Sunday, 14 August 2011

You can find me on LOTW

Last week I import the certificate I received from the LOTW administration and upload my log to the LOTW website. I separate the qso's made as: PA3GNZ, PA3GNZ/P and PA3GNZ/LH. The summary on the LOTW page tell me that I made 4337 qso's until yesterday. 556 of them are confirmed by LOTW.

When I request for the DXCC results I saw this summary.
2011-08-14







I have more countries confirmed via paper cards. I use logger16 and switched to Logger 32. In this version I can import the lotw file and make a merge of the paper and LOTW cards. Will be continued.

Maybe you know that the last few days we had the peak of the Perseids meteor shower. Yesterday I build up my 6M station and connect my laptop to receive JT6M signals on 50.230. Yesterday and this morning I received signals from all over Europe. OY6FRA is one of the stations I saw.
Communication via the computer is not my way of this hobby. So, this was a very short experiment and for me closed.
In spite of this I was surprised that I can pick up MS signals with my GP for 6M.

73, Tjeerd (Gose) - PA3GNZ

Monday, 8 August 2011

SOTA activation PA-005 PA7ZEE/P & PA3GNZ/P

A few weeks ago there was the plan, together with Geert, PA7ZEE who had been here before, to activate SOTA PA-005 "The Galgenberg".
Last Saturday, August 6, we decided to go. According to the expectations it could remain dry until around noon. To protect us for some rain we had a fish-umbrella with us.

First we have to set-up the DX-wire pole for the delta loop, then my FT817nd connected. Currently, we discovered that the Elecraft T1 tuner did not work, so first I tried only 20 m. I made 5 qso’s in SSB with only 5 watts output.
Meanwhile, Geert set-up the 30 m long wire for the KX1, a tree throw, which succeeded already the second time! The counterpoise of 3 times 10 meters was disheveled and we accepted that as a fact.
PA7ZEE/p activation SOTA PA--05Once called on 7032 kHz and Geert made within 6 minutes 5 qso's, a little pile up!





Our objective for a SOTA point, at least 4 qso's per person, had already met.

Around 8:45 UTC, we switched from place and I made 3 QSOs with the KX1. What an experience to work with this set!
Meanwhile Geert tried to solve the problem with the T1, and he succeed at the end. The procedure is first 'power' button and then follow the instructions on the box.
PA3GNZ/P activation SOTA PA-005Then I could make a CW QSO on 40 m with my FT817nd.







Almost on the end of our activation, I switch to 30 m and made a QSO with LA9RY. Knut was on his holiday address on an island with IOTA reference EU-055.

The forecast for later in the day was thunderstorms and heavy showers and around 10 hours UTC we managed to get everything dry in the car.
After some food and a drink in the 'Termiekbel’, we drove to Tiel. Geert had very heavy rains on his way to Amstelveen. Just luck and a little weather knowledge, helped to look back on a successfull SOTA activation.

Thanks to Geert. With his support this expedition was physically possible for me.

73, Tjeerd (Gose) - PA3GNZ

Friday, 29 July 2011

Baofeng UV-3R

Since a few months I've the Baofeng UV-3R portable transceiver in use.
It works very well and is very handy to take anywhere. The shock was great when I heard that the second harmonic of the 2M signal is far below the allowable requirement. But what do you want for this money?

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to connect the portable transceiver to a spectrum analyzer. And what was wrote is true.

The second harmonic of the 2M signal is only 22 dB lower.






The suppression of the second harmonic of the 70cm signal is within the requirements.A modification to the suppression of the second harmonic of the 2M signal improvement is in the planning.

73, Tjeerd (Gose) - PA3GNZ

Sunday, 24 July 2011

Faces in my house

Last week I was busy with other activities and there was almost no time for the radio hobby.
Besides my work, I started repeating the course of "medical terminology". I registered for the exam in October.
Faces in my house.















2 weeks ago I started a little photo project. With my camera, I walked through my apartment and all the faces photographed. A gave this project the name "Faces in my house". The photos on my Flickr page.
Via Facebook and Twitter I met Ivan Wolffers, his photos are my inspiration.

73, Tjeerd (Gose) - PA3GNZ

Tuesday, 28 June 2011

Es on 6M.

Currently, it's bad weather in Tiel and it seems a good time to write on my blog.
Before I started this post I read on Twitter the sad news of G4ILO. At that moment I was without words.
I realize again that we have no influence on the duration of our lives.

Last weekend I tried something to do with WSPR on 6 meters. On my FT817nd I had the wrong antenna connector set and therefore no results. Sunday, after I have switched this to the right connector my signal was heard by PAØO. Yesterday I heard also some signals but not spectacular.

Meanwhile I saw that there was a large Es cloud hanging over Europe and there were many opportunities for qso's on 6M.
At 16:01 UTC I made my first qso with LZ1QI. Then I had some other activities to do.
At 18:57 UTC I discovered that there was still Es, now I toke te time to made a few qso's.
Between approximately 19:00 and 19:30 UTC I worked with 6 different stations. 2 from Estonia, Hungary, Romania and 2 from Ukraine.All qso's made ​​with SSB or CW. 5 watts from my FT817nd with 1/4 GP on the balcony.

73, Tjeerd (Gose) - PA3GNZ