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