DX Crystal sets

Jim's Crystal Radio Page at http://www.hobbytech.com/crystalradio/crystalradio.htm has some very neat crystal set designs with high performance receivers. These units also look like works of art as they are so elegant.

There are other excellent resources at Gollum's Crystal Receiver World http://www.oldradioworld.de/gollum/ .

VHF AM controversy

This Sunday's RSGB News contains a piece about AM operation on 145.8MHz in Scotland and alleges that some AM operators have been deliberately interfering with International Space Station communications on the same frequency. I do not know if this is true or not. If it is, then it should stop: there is no place for such behaviour in our fine hobby.

What I do know is that the RSGB has been EXTREMELY slow in publishing frequencies for VHF AM in the UK. Although people have been urging the RSGB to put an AM "centre of activity" or calling frequency in the band plans, this has still not happened, although a brief mention of 144.55MHz has been added in the footnotes a few months ago.

My recommendations are:

(1) All AM users in the UK migrate to 144.55MHz.
(2) AM operation on 145.8MHz should be phased out as soon as possible.
(3) Use of 145.8MHz for AM should be done with care to avoid any interference with ISS operations.
(4) The RSGB should publish 144.55MHz in the 2m bandplan as the agreed centre of activity for AM users.

AM is a great mode allowing simple homemade gear to make useful contacts. It would be a shame if AM users got a bad name as a result of this negative publicity.

S54S website

The website of Aleksander S54S has some great circuit ideas including many fine QRP transceivers such as the Tinka shown here. See http://lea.hamradio.si/~s57nan/ham_radio/index.html

Ham gear reliability "league table"?

As yet, I've not had a single failure with any piece of commercial ham radio gear I've owned and operated in nearly 40 years. OK, the gear is usually QRP, working in a benign shack environment and not abused. Perhaps I'm just lucky.

I'm wondering if anywhere there is a "league table" showing how reliable various makes and models of ham radio gear are? It sounds like something that someone may have compiled but I've not seen one. The nearest are the reviews on eHam.net.

Back home again

Now back home after our holiday in NZ. It is a wonderful country with splendid scenery and very kind and friendly people. We felt very "at home" there despite being on the opposite side of the planet from the UK. It is good to know such nice places and people still exist in our crowded little world.

As yet, I've not managed to do any operating back home as we are looking after our little grandson. Hopefully I will get on the air this week in the evenings.

ZL operation (more)

This is a picture of ZL/G3XBM/P operating from the hotel balcony in Queenstown, South Island, NZ. Nothing heard or worked on this occasion. Next real opportunity is Thursday March 12th when we get back to Christchurch. The far west coast of South Island around Haast is pretty remote with no mobile phone coverage at all, the nearest fuel 90-120kms away, nearest fire station 2 hours away and only one BC station audible on MW and Band 2 FM.

ZL operation

Although I still take a listen most nights with the VX2 handheld, I have to report that sightseeing is taking a higher priority than QRP operation on 70cms FM in ZL-land at the moment.

The country is SO beautiful, so clean, so uncrowded and the people everywhere are genuinely kind, helpful and interested in you. New Zealand is a lovely place.

Next 70cms FM operation likely to be March 12th when we arrive back in Christchurch on our last night before flying to VK-land to see friends then flying home.

ZL QSO in Nelson

Worked ZL3SCO in Nelson on 70cms on Feb 23rd. Turns our Brian comes from the UK. He is a keen model railway man and they have a busy club in Nelson, NZ.

I continue to spot HF ham antennas in ZL-land. The last was a 3-el HF beam in Kaikoura on the east coast of South Island. If only I could work some with QRP when back home in the UK!

First QSOs in ZL land

This evening, Friday Feb 20th, I managed to work ZL1UHR via the Wellington repeater linked into their national linked repeater network. He was in Hamilton NZ. The QSO was with my little VX2 handheld running 1W to the helical from my hotel room in Wellington, NZ. Later I worked ZL1SAT up in Auckland.

Today the weather has been dreadful: really heavy rain all the way from Taupo down to Wellington (355kms) by car. Tomorrow things look a little better and when we cross to South Island the sun is expected to shine again. New Zealand is a wonderful place with friendly people, great scenery and no crowds. The picture is of two delightful Maori girls we met on Wednesday when we went to a Maori evening with dancing, singing and Maori food.

Lake Taupo repeaters (NZ)

This was a picture my XYL took a few days ago in the Bay of Islands. Isn't it just idyllic and a perfect spot for operating with the FT817, although I didn't bring it with me.....

Today we arrived at Lake Taupo in central North Island, New Zealand. The last few days I've been too busy enjoying the natural world to do any ham radio but I hope to check out the local VHF/UHF repeaters tonight or tomorrow. I have printed out a list and a map of these.

On our travels I've spotted a couple of HF antennas so there are at least two ZL stations on HF in North Island!

My holiday blog is at http://roglap.blogspot.com if you want to follow progress.