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Archive for July, 2020

QRP anyone? Low power fun at Wythall Club

July 13, 2020 By: Chris G3YHF Category: Club, Fun, News

Low power operating – QRP – has added an extra element of fun to Wythall Radio Club members’ recent two-way contacts.

John 2E0XET/M6KET often operates his small KX3 radio (on the left of the desk) in QRP mode – defined as 5 watts output or less – and recently serendipity struck!

“Funny thing radio conditions. With hardly a red spot in sight yesterday morning on DX HEAT at about 11.50 local time I called CQ on 14.060MHz with absolutely no expectations and only 5 watts output.

The band appeared empty, but Leslie K4DY in North Carolina USA came back to me with my RST of 529 (he was 329 here).
 
Hardly earth shattering DX I know, but it made one enthusiast just a little bit more enthusiastic!!”
 
QRP signals may not be s9 – but often they are perfectly readable, especially when using CW.
 
Meanwhile Darren GW7HOC/MW5HOC fired up his 20m FOXX-3 for the first time in about 3 years.  This little kit rig is built into a mint tin and is rock bound (crystal controlled) on 14.060MHz.
 
“I put out a QRS (low speed Morse Code) call with maybe 1 watt, and a guy in Greece called me back! First proper CW QSO in quite a while.  I do like making contacts with my mint tin rigs. Serious fun!”
 
So much fun, Darren has built 3 of these rigs!!
 
14.060 MHz is the calling frequency for QRP stations around the world on the 20M band.
 
Chris G3YHF is another QRP enthusiast.  He recently used very low power (QRPp) – 100 milliwatts – to contact stations in Belgium, Germany and Bulgaria on the 40 and 20 meter QRP frequencies.  Like John and Darren, he used Morse Code, this time with his K3S rig and 40 meter delta loop antenna.
 
His contacts were to celebrate receiving the QRP Master Award from the GQRP Club for working 70 countries with 5 watts of less, of which 20 must be 2-way QRP, plus 60 GQRP Club members.  This was achieved with an Icom 725 modified for QRP output and a G5RV antenna.
 
So wind back the power and give QRP a go!
 
 
 
 
 

90 countries worked in June’s ‘High Band Challenge’

July 01, 2020 By: Chris G3YHF Category: Club, Fun, News

What countries can we contact on the higher HF bands during June?
 
That was the challenge set for Wythall Radio Club members.  The focus was on the amateur bands from 15 meters to 6 meters, using the digital mode FT8.  This follows the similar Morse Code-only challenge in May.
 
Overall, club members worked 91 countries – including Hawaii, Chile, Mauritania, Saint Helena island, Cuba and Asiatic Russia.
 
Impressive results were achieved by Chris G0EYO who worked 77 different countries, closely followed by Lee G0MTN with 69. 
 
On 6 meters – a band noted for its occasional and often very short openings – Mike G4VPD was very active working an impressive 46 countries.  Best DX included Bahrain, Puerto Rico, Tajikistan, Canada and Armenia.
 
Overall, there were 607 QSOs during June’s High Band Challenge.
 
But it wasn’t all easy going.  Band conditions were often poor, with limited and sporadic propogation – “Bands dreadful today, but managed to get Albania on 15m this morning, only there for 10 mins”. 
 
The heat wave in the middle of the month caused additional problems – “Too hot to go into the shack today!” 
 
And occasional erroneous entries in the on-line log caused excitement – “Well done – Swaziland on 15m & 12m! ”  “Just checking my log. Looks like I probably did mean Switzerland.”
 
Here you can see how the QSOs developed over the month!
 
 
July’s challenge for club members is to work as many different countries on 80, 40 and 20m using any mode – digital, Morse or SSB (voice).
 
To see the countries worked by band in June’s Challenge, click this link