WSPR with new Win 8.1 PC

I had a surprise today: my Inspiron 15R does NOT have a touch sensitive screen after all. Dell assure me I did not order, or pay for such a screen  This is not an important feature.

The next surprise was a sort of malware program called "optimizer pro" which managed to install itself and wanted me to buy a subscription to reomve hundreds of errors. A free call to 0800 028 2660 ( the FREE Dell support number) soon had this removed and the PC fully checked remotely. WSPR, Spectran and Ccleaner all installed and worked without issues. Ccleaner is a recommended free download to do the same and a lot more. I run Ccleaner regularly to check PC health.

I tried WSPR on 20m and 10m and the software ran without issues under Win 8.1. A nice surprise with Win 8.1 was that the PC's clock is already sync'd to an internet time server so that timing was not an issue with WSPR. No need to install special software for this purposes.

As far as I can see, Win 8.1 seems to do all I need.

Our bungalow from the top of the Burwell windmill next door

Our bungalow from up the windmill next door

In my present (wobbly balance) state of health because of my stroke , I cannot climb up the inside of the fully restored windmill (above) that is right next door to us.  This morning, our son managed a sneak preview and he took some photos of our bungalow from the very top floor of the mill.

You may see my V2000 vertical and 2m halo on the garage roof if you look at the blown up photo. You may JUST be able to see my HF Par end-fed wire too but you will need to look carefully at the full sized photo.

For the second time this year, a party of school children is visiting the museum, and windmill. The windmill has its official opening on Sunday April 13th.

See http://www.burwellmuseum.org.uk.btck.co.uk/StevensMill

The windmill, next to our bungalow, is the highest spot in the village. The church, about 400m away, is on the second highest ground.

A friend has suggested I string a 472kHz antenna up to the top of the windmill! Actually I don't need this - I prefer the view as it is.

Burwell Church from up the windmill

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?

New PC due any time now.

According to the tracking data, my new Dell PC has been dispatched from their factory and should be here soon. Assuming all is well, I shall load Spectran and WSPR software and start WSPR tests again. My shack is currently out of action as it is housing my little granddaughter's cot. They go home tomorrow. We will miss them as they have been nice company.

UPDATE 1700z: The new PC has arrived.  I shall start configuring it tomorrow when the grandchildren have gone home.

Netgear Wi-fi Extender

Netgear Wifi Extender

We had intermittent internet coverage in our main bedroom so I invested in a Netgear wi-fi range extender this week from Amazon.co.uk.  Price was just under £28. The unit simply plugs into a free 13A socket with no ugly wires.

The extender takes the off-air packets and regenerates them so the remote signal is considerably improved. It does NOT use the mains wiring to send the signal over. First impressions are good, with a strong signal now in the bedroom. Setting up the extender was simplicity itself.  We'll see how it works over the next few weeks.

See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009C9FQNQ/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 .

I may invest in another for the radio shack where coverage is not that brilliant. I need to watch switch-mode PSU noise though. This is unimportant in the bedroom but might be an issue with weak signals. At least I can try the bedroom unit in the shack first before buying another.

10m AM Operation

Ignore what recently published 10m band plans may say - 10m AM is alive and well just above 29MHz with most 10m AM between 29 and 29.1MHz.

Many recent band plans talk of 2700Hz wide SSB in the 29 to 29.1MHz slot. This is rubbish written  by people who don't have a clue! Just take a listen between 29 and 29.1MHz next time the band is open and make up your own minds.

Write to your band plan scribes and ask them to actually USE 10m next time before putting pen to paper. I have written to the RSGB to express my displeasure with their latest 10m attempt:  they blame the IARU.  I see on the RSGB website they have made a half-hearted attempt to clarify 10m AM use - a very poor attempt in my view.

28 to 29MHz is plenty of room for narrow-band modes, even when there is a major contest or the band is wide open. There is space above 29MHz for AM, FM and satellites. 29 to 29.1MHz has lots of AM often with beautifully modulated signals: it is a pleasant change.

In a few years time the whole of 10m will be largely quiet again and we amateurs need to use it for local comms, Es, and the occasional N-S DX or risk losing it to CBers and taxis.

There are plenty of 10m projects on my main website.

No amateur radio

At the moment I am unable to do any amateur radio operation in my shack for the next few days.

Firstly, my shack  has been taken over to house my 2 year old granddaughter in her cot.

Secondly, the XP shack PC seems to have terminally died. It has served me well for very many years, but now is the time to replace it. The new PC is apparently ready and is in the process of being delivered.

My little granddaughter goes back home on Wednesday and my new PC is likely to arrive shortly afterwards. I will need to load WSPR and other software and check all is well with the new machine. As a 64 bit Win 8.1 machine, some software may prove incompatible.

PCs playing up

Both my PCs are playing up today.

Firstly, the Dell Inspiron 630m, XP OS, is getting very tired and refuses to boot up today.  Several keys are broken and sadly XP will shortly no longer be a supported OS.

Secondly my little Asus,Netbook with Win 7 Home OS, not used for several months, is taking forever to start, even on mains power. It may have to be returned. When new it was fine for portable, in-field, use with Spectran software, as long as ready-boost was used.

Now finally it is time to invest in a new PC for home use , so I am buying an i5 Inspiron 15R touch screen 1GB hard-drive, laptop, with 3 yrs hardware and software support. It should serve me well. We'll see.

New UHF beacon GB3UHF

I am looking forward to this new GPS frequency locked 432.430MHz beacon GB3UHF near Wrotham Kent (IO91) becoming active. It is to be co-sited with GB3VHF. It is at an interesting distance and should be copyable on my 2m halo, even though I shall be slightly off the main beam. Approved by OFCOM, it is now awaiting a site sharing agreement that could take some while. It is NOT yet on-air as far as I know. There is a real shortage of UHF beacons in the UK. GB3BSL (Bristol 432.934MHz)  is off air I believe.

The new beacon's frequency will be 432.430MHz to a pair of 3 el J-Beam yagis beaming roughly towards the Midlands (288 and 348 degrees headings). Being 3 el beams, the aim is quite broad.

See http://www.gb3vhf.co.uk/GB3UHFdetails.html

Back on 474.2kHz WSPR

Today I have returned to MF WSPRing., The antenna is currently my very short Marconi which consists of a very short vertical wire (1.5 to 2m?) with about 15m of wire run horizontally along the top of fence and trellis. This is a shorter (horizontal) distance than an earlier version that did not work well, probably because of foliage losses. The whole antenna uses the mains earth.

Matching is via a 110mm diameter loading coil and a 3C90 toroid to step up from 50ohms to several hundred ohms resistive.
 
So far PA3ABK/2 is a good consistently strong daytime signal at -10dB S/N with 0.5W ERP. There are very few G stations active, so no reports of my own signal yet.

UPDATE 2005z:  Only 2 stations copied (PA and DF) and just 3 reports from a single station PA3ABK/2.   Very disappointing so far. There is a lack of G stations active on WSPR this evening so far.