QMX+ on 15m (Sunday)

Just for fun, I tried the QMX+  on 15m. It was not for long. Several Es spots of me.  Looking at the bars on the TX monitor I would reckon about 3W power.

Birds - NOT amateur radio

Recently I erected 2 small bird tables with the aim of attracting more smaller birds and fewer large ones. This seems to have failed as the jackdaws have found a way! Robins seem to be very attracted to the dried mealworms. 

It’s too soon to tell if swift numbers are down here, but we have not sat out in the garden much this year.

More QMX+ testing on 10m FT8 (Sunday)

After lunch I want to try my QMX+ on 10m FT8 TX. I was quite surprised that I cannot turn the power down. If you can, I have not found how!  Perhaps it’ll come in a later firmware. 

One good idea would be to automatically reduce power when beaconing WSPR to avoid stress on the PA when the PA can be on continuously for almost 2 minutes.

UPDATE 1540z: Success!  My first transmission with the QMX+ (10m FT8)  resulted in 18 spots across Europe. This was using CAT control. I have a lot more to learn, but this is a good start.

UPDATE 1651z:  3 QSOs in quick succession! All called me on FT8. In all, spotted by 49 stations.

UPDATE 1754z:  The map shows the stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX using the QMX+. 

Hedge trimming finished - NOT amateur radio

 The whole hedge has now been trimmed. I feel more tired than before!!

Father’s Day - NOT amateur radio

Gifts and card from my younger son.

2m SSB with a Liner-2

 

Pretty sure these first became available in the 1970s. They were based on a 10m rig and they revolutionised 2m. 

I got one second hand and was amazed how far I could work on a very basic antenna. Prior to getting my Liner-2, I had only used QRP AM and FM rigs. Most nights I found I could contact stations hundreds of kilometres away.

Later many used the ICOM IC-202 with a 30W amplifier and Tonna 9 el antenna.

These days the bands at VHF are far quieter as people have other ways of chatting (the internet) and working DX (FT8).

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/vhfuhf-commercial-rigs/belcom-liner-2

Sunspots - Sunday June 16th

 Solar flux is 171 and the SSN 134.  A=18 and K=3.

QMX+ first steps

So far I have not tried TX. 

At the moment I am familiarising myself with the menu system. So far, so good. It would appear that the diodes in the supply line drop the voltage to the rig to a safe 9V.

Tomorrow, I hope to try 10m or 6m FT8 or WSPR TX.

Rigpix

Amateur Radio Weekly brought to our attention the Rigpix database. If you have not noticed it, it is a very useful site for information about rigs including photos and specs..

See https://www.rigpix.com/ .

Changing coastline of Britain - NOT amateur radio

This map was on social media recently. It shows how the British coastline probably looked over the last few thousand years. In a human lifetime things change too slowly to notice.