Winter projects review

Back on Jan 4th this year I put a list of projects that were on my "to do" list on the blog. As winter is now over it is time to review progress (or rather lack of it):

Lightbeam RX. The aim is to detect the GB3CAM 481THz optical beacon at a distance of 32km from my nearest highspot.

Well, the RX has been improved considerably and is now very sensitive and is capable of NLOS reception, but I have still to make a successful reception of this beacon.

Light beam transceiver. Following on from (1), this will either be a transceive head with a transverter or an FM transceiver that I can duplicate so I can talk to others who can borrow the second unit.

This has not progressed at all. It is still my intention to do this.

Rebuilt VLF earth mode beacon transmitter. In a few weeks time I will be able to put out a stable signal on 8.97kHz  (the usual VLF test frequency) rather than 8.76kHz. My intention is to rebuild the whole beacon TX so I can run 10wpm CW, QRSS3, 30 and 60 modes as well as WSPR.

 I have recrystalled and tested the existing beacon for 8.970kHz but the full rebuild has not happened.

Improved LF loop and E-field probe antennas. I want to erect a more permanent external antenna for VLF and LF grabber work and mount these away from the house.
Improved E-field probes have been tested but I have not erected these externally.

Case up the 137kHz transverter. This has been a rat's nest on a piece of copper laminate for too long!

Still to be done.Not started.

28MHz WSPR transceiver based on a 14.060MHz crystal doubled in a DSB direct conversion transceiver circuit.
Not started and now unlikely to be done.

In my defence, I  have done a few other projects including some 160m transmitter and 160m loft antenna work and quite a bit of experimentation on the 481THz kit although few products at the end of this. I want to do one more thing very shortly and that is to erect a 50MHz (Homebase-10 style) wire halo either in the loft space or on the mast outside in time for the Es season.

In summary, I think one can say I am what my mother-in-law called a "fireside fusilier": I'm always gunner (going to) do this and gunner do that!