President Lincoln 2  (3rd improved version of this model) covering 10m only (as sold - but expandable illegally to cover CB bands) with a £10 discount.

QRP rigs

See http://www.vanyi.net/homemade/homebrew-hf-ssb-transceivers/ .

This page has a nice collection of links to a range of (mainly) homebrew QRP transceivers for various bands. Well worth a visit and good browse.

AM and SSB available to UK CBers from July 1st 2014?

According to the Rocket Radio website, AM and SSB will be allowed for UK CB users (for the first time) from July 2014. There will no doubt be a spate of multi-mode rig sales before then. I have no data on frequencies yet. Rigs like the President Lincoln II are 28-29.7MHz only and it is NOT legal to modify these for CB coverage. I guess they will have to get OFCOM type approval for CB versions in the next few months?

2m UKAC contest

The few stations worked this evening on 2m SSB

Just for a bit of fun I went on the 2m UKAC contest this evening with the FT817 to the vertical colinear from home, not the most ideal of antennas when everyone is running horizontal beams. Nonetheless, I managed 6 QSOs in just over an hour of operating. No great DX - the best QSO was just 47km tonight - but a bit of fun. The better stations were exchanging serial numbers in the 70s (at least) and I was hearing stations working GM, GW and F. The map shows my (meagre!) QSOs. Maybe in a month's time I'll erect that big wheel here at this QTH and we can compare results v. the vertical antenna.

28MHz BitX SSB transceiver

http://www.qrpkits.com/images/bitx20acase1.jpg

The very popular BitX SSB transceiver is, to my knowledge, available in kit form (from QRP kits) for both 20 and 17m, but I haven't seen versions for other HF bands.

What would be really nice would be a version for the 10m band where 6-8W would be enough to work the world when the band is open. The IRF510s would need to be changed to a Mitsubishi power FET such as the RD16HHF1.

Does anyone know if a 10m BITX has been done or if a kit is available for this band?

ILER-40 and ILER-20 QRP SSB transceiver kits

The ILER-40 and ILER-20 are low cost, simple 4-5W QRP SSB transceivers for 40m and 20m from Spain, designed by Javier EA3GCY.  They are designed around NE602 ICs working bi-directionally to save parts.

Built on a 12 x 10cm PCB, they look easy to build.  Details are available at http://www.qsl.net/ea3gcy/ . The price is a snip at just 67.50 euros plus 10 euros shipping. It looks a very well engineered kit.

ILER-40 (and ILER-20) QRP SSB kit from EA3GCY

See http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/10700 for a number of (very good) reviews of this kit which looks like a neat introduction to QRP SSB operation. Kits now being supplied include a small AGC sub-board. The kit does not include a microphone or case.

2m/70cm DXing

See http://www.f9ft.com/ antennas

On a few occasions in the last year I've operated /P in the RSGB's UK Activity Contests (UKAC) on Tuesday evenings and thoroughly enjoyed them. Even with just a small halo on 2m and a 4 el yagi on 70cms I was surprised how much could be worked and the high levels of activity.

It is some years since I've used 2m and 70cms from home with a horizontal yagi and I am tempted to erect something to give it a go. I know that outside of contests activity these days is low, but it still seems like worth doing. Whether I erect a rotatable yagi or a stacked turnstyle remains to be seen. It is a long time since 2m was filled with G8 stations using FT290s, 30W linears and Tonna 9el yagis!

Right now I have other antennas erected on the 2 small masts attached to the house and it may be some months before I make changes, but maybe I will get something in the air and see what happens. As well as SSB/CW DX there is so much more to explore these days with digital modes.

You Kits SSB transceivers

For some reason I have missed the news that YouKits are producing (or about to) 2 band and 4 band HF SSB/CW transceiver kits at very reasonable prices. See http://www.youkits.com/ . One is a backpack and one a handheld. Quite interesting. See TJ2A and TJ4A code numbers on their website.

UK/European SSB on Citizen's band

I understand that a recent CEPT (ECC) decision means that 27MHz SSB CB will be permitted in the UK and Europe from October. See http://www.erodocdb.dk/Docs/doc98/official/pdf/ECCDEC1103.PDF

Fivehead QRP SSB transceiver kit

This afternoon Ted G4NUA came around to test the receiver section of his Fivehead 20m SSB transceiver kit from Walford kits in Somerset. I was surprised how small the transceiver was. We checked the RX with a signal generator and re-did the alignment. We then tried it on an external antenna and it was about the same sensitivity as the FT817 and was copying plenty of stations on 20m SSB. Ted has still to finish the TX part. When done it should put out about 1.5W pep.

CQWW contest summary - 10m was great

With darkness falling now 10m is going quiet after an exciting 2 days. In the end, my 5W SSB and halo antenna worked 35 stations in 20 countries. DX from outside Europe was not workable this time but I was hearing CX, PY, ZS, 6W, etc so conditions were definitely not bad. Although there were a couple of stateside stations worked from Europe, I did not manage to hear them. The slight upturn in sunspot activity came just at the right time.