MLS bargains

Martin Lynch and Sons has some big discounts.

See  https://www.hamradio.co.uk/ .

13.8V distribution board

http://www.hamradio.co.uk/sysimages/origimages/PW-100-1_pr5198_1.jpg

If you are like me, you'll have several pieces of equipment in the shack that run off 12-13.8V supplies and only one PSU that is used for everything.  This results in a very untidy arrangement.

I see that Martin Lynch sell a Mydel PW-100 4-way distribution board with fuses on each output. Although a similar unit could easily be built, this is not a bad price for a ready-made unit complete with spare connectors at around 30 pounds.

When arranging my new shack I shall have to either buy one of these or make up something similar.

A walk in the sunshine with the Ventus GPS tracker

As the weather was so beautiful this afternoon (full sun and around 13 deg C) I decided to do a country walk and track my progress using the Ventus GPS data logger bought from Martin Lynch and Sons.  The walk was 10.7km and took about 2hrs 34 minutes with a couple of relaxing breaks for a drink and a snack.  No ham radio gear was taken this time, because I forgot to charge up my VX2 handheld. Next time, HI.  Incidentally Quy was where my optical beacon reached (over the horizon) a few weeks ago. When you walk that far it seems a VERY long way away!

This is a plot of the walk taken with the low cost GPS tracker  then plotted with Google Earth.

Today's walk in the Cambridgeshire countryside

IC7100 price

Whilst checking the trade-in value of my Elecraft K1 transceiver with Martin Lynch yesterday (in my case for another FT817), I asked when the IC7100 was likely to be available in the UK and its likely price.  Indications are that the IC7100 is going to be here in the spring with a price tag of around £1700. This does not include the D-star option. Clearly these dates and prices are not certain. It will be considerably more expensive than the IC7000 though. That much is certain.

An IC7100 at that price is rather more than I would want to pay, but if it was to last 12 years like my current FT817 already has, it might be worth it, especially with 4m,  2m and 70cm coverage. On the other hand, a second (additional) FT817 would do all I really need at under a third of the price!

Kenwood TS-990 - UK price

Well my fellow blog readers, I have some good news for you!

The new Kenwood TS-990 is now available to order for Martin Lynch, and I expect many others, for only £6600 with deliveries expected February. I am sure many will buy this fine radio, but as this is about ten times my budget (once every 10 years or so) for a new HF transceiver, I will not be one of them. 

http://www.jayceecoms.com/images/Kenwood-ts990s-1.jpg

Walking in Devon

No posts for a few days as I've been away staying with my 68 year old brother in South Devon. I managed a couple of nice walks along the cliffs and lanes in the cold bright winter sunshine. I believe in the Met Office definition of winter starting Dec 1st. The lanes were VERY muddy but Salcombe, my home town in my childhood was quiet and beautiful.

My 2 Devon walks plotted using the G730 GPS tracker

My Ventus G730 GPS tracker - available for around £34 from Martin Lynch - plotted the 2 walks.  One was around 14km and the other 16.5km.

This shot is of the coastal path near Thurlestone. There are a few nice seats on the walk and I have worked some good HF and VHF pedestrian portable DX from them, although I took no radio gear this time.