G7SOZ

J79SZ

admin — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 20:36:21 +0000

Thanks to all who contacted me whilst I was operating as J79SZ during March 2012. I made around 800 QSOs, mainly during BERU, using a very simple station comprising of a Kenwood TS480SAT, a doublet at ~9m and a small netbook.

Many thanks to everyone who has already sent me direct QSL cards. I hope to get some cards printed in the next couple of weeks and will reply as soon as I have received the cards. In the meantime, I’ve uploaded the logs to Clublog and LoTW.

Here are some photos..

The very simple station – everything had to pack into a small suitcase to carry as carry on luggage with BA before being transferred to a smaller rucksack for the hop over to Dominica on the smaller LIAT Dash 8. The box was used to carry the ‘fishing pole’ but that’s another story!

The antenna – a simple doublet in an inverted V configuration.

Still smiling a few hours into BERU. After about 18 hours of opertating I felt as though I was suffering jet-lag :-S

The excellent QTH – Seacliff Cottages. The same cottage has been used by other dxpeditions and contest groups and the owners are extremely amateur radio friendly wanting to know how my radio contest and operating was going. Sadly it wasn’t until the last day that they mentioned that ‘some of the US hams who operate from here store some of their kit in one of our store rooms’ :-S

The view to the front of the cottage – the great take-off is just about visible in front of the cottages with a coastal view.

First QSOs as J79SZ

admin — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 21:27:29 +0000

Having strung up a doublet this morning I managed to make my first QSOs as J79SZ before dashing to the airport to collect my delayed baggage! Apologies to anybody who had problems working me because I was having various issues with my logging software and my paddle at the time – all sorted out now.

BERU 2012

admin — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 20:46:09 +0000

I’m going to be operating from Dominica as J79SZ between the 8th and 14th March including the 2012 Commonwealth Contest. I’ll be operating from Calibishie on the north coast of the island and my station will be a TS480SAT plus vertical and doublet antennas. Operation will mainly be CW with some SSB.

Testing whether everything fits in the bag to be carried on board BA

RK Hunter SDR/panoramic adaptor

admin — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 20:34:54 +0000

Radio Kits have launched an SDR/panoramic adaptor kit, which I first saw at the RSGB Hamfest. It includes built in antenna switching and I can’t wait to try it with my FT1000MK5 Field once it’s finally built!

Radio activities over the summer

admin — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 20:19:40 +0000

This summer has been a little quiet on the radio front, but I did do some operating during SSB Field Day and VHF Field day with the Camb-Hams.

The 23cms station.

70cms amplifier.

I also spent an evening testing a WIFI link with Rob, M0VFC and Chris M0KSL at the GB3PY site..