On-line CW training at LCWO

Typical LWCO log-on page

If you are like me then your CW skills are not the world's best. Even though I am a G3 and licensed since 1967 my CW really is pretty pathetic. On an HF QSO when exchanging callsigns, reports, and serial numbers I'm usually OK, but when ragchewing with seriously good CW operators I'm embarrassed by the amount I miss. Some operators are very good and slow down, but not everyone.

However, for we CW duffers, help is at hand: http://lcwo.net/ is a rather superb on-line CW training facility that I believe could really help improve CW skills with a few minutes' effort each night. I have been to the site before and managed to improve my speed a bit but need to return there and try some more. All sorts of CW training is available at all sorts of speeds. If you want to use CW, which is an excellent mode especially for QRP, then this is worth a visit.

Ultimate QRSS/WSPR kit from Hans Summers

Hans Summers G0UPL has just announced a wonderful new kit. Amongst other modes it also supports stand-alone WSPR beaconing when used with a GPS timing reference, without a PC. This was his announcement on the GQRP Yahoo group earlier today:

All,

This is to announce a new standalone QRSS/WSPR kit by Steve G0XAR and Hans G0UPL. The kit supports WSPR, QRSS, DFCW, FSK/CW, CW, Hell (full speed and half-speed), Slow Hell, and customisable FSK patterns. The WSPR encoding is on-chip. It supports the connection of a GPS module for frequency locking, accurate time, and location (for WSPR). Power output is measured at 185mW on the 30m version. We are selling versions for 30/40/80m and perhaps later 20m and 160m. It does not require a PC, it has an LCD and two buttons to control it.

The price is GBP 15.39 (EUR 19 or US $24 approximately) plus shipping.

You can see all the details here: http://www.hanssummers.com/qrsskitmm and order online at http://www.hanssummers.com/shop . We expect to be shipping by 27-29 June.

The kit supports the following modes:

+ QRSS mode (plain on/off keyed slow CW)
+ FSK/CW mode (frequency shift keyed slow CW)
+ DFCW mode (dual frequency CW, dit's and dah's on different frequencies)
+ WSPR mode (Weak Signal Propagation Reporter)
+ Slow-Hellschreiber (frequency shifted slow Hellschreiber)
+ Hellshreiber (full-speed standard Hellschreiber, and half-speed Hellshreiber)
+ CW (plain CW)
+ Customisable FSK patterns

Other features:

+ 24-character LCD + two-button user interface
+ User-programmable (callsign, message, speed, FSK, mode, etc.), settings stored in EEPROM
+ GPS interface, for locking the frequency in slow-speed modes
+ On-chip generation of WSPR encoded message (no PC required)
+ WSPR maidenhead locator can be generated from GPS-derived latitude/longitude
+ Selectable “frame” size, for stacked QRSS reception
+ Plain CW callsign identifier at selectable interval
+ Produces 150mW RF output, or AF output for driving an SSB transceiver
+ Higher output power by additional PA transistor and/or higher PA supply voltage

73 Hans G0UPL and Steve G0XAR

6m WSPR and Doppler shift

Note Doppler on signals at 1742z

This evening some very strong signals have been coming in from North Africa on 6m by Es. CN8LI has been coming through on WSPR for a few hours with some people receiving him at +12dB S/N. What is interesting is the amount of Doppler on his signal at times. Also, several other signals coming through with up to 40Hz of shift over the 2 minute WSPR slot making decoding impossible. Some of this will be aircraft reflection, but some may be due to fast moving layers of ionisation in the E layer. At least with the WSPR screen such effects can be seen.

Digital QST

Although not (yet) an ARRL member I am tempted join to get the new digital version of QST magazine. A sample of this new digital version is available from the ARRL website.

QST has been a very useful source of data going back to around 1916. I well remember thumbing through the copy in Plymouth library when attending  RAE lessons at Plymouth Tech way back in 1966.

Rigol test equipment

The Rigol Spectrum analyser at £895 plus VAT

In recent weeks I've seen several adverts on the ARRL website (I had a 30 day free trial) for test equipment made by a company called Rigol. In the UK they sell a well specified spectrum analyser for £895 plus VAT, which looks an incredible bargain for such an instrument. They also do a range of other pieces of test equipment such as scopes, waveform generators and power supplies. Although £895 is a bit out of my price range, I wonder if anyone reading this has any experience of this supplier's kit? If so, what is it like in terms of quality and reliability? If one was running a small RF design business one could set up a small, well equipped lab for a few thousand pounds with all new gear from this supplier. How do they do it?

SAQ transmission on 17.2kHz on July 1st

From the SAQ website:

Transmissions on Alexanderson Day
We plan for transmissions on Alexanderson Day Sunday 1st July. If we are allowed to use the antenna we start the machine transmitter at 8.30 UTC and a message is sent at 9.00 UTC. Second start of the transmitter at 11.30 UTC and a message is sent at 12.00 UTC. The frequency is 17.2 kHz CW.

 QSL-reports are kindly received:

 QSL reports can be given via:

- E-mail to: info@alexander.n.se

- or fax to: +46-340-674195

- or via SM bureau

- or direct by mail to: Alexander - Grimeton Veteranradios Vaenner, Radiostationen, Grimeton 72, S-432 98 Grimeton, SWEDEN

Note: SAQ is a member of the Swedish Amateur Association (SSA) and "QSL via bureau" is OK.

ISS Flash Project

Guido PE1NNZ has sent me this interesting link about a recent experiment with the International Space Station using optical frequencies. See http://www.cqdx.ru/ham/ham_radio/iss-flash-project/ .

Back home again and the 472kHz transverter

Icefield Parkway, Alberta

After nearly a couple of astounding weeks in British Columbia and Alberta, Canada my wife and I are now back home. The scenery and wildlife were just amazing, especially the bears like the one below seen just a few metres away from us.  Although I only managed about an hour of shallow sleep on the plane back from Calgary last night I decided it was better to fight the jet-lag and get on with some chores rather than crash out and wake at 2am tomorrow.

One of the 8 black bears we encountered - this one VERY closely

Once the lawns have been trimmed and the hedge cut, I've decided to crack on with the design of a new transverter for 472-479kHz as the next project. Already there is activity from Germany and there are a number of NDB beacons to allow the receiver part to be checked. Jan 1st 2013 (the likely date of release in the UK) will arrive far too soon.

I am trying to decide on the choice of IF as I want to use an unmodified FT817. 28MHz will allow 472-479kHz to appear "in-band", but at 28MHz the start-up drift as the LO settles will still be some tens of Hertz. This hasn't proved problematic with WSPR, so guess this is my choice. At least the dial will directly read the "right" frequency e.g. 28.477kHz will correspond to 477kHz.

In view of the picture above, I am not sure what power the transverter will use bear-foot (sorry, weak joke).

Knife Edge Refraction at VHF

Currently I am sitting in a log cabin (with a log fire) surrounded by snow capped mountain peaks wondering how 2m propagation would be from here. Sharp mountains often allow good propagation into screened valleys by refraction over the peaks sometimes with strong signals. Unfortunately I have no ham gear (apart from Echolink) to try it. Instead I am just enjoying the views. 10cm snow forecast tomorrow here, HI.

Canadian Rockies

For the last few days I've been in the Canadian Rockies. The scenery is truly the very best I've seen (inland) anywhere on Earth. The 300km drive today from Banff to Jasper had snow capped mountains and azure blue lakes and rivers all the way. Only seen 1 HF antenna so far and that was from the Rocky Mountaineer train from Vancouver to Banff.