Since doing the latest Windows update, I get the impression that the PC closes down after a certain time. A new sign-in is needed. If correct, does anyone know how to stop this please?
As you may know, I put the rig beaconing on WSPR or FT8 and monitor on a different PC in the lounge, popping into the shack if anything needs adjusting. To get into the shack takes a few seconds only.
Is there a default setting that can be turned off?
This morning I was puzzled why I was getting no output on 20m FT8 with the QMX+. Disabling the SWR protection solved the mystery as the SWR exceeded 3:1 and this was preventing TX. I turned the protection back on as 20m is a band I rarely use.
On 6m FT8, I had 4 spots of my QRP from the QMX+. I am still getting insufficient audio on 6m FT8 RX. This still requires further investigation.
As an experiment I quickly tried the QMX+ on 6m FT8. Power was about 3W and several UK spots were obtained with the V2000 vertical omni. For some reason the RX level on 6m appears too low. Further investigation is needed.
So far, I have tried it on 15m, 10m and 6m. I wonder if it would work on 8m? Maybe I should try it on 160m FT8 with the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground assuming the match is good.
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.
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.
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.
The whole hedge has now been trimmed. I feel more tired than before!!
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
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.
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/ .
Once again I am trying 10m WSPR at 10mW. So far, 2 spots by EA8BFK (2880km). This looks like F2 rather than Es.
UPDATE 0935z: No further spots of my 10mW 10m WSPR TX.
