Category: FM

Revisiting D-STAR and the GB7TE repeater

Back in March 2011 I wrote about three different modes of communications, EchoLink, D-STAR and QSONet. In that piece, I discounted all of them and although I said that D-STAR was the one which most interested me, I wasn’t planning on using it due to a lack of any D-STAR repeaters nearby. Fast forward to earlier […]

I’m not dead!

I know I’ve not updated this blog for some months but don’t panic, I’m not actually dead! Although I’ve not done much operating this year, I have still been playing radio.  I’ve been melting a lot of solder building WSPR and QRSS transmitters and there’s normally some RF being transmitted on an HF band somewhere […]

Working Amateur Radio satellites – A blast from my past

I’ve tried many facets of amateur radio including working through ‘repeaters in the sky’, or as they’re more commonly known, satellites. I recently dug out an envelope of old QSL cards and in amongst them were four cards back from 2000 where I had QSOs through the now long defunct SO-35 ‘Sunsat‘.  Three of the […]

Days 364 and 365 – Some QRSS and a bit of everything to wrap up QSO365

It feels a little odd to be writing this final regular update for QSO365.  It really doesn’t seem like a year ago that it all started and I’m a little relieved to be posting this update, knowing that the project has been a resounding success with not only a QSO made every day of 2011, […]

Days 311, 312 and 313 – I have an amplifier

I started off day #311 on 20m when I spoke to IN3LQB, Paul before I moved to 10m and worked A61AS, Salem and TA1BX, Burhan.  I then moved to 12m to talk to JT1BV, Naran.  This was followed by three PSK31 contacts on 15m with LY2CK, Fred, UY2IC, Aleksandr and UT1Ef, Stanislav.  Later in the […]

Days 296, 297 and 298 – I finally worked T32C

Day #296 was the day of the aerial work although before we started tearing my aerials down, I had a quick ‘banker’ QSO just in case things didn’t go well.  I worked JG1WNO, Hiro on 10m JT65 early in the morning. After all the work was done and my beam was up, my first QSO […]

Days 293, 294 and 295 – First SSB contact to VK

Conditions have been great over the last couple of weeks.  I’ve not been going out of my way to have long strings of QSOs though, just tuning around and picking people off as I feel like it. On day #293 I spent most of my time on 10m working A65EE, Adil, ZS6CX, Glen, RD3ZV, Alex, […]

Days 290, 291 and 292 – A QSL card in the post

I had three QSOs on day #290, I worked MX0BCQ, Kevin and 2E0OTL, Gary on 40m SSB and then had a JT65 QSO on 20m with IW1PUR, Roberto. Even less on day #291 despite the current good conditions – I spoke to KF3B, Alan on 15m SSB and NU1O, Chris on 10m. I arrived home […]

Days 287, 288 and 289 – A bit of (almost) everything

There’s a bit of everything in this update.  Variety is the spice of life! I only had two QSOs on day #287 though, I first worked KD4FNI, Glenn on 15m and then I heard EA3JW, Jim calling CQ DX on 40m.  I wound the power down to 10 watts and asked if he’d mind working […]

Days 276 to 282 – The RSGB Convention and getting a US amateur radio licence

Here’s what should be one of the last ‘regular’ updates that consists of just a list as it brings me up to date.  I’m not saying there won’t be lists in the future when I work a lot of stations such as during a contest but they’ve served a purpose here and I’ll be shifting […]