San Marino on 6m QRP

Just worked T77C on 6m Es with QRP SSB. I think I've worked this station some years ago but it is one of the less common Europeans and a first for this season.

6m Es

Only had a brief chance to operate today as I was busy in the garden then out at a BBQ in the hot sunshine, but managed to work some 6m QRP Es this afternoon. Although I worked some DX last week when out pedestrian portable, this was the first 6m Es QSO this season from home. In the coming weeks we can expect 6m to be open for DX most days.

Tame Robin

Whilst out portable in Devon last week I was "visited" by this very tame robin who came so close he ate an ant from my hand. I was able to take a really close-up picture from about 20cms away. In the USA the American robin is a totally different, and larger, thrush sized bird. In the UK it is not uncommon for robins to be so tame they will come very close to you when gardening and they can be trained to eat from your hand. There was a good book called "The Life of the Robin" by David Lack published by Fontana in their New Naturalist series. This is no longer in print.

Pedestrian Portable webpage added to site.

See http://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp/Home/portable for my thoughts and tips on portable HF SSB DXing. If you have further thoughts or tips please let me know. Also, I'd be interested to hear about results YOU have had with true handheld HF DXing.

M0BMU's latest complete 8.97kHz Portable Receiver

Jim Moritz M0BMU has updated his loop/preamp circuit for 8.97kHz turning it into a complete direct conversion receiver for 8.97kHz. He posted this on the LF reflector in the last few days. I have added this to my sub-9kHz website (scroll down for Jim's description and schematic on the webpage. See http://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp/Home/10khz

Further 8.97kHz DX tests from Germany

DK7FC conducted more tests on 8.97kHz last weekend. Best DX was 300kms mainly because the noise levels are now higher than in the earlier tests. However it allowed Stefan to test some new equipment successfully.

Portable clifftop DXing

No updates for the last week as I was on holiday and out of internet contact. This last week I had a couple of chances to do some handheld SSB DXing with the FT817 from a Devon clifftop near Thurlestone. Although I think I stood a chance working LU2DO last night (I called and called and no-one else seemed to be hearing him), I did manage some European QSOs on 15m (HB9CVQ and a DL) and 6m SSB (IW0HLE) when running just 2.5W to a small whip antenna. I use an 8 foot long dangling wire counterpoise which helps a lot. On 6m I was just using the short helical supplied with the rig and only about 20cms long! Clifftop portable sites are magic with a decent low angle take-off, not that this matters so much with sporadic-E. In the past I've worked South America and the USA with handheld SSB.

IC7000 reliability

Some people have had issues with the reliability of the IC7000 driver transistor which gets too hot and can self-destruct. SV8YM has some modifications to help, putting improvised heatsinks on the effected devices so they run cooler. See his blog at http://sv8ym.blogspot.com/.  This is a rig I've considered purchasing but I have been concerned about the heat in such a small box and consequential reliability.

New 500kHz beacon in Norway LA1ASK/B

A temporary beacon LA1ASK/B will be operational during May until mid-June from the island of Toftöy near Bergen, Norway (locator JP20LL).  Frequency 509 kHz, mode A1A (CW), transmitter power 5 W to a 35 m vertical antenna. Reports to <post@bergenkringkaster.no> or QSL via the LA Bureau or direct, info at www.la1ask.no . 

30m QRP transceiver from GJ7RWT

Andy GJ7RWT has sent me his schematic for a 30m QRP CW transceiver which has some similarity to the XBM80-2 and the transceiver from K4TWJ. He gets 150mW out and the receiver can copy signals down to around 10uV. He has made the circuit on strip board (veroboard) and the layout he used is attached.