Using the club call M0SNB June saw another chance to operate 70 MHz outdoors in the RSGB contest, with perfect weather at 24c. The contest site at the Secret Nuclear Bunker was used, at some 110m ASL it has good take off in most directions. Using the homebrew 6e 70 Mhz beam, and the solid-state […]
Resonant antenna tests on WSPR 472 KHz
At the SNBCG operating site we have the opportunity to out up some large antenna, and for some time we had wanted to try 472 KHz using George M1GEO WSPR transmitter. The plan was using the onsite 50m cellphone mast* to pull up some wire, and with some work hopefully, enough wire to have a […]
How good is that choke?
With field days just on the horizon, I decided to make a couple of Balun (common mode choke) for field day use. I often use a vertical for 7 or 3.5 MHz, and a 1:1 choke is needed to stop the feeder becoming part of the antenna system. Sure you can purchase them online, but […]
Summer 2018 has arrived (almost)
At last, the warmer weather has arrived, today gave me the first opportunity to operate outdoors without a coat. It was a pleasant sunny afternoon so I decided to operate outdoors and make the most of the nice weather. Using the Icom 7100 and 65Ah leisure battery and a white stick for 145 MHz and […]
Easter Weekend Radio Fun
Easter weekend is often the start of the better weather and lighter evenings, so provides a chance to go out portable for the first time in the year. Unfortunately, this bank holiday weekend in true British tradition was wet and cold with rain forecast and temperatures soaring to a tropical 7C. This didn’t stop Chris G8OCV, George […]
PI4 next generation VHF/UHF beacons?
Beacons have like other digital modes moved with the times, making use of the latest digital modulation techniques to improve detectability far beyond the human ear and CW. The name PI4- PharusIgnis4 comes from the ancient words for a beacon, lighthouse and fire and is a digital modulation that is compliant with the IARU Region 1 […]