2m Big Wheel

Steve G1KQH has requested that I blog this to say how it performs.

As my health is still not good I bought mine from Wimo in Germany, but with some aluminium tubing, some insulating material and a little skill, making your own should be straightforward. Being in the EC, imports from Germany already have VAT applied and there was no import duty. However the Wimo big-wheel, although well engineered, was not cheap. As purchased, it comes partly assembled for 2m but the 70cm version is sold ready made. The well packed antenna arrived from Wimo in Germany in about 7 days. There were instructions in German and English.

My 2m version had to have the elements attached. It is very easy to miss the screw holes and not assemble it correctly. There were no instructions for the mounting bracket, but this was straight forward enough. Overall, even with my poor health assembly took about 10 minutes

When first installed on my temporary mast my SWR (as indicated on the FT817) was rather high. Carefully bending the elements and adjusting the orientation of the matching stub brought this way down and I left it with 1-2 blobs showing on the FT817. The gain is claimed as around 3dBD horizontal.

In use it proved great: I worked all the stations I had previously worked on the halo (and others) with better reports in last night's 2m UKAC session. Best DX was 181km. In 52 minutes I worked 10 SSB stations. I was using 5W pep from the FT817. The antenna is fed with a length of RG213 (9mm diameter) coax. Not having to rotate the antenna is a great advantage. I received stations in Belgium and Holland, but did not work these in the short time I was "on air". I am sure that a lot more squares would have been worked had I stayed on for longer.  What was nice was being able to hear the activity all around and not having to turn the antenna at all. Ideally it should be used in conjunction with a beam, but the big-wheel suits my style of casual operating well.

Would I recommend a 2m big-wheel? Yes!

Sunspots and 10m - Wed Sept 2nd 2015

Sunspot number has hardly changed and is 49 (K=2) today. As we are now moving towards autumn we should be seeing some 10m F2 propagation on WSPR as long as there is activity! 10m propagation is expected to remain "poor" today.

2m UKAC contest this evening

If I can do a temporary erection of my 2m big wheel using the long 2 inch pole just laying next to the window, I may give tonight's 2m UKAC a try. The big wheel, fed with low-loss coax, should be almost 1 S point up on the halo I used last month. It would also be a chance to try out the big-wheel before it is permanently erected on the end of the bungalow. I have been kindly offered help with this, more permanent, erection.

2m big-wheel - temporary erection

UPDATE 1702z:  I have managed to get my big-wheel up in the air temporarily so (assuming it does not fall over!) I should be able to give it a run during the 2m UKAC contest this evening. I am copying the GB3VHF and PI7CIS beacons but the SWR seems a bit higher than I was expecting. Performance is better than the halo, but I am not sure by how much, maybe 0.5 S points or about 3dB? Tomorrow I might see if I can reduce the SWR a bit. It is not bad, but could, and should, be lower. In its final position, above the window on the LHS of the photo, it should be at about the same height. Once erected, I shall be unable to make any adjustments.

UPDATE 1750z:  By altering the position of the stub and and bending the clover leaves very slightly the SWR improved. I think it can be improved more, tomorrow.

Stations worked in 52 minutes in the 2m UKAC this evening with 5W SSB

UPDATE 2035z:  The big-wheel, on its temporary pole, performed very well with 10 QSOs (best DX 181km) with just 5W pep in 52 minutes. Not having to turn a beam is so much better. I may well try this in the 2m contest this weekend, for some of the time before my poor voice says, "STOP!!".

No Es on 10m or 6m WSPR all day, so far

We are definitely at the back end of the Es season now. So far today there has been no sign at all of any Es propagation on either 10m or 6m WSPR. I shall stay on 10m WSPR overnight but will probably go QRT on 6m before 1900z.

UPDATE 2237z:  No 10m or 6m Es seen all day here. Roll on autumn conditions!

Sunspots and 10m - Tues Sept 1st 2015

Sunspot number is 50 today (K=2) and 10m propagation is again expected to be "poor".

Yet another stroke artifact - NOT amateur radio

Yet another stroke artifact seems to be an inability to spot spelling mistakes as easily as before. Sometimes it takes me ages to think how a word is spelt (or is it spelled?). Often it is hours (or days) later that I notice the mistake! In writing this short piece I made at least one mistake whilst writing it.

No 10W IC7300S in the UK?

I have just received this from ICOM UK. I have responded suggesting they do sell the 10W version in the UK. Personally, I think not selling it would be a grave marketing error. OK they have to get CE approval but this should be trivial after the 100W version.

Dear Mr Lapthorn.

Thank you for your email enquiry.

The IC-7300 looks like it will be a very popular radio and we haven't has a confirmed release date from Icom JA as yet.

Unfortunately we will not be supplying the 10 watt version in the UK as this model is designed for the Japanese home market only.

I am sorry I cannot be more positive in my reply.

Best Regards

Icom UK Sales

Es on 10m and 6m WSPR

Yet again I shall be on both 10m and 6m WSPR looking out for late in the season Es. No signs so far but it is very early in the day. There is also a chance of F2 on 10m but we shall have to wait and see. Low activity levels don't help.

Sputnik commemoration days

Every year a few hams come on HF to commemorate the launching of the very first satellite, Sputnik 1.  Many try to use identical valve rigs as used in the original. I came on a few years ago with G6ALB and G4NUA on 15m CW and our QRPp TX  CQ was answered by a stateside station.

Dear Space Friends,

> After my calls I will always tune my receiver +/- 10 kHz for any answer,
> so no need to be "spot on". Peter - PA0PJE

I do the same so using my vxo 50 mW a-la "Vanguard" TX on Ge pnp
transistors GT320B (ex USSR type) and my RX is DC on 4 Ge pnp
transistors (two diodes mixer by RA3AAE Vlad Poliakov). So even my
QRPppp TX blocked receiver and I can't to check my TX frequency
exactly. Therefore after my CQ I tune RX some kHz around of 14060
looking for reply. So, don't worry to be out of zero-beat calling me.
Usually I QRV in the QRP "rendezvous" Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9.00
UTC at 14060 +/- Each QSO appreciate for my milliwatts!
P.S. Just visited ON6WJ blog page and enjoyed very much - excellent!

72! beep-beep-beep...
Deep Space Communications Center
operator on duty -
Oleg ("Mr. 72") RV3GM / KH6OB 

Dear Friends,

just  inform  you about Sputnik activity days in October 4 to 18. See
details at the Club 72 web - www.club72.su - "Sputnik Days" in menu.
Three categories:
- Sputniks - TX with old type valves (1950'th preferably), ID is series
of beep-beep-beep... in transmission
-  Vanguard  -  TX on old Ge transistors (pnp 50'th preferably), ID is
series of "V" in transmission
- SWL - copy Sputniks and Vanguards CQs or QSOs
All  operators may take a part in 2 or 3 categories at once (separate
reports/logs).
Remind  the  output  power  of  the  1'st  Sputnik was 0,7 watts, but
Vanguard's TX was only 10 mW. I strongly recommend to limit power less
than  1 watt for Sputnik category and less than 100 mW for Vanguards.
That's not contest. Just for fun!
There  are  audio  of  Sputnik-1  and  Vanguard-1 beacons on the page
Sputnik Days. Enjoy milliwatting, homebrewing, Space radio spirit.

If  you'd like to join the Sputnik reflector (by English) send e-mail
request  to  the  "Center  of  Space  Communications" :-) means to my
e-address "mr72".
P.S.  Many  thanks Jos ON6WJ for announce and assistance. Sputnik and
Vanguard ideas by Michael AA1TJ and Oleg RV3GM

Wish you all the best, 72!
Oleg "Mr. 72" RV3GM / KH6OB

See http://on6wj-sputnik.blogspot.be/2011/10/sputnik-made-in-belgium.html for some ideas.

CCS, singing for the UK Prime Minister - NOT amateur radio

CCS recent concert

This evening we are off to a Cambridge Voices concert in Ely Cathedral and this reminded me of the occasion many years ago when my wife was singing a choral concert in the same venue when the Prime Minister of the day, John Major, turned up!  He was surrounded by bodyguards and wanted to be "ordinary" but the committee insisted he got front row seats! His daughter was playing in the orchestra. I think he enjoyed the concert, but would have been happier without people trying to make him even more noticeable!

The Cambridgeshire Choral Society starts rehearsals for the new season later this month. You are welcome to join. Men are especially welcome.