Simple 432MHz operation webpage

Just added a new 70cms web page to my site at http://www.g3xbm.co.uk .

501kHz tonight

Heard G3KEV calling CQ on 501kHz CW tonight and listening for crossband QSOs on 3533kHz. Although I called him a few times on 80m he did not hear me. Also heard (for the first time) was G3DXZ also on CW. Both stations were RST549 on the FT817 and random 15m endfed wire.

6m and 10m lively today

Both 6m and 10m were lively in Europe today with quite a few QRP QSOs made on both bands via sporadic-E. Nothing heard much beyond Europe though apart from 6V7L being called by many on 10m.

Home Base 10 - webpage link fixed

The link to the Home Base 10 (10m halo antenna) on my webpage http://www.g3xbm.co.uk went AWOL last week. This has now been fixed. The antenna is fully described in September 2008 edition of Practical Wireless p38-40.

Good 6m opening tonight

What an evening! Only worked one EA station on 6m QRP but heard some amazing DX. Firstly D4C Cape Verde Is (working piles of Europeans on CW) who was audible on the vertical colinear on the side of the house at 539 at best. Also heard was Lefty K1TOL in Maine, USA who was peaking 569 on the same vertical antenna. Really thought I had a chance of working him again with 6m QRP but was not so lucky this season.

Home-base 10 antenna - QSO with USA

10m opened up to the USA this evening and I managed to get RS53 from N2MM in New Jersey with QRP SSB to the Home-base 10 10m halo. This antenna is really working very well indeed. There is an article showing how to build this antenna in Sept 2008 edition of Practical Wireless.

G3XBM website updated

My website at http://www.g3xbm.co.uk was updated today with a page on the Moxon 70cms antenna including a diagram and a few pictures.

70cms Moxon results

Well, the 2el Moxon made from my wife's coat hanger was tested in the 432MHz low power contest today and it worked very well considering how tiny it is and how it was made! Best DX was F8BRK at 326kms who gave me a 519 report. In all 10 QSOs were made in a few hours of operation with 5W from the FT817. A total of 8 QTH locator squares were worked in very dismal conditions and rain.

70cms Moxon 2el yagi

There is a 432MHz low power contest this Sunday, so I have made a small 2el Moxon yagi to use /P with the FT817 in the contest. I have no idea if I will work anyone with it. It was built using one of my wife's coat hangers. If you hear G3XBM/P be sure to give me a call. I shall be operating from JO02CC or JO02DD square in East Cambridgeshire. Both have clear take-offs to the north round to the west, but not so good to the east.

DSB10 - more progress

I have now breadboarded the 10m DC receiver for this rig using a single balanced mixer with 2 diodes followed by two stages of audio. It works well and was pulling in plenty of stations in the IOTA contest this weekend on both SSB and CW without any sign of AM breakthrough. I think the secret is plenty of LO injection to switch the well balanced diodes hard.