For last year’s Field Day, I took a stab at networking a couple of computers together with an ethernet cable so that our N1MM+ logging software could be synced up. It was both surprisingly easy to do, but equally daunting due to the curious lack of reasonably digestible tutorials tackling the topic on the interwebs. So now that Field Day is again upon us, I felt that same sort of dread that comes from staring up at a steep learning curve. Because quite frankly, I could not remember at all how to create a N1MM+ computer network. I checked back at my blog page on the topic, and was dismayed at how little of the process I documented. So, I am here to rectify that.

Here is my use case. I want to have three computers with Windows 10 operating systems host logging software (N1MM Logger Plus) for a multiple station ARRL Field Day event. All of the computers need to be synchronized with each other in order to avoid such dreaded contesting faux pas as “dupes”, i.e., getting the same person twice. I also do not want to have to rely on an internet in order to maintain communication between these computers.

As far as hardware goes, I already was in possession of three (quite aged) computers. I splurged on three new 25′ ethernet (CAT 6) cables (one for each computer), and a Linksys 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch. I set up the computers simply by plugging one end of an ethernet cable into its ethernet port, and the other end of the cable into the switch. Remember the gigabit switch does need power to operate!

Before I began networking the computers, I had updated all of the necessary software, including Windows and N1MM+. All of the computers need to have the exact same version of N1MM+, as well as exactly the same inputted contest information, before N1MM+ is able to synchronize between multiple stations.

Once the hardware was gathered and the software was up-to-date, I followed the step-by-step procedure documented below.

Step 1: Go to internet icon, click, and “Open Network & Internet Settings”.

Step 2: Select “Ethernet” on left, and then “Network and Sharing Center” on right.

Step 3: The “Unidentified Network” is set to “private” which is what I want it to be. For contrast, my wifi network is set to “Public” (see arrow on the left). Click on the “Ethernet” hyperlink.

Step 4: Click on “Properties” of the first box that pops up. Then click on “Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)”.

Step 5: Click “Use the following IP address” and add in “192.168.1.200” for “IP address”. The “Subnet mask” should just show up as 255.255.255.0. While I am no expert by any means in networking computers, I do think you can choose the last three digits of your IP address from 1 to 255 254 [Correction sent to me by my favorite critic, AC1JR!] I picked “200” rather arbitrarily. Once you are done, click “ok”, “ok”, and “close” on the multiple windows.

Step 6: If you need to make your network private because it is showing as public (see Step 3 above), you need type “secpol.msc” into the search bar and press enter.

Step 7: In the pop-up window, click on the “Network List Manager Policies” under the “Security Settings” tab. Then click “Unidentified Networks”. In the next pop-up, choose “Private”. Hit “Apply” and then “Ok”. Your “Unidentified Network” settings should now say “Private”.

Step 8: Open the file manager and click on “Network”. Your computer’s name should be listed there. My computer is named “PC-1”.

Step 9: Now it is time to network your second computer. Go back through Steps 1-8, but this time on the new computer. Below shows all of the steps ordered numerically. Don’t forget to change the ethernet connection to “Private” as shown above. The only difference is that you want to assign this computer a different IP address than the first one. I chose 192.168.1.201.

Step 10: Check the “Network” tab in the file manager to make sure the second computer (in my case, “PC-2”) shows up.

Step 11: Repeat these steps as many times as you need to in order to connect all of your computers to the network. Just change the last digits of the newly assigned static IP address, as they all have to be something different. I have three computers that are now linked together.

Step 12: Once your computers are all networked, open N1MM. Under the “Window” menu, find and click “Network Status”.

Step 13: Make sure that the most recent version of N1MM is installed or else you will get an error message when attempting to connect to the other networked computers (in red below). You also need to make sure that everything else about N1MM is identical, in particular that the contest information for the log is the same.

Step 14: When all of the computers are identically set-up, with the same software versions and contest information, open up the “Network Status” window. A bubble will show that gives you an option to turn on “Networked Computer Mode”. Click it!

Step 15: If you see all of your computers listed with no red error messages, your networking efforts are a success! Make sure you have designated one of the computers as the “Master” by checking the appropriate box.

There you have it! N1MM Logger Plus synchronized across multiple stations for Field Day! I hope to catch you on the air!

Forever,

KM1NDY

FastRadioBurst 23 letting you know of our forthcoming shortwave transmissions this week. On Sunday 26th May 2024 at 0900/1300 hrs UTC on 6160 kHz and then at 2000 UTC on 6160 kHz and 3975 kHz we bring you The Imaginary Lounge beamed to Europe via Shortwave Gold. Stick on your best Interview whistle and flute and swan about with […]

Something that all radio amateurs encounter sooner or later is the subject of impedance matching....

Thanks to the Weather Network for reminding us of this event.

https://www.theweathernetwork.com/en/news/lifestyle/community/alert-ready-test-to-happen-on-may-8-2024-part-of-emergency-preparedness-week-in-canada

Note that the test in Ontario is May 15th and if it works correctly should make some of your digital devices make lots of noise.

But as always have a Plan “B” because if its a serious event you might only see this.

73bob

Thanks to the Weather Network for reminding us of this event.

https://www.theweathernetwork.com/en/news/lifestyle/community/alert-ready-test-to-happen-on-may-8-2024-part-of-emergency-preparedness-week-in-canada

Note that the test in Ontario is May 15th and if it works correctly should make some of your digital devices make lots of noise.

But as always have a Plan “B” because if its a serious event you might only see this.

73bob

Recently (at least for me) the bands have not been the best (understatement) and so rather than tell you about the contacts I have (or not) made …. Here is a bit on a new radio coming that if it lives up to its hype might wake up the QRP market a bit.

DISCLAIMER: THE FOLLOWING POST IS NOT A ENDORSEMENT OF THE PRODUCT LISTED BELOW. IN THE PAST WE ALL OF HEARD ABOUT GOOD THINGS AND BAD THINGS ABOUT 1ST ATTEMPTS OF A NEW RADIO.

If the early info give to us by XIEGU is accurate this could be a welcome addition to the QRP part of the hobby.

Draw your own conclusions from the post and then make your own decisions…. Buyer Beware

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The radio is the Xiegu 6200 which is from the company that has given us the G90 and the X5105 both of which are excellent radios once the “gremlins” were removed from the firmware.

Although I never operated a G90 I know quite a few operators from the POTA world who did (and still do) and they never complained about it (at least to me) and their signals always sounded great

I did operate a X5105 as my POTA radio for a while and foolishly sold it.

So let me show you the Xeigu X6200

All the following info comes from the Radioddity site: https://www.radioddity.com/products/xiegu-x6200

so once again do your research and come up with your own opinions…

Looks good but looks can be (might be) deceiving.

So its “eye candy” Looks great but what about the stats?

Once again from their website.

Xiegu X6200 – A new generation flagship ultra-portable transceiver that uses a high-performance DRFS platform architecture and offers a convenient user experience for amateur radio enthusiasts.

It has a 4-inch color screen, a built-in battery pack, an automatic antenna tuner, a microphone, and a recorder. It also supports various SDR features, such as digital filters, noise reduction, pulse interference elimination, and spectrum/waterfall display. It has two USB interfaces, an ACC interface, a 3.5mmKEY interface, and an S/P interface. It has two external expansion component slots for additional applications and peripherals.

Highlights
– HF/50MHz all-mode
– Detachable battery pack
– Built-in efficient automatic antenna tuner
– Integrated standing wave scanner and voice pager
– Integrated modem, preset message, CW automatic call
– Integrated USB line control/transmission, built-in sound card
– Support remote control, wireless FT8 operation
– WFM broadcast reception, aviation band reception

But what about the specs?:

Xiegu X6200 Sneak Peek
on March 21, 2024
1. The images currently displayed are only of the engineering prototype, they do not represent the final form of the product.
2. For more latest news, please subscribe to the Radioddity newsletter.
3. Please credit the source when reposting the images.

All the data used in this blog posting has been provided by the Radioditty Website and or the groups i/o site via a link on the above mentioned website and I thank them for it

My comments follow:

Yes…. its output is 5w….. but it is a QRP radio so….

From what I see so far this radio could/might be a contender against the IC705 and the KX3 from the expected price point. How will the 6200 perform? This depends on the firmware and has yet to be seen.

DISCLAIMER: THE ABOVE POST IS NOT A ENDORSEMENT OF THE PRODUCT(s) LISTED ABOVE . IN THE PAST WE ALL OF HEARD ABOUT GOOD THINGS AND BAD THINGS ABOUT 1ST ATTEMPTS OF A NEW RADIO.

If the early info give to us by XIEGU is accurate this could be a welcome addition to the QRP part of the hobby.

Draw your own conclusions from the post and then make your own decisions…. Buyer Beware

Am I rushing out to buy one? NO!!! but it does have my attention and I will be following the reviews and if they are good…. you never know it might make it into my radio kit

73bob

This is a 1-hour version of the weekly podcast for This Week in Amateur Radio....

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Release Date: May 4, 2024 Here is a summary of the news trending This Week...

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Release Date: April 27, 2024 Here is a summary of the news trending This Week...

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This is a 1-hour version of the weekly podcast for This Week in Amateur Radio....

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Many thanks to Bill (KG4FXG) who shares the following guest post: Return to the Office:  Operating portable during coffee breaks (Atlanta to England) by Bill Carter (KG4FXG) Have you ever thought about operating from your work location?  Perhaps during lunch or a coffee break?  What if that location was downtown in a big city? In … Continue reading 16th Floor QRP: Coffee break portable at the office →

On Being Invisible

Late last week, I was made aware of some concerns that the POTA team were having relayed to them by various official agencies about the poor behavior of activators in parks and on public land. This led to a great post by Thomas K4SWL and some good discussion over in the ham radio corner of Mastodon.

This kind of discussion is right up my alley because, as I’ve discussed before, I am all about being as inconspicuous as possible when I’m out activating a park. In many ways, that simple fact has driven the gear I carry and the modes I use when I’m out and about. It also plays into site selection. I figured I would talk about that a bit and tie it back to the two activations that I did this weekend.

Picking An Activation Site

I’m a creature of habit. When I decide on a park as a place I’m going to spend some time, I immediately try to find the most out of the way place to set up my station. This is more difficult in some places than in others. When I’m working out at the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, there are several places near trailheads where picnic tables are isolated and leave a lot of room for people to enjoy the park with a bit of space. There are other places where the only tables are in very conspicuous spots and near a lot of foot traffic. I tend to gravitate to the former and leave the latter alone unless there are no other options. When I know I’m going to be in the line of sight of traffic, I handle my station appropriately by ensuring that no one could step on or get tangled up in a counterpoise and that I’m not using wires in trees which can cause all forms of grief near a trailhead.

When I’m activating West Branch SP – K-1999 this isn’t too difficult. The spot that I go to most weeks is in a field that is being reclaimed by nature per the parks department’s plan. There are a couple of tables here that I might use, but I take the one that is off on the point near the water. The general feeling out in this part of the park is one of desolation. I feel like the last person on earth out here except for the disc golfers who wander by at a good distance – 500 yards out or more.

What Gear To Use

I have come to appreciate and adore the efficiency of a wire antenna in a tree. I keep a random wire antenna and a 40-20-10 in my bag with a weight and throw line. It’s an elegant solution and it always works.

But…

There are a number of parks where putting lines into trees is not welcome. It’s also true that it can be distracting to have line in trees and wires dangling. If one is going to take this approach, there is a lot more to the site management portion of the activation. It’s up to the operator to ensure the safety of the other park patrons. This means that a wire in a tree might not be a great solution. I wouldn’t even consider it in more heavily travelled parks.

Masts are great for deploying wire antennas. I like to take a mast with me when I ride my bike to the park as I have a couple of clamps that will hold the mast to my bike and that removes the requirements for guying out the mast and making more of a mess. At that point, I’m really just managing the antenna and the feedline. I got pretty good at that deployment strategy last summer.

But…

Masts do draw attention to themselves. It’s difficult to minimize that. Sometimes, it’s easier to deploy a whip with a ground spike. I have a Chameleon setup that works every time. I always use it when we go camping because it’s low-profile when setup behind our camper and I can keep it close to the camper itself so that I don’t have a feedline out there waiting for one of the dogs to get wound up in it.

But…

Whips and spike mounted antennas still have radials to be managed. I find it’s easier to manage them because the antenna can be deployed out of the path of most other park visitors. That said, there are plenty of parks that do not allow for spikes to be driven into the ground. I keep a nifty clamp for my Chameleon whip on hand to attach it to a grill or picnic table to avoid breaking that rule.

All of that said…

Look, I broke down and got the Elecraft AX1 after watching a ton of videos where Thomas K4SWL went off and made more than enough contacts with really good distances with that little antenna. It’s almost impossible to see if you’re at a picnic table, it doesn’t require anything more than my cool table clamp or even the bipod to keep it upright, and it’s quick to setup and tear down. It doesn’t even feel like a compromise most times. I’m still getting coast to coast and Europe in there. There is a counterpoise, but it’s easily managed. Is this antenna for everyone? No. But boy does it work for me!

Modes

I’ve talked at length about how I don’t like doing phone at the park. Sitting at a picnic table and having what sounds a very dull phone conversation not unlike what one might expect in a call center isn’t something that I enjoy. I do OSPOTA every year and I will hunt with phone, but activating using phone isn’t my thing. What’s that mean?

I was very much a digital activator for most of my early POTA career. I have tuned my digital portable station to the point where there is very little left to optimize (in my opinion at this date). I can set up quickly and activate a park using FT8/FT4 or even RTTY. I’d love to get more digital modes into my repertoire and that’s something I’m working toward. Sure, I have to carry around my tablet and manage that, but it’s fun! It’s also QUIET.

The other mode that I’m finding is very low-profile is CW. It further reduces the footprint of my station and, through the judicious use of headphones, produces no impact on the park around me. The AX1 is fantastic on CW. QRP and CW go hand in hand. My key doesn’t make a sound that anyone can hear unless they are sitting right on rop of me in which case, I care a lot less about the noise.

We don’t talk about this enough: We need to respect the sonic space of a park.

Is there anything more irritating when you’re camping than to hear the music of the site next to you? Is there anything less fun than being on a hike and unable to pass a group with a Bluetooth speaker that is cranking out song after song that gets in the way of you hearing the breeze in the trees or the river and the birds? Personally, I would rather sit next to a crying baby on a Trans-Atlantic flight than listen to the oldies coming out of a tinny speaker hanging from the fannypack of a speed-walking grandmother.

What’s that mean? It means that I want to have a little empathy for other park visitors and make sure that the sound of my radio goes into a pair of headphones rather than into the sonic space we’re sharing. No one wants to hear the beeping of my rig or the voices coming to me from the west coast. I’m very mindful of that. Keeping myself unheard is very important to me.

My Personal Practice

As you can see in the above photos, I’ve been frequenting a park that could be the set of a post-apocalyptic thriller. In fact, on Sunday, the only humans I saw at the park were this fisherman:

and two people paddling kayaks in February in Northeast Ohio. Yeah. The water is liquid, gotta be in the boat. I have to imagine that they’re pretty chilly sitting on the water like that.

I’ve talked with one ranger in my entire time visiting this park. I’m including my childhood in that. He was out emptying trash and I asked him a couple of questions about the facilities that were being torn down. Good chat. He asked what I was doing and nodded along. OSPOTA has been around a long time and the parks department is well aware of us. It’s a good relationship.

In short, I go where it’s not crowded and use as little gear as possible, in the most compact way it can be deployed. Those are the guidelines. How does it work in practice?

Saturday Activation (10-Feb-2024)

I got to the park Saturday morning and set up. It was a dramatic and overcast day. There was a touch of wind – more than I’d normally like – but it was warm enough that I didn’t need gloves for most of the time I was out there.

40-meters was respectable and treating me well. I got most of my activation done there and then switched over to 30-meters. I managed to grab two contacts there and then…rain. Unpredicted rain. Cold, miserable, throw-the-radio-in-the-pack rain. I got everything packed up and headed out. I didn’t feel like setting up in the Jeep, so I went home and grabbed a nap.

QSO Map

The reach wasn’t all that impressive, but I got the contacts I needed. Not too shabby for 5 watts.

Sunday Activation (11-Feb-2024)

Superbowl Sunday is a great day to go to the park. There’s no one there. As I said above, there was not a single car anywhere in sight. Nor were there dog walkers or people fishing along the shore. It was me and the boats.

I got on the air and went from 40-meters which was maybe not as chatty as the day before and jumped right over to 20-meters. That was zipping along as one would expect. There was plenty of fading and QSB as the hour progressed and I got some fun comments in the POTA.app spotting log.

But the upside was getting my Mastodon buddy WJ3FF in the log with a more proper contact than our last go:

Remember gang, always read the POTA spots if you can. There’s fun stuff in there.

QSO Map

A little more distance than the day before.

Final

There is no doubt that when we’re out in the parks activating, we are representatives of the entire ham radio community. Not just POTA, but all hams. Poor behavior on the part of a single operator will sour other park patrons and park staff to our presence as a whole. The last thing anyone should want to do is wreck a great hobby for others. Being polite and respectful are table stakes here. If anything, we should go above and beyond the basic expectations of park goers and do what we can to leave the place better than we found it.

Thanks for reading and 72!

Ik heb het gevoel dat ik niet veel verder kom. Het lijkt alsof de voortgang even stil staat. Tijdens de CWops CW Academy Intermediate klas wilde ik dat bespreken. Dit keer was ik als laatste aan de beurt om te vertellen hoe het was gegaan. Of het zo moest zijn weet ik niet maar ze vertelden allemaal nagenoeg hetzelfde, John W2JAM, Michael WA0SPG, Jean-Jeaques F5IJO en Roy KI0ER. Dit is waarschijnlijk het moment dat je tegen een muur aan gaat lopen waar je doorheen of overheen moet. Een leertraject gaat nooit alleen maar steil omhoog. Soms val je even terug om daarna weer verder te gaan. Het hoort er dus bij.

John W2JAM vroeg hoe je snel kunt seinen met de paddle. Bij CWops seinen we allemaal met een paddle. Ik gebruik de KENT TP1-B paddle. Een interessante vraag want ik heb hier ook eens iets over gelezen. Volgens Bruce kun je niet snel seinen met de vingers alleen. Je moet de beweging voornamelijk uit de pols laten komen. Na een kritische blik op mijn eigen seinkunsten blijkt dat ik een combinatie van vingers en de pols gebruik. Ook moet je daarvoor Iambic B gebruiken en niet Iambic A. Met Iambic A kun je ‘Squeeze Keying’ maar daarmee haal je geen hogere snelheid volgens Bruce. Ontspannen is ook erg belangrijk. Dus hoe snel kun jij je pols en vingers ontspannen. Hoe sneller je kunt ontspannen, hoe sneller je weer de volgende letter of het volgende woord kunt seinen. Ook het ‘bewust’ ontspannen van jouw arm, schouder en nek is belangrijk.

Afgelopen zaterdag- en zondagavond heb ik nog een poging gedaan om verbindingen (QSO’s) te maken maar SOTA stations vind je niet ’s avonds en wat ik hoorde kon ik op de call en het rapport na nauwelijks verstaan / nemen. Wel had ik eerst op RBN (Reverse Beacon Network) een maximale snelheid ingesteld van 15 woorden per minuut. Dit zou ik toch moeten kunnen nemen. Maar op het moment dat de HAM begint met Ragchewing blijft er niets anders over dan een bak met strepen en punten zonder herkenning. Een enkel woordje misschien. Zo vreemd en niet echt leuk.

Wel heb ik Lee M0VKR half kunnen werken. Er zat nog een andere Engelse zendamateur op exact dezelfde frequentie dus we hebben het QSO niet af kunnen maken. Hij vertelde via de email dat hij ook een beginnende CW operator was en het allemaal iets te snel ging. Komt dat even goed uit! Dus binnenkort gaan we dit QSO afvinken!

Ook gingen de korte oefen verhaaltjes slechter dan normaal. En eigenlijk ben ik al ruim 2 weken bezig op 15 woorden per minuut en het lijkt maar niet beter te gaan. Advisor Bruce K9OZ adviseerde om het toch nog een keer op een veel hogere snelheid te proberen. Bijvoorbeeld 20 wpm. Ik probeerde het al eens op 18 woorden per minuut (Bruce vertelde er in de vierde sessie ook al over) en kostte toen erg veel tijd om het te kunnen ontcijferen. Dus ik ben benieuwd. We zijn natuurlijk alweer een tijdje verder.

We hebben hier best lang over gepraat. De laatste 20 minuten ging Bruce weer korte zinnen seinen en hoe slecht ik het de laatste dagen ook vond gaan, ik kon nagenoeg alle zinnen bij de eerste keer nemen. Dus zo slecht gaat het dus helemaal niet haha.

Ga hier verder naar: De tiende sessie

Volg hier mijn CWops CW Academy missie

Of Lees hier hoe het allemaal begon met CW

Het bericht Negende Sessie CW Academy Intermediate verscheen eerst op PE2V.

We are excited to announce that we are celebrating yet another significant milestone for the SatNOGS project as the SatNOGS DB stored its 200 millionth data frame!!!

The milestone data frame

The 200 millionth frame was received on the 31st of October. It was a frame of satellite 47438 – UVSQ-SAT that was received by ground station 2760 – M0GKK-BB. And it was observation #8429588 for the SatNOGS Network.

We can only be thrilled with the enormity of this massive number, and we are also very grateful for these contributions. Congratulations to all for reaching such a fantastic milestone!

The SatNOGS DB

The SatNOGS DB is a component of the SatNOGS project, and it is a collaborative effort to create a holistic, unified, global database for all the artificial objects in space. A point of reference for all the satellites and spacecraft. Data frames are sent to the SatNOGS DB from stations belonging to the SatNOGS Network, as well as independent stations and telemetry forwarders. The SatNOGS DB receives frames from more than 1500 stations around the globe. Tracking over 1650 satellites and 3040+ transmitters in 50 different modes and ten bands. All these add up to the amazing 200 Million data frames received. Thus constituting the SatNOGS DB, the biggest, open-source and crowd-sourced database for openly distributed satellite data.

The Libre Space Manifesto

Like all the Libre Space Foundation projects, the SatNOGS DB also adheres to the principles of the Libre Space Manifesto. Supporting and promoting Openness (Open development and governance, open data, open-source, and free access to Space) with dedication to enhancing knowledge and scientific research.

The SatNOGS Community

SatNOGS is brought to life and expanding because of the unceasing collaboration, devotion, and ongoing contribution of its community. The latter is comprised of a vast network of space enthusiasts, radio amateurs, university teams, satellite operators and ground station owners. All the members and the open-source supporters who make up the SatNOGS Community add to the project’s success.

To all of you, we are whole-heartedly grateful!

Do you want to join SatNOGS and be part of the next Milestone?

If the SatNOGS project has sparked your interest, and you love space and open-source technologies, then there are many ways you can contribute. You can help with the SatNOGS DB by joining the SatNOGS Network, setting up a station or forwarding the frames to the SatNOGS DB through the SiDS protocol. You can also opt to create decoders to help us decode the load of data received and visualise them on the SatNOGS Dashboard. If you are fluent in Python and/or JS, you can contribute to the satnogs-db web application.

The SatNOGS Community is a global, diverse, inclusive, collaborative, open community that welcomes people from different backgrounds. People who wish to contribute by devoting their valuable time, ideas, knowledge and expertise to the SatNOGS project. If this appeals to you, you can start by checking the SatNOGS knowledge-base wiki. You are also welcome to join our community forums and drop us a line on the chat. Get in touch with us!

We are looking forward to having you onboard the SatNOGS project and community. Join us now so that you are part of our next Milestone!

Thank you!

This week, Dave, KZ9V, shares with us how he modified his 40 through 10 meter end fed half wave antenna to work as a ¼ wave radiator on 80 meters using the window screen ground.

• – – Links and resources – – –
  Extend your end fed half wave antenna into the 80 meter band: https://youtu.be/sifNJQHK-m4
  Window screen antenna ground network: https://youtu.be/UadUg5H8KO8

Like what you see? You can leave me a tip:
https://www.paypal.me/kb9vbr

Become a patron! Unlock exclusive content at: https://www.patreon.com/kb9vbrantennas

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The post The Magic Carpet rides again! This time on 80 meters appeared first on KB9VBR Antennas.

If you pass your full licence today, you can apply online to get a M0 callsign but you can also apply and get any previously issued prefix. Well, nearly every one. However, it’s not entirely obvious how to do this. In fact, when I spoke to ofcom about reserving a call or putting a hold on it, the guy said “oh don’t worry about it, hardly anyone knows how to apply for a G callsign anyway”.

You can get all the G# except G2, and they also no longer give out 2 letter callsigns, e.g. G3DX¹. You can only get a two letter callsign one is given to you. This is typically if a relative of the original holder (who is now sk) writes a letter or does something that convinces ofcom to give it to you. The original holder doesn’t necessarily need to be a relative of yours, but perhaps the story has to be somewhat more convincing.

The process is fairly simple, but it will cost you a one off fee of £20 (compared to free if you get a M0). You fill in the form, email ofcom, wait for a reply in which an invoice is added to your ofcom account (that you’ll have as you’d have needed it for foundation and intermediate….unless you never bothered getting those or you did the direct to full exam). You pay the invoice online and your licence is generated immediately! This method can also be used if you want a club callsign that doesn’t start M0.

The form is pretty self-explanatory, but an important thing to note is that you only get to enter three choices of callsign, with the order of preference stated. If those ones aren’t available, then they’ll assign you a M0 callsign randomly. They don’t contact you to say those three aren’t available and would you like to try again. So I’d recommend calling them (020 7981 3131) before you send in your form to check the availability. Surprisingly, there’s virtually no wait and they’re happy to check a few calls, I tried three but sensed more than five and they might get annoyed – depends on who you get. You could of course call back another day and try some more.

The online application for M0 is great as it immediately tells you if the callsign is available or not, whereas the form you have to call to check. Now there are ways you can check yourself to try and screen things out.

What’s available?

Every so often someone does a freedom of information request to ofcom for all the amateur radio licences issued, and they produce a spreadsheet. Searching for this is a quick way to find it, or using the whatdotheyknow website and a search, such as this one against ofcom. This will show you what’s been taken, and then you can see if someone already has the call you want or not. Plus you can use Excel filtering and formula to check or test calls you are thinking of. Personally, I found these lists to be full of errors, so I’d recommend a second way to filter down your list of potential calls.

This would be via qrz.com. I think the majority of UK amateur radio operators make an account on QRZ. Even if they have absolutely nothing in their profile they probably have one. If you’re registered, then you can use the wildcard search and then look for profiles to see if someone has the call already. You can use a question mark (?) to match a single wildcard character or star (*) to match multiple characters. The thing to remember is the regional locator in the UK, so whilst G5ALX might look available, I actually have that callsign but my profile is under GM5ALX. Also, ofcom make available sk callsigns after two years…assuming they know the person is silent.

Of course, phoning them up and asking is the final test, but it’s best if you’ve got a shortlist prepared already. Assuming they say it’s available, then away goes your form and welcome to the full licence!

Future upgrades to the online system were part of the recent consultation, and so in time this process won’t be necessary and you can select all the prefixes and see immediately if it’s available or not. The consultation also suggested they would let people change their callsigns every so often, so maybe you’ll get another shot at it and you whole amateur radio career won’t all be resting on this decision!

How to pick a callsign?

This is all well and good, but how do you choose a callsign in the first place! In some ways the old style of “you get what you’re given” takes the pain out of it but it’s nice having a choice. It’s a personal preference, but there are a couple of things you might want to consider:

1. How does it sound phonetically?
2. How does it sound and what’s the weight via CW?

Say it out loud a few time, and see if you like the ring of it. There might be some words you don’t like, or you might want to avoid as in your accent they sound like other words. I find people think I’m saying papa when I say alpha, which can get annoying, so I might say “America” instead. Mike and Golf are only one syllable, which might seem good but the point of phonetics is to help the listener understand and one syllable only gives them one chance vs. two/three.

CW wise, I think it’s worth thinking about even if you don’t do CW now. You can’t change you callsign again, and even if we do get the ability later, will you really want to? You get used to things, and sorting out logbooks and QSL cards or even friends you’ve made, all rely on the same callsign. I think it’s worth considering, even if you still pick you call with a “terrible” CW factor.

I picked up that letter that end with dit ( . ) aren’t great as they might get missed, and particularly avoid your callsign ending in B or K or E. If you search about for advice, it seems like there aren’t any letters left that you should use! You can also calculate the weight of a call, such as on FISTs website, which is a measure of how long it takes to send. Given that we’re all G(RSL)# and three letters, I don’t think there’s a huge variation but maybe it helps differentiate some calls for you.

Think about when you’ve been on the air and heard others’ callsigns. I’m sure you’ve come across some that you think sound good. If you can’t remember them now, then try and make a note in your log when you do, and see what it is about them you like. I think repetition of letters makes things easier to copy. I’ve heard the DX call out “the delta delta call”, because it sticks out and instantly memorable.

This guy made some slides and a spreadsheet to help you decide. If you’re an analysis person then you might like it, but try not to spend too long!

1. If you got your full licence between 2018 and 2020 you could’ve got a G2 or a two letter callsign. ︎

My birthday turned out to be a fantastic day in terms of November weather for NE Ohio. It was sunny and the sky was perfectly clear. The temperatures were in the mid to upper 40s and there was the slightest breeze. Given that it was my birthday and a Saturday to boot, it was a perfect day to partake of my hobby and get outside. I decided that West Branch SP – K-1999 would be the park of the day.

I can’t emphasize enough how much I love this time of year. Not only is it my preferred weather, but also the park attendance drops significantly. On a Saturday like this one, it’s the disc golf crew and a couple of really, really hardcore fishermen. Maybe the occasional hiker, but it’s rare. I have seen an uptick in nature photographers, which is great! They don’t want to be talking to people any more than I do. In short, people who are out at the park on a day like this one are people who are there with a purpose. It’s wonderful.

My original thought was to use the AX1 since I’ve been really into that little guy, but I changed my mind and put the EFHW up in The Tree. I did not get it into The Tree on the first, second, or third try. So much for birthday luck! Once it was up, I was ready to go.

The thing that POTA gives us as a gift is silly statistics. Why are they silly? Because they don’t mean anything. Maybe they show a level of dedication to the hobby or how often one is getting on the air. That’s a pretty good metric to have around for mental health and all. These stats also give us points of interest. On this particular Saturday, if I got the park activated, it would be my 100th activation! What’s that mean? NOTHING! Again, one of the reasons I love POTA so much is that the points are imaginary and no one ever “wins”.

I got on the air and immediately noticed the my copying was A LOT better. I was grabbing full exchanges now and picking up the subtle differences. I was most pleased with myself when I copied in the parks of other activators who were getting us those sweet Park To Park contacts. This was noticeable improvement. That is exciting!

At one point, I had the wildest experience. A station was calling back to me and it sounded like there was a multi-tap delay and then it devolved into muddled garbage. At first, I thought two stations were doubling so I sent “W0?” because I definitely had that much for one of them. But things didn’t improve. This station had a serious issue. Finally, I made out W0DAN. OK. Cool! Then, immediately after that QSO, W0MM came back to me. What are the odds of that? I mean, probably pretty good, but this was completely new to me! The MM was making picking out the DAN almost impossible. When the stations sent “W0” they were just barely off in their timing. I don’t think either station could hear the other at all. Radio is weird magic.

For the day, I managed 27 CW contacts. It was a really wonderful way to spend my birthday. I can only hope the next 100 activations will be this much fun!

Here’s what it looks like on the QSO Map:

72!

Bachelor Weekend!

This past weekend was one where my son and I were living the bachelor life as the ladies were off camping. Given that my son is a big time sleep in kind of guy, I took the opportunity to go to West Branch State Park – K-1999 for an activation. Why West Branch? The temperature was in the low 50s and the winds were blowing. I didn’t have all day, so a 3-4 hour excursion to Cuyahoga Valley National Park by bicycle didn’t seem like a great idea given other commitments. So why not West Branch again? Why not indeed!

When I arrived, the park was nearly empty. In fact, from what I saw, it was just me and a group of Disc Golfers. Those are some hardcore dudes. They will Disc Golf even after the snow flies. I have respect for that, but I also think that it’s weird. Yes, the guy who hurls low-power radio waves at the ionosphere is gonna give side eye to some dudes throwing frisbees into chain nets?

Maybe not.

In any case, the place was looking abandoned. Since they tore down all of the structures, pulled the grills, and removed almost all of the picnic tables, the park on the side nearest the beach has a very abandoned feel to it. Even moreso now that we’re into my favorite time of year when the temperatures drop and the parks empty out.

I settled in at the picnic table near the water as I did last week. The plan for the day was to use my EFHW hanging from a nearby tree. My newly acquired 8 oz. throw weight was on my line and ready to hit a really great tree branch. Instead, I launched it into orbit and got a branch that was much higher than intended and even better than the original position. Who knew that moving from 10 oz. to 8 would make such an enormous difference? I maneuvered the antenna up to the branch and then noted that I didn’t have a tent stake in my antenna bag to tether the other end of the antenna. This was most unfortunate, but wouldn’t have been a great solution anyway. The ground in that area is very hard and it took a rubber mallet to get the ground stake for the vertical in the weekend before. However, the clamp mount for my Chameleon kit was in my backpack and I was able to clamp that to the table and have a very nice position for the antenna. Not too shabby!

The entire setup took less than 10 minutes from getting to the picnic table to powered up and on the air. The bands seemed to be in really good conidition. I started on 20m which, looking back on it, might have been a bit silly. This was the California QSO weekend. The CW area of 20m was packed. I found a sliver of the band and held it. I was on the air for about 40 minutes and pulled in 15 contacts. Given that I was competing with a popular QSO party, I take that as a complete win!

There are some things about CW operation that didn’t make sense until I was doing it. Before, when I was listening to the bands and there was a pileup, it just sounded like a mad cacophony. All of these beeps happening at random and on top of one another. Even with as little experience as I have now, it’s far easier to hear the subtle differences in pitch and tone. Even the speed of the characters adds information to the signal which synthesizes itself into a unique voice. Reading about that in books is one thing. Hearing it and experiencing it for oneself is something else entirely. There were several times when there were competing stations and signals were fading in and out but I was able to lock in on one (usually the one where I got the first 2 characters or a number) and pull them out of the noise enough to make the contact.

It was a successful activation and a lot of fun!

Here’s what the QSO Map looks like:

And then there was Sunday…

The ladies returned from camp early. The weather took a nasty turn and there is a point where, as a Scout leader, one must make the call: are we building character or being miserable for no reason? Given the scenario, the adult leaders made the right call and bugged out which put the ladies home at about 9:30 PM on Saturday night. That meant, when Sunday morning rolled around, no one was motivated for anything other than to make a quick run with dad for donuts and then get straight back to a PJ Day.

With everyone more or less decided that it was going to be a slack day, I tossed my gear in the Jeep and went back to West Branch. The truth is, I had so much fun Saturday that given a little free time on Sunday it seemed foolish not to head out to the park. Here in NE Ohio we’re running into that time where daylight becomes quite precious and we need to take advantage of every minute.

Sunday would prove to be quite different from Saturday. The same winds that forced the Scouts to pack it in were still in effect. There were 30 mph sustained winds and gusts into the 40s. What worked on Saturday with my EFHW was not going to work on Sunday. Sunday was going to have to be a vertical whip kind of day. The big bummer was that with the winds as high as they were, keeping log paper settled enough to write and even hearing signals over the wind was a challenge. Much to my chagrin, I would have to work from inside the Jeep.

Remember: Everything about ham radio involves compromising something.

I set up the antenna in the grass at the nose of the Jeep and ran the feedline through the window on the passenger side. I keep the lighting mount that I use with the IC-705 in the Jeep console. Pulling it out and getting the radio in place was easy enough. One thing I noticed right away was that not having a tablet or laptop to wrestle made working from inside the vehicle (which I truly hate) much more comfortable.

I tuned up and got to it. 40m was dead. I heard one other station as I spun up and down the band. That was weird. On 20m, things were livlier. It was one of those days where people didn’t hear me and just set up shop on top of me. I don’t blame them as 5 watts isn’t much, but it’s still frustrating to have to bounce all over the place. Like the day before, I was on the air for about 40 minutes and snagged 13 contacts. One of the notable ones being the station in Quebec that exploded out of the noise like a cannon! I had the volume up on the 705 and all of the suddem – BAM – this station was RIGHT THERE. I’ve never been startled like that while playing radio.

Looking at the map for the activation, it was quite a wild spread of stations.

Back to back activations made for a great weekend. I don’t imagine that I’ll squeeze in too many more like that in the weeks to come. It’s always possible and I will keep my eyes open for any chance I can get to head out to the parks. I still want to get in as many bicycle activations as I can before the snow flies and things get weird. How many will that be? No one can say. I do know for certain that snow and freezing temperatures won’t keep me from heading out to the parks with my radio, but at the same time, I’m going to enjoy every day I get before winter sets in.

73!

The SatNOGS Network has achieved yet another amazing Milestone! It has reached its eight millionth observation, and we are deeply grateful to the entire Community for this achievement!

Eight million Observations

On the 11th of August 2023, observation #8000000 was uploaded on the SatNOGS Network by station 2173 – PE0SAT-21 in the Netherlands. The observation was scheduled by Jan Van Gils (PE0SAT), receiving data from satellite TigriSat. The eight millionth observation is of good quality.

It is an observation coming from an operational satellite that has been making its way through space for almost ten years.

TigriSat

TigriSat is a 3U CubeSat built by Iraqi students in collaboration with the La Sapienza University of Rome. Its mission is to detect dust storms over Iraq. For this, the CubeSat features an RGB camera. It was launched into space by the Dniepr launch vehicle from Orenburg, Russia, on June 19, 2014. TigriSat is considered to be Iraq’s first satellite.

SatNOGS achieved another milestone!

We are thrilled that SatNOGS has achieved another astonishing Milestone. Everything accomplished is thanks to the active and vibrant community. As is the case, every SatNOGS achievement results from the collaborative work and the continuous efforts made by hundreds of ground station owners around the globe. They are the ones who have made this milestone (and everything) possible by scheduling observations, tracking satellites and, in general, dedicating time and effort to the success of the SatNOGS project.

SatNOGS in Numbers

The SatNOGS network counts over 240+ fully operational ground stations and 150+ in testing mode. The observations come from 1545+ satellites and 2890+ transmitters delivering over 192M data frames. As the numbers show, SatNOGS has significantly expanded and has become the biggest, global, open-source network of satellite ground stations.

Outer Space Open For All (The Libre Space Manifesto)

All Libre Space Foundation’s projects are built to enhance scientific research and knowledge about Space and to enable everyone interested in exploring Space for peaceful purposes. These values are also at the core of the Libre Space Manifesto.

Outer Space Open For All (the SatNOGS way)

Abiding by the Libre Space Manifesto values, SatNOGS is a project that not only is built and developed in a modular, open-source way but also the data collected is distributed openly. The SatNOGS community offers support and guidance in onboarding new members and even helps satellite teams with their missions. Throughout its years of operation, SatNOGS has helped hundreds of Satellite Teams from all over the world to successfully identify and track their satellite. The community and its members assist missions from all corners of the world to run their experiments and tests and successfully complete their missions. Not only can the community help you communicate with your satellite as it schedules around 10,000 observations per day, but it can also guide you throughout the onboarding process. Guide you through the actions you need to take and help you with creating and populating the dashboard of your mission with the data received. All you need to do is contact the SatNOGS team early on and provide the necessary details and information about your mission.

Want to join the SatNOGS community and be part of the next Milestone?

The SatNOGS community is open and inclusive, welcoming everyone who wishes to contribute their time, knowledge and expertise to the project. If SatNOGS has sparked your interest and you want to learn more, check out the SatNOGS wiki knowledge base. You can drop us a line on the community forums and the dedicated SatNOGS chat. We would love to hear from you and have you join the SatNOGS network and community and be part of the next million observations.

Join SatNOGS now and help make Outer Space Open for All!