On Thursday May 23rd  as part of the Battle of Atlantic Commemoration, Wirral and District Amateur radio Club have a whole day for the club to operate from Fort Perch Rock, New Brighton.

The venue will be open from 10:00 for club members and 11:00 for visitors. The site will close at 17:00.  Fort Perch Rock Radio Room (Photo right).

Everyone is welcome .. but can club members who would like to operate or visit please supply David Oakden G3UFO with names and CALLSIGNS.  This is for David to organise you a free pass.

Operation from this site will be on a Fun Day basis - The venue is open to the public and a member of the Maritime Radio Museum (Wallasey) will be on hand to fend off the general public whilst you are operating.  Tea and Coffee and biscuits will be provided FREE to club members. The on site Cafe' does offer cakes soft drinks etc.  The entry price to the public is £3 per adult and children go free, So please register so that David can produce your pass.  If you want to operate either on HF or VHF SSB or CW please indicate at what times you may be available so that an ad hoc operating list can be produced.

The fort itself also has other attractions. The Titanic Room, HMS Thetis exhibition , Beatles Memorabilia and Aircraft reclamation - this has a fine display of aircraft engines recovered after WW2 including the Rolls Royce Merlin from the 'The Aircraft in the Park (Birkenhead Park). And most of all the location has a fine view of the river (Lets hope the weather has the same idea.)

Car Parking:- There is car parking adjacent to the Fort next to the lake. There should be no problem on the Thursday but at weekends parking is nearly impossible. However the vintage bus group offer a service down the whole length of Harrison Drive. 

Look forward to seeing you on the day.

73s David  

Any questions email G3UFO@wadarc.com

Saturday 18th May 2013

More balloons carrying 70cm transmitters will be launched this weekend, among them are STRATODEAN and STS-3 PICO

STATODEAN is aiming for a launch from Coleford, Gloucestershire this Saturday afternoon at 2pm, predicted direction is towards Wales.

STRATODEAN Two: $$SDEAN, 434.650MHz, 50 baud, 350hz shift, ASCII-7, 2 stop bits, no parity.

The payload will be around 1100g and it is using a Hwoyee 1000g balloon.  This is the same configuration as their first launch which reached a height of 32000m. The payload will contain a CHDK digital still camera and a GoPro Hero 2 - this time with no lens covering and an open case - so hopefully no fogging this time!

Trackers would be much appreciated. If you want a bit more background of the project and check out the website http://www.stratodean.co.uk/ or follow https://twitter.com/ stratodean.

-  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -

Radim OM2AMR reports that the STS-3 PICO balloon will launch from Slovakia:
Date/Time: 18 May 2013, approx. 9:00 UTC
Flight: STS-3 PICO TEST:STS-3
Freq: 438.020 MHz USB
UKHAS RTTY, 300Bd, 7N2, 450 Hz shift, ca. 8 mW RF Power

When at an altitude of 30 km the balloons should be receivable over 500 km away

Tracks of the balloons should be available at
http://www.spacenear.us/tracker

Beginners Guide to Tracking using dl-fldigi
http://ukhas.org.uk/guides:tracking_guide

To get details of upcoming launches subscribe to the UKHAS Mailing List by sending a blank email to this address: ukhas+subscribe@googlegroups.com

Saturday 18th May 2013

The Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Conference (GAREC) is on June 25-27 in Zurich, Switzerland, timed to precede HAM RADIO, Europe's largest Amateur Radio gathering in Friedrichshafen, Germany on June 28-30.

Held annually since 2005, GAREC it is an opportunity for emergency communicators to discuss recent events, technical solutions to problems and how to find cooperation with professional partners.

The topics include the relevance of Amateur Radio Emergency Communication in the First World, the HAMNET high speed data network of South Africa, and presentations from the IARU regions plus those with recent disaster relief communications operations.

Registration is due by May 20. Those attending HAM RADIO after GAREC, transportation to Friedrichshafen will be provided for a fee. For more information visit the GAREC 2013 website.

Jim Linton VK3PC

Saturday 18th May 2013

The Israeli regulator - the Ministry of Communications - (IMOC) has decided to grant 5 MHz/60m temporary permission on an individual application basis.

8 Channels are available to General and Extra Class licence holders.

The channels are as per the list below (the number represents USB dial frequency) - for CW 1.5 kHz above. There is some flexibility on Digi modes with 2500 Hz out of the 3kHz channel width. No split operation

Channel 1    5298.5    USB CW RTTY PSK
Channel 2    5330.5    USB CW
Channel 3    5357.0    RTTY PSK CW USB
Channel 4    5366.5    USB CW RTTY PSK
Channel 5    5371.5    USB
Channel 6    5398.5    CW USB RTTY PSK
Channel 7    5403.5    USB RTTY PSK CW
Channel 8    5407.0    USB RTTY PSK CW

Power - 100W PEP measured at the TX (not EIRP)

The Israel Amateur Radio Club's main goal is as always to experiment for local short range emergency communication readiness and the long distance activity is a side product of this.

The validity is from application approval date until mid March 2014 but it appears this could be extended. Operation is on a secondary status of course and was coordinated with the spectrum committee of the IMOC representing some other relevant organizations.

The IARC have had some flexibility in the choice of frequencies and in doing so have endeavoured to coordinate these with 5 MHz/60m amateur frequencies and activities already in existence. It is hoped that as IMOC gain confidence in 5 MHz/60m activity by Israeli amateurs as Secondary status users, then further frequencies may be made available

Amos, 4Z1AB, the President of the Israel Amateur Radio Club concluded his news by saying "We are all excited to work 60 metres with the ham community - wishing all 73 and 'Shalom' from the Holy Land"

(Tnx: IARC; 4Z1AB, 4Z4DX, 4Z1TL)

Why not visit the 5 MHz sked page in the Southgate Ham Forum to arrange a contact on the band?

Cheers

Paul G4MWO

Friday 17th May 2013

The UK Met Office will be keeping a close eye on the Sun over the coming days after a recent surge in its activity.

The eruptions from these spots come in several different forms, but if the events are of sufficient strength and directed towards the Earth, they can all cause impacts on our modern-day technology. Impacts range from minor interference to communication networks to temporary disruption to electricity supply, satellites and GPS navigation.

Over the past few days a sunspot, identified by the number 1748, has been the cause of many solar eruptions which have already caused some minor impacts.

Since February 2011, the Met Office has been working with a range of partners, including the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the British Geological Survey (BGS) and the UK Space Agency to develop a UK-based space weather forecasting service.

This monitors the Sun’s activity and then predicts how these changes are likely to affect the Earth’s environment. The Met Office Hazard Centre currently has forecasters trained in space weather forecasting, and awareness is being raised across different industry sectors to make them aware of their potential vulnerability and how we can help lessen the risks.

Read the full Met Office story and watch the video at
http://metofficenews.wordpress.com/2013/05/16/met-office-keeping-a-close-eye-on-space-weather/

UK Met Office on Twitter
https://twitter.com/metoffice

Friday 17th May 2013

The RSGB website has been updated with further information on Ofcom's plans for the 2300 and 3400 MHz bands

See http://rsgb.org/main/operating/band-plans/microwaves/spectrum-release/

Friday 17th May 2013

We explore three different Remote Control options to control a station from anywhere in the world.

George and Tommy prepare for Dayton Hamvention. And some really funny stuff…

1:10:00 of interesting and entertaining ALTV.

Download

http://www.amateurlogic.tv/blog/

Friday 17th May 2013

A statement about Fixed Penalty Fines written by Ofcom Enforcement Policy Officer Jim McNally has been published in RadCom

http://www.rsgbdata.net/wp-site/rsgbclubsnewsletter/6754564/
RSGB_Newsletter_June_2013_1.8.pdf
 

Dave Raycroft's  ICPO
(Islands, Castles & Portable Operations)

I.C.P.O. Bulletin (17 - 21 May 2013)
"Islands, Castles & Portable Operations"
Listing is by calendar date (day/month/year)

If you like chasing the DX to some of the remotest areas of the world, or love a rag-chew with a portable station in a rare square or working Islands, Castles or Lighthouses on the Air, then you need the right information. 

Dave Raycroft VA3RJ produces an excellent bulletin, and you can read the latest by clicking on the following link, and see what is coming up in the next few days/weeks.  Dave Raycroft Bulletin

Also check the excellent HF Propagation predictions from the United Kingdom for May 2013 by Gwyn Williams, G4FKH

Thursday 16th May 2013

On the 16/17th May 2013 the Lincoln Short Wave Club are operating a Special Event Station in memory of the Air Crew and German civilians killed during the now-famous 617 Squadron’s raid on the great Ruhr dams of Germany.

On the night of 16/17 May 1943, nineteen Lancaster bombers of RAF 617 Squadron, led by Wing Commander Guy Gibson, took off to attack the Mohne, Sorpe and Eder Dams in Germany using Barnes Wallace’s famous 'bouncing bomb'

Nineteen aircraft took off that night in three waves from RAF Scampton.
Of the nineteen that took off, only eleven returned.

This will probably go down in history as the most daring attack ever undertaken by Bomber Command - immortalised by the famous film The Dam Busters.

The station will be on RAF Scampton’s bomb dump which is where Barnes Wallis’s bouncing bomb would have been delivered on 16th May 1943.

The station will start at 15.00 local time on 16th May 2013 and transmit through the night on 40 and 80 metres 3.617 MHz band conditions permitting. Transmissions will cease at 15.00 local time on the 17th May 2013. A sked has been arranged with an amateur who will be visiting the Mohne Dam on the 17th, probably the first time a qso has taken place between the dam and RAF Scampton since the raid.

Additionally, and in response to numerous requests from ex-pats in Australia and New Zealand, GB70DAM will also be operational on CW on Thursday 16th at 1300 UTC (prior to the start of the main station) on the DX section of the 40mtr Band for at least one hour +- pileup. The CW operator will be Ian G4XFC Fists#13276

A very special Limited Edition QSL card will be available of the Dambusters raid details on QRZ.com

GB70DAM update (13 May)
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/may2013/
gb70dam_dambusters_update.htm

More information at
http://www.g5fz.co.uk/dambusters-special-event-station-gb70dam/

Lincoln Short Wave Club
http://www.g5fz.co.uk/

Watch this clip from the movie "The Dambusters"

Thursday 16th May 2013

2013 marks the Centenary of the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) the 20,000 strong body that represents Britain’s radio amateurs.

The RSGB is pleased to announce that its Patron, HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, KG, KT will be joining the Society for Centenary Day at the National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park on 5 July 2013.
He will meet with Members and invited guests before unveiling a plaque to commemorate the Centenary.

A number of activities, talks and displays are planned in which RSGB Members and members of the public can take part during the day.

Background
Starting life as the London Wireless Club in 1913, the RSGB has since its inception brought together people with an interest in radio communication. The Society provided the framework within which the pioneers and experimenters of radio technology have thrived.

RSGB members have been at the forefront of many of the major contributions made to radio technology. For example, the development of Radio intelligence, television, radar development, re-designing the Iron lung and the discovery of Pulsars all involved radio amateurs. The influence of amateurs across science, technology, medicine and the communications industry has been huge.

One hundred years later, the RSGB still provides a platform for the exchange of ideas amongst experimenters and, although the technologies may have changed, the amateur spirit has not. With this background the many thousands of radio amateurs in the UK are proud to celebrate the Centenary of their organisation, the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB).

History
The London Wireless Club started after Rene Klein had a letter published in English Mechanic on 6 June 1913. He expressed surprise that there wasn’t a wireless group in London when other major cities had such gatherings. A meeting of interested parties took place on 5 July and the London Wireless Club – with a membership of four – was born. Just ten weeks later the membership had increased to 40 and by the end of the first year there were 151 Members and 11 Associate Members – 69 of whom held transmitting licences
.
Through two World Wars the Society was justly proud of its Members war service. Its younger members, ready trained, flocked to the wireless units of the Navy, Army and Air Force. Here they served with distinction. Many of those who stayed at home during WWII were recruited to become Voluntary interceptors used to monitor enemy radio signals and pass them to Bletchley Park for decoding and analysis.

Since WWII and into a new Millennium, the RSGB’s membership have taken part in propagation experiments, pushed the boundaries of radio and electronic knowledge and shown what international amateur radio relations is all about. Whether it’s proving that VHF communications is more than line-of-sight, showing the world how far radio signals can travel or putting satellites into space, radio amateurs have been involved in it all.

Future
Whilst Centenary celebrations are a time to reflect on our past achievements, there can be no question of “resting on our laurels”. Amateur radio today is as relevant and vibrant as it has ever been and the RSGB takes very seriously its responsibility to work with partners around the world in providing leadership to safeguard and develop amateur radio over the next 100 years.

Worldwide
There are around 4 million amateur radio callsigns worldwide, with 78,000 on issue in the UK. Radio amateurs around the world are required to pass an examination before gaining their licence. There is an international body governing amateur radio called the International Amateur Radio Union. The RSGB is a founder member of the IARU, which was formed in 1925.

RSGB Centenary 2013
http://rsgb.org/main/about-us/rsgb-centenary-2013/

RSGB website
http://rsgb.org/

Thursday 16th May 2013

The ARRL report on the Mars Lander Amateur Radio Robotics Exploration Activity (MAREA)

NASA has been doing some exciting explorations of Mars with robots, currently Opportunity and Curiosity, which are manoeuvred on the Martian surface by remote control. 

These robots collect and analyze soil samples and relay the results of these distant experiments back to Earth. While students can learn about these experiments in newspapers, scientific journals, on the Internet or TV, wouldn’t a more active approach provide a more engaging learning experience? Why not let students experience the same thrills as the NASA scientists and engineers through a simulation that they conduct in their own classrooms?

The basic concept of MAREA uses robotic movement commands that are attached in the text portion of an Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS) packet transmission. The APRS packet with the attached commands is sent from a “mission control” school via the terrestrial APRS network or, when possible, even via the Amateur Radio station on the passing International Space Station (ISS), to a “ground station” school. At the ground station school the command packet is received and the command data is linked by UHF radio to the “Mars” robot for execution.

The MAREA system components consist of:

• the typical 2 meter packet capable ham radio transceiver (or receiver if reception only is desired)
• a computer running a free APRS packet display program, sound card TNC (Terminal Node Controller) and serial loopback software packages
• UHF data link transceivers
• an instructional robot

Read the full ARRL article at
http://www.arrl.org/marea-ham-radio-robotics

Wednesday 15th May 2013

It seems traffic road cones are being fitted with transmitters operating in the amateur radio 433 MHz band.

See the BBC News report at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22527383

IntellIcone® portable site alarm datasheet
http://media.wix.com/ugd//
985589_ead89500eb3a8e5712a60828d58712fd.pdf

IntellIcone®
http://www.intellicone.co.uk/

Thanks to M3TMH for highlighting this on the UKQRM reflector at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UKQRM

Wednesday 15th May 2013

Solar activity is high. During a 24 hour period straddling May 13th and 14th, the sun unleashed three X-class solar flares. These are the strongest flares of the year so far, and they signal a significant increase in solar activity.

The source of the flares, a large sunspot on the sun's eastern limb, appears poised to erupt again as it turns toward Earth.

Check http://spaceweather.com for updates and more information.

THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION (ISS) will remove Microsoft Windows from its onboard laptops and run Linux exclusively.

The ISS carries a number of laptops that astronauts use to perform various functions and carry out certain aspects of their missions. NASA had until recently run Microsoft's Windows operating system on these laptops, however looking for something that is "stable and reliable", it opted to dump Windows in favour of Linux with the Linux Foundation helping to provide training.

Read the interesting article by Lawrence Latif in the Inquirer

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2267703/nasa-migrates-iss-laptops-from-windows-to-linux

Thanks to Steve G7BBF for the news item

Monday 13th May 2013

Frequencies have been announced for the new Ham Radio Digital TV transmitter that will transmit from the ISS in the amateur radio 2400 MHz band.

The main mission of HamTV is to perform school contacts between the astronauts onboard ISS and the scholarship, not only by voice, but also by unidirectional video from the ISS to the ground within ARISS program.

In addition to the existing VHF radio amateur station, ISS will host a S-Band video transmitting station. This new equipment can broadcast images from the ISS during the school contacts or other pre-recorded video images up to 24 hours a day to allow ground stations tuning.

It is planned to transmit DVB-S signals on 2.4GHz at either 1.3Msps or 2.3Msps with 10 watts of RF from the ISS Columbus module.

The IARU Amateur Satellite Frequency Coordination Panel have announced coordinated frequencies of 2422.0 MHz and 2437.0 MHz.

HamTV on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/Hamtvproject

More information from AMSAT-Italia at
http://www.amsat.it/Amsat-Italia_HamTV_brochure.pdf

Link Budget
http://www.amsat.it/Amsat-Italia_HamTV.pdf

ARISS Antennas Installed on Columbus
http://www.ariss-eu.org/columbus.htm

Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano KF5KDP is planned to launch from Baikonur in Kazhakstan to the ISS on May 28 (see High School Student’s RocketHub Project).

It is understood that the HamTV equipment will be carried to the ISS on the HTV 4 spacecraft currently planned to launch in August.

Monday 13th May 2013

According to the Amateur Radio Cluster Network for the week of Sunday, 5th-May, through Sunday, 12th-May there were 228 countries active.

Countries available:

3A, 3B8, 3D2, 3V, 3W, 4J, 4L, 4O, 4S, 4U1I, 4X, 5B, 5H, 5N, 5R, 5T, 5U, 5W, 5X, 5Z, 6W, 6Y, 7P, 7Q, 7X, 8P, 8Q, 8R, 9A, 9G, 9H, 9J, 9K, 9M2, 9M6, 9N, 9Q, 9V, 9Y,

A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A9, AP, BV, BY, C3, C6, C9, CE, CE9, CM, CN, CP, CT, CT3, CU, CX, D2, D4, DL, DU, E5/s, E7, EA, EA6, EA8, EA9, EI, EK, EL, EP, ER, ES, ET, EU, EX, EY, EZ, F, FG, FH, FK, FM, FO, FP, FR, FY, G, GD, GI, GJ, GM, GU, GW, H4, HA, HB, HB0, HC, HC8, HH, HI, HK, HL, HP, HR, HS, HV, HZ, I, IS, J2, J3, J6, J7, J8, JA, JD/o, JT, JW, JY,

K, KH0, KH2, KH6, KL, KP2, KP4, LA, LU, LX, LY, LZ, OA, OD, OE, OH, OH0, OJ0, OK, OM, ON, OX, OY, OZ, P2, P4, PA, PJ2, PJ4, PJ7, PY, PZ, R1FJ, S5, SM, SP, ST, SU, SV, SV/a, SV5, SV9, T2, T7, TA, TF, TG, TI, TJ, TK, TL, TR, TT, TY, TZ, UA, UA2, UA9, UK, UN, UR,

V2, V3, V4, V5, V6, V7, V8, VE, VK, VK9C, VK9L, VK9N, VP2E, VP2M, VP8, VP8/h, VP9, VQ9, VR, VU, XE, XU, XX9, XZ, YA, YB, YI, YL, YN, YO, YS, YU, YV, Z2, Z3, Z8, ZA, ZB, ZD7, ZL, ZP, ZS, ZS8

PLEASE NOTE: The report "could" contain "Pirate/SLIM" operations or more likely a "BUSTED CALLSIGN". As always, you never know - "Work First Worry Later" (WFWL).

OPDX

Most club members are now aware that the RSGB are also running weekly RSGB CC UKAC contests as an addition to their comprehensive contest calendar.

These are held each Tuesday evening from 20:00 until 22:30 with new club members joining in every week !

The contests are for multi club member operators, combining their results for a Club Entry, as well as their own individual performance.  They cover the following VHF bands 50 MHz, 144 MHz, 432 MHz, 1296 MHz and up to 10GHz and on those months with a 5th Tuesday 70Mhz. 

You don't have to do each band .. you can choose one band only if you like, which would mean one Tuesday evening a month, so it does not have to be a big commitment !!  You can either work from your shack or go out portable .. the choice is yours.

We now have eight club members contributing to the WADARC score - Denis G3UVR, Frank G8REQ, Chris M1EEV, Simon G6XHF, Daniel M6CUL, Tom G4BKF, Andy M6MEQ and David G3UFO and this year alone (2013) their combined scores are keeping WADARC in 10th place out of a total of 91 UK club entries which is a truly great result !

You can always check on a weekly basis to see how WADARC is doing at:-

http://www.rsgbcc.org/cgi-bin//vhfresults.pl?ContestSeries=Overall%20UKAC&year=2013

A closer look at the top five clubs in the above link shows that they have twenty or so operators that can chip in the points so clearly the more members of a club who take part .. the more points the club receives and the higher the club profile. 

If you would like to take part and chip in your points to the WADARC club score or like more details, then please chat with any of those taking part listed above.  They come to most club meetings and are present at many of the D&W's.  In the meantime I have listed below some bullet points which may answer some of your initial questions, but you can find more complete information by browsing the above link and those at the end.

The UK AC contests are run by the RSGB
There is one every Tuesday evening 20:00 - 22:30
A different band every week of the month (except the SHF one)

First     Tuesday every month - 144Mhz
Second Tuesday every month - 432Mhz
Third   Tuesday every month - 1296Mhz
Forth   Tuesday every month - 50mhz (plus all the SHF bands to 10GHz)
Fifth    Tuesday (when available) - 70MHz

The Rules are on the RSGB CC VHF website (See links below)
The RSGB Adjudicate the results

There are several power sections
     AL  low power up to 10w (not 70MHz)
     AR 10w to 100w (not 70MHz)
     AO 100w to 400w (not 70MHz)
     AX Full licence power, no aerial restrictions, use of chat internet ok (AX not allowed to add score to club)

You DON'T need to be an RSGB member to operate in the contest.

You DO have to be a club member of an RSGB Affiliated Society (AFS) (such as WADARC) to add your score to.

Logs can be done on paper then converted by typing the info in again at the RSGB CC VHF website.

The easiest way (recommended) is to use the free contest logger "Minos" then on completion just upload the log to the RSGB

You have one week after the end of contest to submit logs.

Some more links to relevant pages at RSGB

http://www.rsgbcc.org/vhf/howto.html

http://www.rsgbcc.org/vhf/rules/12rules/frameindex.html 

In the meantime, our congratulations to Denis, Frank, Chris, Simon, Daniel, Tom, Andy and David for their efforts and lets hope some more members can spare a little time on a Tuesday evening to consolidate the success they have achieved so far.

73, Neil G4OAR

Saturday 11th May 2013

SOTAbeams is running a competition to name a new antenna design. Based on their popular Minipole, it's a 'make it yourself' two-band HF antenna.

Details of the antenna and a free construction info sheet can be downloaded at: http://www.sotabeams.co.uk/mini-poles/

A video showing the antenna being put up is at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player
_embedded&v=p38QhwADbWs

The winner will have their name adopted for the design and will win their own antenna, made by Richard G3CWI

Saturday 11th May 2013

In our continuing efforts of localizing RFinder - The World Wide Repeater Directory, we have now released German on both iPhone and Android. RFinder is already available in English, French and Japanese.

RFinder WWRD has data for 178 countries and is growing. Many countries Frequency Coordinators are using RFinder in their coordination efforts.

RFinder will also be released in English on Windows Phone. It is already available on Android, iPhone, Web, and directly accessible from RT Systems and CHIRP radio programmers.

POI's for common GPS platforms, including AVMAP G5/G6, Garmin and TomTom is available on http://web.rfinder.net. An annual subscription for $9.99US allows access from all platforms. Repeater data nearly anywhere in the world is accessible from nearly any computing device.

More information can be found at www.rfinder.net and on facebook www.facebook.com/rfinderwwrd.

Inquires directly to W2CYK@RFinder.net.
Please translate if required.

Bob, W2CYK

Saturday 11th May 2013

Guido PE1NNZ has released code to enable the Raspberry Pi computer board to generate SSB on the 7 and 14 MHz bands.

On his blog he writes:

The following code can generate SSB modulation just by controlling a PLL carrier. I have applied this method on the RapsberryPi PLL, and made several contacts on 40m and 20m band with my RaspberryPi.

The RaspberryPi receives the Microphone input via an external USB sound device. To improve the SSB quality, the signal is companded by a A-law compression technique. Three parallel BS170 MOSFETs where directly driven by RaspberryPi GPIO4 output to create about 1Watt of RF.
On 40m I could made several SSB contacts through Europe using this setup, receiving stations back by using a nearby online WebSDR receiver.

Blog - Direct SSB generation by frequency modulating a PLL
http://pe1nnz.nl.eu.org/2013/05/direct-ssb-generation-on-pll.html
 

Friday 10th May 2013

Congratulations to Wayne VK3WAM who gathered his gear together quickly and headed up to a local summit when he heard that the Norfolk Island VK9NT DXpedition had decided to activate the new SOTA summit today (Thursday), earlier than the originally planned Saturday.

Wayne has already posted a blog with pictures describing the action here
http://waynemerry.wordpress.com/2013/05/09/activation-of-mt-dandenong-first-summit-2-summit-with-norfolk-island/

Once again well done Wayne

Ed VK2JI

Friday 10th May 2013

Ofcom has published a call for inputs relating to spectrum use by licence exempt devices in the 2.4 GHz band. 2400-2450 MHz is an Amateur and Amateur Satellite Service allocation 

The Ofcom announcement says:

This band is close to radio spectrum in the 2,300 MHz band, which the Ministry of Defence (MoD) plans to release for new civil uses.

The MoD has therefore commissioned work to audit licence exempt uses in the 2,400 MHz band, in particular to identify the full range of possible uses of this spectrum. The call for inputs introduces two audit reports that explore licence exempt use in the 2,400 MHz band.

It also invites stakeholders to identify any other uses that may need to be considered to understand any technical coexistence.

The public consultation closes on June 19, 2013.

Consultation page and information on how to respond
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/2400-mhz/

Licence Exempt spectrum use in the 2400 MHz band
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/consultations/
2400-mhz/summary/2400-mhz-cfi.pdf

RSGB - 2400 MHz Band - Call for Inputs
http://rsgbbeta.org/blog/news/gb2rs/headlines/2013/05/09/
2400mhz-call/

Friday 10th May 2013

The latest newsletter reports the Russian Over The Horizon (OTH) Radar in the 3.5 MHz band is still very active.

The Russian OTH Radar is believed to be located in the area of Makhachkala, Caspian Sea and transmits simultaneously between 3515–3545 and 3560–3590 kHz. Amateur radio and other services are suffering interference during the evening. The German and Dutch PTTs have been informed.

Read the International Amateur Radio Union Monitoring System (IARUMS) Region 1 April 2013 newsletter at
http://www.iarums-r1.org/iarums/news2013/news1304.pdf

Please log your reports of Amateur Band intruders online at
http://peditio.net/intruder/bluechat.cgi

Monitor the short wave bands on-line with a web based SDR receiver at
http://www.websdr.org/

IARU Monitoring System (IARUMS)
http://www.iaru-r1.org/index.php?option=com_content&view
=category&layout=blog&id=39&Itemid=87

Thursday 9th May 2013

After many months of careful planning, the XR0ZR team is pleased and proud to announce preparations for a multi-national Dxpedition to Robinson Crusoe Island in the Juan Fernandez Archipelago (CE0Z), using the callsign XR0ZR.

It is our privilege to activate this entity during the period November 8–20th, 2013.

The Juan Fernández Islands (Spanish: Archipiélago Juan Fernández) are a sparsely inhabited island group reliant on tourism and fishing in the South Pacific Ocean, situated about 600 kilometers off the coast of Chile, and is composed of three main volcanic islands; Robinson Crusoe Island, Alejandro Selkirk Island and Santa Clara Island.

On the Club-Log's most wanted DXCC list, Juan Fernandez, CE0Z ranks as #35 on the most wanted list for all amateur radio operators, #23 on the most wanted list for Asia, #27 on the most needed list for CW operations, and #18 on the most needed list for Digital Operations.

The Team is meeting in Santiago, Chile, and will depart by a chartered aircraft on November 7th. The Team expects become active on November 8th.

The main goals of this DXpedition are to work every amateur radio operator who needs Juan Fernandez, (CE0Z) for a new DXCC country. In addition, we will be active on all bands and modes from 1.8 MHz to 50 MHz with special attention to be made to accommodate distant stations during periods when propagation permits.

We are planning to have 4 stations running simultaneously and hope to make thousand contacts worldwide.

We are kindly seeking Club and Individual Sponsors to help us defray the costs of carrying out this important Dxpedition.

Our team will consist of the following Operators: Fabri-IW3SQY (Team Leader), Franco-IZ8GCE, Paolo-IV3DSH, Josep-EA3AKY, Les-SP3DOI, Dino-CE3PG, and Art-WA7NB.

We wish everyone good propagation and we hope that you enjoy working the XR0ZR Team.

Thank you for your assistance in helping make this a world class DXpedition. You can follow us on:

Website : http://www.juanfernandez2013.com
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/groups/xr0zr/
Twitter : @xr0zr

73 de
XR0ZR Team

OPDX

Thursday 9th May 2013

Camb-Hams will be operating GS3PYE/P from the Isle of Mull (EU-008) on 10-16 May 2013.

The Camb-Hams have been activating the Scottish Isles each year since 2008 and will be retuning to the Isle of Mull in 2013.

Thirteen operators will be active on all bands and many modes from 2m to 160m. They will also be active on 472KHz for the first time.

The HF bands will be covered by five simultaneous stations, while the 6m, 4m and 2m stations will have a great take-off towards the UK and Europe from the island’s south-east coast in IO76 square.

They will have an antenna elevation system for 2m EME activity and will also be on many of the VHF/UHF satellite passes. WSPR beacons will be operating on most of the inactive bands to help find the best propagation.

Contest operations will take place in 70MHz CW on 12 May and 432MHz UKAC on 14 May.

The group will be active on the major social networks before, during and after the trip. You can check on progress or interact with the operators via their blog at dx.camb-hams.com or through Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Previous trips have generated some great audio and video recordings of the GS3PYE/P signal from around the world. Check their previous blogs and their YouTube channel and see if you can post a better recording.

Please email skeds-2013@camb-hams.com to arrange skeds on the more challenging bands and modes. VHF and EME skeds will also be made via ON4KST and N0UK’s EME Chat.
All links are available via dx.camb-hams.com
dx.camb-hams.com
twitter.com/g3pye
facebook.com/CambHams
youtube.com/CambHams

Thursday 9th May 2013

The May issue of the free amateur radio 432 MHz and Above EME Newsletter mentions the impact of WiFi on Japanese EME operation

It says:
"As discussed in past NLs, our 13 cm allocations, no matter where we are located, will be difficult to maintain and are subject to attack by commercial interests. Mike (JH1KRC) writes that the JARL frequency board would like to renew their band plan (the JARL plan for the legal frequency allocation), and has requested public opinion on a frequency change. Specifically it is the JA 13 cm EME band that is being considered for relocation. It appears that the present JA 2424 EME band may be totally covered in the near future by WiFi/wireless LAN services worldwide. Thus, JA EMEers are considering having their EME 13 cm frequency allocation moved to 2400. They would like to hear from you on the interference present at your location on the present (2424) band and the new (2400) proposed band. Are these bands clean or jammed?  Please send this and any other related information to Mike email: jh1krc[at]syd.odn.ne.jp by the last week of May, 2013."

Available in Word, PDF and Text formats the newsletter can be downloaded from
http://www.nitehawk.com/rasmit/em70cm.html

Previous newsletters are at
http://www.nitehawk.com/rasmit/em70cm_arc.html

Friday 3rd May 2013

NASA is inviting members of the public to submit their names and a personal message online for a DVD to be carried aboard a spacecraft that will study the Martian upper atmosphere.

Scheduled for launch in November, the DVD will be in NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft. The DVD is part of the mission's Going to Mars Campaign coordinated at the University of Colorado at Boulder's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (CU/LASP).

The DVD will carry every name submitted. The public also is encouraged to submit a message in the form of a three-line poem, or haiku.

However, only three haikus will be selected. The deadline for all submissions is July 1. An online public vote to determine the top three messages to be placed on the DVD will begin July 15.

"The Going to Mars campaign offers people worldwide a way to make a personal connection to space, space exploration, and science in general, and share in our excitement about the MAVEN mission," said Stephanie Renfrow, lead for the MAVEN Education and Public Outreach program at CU/LASP.

Participants who submit their names to the Going to Mars campaign will be able to print a certificate of appreciation to document their involvement with the MAVEN mission.

"This new campaign is a great opportunity to reach the next generation of explorers and excite them about science, technology, engineering and math," said Bruce Jakosky, MAVEN principal investigator from CU/LASP. "I look forward to sharing our science with the worldwide community as MAVEN begins to piece together what happened to the Red Planet's atmosphere."

MAVEN is the first spacecraft devoted to exploring and understanding the Martian upper atmosphere. The spacecraft will investigate how the loss of Mars' atmosphere to space determined the history of water on the surface.

"This mission will continue NASA's rich history of inspiring and engaging the public in spaceflight in ongoing Mars exploration," said David Mitchell, MAVEN project manager at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

MAVEN's principal investigator is based at the University of Colorado at Boulder's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics. The university will provide science operations, science instruments and lead Education and Public Outreach. Goddard manages the project and provides two of the science instruments for the mission. Lockheed Martin of Littleton, Colo., built the spacecraft and is responsible for mission operations. The University of California at Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory provides science instruments for the mission. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., provides navigation support, the Deep Space Network and the Electra telecommunications relay hardware and operations.

To participate in the Going to Mars campaign, visit
http://lasp.colorado.edu/maven/goingtomars

For more information on MAVEN, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/maven

Friday 3rd May 2013

Alex, M6CFW, reports on QRZ.com that he recently received a license to operate as XU7WXA from Phnom Penh and will be using it when he visits the country for work.

Alex states: Future dates will be posted here (QRZ.com), and I will try to be on-air as much as work permits. These trips are NOT designed to be full blown DXpeditions. Having said that if you need an XU7 for an award, then I'd be happy to arrange a sked and try to make contact.

I will be using all HF bands, SSB and PSK31/63. I'm limited to 100W, but given how flat Cambodia is, I should still be able to reach pretty much anywhere. QSLs will be uploaded pretty much immediately to LoTW and eQSL.

If you need a paper card then I'm happy to provide them, but ONLY directly via my UK address M6CFW, and ONLY with $2, €2, £2 or 2 VALID IRCs.

I will hopefully be operating soon from XY/XZ (Myanmar). Negotiations for licenses are well advanced, and once I have it then I will mount a one man DXpedition.

OPDX

Friday 3rd May 2013

The popular 80m phone Trans-Tasman Contest is coming around again, and will be held on Saturday 11th of May 2013, from  8pm to 2am NZST. As usual your best 5 hours of the 6 count toward the final result.

Contact as many ZL's and VK's as you can each hour on 80m SSB. Bonus points for QRP, and for each group of 5 different call areas. Full rules and last years results are on the WIA contest pages:
http://www.wia.org.au/members/contests/transtasman/ [8]

The contest logging software VKCL has been updated to cover the latest revision of the rules. VKCL can be downloaded here:
http://www.mnds.com.au/vkcl/ [9]

This is always a great night of contesting, not too long or too serious, but there's enough activity and challenge for an enjoyable evening. For extra fun many stations go portable with simple wire antennas.

160M PHONE & 80/160M CW & DIGITAL TRANS-TASMAN CONTEST: 20 JULY, 8PM-2AM

The 160m phone contest in July is always popular with 160m enthusiasts, and is a great chance to have a go on the band, or to go portable with simple antennas.

The Trans-Tasman CW and Digital contests are held on the same night. They can be entered separately or combined with 160m phone to compete in the multi-mode category. This is a great opportunity for clubs and other multi-op stations to work both bands and all modes with 2 transmitters. CW scores double points this year!

Rules and results on the WIA page above.

Rob, ZL3AKM
Contest Manager

NZART Website: www.nzart.org.nz