 |
| Pixie harmonic measurements |
 |
| Pixie on the bench |
I should also case the unit! Drilling the case could be a challenge in my current state of health! Just doing the building and testing was exhausting.
1 Mar 2015
40m Pixie measurements
I should also case the unit! Drilling the case could be a challenge in my current state of health! Just doing the building and testing was exhausting.
USA 10m WSPR spots (or lack of them!)
It is now 1330z and so far not a single USA station has, yet, spotted my 500mW WSPR beacon. OK , it is still quite early and things may well be better later, but yesterday was far better on 10m. Plenty of reports from Eastern Europe and near Asia though.
So far, 10m has been a bit disappointing today.
UPDATE 1445z: And still no 10m WSPR spots from the USA today yet!
UPDATE 1448z: In the meantime, 4X1RF (3519km) has spotted me 22 times so far today.
On 472kHz no-one had copied my 5mW ERP so far until this afternoon when G3YAC (12km) and G8LCO (58km) copied me. My best DX on 472kHz WSPR receive is PA0A (417km) who has been coming though during the day.
UPDATE 1530z: I have the feeling that I'm not going to have my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon spotted in the USA today. If the band does "wake up", I suspect just a handful of USA stations may be lucky. By now I'd have expected some transatlantic spots. That is the nature of 10m: you can never be sure. No wonder some call it a magic band.
UPDATE 2048z: So, the day passed and not a single USA station spotted my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon today. Conditions are on the change?
So far, 10m has been a bit disappointing today.
UPDATE 1445z: And still no 10m WSPR spots from the USA today yet!
UPDATE 1448z: In the meantime, 4X1RF (3519km) has spotted me 22 times so far today.
On 472kHz no-one had copied my 5mW ERP so far until this afternoon when G3YAC (12km) and G8LCO (58km) copied me. My best DX on 472kHz WSPR receive is PA0A (417km) who has been coming though during the day.
UPDATE 1530z: I have the feeling that I'm not going to have my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon spotted in the USA today. If the band does "wake up", I suspect just a handful of USA stations may be lucky. By now I'd have expected some transatlantic spots. That is the nature of 10m: you can never be sure. No wonder some call it a magic band.
UPDATE 2048z: So, the day passed and not a single USA station spotted my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon today. Conditions are on the change?
Sunspots and 10m - March 1st 2015
Sunspot number has climbed again to 70 and 10m propagation is forecast to be "fair".
So far this morning reports of my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon from G4IKZ (18km), G4KPX (14km) and 4X1RF (3519km). I had to remove the antenna and turn off the beacon for a period to use the antenna on 40m CW.
So far this morning reports of my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon from G4IKZ (18km), G4KPX (14km) and 4X1RF (3519km). I had to remove the antenna and turn off the beacon for a period to use the antenna on 40m CW.
First 40m Pixie QSO
At 1000z this morning I exchanged RST 579 reports with G6ALB who is 3km from me on my 40m Pixie on 7.023MHz CW. This was my first on-air QSO. Netting was perfect and I used the rig directly into my low Par triband antenna. An ATU might have helped. Andrew G6ALB said the channel was pretty busy but that I was a good RST579 with no hint of chirp. This afternoon we'll put the rig on his spectrum analyser. I gave Andrew 579 probably reflecting the poorer MDS of the Pixie. I have no idea of his power or antenna.
My initial goals have been met: I built the kit and have managed a QSO on the air with it. With the fatigue associated with my brain bleed still very apparent (I am well and truly shattered currently), I was well pleased. A few more QSOs with the 40m Pixie would be good, HI.
$10 well spent. Excellent little kit. FB little transceiver. Works surprisingly well.
My initial goals have been met: I built the kit and have managed a QSO on the air with it. With the fatigue associated with my brain bleed still very apparent (I am well and truly shattered currently), I was well pleased. A few more QSOs with the 40m Pixie would be good, HI.
$10 well spent. Excellent little kit. FB little transceiver. Works surprisingly well.
28 Feb 2015
40m Pixie - bench test went well
Well, it took a super-human effort on my part as a result of my extreme fatigue (brain bleed issue) but today I bench tested the little 40m Pixie kit I managed to build earlier this week. It is hard to explain just how exhausting this simple task was for me currently. I now need to recover my energy!
On receive a 1uV signal was perfectly readable and I could detect carrier on/off down to at least below 0.5uV. On TX it was putting out about 250mW into a 50 ohm load. On my antenna it was suffering some AM breakthrough, but less than I was expecting. I was using standard Walkman stereo headphones and a rechargeable 12V sealed lead acid battery. On a small 9V battery I'd expect about 100mW RF out, although this was not tried.
Overall, these results exceeded my expectations: it is more sensitive than I was expecting and the breakthrough of AM broadcasters is certainly OK in the day time. This is of course with no casing at all and no ATU. Using the fitted pot and fitted 1N4001 as a varicap it is easy to get the TX frequency and RX frequency to correspond, often an issue with very simple QRP rigs.
Next stage will be some on-air tests, but it most definitely works. Working the locals should certainly be possible. Sked with G6ALB (3km) arranged for 1000z Sunday on 7.023MHz CW.
UPDATE 2120z: There is a contest in full swing and several Russians and Asiatic Russians copied on the little 40m Pixie. I did not stay on long but there was no apparent BC interference noticeable. So, on a quiet night I should able to use the rig in the evenings. The main issue on RX seems to be the lack of AF filtering, so one has to use "the filter that is between the ears" i.e.the brain.
On receive a 1uV signal was perfectly readable and I could detect carrier on/off down to at least below 0.5uV. On TX it was putting out about 250mW into a 50 ohm load. On my antenna it was suffering some AM breakthrough, but less than I was expecting. I was using standard Walkman stereo headphones and a rechargeable 12V sealed lead acid battery. On a small 9V battery I'd expect about 100mW RF out, although this was not tried.
Overall, these results exceeded my expectations: it is more sensitive than I was expecting and the breakthrough of AM broadcasters is certainly OK in the day time. This is of course with no casing at all and no ATU. Using the fitted pot and fitted 1N4001 as a varicap it is easy to get the TX frequency and RX frequency to correspond, often an issue with very simple QRP rigs.
Next stage will be some on-air tests, but it most definitely works. Working the locals should certainly be possible. Sked with G6ALB (3km) arranged for 1000z Sunday on 7.023MHz CW.
UPDATE 2120z: There is a contest in full swing and several Russians and Asiatic Russians copied on the little 40m Pixie. I did not stay on long but there was no apparent BC interference noticeable. So, on a quiet night I should able to use the rig in the evenings. The main issue on RX seems to be the lack of AF filtering, so one has to use "the filter that is between the ears" i.e.the brain.
Amateur Radio Weekly
Yesterday I subscribed to this online newsletter. It is also available every Saturday on www.amateurradio.com
One of the items was about Deutche Welle (German broadcaster) vacating a slot in the 49m band. A group of radio amateurs have obtained permission to use a 10kW commercial station there. This is their website http://www.channel292.de/ . Best of luck to them!
One of the items was about Deutche Welle (German broadcaster) vacating a slot in the 49m band. A group of radio amateurs have obtained permission to use a 10kW commercial station there. This is their website http://www.channel292.de/ . Best of luck to them!
10m USA spots today
KZ8C (6290km) was the first North American to spot my 500mW 10m WSPR today at 1248z. Since then, K9AN (6505km) has also spotted me several times. I think he has a very good RX set-up as he is often copying me on 10m.
I have the feeling there will be a lot of 10m spots today as conditions seem quite good and it is the weekend.
UPDATE 2035z: The last USA station to spot me today on 10m WSPR was KB9AMG (6300km) at 1922z. Quite a decently long opening today.
I have the feeling there will be a lot of 10m spots today as conditions seem quite good and it is the weekend.
UPDATE 2035z: The last USA station to spot me today on 10m WSPR was KB9AMG (6300km) at 1922z. Quite a decently long opening today.
9H1US
My little 500mW 10m WSPR beacon has been copied 8 times so far today in Malta by 9H1US (2135km). No great DX , but a first time and new country on 10m WSPR. Some reports have been very strong. F2 or Es?
UPDATE 2050z: In the end 9H1US spotted me 14 times over the lunchtime period. The last spot was 1336z. This could have been Es, but more probably F2 propagation
UPDATE 2050z: In the end 9H1US spotted me 14 times over the lunchtime period. The last spot was 1336z. This could have been Es, but more probably F2 propagation
Sunspots and 10m - Feb 28th
Sunspot number has risen slightly to 58 today and 10m propagation is set to be "fair". this is a better forecast than recent days.
Already, my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon has been copied in LZ, OH, SV9 and 4X1 this morning, but nothing from further afield, as yet.
UPDATE 1114z: 10m does seem livelier than of late. LZ1OI (2153km) has been spotting my 500mW 10m WSPR very well. This must be an optimum distance for single hop F2 propagation. I've just been spotted in Malta (9H).
UPDATE 1126z: First DX outside Europe today as when I was spotted by PU2UIB (9524km) in Brazil at 1112z today.
UPDATE 1230z: No North American stations copying my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon, as yet, but the first reports will probably be in the next hour.
Already, my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon has been copied in LZ, OH, SV9 and 4X1 this morning, but nothing from further afield, as yet.
UPDATE 1114z: 10m does seem livelier than of late. LZ1OI (2153km) has been spotting my 500mW 10m WSPR very well. This must be an optimum distance for single hop F2 propagation. I've just been spotted in Malta (9H).
UPDATE 1126z: First DX outside Europe today as when I was spotted by PU2UIB (9524km) in Brazil at 1112z today.
UPDATE 1230z: No North American stations copying my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon, as yet, but the first reports will probably be in the next hour.
27 Feb 2015
New online shop - creative wire artwork
Gifts for the XYL?
From my French daughter-in-law:
From my French daughter-in-law:
Hi there,
I have finally come around to opening my shop on easy. Spread the word. Hope you like it.
https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/SurleWire?ref=hdr_shop_menu
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
