Tuesday 31 May 2011

Legacy Boudewijn Büch

Last weekend we were in The Hague to visit the Tong Tong Fair at the Malieveld.
A successful trip with an overnight stay at the Parkhotel. On Sunday there was at "Lange Voorhout" a book-, antique- and curio-market.

Despite the baggage, we brought with us, we are just walking along. The weather was dry.
In one of the book stalls, I found this auction guide of the collection of Boudewijn Büch. A gadget that I wanted. This book includes a DVD with a little tour of his house. Boudewijn collected a lot of books about different countries, celebrities and (almost) extinct animals, like the Dodo.The picture is made by myself.

Monday 23 May 2011

WSPR with 50mW

Last week it was a holiday week for me.
I planned a few days to Bolsward (Friesland) and the other days I was in the village of Zuidlaren in JO33IC. On this location I wanted do some wspr experiments, it’s the village where my mother lives.
Mondayevening I switch on my equipment for WSPR, start on 30M. In combination with the attenuator I wanted to transmit with 50mW, but………….
I saw lines on my screen but no decodes. Very strange, I saw a kind of delay in the start on the screen. I was searching on the internet to see if this is a problem in combination with Windows 7, I found nothing. I never had this on my Laptop with XP.
In a Dutch forum I found something about the time synchronisation. I changed this to time.kpn.net .
On this tuesday I made a few cw qso’s, the most on 30M, with different stations in Europe.

During my stay in Friesland, we also visited the city of Harlingen. I toke a photo of the lighthouse in this place. The lighthouse is no longer in use but at a hefty price you can sleep here for a night.On Friday I came back from Bolsward and start up the equipment for WSPR. This time I saw decodes on my screen and stations saw also my transmissions.
Was “time.kpn.net” the solution? I’m not sure but it can be.
Saturday May 21, 14 different stations received my 50mW signals.

Saturdayevening it was time to go home.
It was a good feeling that I solved the problem to work WSPR on my new Laptop with Windows 7. Does anyone else have this experience?

73, Tjeerd (Gose) - PA3GNZ

Sunday 15 May 2011

Es on 6 meter

Last week I received a few QSL's via the buro. One of the cards is from SP3JMZ. With this card square JO82 is confirmed on 6 meter.The sporadic E season is started but the signals in my QTH are very weak, maybe they will be stronger in the next weeks.

Yesterday, I worked (cw) with DK3EE in JO41, a new square. I think this was via Tropo.
Today I worked (cw) with 9H1XT in JM75GV, a new DXCC country & square on 6 meter.

73, Tjeerd (Gose) - PA3GNZ

Monday 9 May 2011

Es on 6 meter starts

Today the Es season on 6 meters began for me.

The first signals where very weak, I could hardly take the stations. Around 14:30 UTC the signals were stronger and could I work via morse code with HA8CE in KN06EN. Almost half hours later I worked with YO6XK (SSB) in KN25BS, a new square.

For this season I will use my Yaesu FT817nd, 5 watts and a modified 5/8 for 2M to a 1/4 GP for 6M.

73, Tjeerd (Gose) - PA3GNZ

Saturday 30 April 2011

QRV from the field.

Today (queens day) was a beautiful sunny day. It seemed a good idea, for the first time this season, to be active from the field.
I put the suitcase with the FT817nd and ATX-1080 antenna in the car. A folding table + chair was already packed.
I unpacked everything in the field near Maurik. On 20M was not to much activity and the strength of the signals was also disappointing. I made ​​1 (ssb) qso with E75MC. This operator was amazed about the strength of my signal. I worked with 5 watts.

I took this photo with my mobile phone.

Last year it strucks me that I couldn't make 5 watts from the car battery, the voltage was too low. This time I had the engine running and the voltage from the cigarette lighter point was enough to made 5 watts output with the FT817nd.

Despite the sun, I did not stay long, it was very windy.

73, Tjeerd (Gose) - PA3GNZ

Wednesday 27 April 2011

Q5 in a peppermint can.

In my previous post I forgot to publish a picture of the Q5 30M transmitter.
Built into a peppermint can, including the filter.







73, Tjeerd (Gose) - PA3GNZ

Monday 25 April 2011

QRP with Easter.

During Easter I visited my mother in the northern part of the Netherlands. In her house is a ZEPP for 30M hanging, on the topfloor. Normally I span the last few meters via the window to the end of the garden. This time I put the last few meters to the floor in the attic.

I brought my Q5 30M transmitter and wanted to see whether the signal would be heard by someone.
The next project is a switchbox to connect a seperate tx and rx to an antenna.
I gave a CQ several times on 10.116 MHz and saw that my signal was heard in Slovenia. A distance of almost 1000 km with about 250mW output. This experiment was successful.

Then I wanted to try my Rockmite 40M transceiver. On Easter Sunday there was a contest in HB9 and impossible for me to make a qso. After the contest, I made ​​a new attempt, without success.
Always difficult with a crystal that you can not move.
I had a few successful qso's with this trx made​​ in the past.

73, Tjeerd (Gose) - PA3GNZ

Friday 18 March 2011

Experience with the FuncubeDongle

I have the FuncubeDongle for 3 weeks at home. In these 3 weeks I've listen several moments to different frequencies. All this with my GP 2M on the balcony.

Different signals on 2M, this morning for the first time downlink signals of the VO-52 satellite. In this orbit I heard UA9FFF.
Furthermore, some signals on 70cm, 119,050 (AM) aircraft and digital signals of the C2000 communication.
During the Es season it is intended to receive signals on 70MHz. For this band I plan to make a wire dipole.

73, Tjeerd (Gose) - PA3GNZ

Monday 14 March 2011

(Radio)vlooienmarkt in Rosmalen

Afgelopen zaterdag een bezoek gebracht aan deze vlooienmarkt in Rosmalen.
Rond 09:15 waren wij hier en konden relatief dichtbij de ingang parkeren. Problemen zoals door andere gemeld hadden wij dan ook niet.

Het was weer een drukke markt waarbij het mij opvalt dat er steeds meer handel komt waarbij ik de relatie tot onze mooie hobby niet zie. Of is dit meer bedoeld om je partner tevreden te houden?

Ik had geen boodschappen lijst maar ben toch om 15:00 uur met wat spullen naar huis gegaan. De 2 getoonde boeken, de rechtse is 2de hands. Een 4Gb USB stick, verloop van SMA naar PL259 en een MP4 speler, deze is inderdaad voor mijn YL.

This is a local event, so I have written this article in Dutch.

73, Tjeerd (Gose) - PA3GNZ

Monday 28 February 2011

Goodbye to the Kenwood TS700S

Last week I said goodbye, after almost 25 years, to my Kenwood TS700S, a allmode 2 meter transceiver.
In 1987 I bought this transceiver and made many ssb qso's via tropo, Es and Aurora. I made 1 cw qso via Aurora.
This was a period of several years that I was very active with 2 meter DX, until I got my B license in 1991. In the last period as PE1MDM and the beginning of the period as PB0ALS I was also active on the RS10/11 satellite. The TS700S was used for the uplink.
I made the most qso's with 12 watts from the bare transceiver. Later I had a small 30 watts amplifier.

73, Tjeerd (Gose) - PA3GNZ

Friday 4 February 2011

The back of my "Limerick sudden receiver"

On my camera I found some pictures that I've made in December 2010. These are some shots from the back of the Limerick Sudden receiver.

On the left is the on/off switch, underneath the chassis to the 9 volt battery to charge.
Originally there was an RCA chassis in the kit for the antenna connection. I replaced this with a BNC chassis.


73, Tjeerd (Gose) - PA3GNZ

Thursday 30 December 2010

2011 coming, programming my Yaesu FT7800

As regular readers may have noticed I was not actively in recent weeks. Busy with other things, including my study.

My "new" desktop computer has no serial connector anymore. The cables I have for my Yaesu FT817 and FT7800 are not directly used on this computer.
A serial-to-USB cable that I had did not solve this problem.
In the Far East I bought 2 new programming cables with a USB connector. After installing the driver, I could program my FT7800.

I wish everyone a good 2011 with: Health, happiness and fun with the things you do in your leisure time.

In 2011 you see me again with regular messages. This is a project for 2011.


73, Tjeerd (Gose) - PA3GNZ

Sunday 12 December 2010

Listening with the Limerick Sudden receiver (30M)

Among the other activities of this weekend, I listened to the "Limerick Sudden receiver". I had a wire antenna of no more than 5 meters. Despite this short length for this frequency signals were heard.
I heard Sweden, United Kingdom, Italy and Belarus (EW8O).

This last station had a way of qso's which seemed more like a contest. Something I think this is not needed on this band and in my eyes undesirable.

I felt again the early years, I started as a SWL (NL-9514).







73, Tjeerd (Gose) - PA3GNZ

Friday 10 December 2010

QSL & Limerick Sudden receiver

Wednesday, December 8th, there was a local meeting where the ability is to get the QSL cards from the buro. Through other activities, I was not able to go. The cards are taken by an amateur friend and I received it today.
There were some nice QSL's from QSO's made with the ATX1080 antenna at home and from the field activity in Maurik, last summer.
The project "Sudden Limerick receiver" has stagnated for several months but now the receiver is ready.
Making the case was a precise job and fortunately, I had some help. The description for the casing to assemble seemed easier than practice.

I have a few minor details changed. The RCA chassis for the antenna changed into a BNC.



The connection of the print to the BNC, is made with RG174 coax.

Next week I will try to publish some listening experiences.


73, Tjeerd (Gose) - PA3GNZ

Friday 26 November 2010

Lighthouses in Portugal

During our stay in the Algarve, Portugal, we saw some lighthouses.

"Farol da ponta da piedade"


The highlight was the lighthouse "Farol de S. Vicente". It was open to the public, a unique.
"Farol de S. Vicente"

Monday 22 November 2010

QSL received

a few days before my trip to Portugal, I was at the monthly meeting where I can bring and get the QSL.
There were a fair number of QSL's for me, including some remarkable.
There were QSL's of the QSO's with OK1AUZ and 8S0C. Both QSO's are made with my FT817 + ATX1080 antenna and 2.5 watts output. My setup was on the dinertable.

73, Tjeerd (Gose) - PA3GNZ

Sunday 17 October 2010

WSPR & Homebrew

From Friday night my FT950 was running with WSPR on 40M. Given the results, I think that the conditions are not so good.
My 5 watts signal is heard by 4X1RF several times, a distance of over 3000km. 4X1RF was also my longest distance I received.

In 2 newsletters of the Benelux QRP Club is an article by Albert PA3EKN about an universal cw transmitter. The crystal, some capacitors and inductors are the determining factor for the hamband used.
Albert described this project in newsletter 64 and 96.In the junkbox I found the PCB of this project with the crystal 3.582 MHz, not very useful for QRP. I ordered crystals for different QRP frequencies, including 3.560 MHz, by Genesis Radio in Australia. This past week I have installed. The transmitter works for the first time very close to the desired frequency. With tuning C1, transmit frequency is 3.560 MHz.

To be continued ......









73, Tjeerd (Gose) - PA3GNZ

Friday 15 October 2010

WSPR on 40M/30M

Yesterday I started with WSPR on 40M. This morning I saw that my laptop was restarted last night.
With my sleepy head I restart WSPR and don't saw that the program was on 30M. All received data is passed as spots on 30M, while 40M it should be. My apologies for this mistake!

Now it is restored.

73, Tjeerd (Gose) - PA3GNZ

Saturday 9 October 2010

QRV from Zuidlaren, JO33IC

Last weekend I was in Zuidlaren for a few days, JO33IC. On Friday I setup my station, FT817 + 10dB attenuator. And the 30M ZEPP on the topfloor and a few meters outside. With WSPR I used only 50mW.
I made also a few cw/qqb qso's on 30 and 40 meters.

73, Tjeerd (Gose) - PA3GNZ

Monday 27 September 2010

WSPR on 30M

After a long time I'm qrv again on 30M with WSPR.

This time with my FT817nd with battery power and the ATX1080 antenna mounted on the back of the set. Mostly just listen, otherwise the battery is empty very soon.








Visit this link to see the results

73, Tjeerd (Gose) - PA3GNZ