● The Yaesu FT-290 Mk1 ● RF Interference - Special Feature ● SEAnet 2017 - a trip to SE Asia

WITH
ALL YOUR
FAVOURITE
COLUMNS

Two Nissei Power

Supplies Reviewed
We look at two new compact
switch-mode units from ML&S

FREE
to Enter Competition!
Win a DMR transceiver
courtesy of Moonraker
2017 70MHZ
CONTEST
The results of last September's
Contest - see how you got on

FEBRUARY 2018
£3.99 ISSN 0141-0857

Read our review of these two great radios

Display until 8th February 2018

01 Front Cover.indd 1 19/12/2017 15:39

 2018 - a New Year full of new challenges. In the ham radio field
few can deny that digital modes are now changing the way that
we operate. Whilst purists may argue against turning away from
SSB and CW, it is difficult to argue against the advantages.
Those with small gardens and simple antennas are finding that
digital modes puts them back in touch with DX. And even low
power works! You just need a good receiver section such as
found in the Elecraft KX2 and KX3. Of course the K3S has even
more to offer. But whatever your choice, real DX can now be
worked from a back garden. Peter Waters G3OJV

Brought to you by W&S!

Portable Operation at its Best Elecraft K3S 160m-6m 10W or 100W
KX3 160m - 6m 4m or 2m Option Join the “Club” and Experience Real Performance
• Total portability SDR design & DSP
• Includes 5MHx band + receive 1.5-30MHz 100W Kit £2849.95
• SSB CW AM and FM modes 100W Built £2999,95
• Tx and decode RTTY and PSK32
• External 9-14v or (optional) 8 x AA cells 10W Kit £2999.95
• 8 band graphics in Tx and RX
Microphone
• Digital Voice and CW Player 10W Built £2449.95
and key not
included • Direct keypad entry and A/B vfo
• Full QSK with variable selectivity
Kit £999.95 • Notch filter and AF filter
Built £1,079.95 • SSB CW AM FM The K3S is the “sports car” of ham radio
• Speech Compression and VOX transceivers! Its under the bonnet that
• New low noise synthesizer
• USB Port & 12m-6m extra pre-amp counts. The K3S certainly can out perform
It is hard to believe that to beat the receiver performance of both these radios • Multiple Attenuator almost any other ham radio transceiver.
you would need to spend another £3,000 at least! You get top base station • Improved AF output design Its fun to own and fun to operate. It is the
• Now includes rx 470kHz band most popular radio for DXpeditions for
performance in a radio that you can take anywhere. No other portable HF radio both performance and reliability.
gives you so much functionality and flexibility. The KX2 even has a built in mic., • Combines superhet and SDR
• 32 bit DSP design
whilst the KX3 offers 2m or 4m options. It is not difficult to see why more and
• Built in RTTY and PSK send/decoding The Optional P3
more operators are moving up to Elecraft. And to add to the fun, you can even • Firmware update USB via web
opt to build the KX3 yourself if you wish. Both are available as ready built.
Elecraft Receive Ratings*
KX2 80m - 10m • Pocket portable HF transceiver 1st Flex-6700 £7800
• Built-in internal microphone 2nd K3S £2999
• SSB CW AM modes 3rd K3 no longer available
4th IC-7851 £8,000
The optional P3 enable you to see any
• Same SDR and DSP as KX3 part of the RF spectrum from 2kHz -
• Optional Li-ion battery or external 9-14V 5th PT-8000 £12,000
6th KX3 £1,000 200kHz wide. It has both spectrum and
• Variable selectivity and AF filter waterfall displays. Can also be use for Tx
• Speech compressor and full QSK The performance positions are based on
monitoring with Tx monitor option.
• Includes the 5MHz band independent tests by Sherwood US
Microphone and key • Receiver matches the best base stations! Check: www.sherweng.com Kit £819.95 Built £859.95
not included
Built £859.95
KX2 ACCESSORIES K3 POPULAR ACCESSORIES
CS40 Small compact carry case for KX2, and small accessories....................£38.95 KRX3A ....2nd Receiver .................£789.95 KAT3A ....Automatic ATU..............£449.95
CS60 Large compact carry case for KX2 & MH3 mic plus more accessories ....£54.95 8 pole Roofing filters 20Hz-13kHz .£184.95 K144XV ..2m Transverter ..............£449.95
KXAT2 Internal ATU to tune even non-resonant ‘random’ wire antenna ......£219.95 MH2........Electret Microphone........£79.95 KBPF3.....Gen.f coverage BP Filter .£229.95
KXBT2 Internal battery gives up to 8 hours operation from a single charge ..£69.95 KDVR3....Voice Recorder..............£179.95 KTCXO3..High stab. Ref. oscillator .£149.95

Elecraft Accessories XG3 Signal Generator

KPA500 600W HF-6m Amplifier
KAT500 1kW Auto ATU A highly accurate
portable signal source Matches Any HF Transceiver
with spot frequencies • 600W Solid State FET
on all bands 160m to • Same Size as K3D
2m with levels of: • Built-in AC Power Supply
Ideal for use with the KPA500 amplifier, it 107dBm (1 uV) • Low noise analogue AC Supply
matches coax systems to enable full power -73 dBm (50 uV, S9) • Instant Operation
output. -33 dBm (S9+40) • RF sensed Band Change
Kit £799.95 Built £839.95 0 dBm £199.95 • Ultra High Speed QSK
T1A Portable Auto ATU • No switching noise
PX3 Spectrum • Able to receive band data
The T1A is a fully assembled • 6 Speed temp. Sensing fan
Display auto ATU that covers 160m Kit £2449.95 Built £2699.95
• VSWR Protected
to 6m up to 20W and
matches whips, end fed The KPA500 easily delivers 600W output and can be driven by any HF transceiver
Plugs directly into the KX3 to give same
spectrum display as P3. Bandwidth 2kHz-200kHz wires and coax cable. Great that can provide around 30W of drive power. Instant operation from switch on
for FT-817 etc. Totally self means that DX is not missed. The large bar graph give true pep indication and the
Kit £569.95 Built £629.95 contained £194.95 small foot print will enable it to fit onto almost any desk.

UK’s LARGEST Ham Warehouse

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Waters & Stanton Ltd • Unit 1 • Fitzherbert Spur • Farlington • Portsmouth • PO6 1TT
@wsplc bblog.hamradiostore.co.uk facebook.com/WatersandStanton Waters and Stanton
W

Page 2.indd 1 18/12/2017 13:23

 IC-7100 Mobile/Base IC-7300 HF - 4m Transceiver
%
MFJ 10
+ FREuEnt Voucher
Disco er
9 Vouch
ID-5100E Plus £8
M FJ 10%
Mobile + FREuEnt Voucher
Disco

The IC-7100 is a complete HF-70cms

radio that also includes 4m operation.
You get a remote unit with extension
Dual band 2m / 70cms mobile offering cable and D-Star capability. £998.95
50W output on both bands and
includes DTMF microphone £574.95 IC-7200 HF Base Station Almost every ham operator knows somebody who owns an IC-7300. That in itself is
ID-4100E %
a great recommendation. It is the most successful radio for many years. Primarily
Mobile MFJ 10 because it is based on SDR that offers so many advantages and results in such a
+ FREuEnt Voucher great receiver. And the added bonus with the IC-7300 is the 4m coverage. It’s a
Disco great all in one station with lovely colour screen full of information. The internal
ATU copes well with most antennas and the touch screen makes operations much
easier to navigate the various functions.
We like he IC-7200 a lot. It is a very £1199
rugged HF transceiver and covers all

New !
bands from 160m to 6m. The picture
shows the side handles which are extra,
It’s the latest mobile form ICOM and
includes terminal mode and airband but really gives it a military look. The New
AM monitoring as well as being a dual £799.95 IC-R8600 Receiver
band D-Star radio. £469.95 SP-10 Mobile Speaker A Great Receiver at
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We will collect it free of charge and

GOT ANY OLD MILITARY 1940S GEAR? pay you a nominal amount for it.

The NEW IC-7610 Transceiver

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Few can fail to be impressed with the advanced
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● SDR Design throughout ● Dual Receive (Separate bands)
● Dual select Pre-Amps ● Live Spectrum Display 5kHz to 1MHz
● Auto Antenna Tuner ● 7” Colour Display
● Ethernet and USB Connectors ● SD slot for saving settings

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Page 3.indd 1 18/12/2017 13:24

 KENWOOD DEALS AOR of Japan ACOM 1200S
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At last, a scanner that will allow • Colour Data Display
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Waters & Stanton Ltd • Unit 1 • Fitzherbert Spur • Farlington • Portsmouth • PO6 1TT
@wsplc bblog.hamradiostore.co.uk facebook.com/WatersandStanton Waters and Stanton
W

Page 4.indd 1 18/12/2017 13:24

 Contents
On Sale
11th
January
2018
Practical Wireless February 2018 ● Volume 94 ● Number 2 ● Issue 1329

23 10

46 Data Modes
Mike Richards G4WNC has news
of a new release from SDRplay,
enhancements to Spy Server and
some thoughts about measuring SDR
performance.
49 What Next
Colin Redwood G6MXL looks at a
variety of topics, some of which should
appeal to operators, while others will
hopefully be of interest to those new to
58 construction.
52 HF Highlights
Steve Telenius-Lowe PJ4DX reports on
a month replete with DXpedition activity
6 Keylines 23 Valve & Vintage and a major contest as well as looking
Don G3XTT looks back on 50 years in Michael Marinaro WN1M concludes the forward to what may prove to be the
the hobby. story of transatlantic communications most expensive DXpedition ever.
during the First World War with a look at
7 News some of the advances that resulted and 55 Buying Second-Hand
PW’s monthly roundup of news from the Chris Lorek G4HCL revisits the hugely
benefited the next generation.
UK and internationally, including new popular Yaesu FT-290R Mk1 2m
products, club news and recent events. 26 Feature – Radio Frequency multimode transceiver.
10 Review − Two DMR Rigs from Interference
Dr John Rogers M0JAV, Chairman of 58 SEAnet Convention and CQWW
Moonraker the RSGB EMC Committee, presents Contesting from HS0ZAR
Tim Kirby G4VXE takes a look at the an overview of RFI/EMC issues as they Don Field G3XTT reports on his recent
TYT MD-9600 144/430MHz DMR mobile affect the UK amateur radio community. trip to SE Asia.
transceiver and the Moonraker HT-500D 62 The Morse Mode
DMR Dual-Band Handheld Transceiver. 30 Carrying on the Practical Way
Eric Edwards GW8LJJ describes a novel Roger Cooke G3LDI has news of two
13 PW Competition approach to achieving diversity reception more very successful Bootcamps, along
A chance to win one of the radios from by combining your shack receiver with an with some other Morse-related snippets.
Tim Kirby’s Moonraker review. internet-based SDR. 64 Readers’ Letters
14 Review – Nissei Switch-Mode 34 In the Shop More on nomenclature, APRS and a
selection of snippets from a regular
Power Supplies Harry Leeming G3LLL laments the
contributor to our Letters page.
Don G3XTT has been taking a look at problem of dealing with intermittent faults
two power supplies from Nissei. in a variety of situations. 65 Rallies
16 Kits & Modules – Stereo 40 Technical for the Terrified Locate a rally or event near you; we have
Don Field G3XTT, with help from the our usual comprehensive list.
Amplifier & FM Tuner
Geoff Theasby G8BMI looks at a
PW technical team, explains what a 66 Classified Adverts
Switched Mode Power Supply is and
stereo amplifier and FM tuner that are its advantages and disadvantages
67 Bargain Basement
inexpensive and complement each other compared with conventional Linear 68 PW Publishing Bookstore
nicely. Power Supplies. 72 Subscriptions
17 The Ninth Practical Wireless 42 The World of VHF
70MHz Contest − Results 2017 Tim Kirby G4VXE asks, “Can a
Contest adjudicator Colin Redwood Foundation licensee make a moonbounce
G6MXL has the results of the 2017 contact using only 10 watts?” There is all
contest. the usual news too.

Copyright © Warners Group Publications Ltd. 2017. Copyright in all drawings, logos, photographs and articles published in Practical Wireless is fully protected
and reproduction in whole or part is expressly forbidden. All reasonable precautions are taken by Practical Wireless to ensure that the advice and data given to
our readers are reliable. We cannot however guarantee it and we cannot accept legal responsibility for it. Prices are those current as we go to press. Published
on the second Thursday of each month by Warners Group Publications Ltd. Printed in England by Holbrooks Printers Ltd., Portsmouth P03 5HX. Distributed by
Warners Distribution, West Street, Bourne, Lincs, PE10 9PH. Tel: 01778 391000, Web: www.warnersgroup.co.uk
Practical Wireless is sold subject to the following conditions, namely that it shall not, without written consent of the publishers first having been given, be lent,
re-sold, hired out or otherwise disposed of by way of trade at more than the recommended selling price shown on the cover, and that it shall not be lent, re-sold,
hired out or otherwise disposed of in a mutilated condition or in any unauthorised cover by way of Trade, or affixed to or as part of any publication or advertising,
literary or pictorial matter whatsoever.

February 2018 Practical Wireless 5

05 Contents-February.indd 5 19/12/2017 09:00

 Keylines
Practical Wireless
Warners Group Publications
The Maltings
West Street
Bourne
Lincs PE10 9PH
www.warnersgroup.co.uk
Tel 01778 391000
Don G3XTT looks back on 50 years in the hobby

I
Editor (c/o Warners Group Publications)
Don Field G3XTT
practicalwireless@warnersgroup.co.uk
recently received a gear from China and else- mits on the Air, the RSGB VHF/
badge from the RSGB where (and great second-hand UHF Activity contests and similar Designer
Mike Edwards
to recognise 50 years prices compared with the £200 activities are all thriving as radio mike.edwards@warnersgroup.co.uk
of membership. Although I paid in 1973 for that FT-101, amateurs take to the hills. Advertisement Manager
licensed in September 1968, equivalent to well over £1,000 While home construction may Claire Ingram
claire.ingram@warnersgroup.co.uk
I had joined the Society several today) and a huge amount of have changed, I continue to be
Advertising Sales
months earlier as a Listener supporting information (and amazed at club construction Kristina Green
(A5885). software) available free from evenings when members bring kristina.green@warnersgroup.co.uk

The driving forces behind the internet. in projects based on integrat- Advertising Production
Nicola Lock
amateur radio back then were, I However, the attractions ing modules together – maybe a nicola.lock@warnersgroup.co.uk
suppose: of the hobby are perhaps Raspberry Pi, a simple transceiv- Publisher
the attraction of being to speak somewhat different. Interna- er and some other bits and bobs Rob McDonnell
robm@warnersgroup.co.uk
to folk around the world (even in tional communication, even to create a WSPR transmitter or
Communist lands) at zero cost using video, is ubiquitous and similar. I guess it’s the modern Subscriptions
when it was expensive and difficult near-enough free using Apps equivalent of converting a piece Subscriptions are available at £44 per annum to
UK addresses, £53 Europe Airmail and £63 RoW
to make international telephone such as Skype and WhatsApp. of ex-military gear. Airmail. See the subscription page for full details.
calls. And there are different hurdles Any of the above must also Subscription Administration
a technical hobby for those in- affecting our enjoyment – dif- be beneficial to young people Webscribe,
Practical Wireless Subscriptions,
terested in science and engineering ficulty with planning permis- studying maths and physics, for Unit 8, The Old Mill, Brook Street,
(computer-related hobbies seem to sion, a huge number of noise example, putting a practical gloss Tring, Hertfordshire HP23 5EF
pw@webscribe.co.uk
occupy that space nowadays) sources and a diminution on the theory that they learn at Tel: 01442 820580
What’s more, although in the of day-to-day chat on local school or college. www.webscribe.co.uk/magazine/pw
UK there was a single Radio Ama- repeaters or simplex channels Components for PW projects
teurs Exam (generally considered (perhaps a reflection of a wider Emercomms In general, all components used in constructing
PW projects are available from a variety of
to be pitched at a level somewhere social malaise – go into a pub What we don’t have so much of component suppliers. Where special, or difficult
between GCE O and A level) nowadays and you’re more to obtain, components are specified a supplier
in this country, thank goodness, will be quoted in the article.
and an annual licence fee, other likely to see a group of young is the imperative of emergency
barriers to entry were relatively people drinking and looking at communications. The American Photocopies & Back Issues
We can supply back issues, but we only keep
low – most gear lent itself to home their smartphones rather than Radio Relay League (ARRL) them for one year. If you are looking for an article
construction and there was lots drinking and chatting!). sent a number of sets of gear to or review that you missed first time around, we
can still help. If we don’t have the actual issue
of cheap war surplus equipment Puerto Rico following the recent we can always supply a photocopy or PDF file of
available. Still Lots to Offer devastating hurricanes and the the article. See the Book Store pages for details.

Operating was largely CW, AM However, our hobby still has YASME Foundation have since Technical Help
or SSB on the HF bands and FM lots to offer. Satellite activity, sent shipments of licence mate- We regret that due to Editorial timescales,
replies to technical queries cannot be given
on VHF, with relatively little com- even moonbounce, are no lon- rial, responding to an upsurge over the telephone. Any technical queries are
mercial equipment available for ger the preserve of those with of interest in gaining amateur unlikely to receive immediate attention so,
if you require help with problems relating to
the latter. It was five years before I mega-stations. And although radio licences, ready for any topics covered in PW, please either contact
acquired an SSB rig – an early FT- you may not hear a lot on your repeat problems in the years the author of the article directly or write or
send an email to the Editor and we’ll do our
101 Mk1. Prior to that, I had found local repeater, interconnec- to come. This is also a driver in best to reply as soon as we can.
AM to be fine for UK nets on the tion of digital voice modes much of Asia – there is a strong
160, 80 and 40m bands but had with the internet means that awareness that tsunamis, hur- 0 Mk1 ● RF Interf
erence - Speci
al Feature SEAn
● et 2017 - a trip to SE Asia
WITH
ALL YOURE
FAVOURIT
The Yaesu FT-29 COLUMNS

quickly discovered that CW was a

●

you will always find some- ricanes/cyclones, earthquakes or

far more effective means of work- one, somewhere to talk to. volcanic activity can all too easily
ing across Europe and beyond. Data modes such as FT8 are render commercial communica-
hugely attractive, too, again tions inoperative.
A Changing Hobby not requiring massive power All in all, despite continued
The hobby has changed dramati- or antennas but facilitating prognoses of the demise of Two Nissei Powered
Supplies Review
cally since then. Although there is long-distance communication amateur radio throughout my compact
We look at two newfrom ML&S
switch-mode units

FREE
still a keen minority who build their even at sunspot minimum. 50 years in the hobby, it has
own gear, most opt for commercial Long-haul VHF communica- continued to reinvent itself and
equipment and there’s lots avail-
to Enter Competit
ion!
2017 70MHZ
tion can be year-round, thanks the future is, I’d like to think, as Win a DMR transceive
courtesy of Moon
r
raker CONTEST September's
The results of last
able. Wandering round the Martin again to digital modes that bright as ever. But do feel free to Contest - see how
you got on

Lynch & Sons showroom at their make meteor scatter and other send me your own views on past
recent Open Day, I was struck by weak-signal working so much and future – our Letters column FEBRUARY 2018
£3.99 ISSN 0141-0857

t radios
the number of manufacturers and more accessible. Portable awaits! Read our review
of these two grea Display until 22nd
February 2018

wide range of products available operation is also on the up,

to tempt us. I consider the barriers partly due to readily available Subscribe to
to entry to be lower than ever – a
progressive licensing system (with
lightweight gear and partly,
no doubt, as a way of getting Don Field
Practical Wireless
no annual fee), cheap entry-level away from urban noise. Sum- G3XTT www.webscribe.co.uk/magazine/pw

6 Practical Wireless February 2018

06 Keylines 1 page.indd 6 19/12/2017 14:54

 Newsdesk
Send your information to:
Practical Wireless Letters, Warners Group Publishing
West Street, Bourne, Lincs PE10 9PH
E-mail: practicalwireless@warnersgroup.co.uk

Essex RAYNET News

On Sunday December 3rd, Essex RAYNET
supported the Farleigh Hospice 2017 Santa
Fun Run. 859 Santas ran or walked the 5km
route starting at Chelmsford’s Central Park.
Over a dozen members of Essex RAYNET
provided event communications, including
a team of three at Control, eight stationed
at various points along the walk and two
members acting as sweeps.

Advanced Distance ANAN-7000DLE

Learning Both ML&S and Nevada Radio have notified us
that they have stock of the new ANAN-7000DLE
charts’ compared to other SDRs. It features
gain redistribution for better IMD, thermally
The next Advanced Distance Learning run HF and 6m 100W SDR transceiver from Apache compensated Bias, Current/Voltage/Temp
by the Bath-based team course is due to Labs. Many specifications have been improved Sensors, a temperature controlled fan and several
start on January 26th, aiming for an exam in over earlier models, based on the work of the other improvements.
early July. The course has been running for OpenHPSDR community. The receiver uses Direct The transceiver features LDMOS Drivers and
six years now and over 500 students have Down Conversion, with an ultra-low phase noise Finals with an Adaptive Predistortion Algorithm
passed following the distance learning. The clock that gives an RMDR of 116dB @ 2kHz. yielding an IMD of –68db @ 100W PEP along
average pass rate is 85% for students who This means that close-in weak signals will not be with two 16-bit phase synchronous ADCs for
have completed the course. masked by the receiver’s phase noise. diversity reception and ultimate noise mitigation
The course is free but students must There is a new PA board that Apache with reduction of signal phasing. The price will be
provide their own textbook, calculator and Labs claim takes the specifications ‘off the around the £3000 to £3100 mark.
arrange their own exam when the time
comes. Guidance is provided by the course
team.
A £30 deposit is required to secure a place
on the course and the deposit is refunded to
those who see the course through. Deposits
from students who did not complete the
course, and generous donations from
students who did, have so far raised over
£10,000 for charities such as the RCF,
Wireless for the Blind and RAIB.
Depending on the forthcoming syllabus
changes this may be the last of these
courses under the current arrangements. The
Bath-based team await details of the syllabus
changes and the timetable for change before
planning beyond July 18th.

New Products from ML&S

Places are limited in number and the last
three courses have been full well before the
start date but there be the odd space still
available when this appears. So, if you are
interested in joining, contact Course Leader, Elad are an Italian manufacturer of high-end
Steve G0FUW, via e-mail: commercial specialist test equipment but also
g0fuw@tiscali.co.uk have an amateur radio division. Three years
ago they introduced the very popular FDM-Duo,
a beautifully constructed 5W QRP transceiver.
Problems with They are now producing a matching 60W Linear
Amplifier, the ELAD Amplifier DUO ART, with a
December Issue built-in PSU, four-way antenna switch and clever
control software. While the unit is intended for
We apologise that a few batches of the operation with the FDM-Duo, it will work with just been joined by the ‘UltraFlex-7 Crystal’. A
December issue of PW were incorrectly other QRP transceivers such as Yaesu’s FT- clear sheath allows the user to view the design
bound, with some pages duplicated and 817ND. of the 83% coverage braid made up of 144
others missing. This was unusual – for the www.HamRadio.co.uk/DUOART individual wires. This new design is lightweight
time being Warners are using the same Another Italian manufacturer, M&P, have (half the weight of URM-67) for reduced stress of
printers that PW has used problem-free for established themselves as the go-to brand for hanging and swing when using around rotators.
many years. If you did end up with a faulty superior cabling for professionals and amateur Priced at only £1.59/m, for full details see:
copy, please let Warners know and they will radio use. Their huge range of 50Ω cables has www.HamRadio.co.uk/ultraflex7crystal
do they best to rectify matters.

February 2018 Practical Wireless 7

07-Newsdesk 3 pages.indd 7 15/12/2017 09:03

 Newsdesk

New Antenna from

Innov
InnovAntennas have a new log periodic Yagi
that covers 100MHz to 750MHz to replace
their popular 100MHz to 600MHz version. The
new antenna, with rear mounting, is 1290mm
long and unlike the original, this one can be
mounted in either the horizontal or vertical
plane. Additionally, the front of the log cell has
three sets of twin parasitic elements through
the booms/feedlines. These enhance top-end
performance, a failing of more traditional log
periodic antennas.
The new antenna has an introductory price
of £199.95, only £20.00 more than the original. ML&S Open Day
Available now from stock: The annual ML&S Open Day and Hog
www.innovantennas.com Roast in December proved to be the best
sales@innovantennas.com attended to date. Representatives from
Icom, Kenwood, bhi, WonderWand and
other suppliers as well as the RSGB were in
New Product from attendance, back to back lectures were run
in the training room and coffee and cake
WonderWand were available as the day went on.

At the ML&S Hog Roast, WonderWand

Antennas UK were showcasing their latest
product, the TWC-4010. Described (loosely)
as a ‘tuneable Windom’, this is an offset-fed
wire antenna tuned at the feedpoint by the
dedicated rig-mounted tuning unit. The TWC-
4010 tuner unit works from 40 to 10m and
has a power rating of 10W. It is designed for
use with rigs such as the Yaesu FT-817 and
connects directly to the rig’s SO-239 antenna
socket. At press time we have no pricing
information or photograph.
www.wonder-wand.co.uk

Icom IC-7300
Resources Page Essex Skills Night
Ian Wade G3NRW has announced the
introduction of the ‘IC-7300 Resources Page’.
The final Essex Skills Night of the year
saw a bumper range of activities from Essex Ham
The site contains hundreds of references to the Chelmsford ARS: Training candidates Keen to get one more Field Day in before the
IC-7300 documentation, software, firmware, could get ahead of the game with various end of 2017, Essex Ham visited Shoebury
HOWTOs, TechNotes, reviews and other Intermediate Practicals, a 2m Slim Each Beach to support the county-wide
support material, plus a collection of over 80 Jim kit was on sale for £5, there was a ‘Essex 2m Activity Day’. Sadly, the weather
(mostly) YouTube videos demonstrating many demonstration of various SDRs, plus CARS had other ideas, so the event was run from
aspects of using the transceiver. Motivation merchandise. An impressive board of all of the back of various cars. Running 2m SSTV
for building the site arose from Ian’s difficulties the Intermediate practicals was on display, in a car packed with damp operators led
in finding all this information, much of which created by the new CARS Chairman and to some rather steamy windows, but some
is scattered all over the internet. The site Training Manager, Peter Davies M0PSD. good contacts nonetheless. The photo shows
will particularly appeal to anyone who is Also on offer, a live demonstartion of Nick M0NFE operating from a car.
considering buying the Icom IC-7300, as well SSTV in action on 70cm from Essex Ham, The ‘Essex 2m Activity Day’ is an initiative
as existing users requiring more information on the Essex CW Club supporting Morse, and launched by the Thurrock Acorns ARC to get
this very popular transceiver. ‘Getting Started with EchoLink’, by Jim more activity on 2m, whether using FM, SSB,
g3nrw.net/IC-7300 2E0RMI. CW or data.

8 Practical Wireless February 2018

07-Newsdesk 3 pages.indd 8 15/12/2017 09:04

 Newsdesk

Examination System News

Nancy Bone G7UUR reports, “It is now
three years since I and David Stansfield
G0EVV organised the Invigilator Training
Workshop for a group of amateur radio
clubs and societies in RSGB Region 4, the
Five Bridges Cluster and STARS, which
was attended by 40 members. We then
compiled a report with recommendations
based on the feedback from members and
a presentation was delivered at the RSGB
Education and Training Committee Forum
at the RSGB Convention. Our workshop
identified a wide range of concerns about
the then current examination system. Slowly
but surely the RSGB has addressed our
observations. A major improvement was the
rewriting of the Examination Guide EX500
a year ago.
“I am pleased to say that our remaining
concerns have all now been addressed at
this year’s Forum and our thanks go to all
involved at the RSGB. The concerns are
addressed as follows:
“Indicative marking is not needed if online
examinations are used by exam centres,
and instantaneous pass/fail with perfor-
mance feedback provided by the software.
“Online exams are now available for the Full

SOTAbeams News Licence and were due to be rolled out to

Intermediate in November with Foundation
As a result of expansion, UK amateur radio manufacturer SOTAbeams has relocated. in January 2018.
CEO Richard G3CWI explains, “For the last few years we have operated out of an historic “Independent Exam Inspectors (independ-
19th century silk mill in the centre of Macclesfield. However, the growing needs of our ent of clubs) are being appointed and
business have required new premises. Our new unit is a modern two-storey office block, trained.
which gives us a much improved lab area for product development and more space. Most “I am no longer Deputy Regional Manager
importantly for our five staff, it’s actually warm in the winter too!” for the Five Bridges Cluster and STARS but
SOTAbeams also report that they have started stocking a speech processor for the have been asked to continue as Convenor
FT-817. The compressor plugs inline between the radio and microphone and helps to for ongoing activities such as training, edu-
keep the transmitted audio level high, a great help when SSB signals are weak. The cation, special events and activities, espe-
compressor is available as a kit or fully built and tested. cially those involving children and young
www.sotabeams.co.uk people and help with access to the hobby
for all”.

Bittern DX Club selling pies and cakes. Eleven Cities Marathon

The event is free to attend, although the Eleven special callsigns will be on the air for
Club meetings are held on the last Thursday of club would appreciate any donation no matter the ‘11 Cities Marathon’, which spans all of
each month. On other Thursdays, the club net how small to go towards the tea/coffee/ 2018. The city of Leeuwarden, Netherlands,
is held on 2m on 145.500MHz at 19:30 local. biscuits/venue hire. The venue is Derbyshire is being called ‘a European Capital of Cul-
The January 25th meeting will be held at the Hill Family & Community Centre, Derbyshire ture’ for the year. That city and ten others in
Crown pub, Banningham NR11 7DY and will Hill Rd, Parr, St Helens WA9 2LU. For more Friesland Province will host the event. The
include a talk and planning the club events information phone Lee M0LGL on 07414 callsigns are:
calendar for 2018. Please note the change 836945 (after 3:30pm please). PF2018LWD, Leeuwarden in January
of location because the regular venue has PF2018SNK, Sneek, February
ceased trading. See the website for details of PF2018YLS, Ijlist, March
the new venue when sorted.
www.bittern-dxers.org.uk New Allocations PF2018SLO, Sloten, April
PF2018BOL, Bolsward, May
for Croatia PF2018HIN, Hindeloopen, June
PF2018FRA, Franeker, July
Train the Trainers Croatian radio amateurs now have access
to the WRC-15 60m amateur secondary
PF2018HAR, Harlingen, August
PF2018DOK, Dokkum, September
Newton le Willows ARC (MX0NRC) are pleased allocation of 5351.5 – 5366.5kHz under ITU PF2018WOR, Workum, October
to announce that they will be hosting a ‘Train Footnote 5.133B, allowing them 15W EIRP. PF2018STA, Stavoren, November
The Trainers’ event on Saturday March 3rd. They now also have access to the full 160m In December 2018 all of the 11 stations
Places are strictly limited, so early booking is band from 1810 to 2000kHz as follows: 1810 will be on the air. QSL using LoTW, Club
advised. to 1850kHz max. power 1.5kW; 1850 to Log, or via PA0MBD. Other stations in
This is scheduled to be an all-day event, 2000kHz max. power 1kW Friesland, optionally, may change the
running from approximately 9am to 5pm. Tea Thanks are expressed to the regulator, number in their callsign to 2018. As an
and coffee will be provided, though you will HAKOM, because in recent years they have example, PA0ZZ could use PA2018ZZ.
need to provide your own lunch or use one of issued temporary one-year licences for 60m to Awards are available.
the local shops a Fish and Chip shop or one Croatian radio amateurs. http://hamecc2018.eu

February 2018 Practical Wireless 9

07-Newsdesk 3 pages.indd 9 15/12/2017 09:04

 Review by Tim Kirby G4VXE
Tim Kirby, G4VXE, Willowside, Bow Bank, Longworth OX13 5ER
● E-mail: tim@g4vxe.com ● Twitter: g4vxe

The MD-9600.

Review − Two DMR

Rigs from Moonraker
Tim Kirby G4VXE takes a look at the TYT MD-9600 144/430MHz DMR mobile
transceiver and the Moonraker HT-500D DMR Dual-Band Handheld Transceiver.

T
owards the end of the The TYT MD-9600 Dual-Band frequencies and 136-174MHz VHF at up
National Hamfest at DMR Mobile to 50W VHF and 45W UHF, using Time-
Newark, Chris Taylor from Here’s what the publicity says about the Division Multiple-Access (TDMA) digital
Moonraker approached TYT MD-9600 Dual-Band DMR Mobile: technology. This digital mobile radio is also
our editor with a couple of “Now you can go digital on the road with compatible with Motorola TRBO and DMR
boxes, saying, have a look at these! the TYT MD-9600 DMR Digital Mobile Two Tier II. The MD 9600 offers 250 zones with
Very kindly, Don passed them onto me Way Radio! The MD-9600 gives you the 16 channels for each zone. It has built-in
to review. crystal clear, noise-free audio of over-the- CTCSS/DCS, channel scan, priority scan,
I’m always pleased to look at new rigs air digital communications in your vehicle, short text message features, draft message
and find out what they’re like but I was par- full analogue transceiver capabilities, and edit, contacts check and edit, and encryp-
ticularly looking forward to trying the TYT bundles it all together at a price you can tion. As for calling features, the MD-9600
MD-9600. Here in west Oxfordshire, we’re afford! The MD-9600 supports analogue has them, including Private Call, Group Call
just in range of a few DMR repeaters and I and digital modes so you can enjoy the and All Call. It also includes Lone worker
was curious to see what the mobile experi- best of both. It provides dual-band sup- mode, power save mode, low power alarm,
ence would be like. port, operating on both 400-480MHz UHF an emergency alarm and VOX capability.

10 Practical Wireless February 2018

10 moonraker.indd 10 15/12/2017 08:38

 The following features are
listed for the MD-9600:
n 1000 Channels
n 136-174MHz VHF Frequencies 400-480MHz
UHF Frequencies
n Repeater Capable
n AMBE+2™ Digital Vocoder
n Encryption (Digital Mode Only)
n Private Call/Group Call/All Call
n 45W/25W Output Power
n Hi/Low Power Selectable
n Emergency Alarm
n Channel Scan
n Priority Scan
n Talk Around
n Colour LED Display
n Lighted LED Keypad
n Text Messaging
n LED Status Light On Hand Mic
n Low Battery Alert
n Battery Saver
n Timeout Timer
n VOX
The MD-9600. n Audible Button Beeps
n Voice Prompts
n Cloning Capable
Plus, it’s PC programmable and firmware things but sometimes does. n PC Programmable (Optional Software and
upgradeable to boot, providing the maxi- Because the codeplug was all set up, Cable Required)
n Programmable Multifunction Key
mum flexibility and versatility to rival any the only thing I really needed to change was
n MIL-STD-810 C/D/E
other digital mobile radio on the market! The to enter my DMR ID into the rig rather than n Digital/Analogue Combined
TYT MD-9600 gives you a colour LCD dis- the demonstration one that had been set.
play with clear, sharp text for an easy read That done and the configuration saved back
from your dash or console. It also gives you to the rig, I was all ready to go. I installed
programmable function keys on the console the rig into the car (it’s a little too big to check that the repeater can be contacted
and a hand mic with programmable keys, go in the centre console) but managed a and if it can’t, then what should happen is
two built-in LEDs and a DTMF keypad and temporary solution quite easily and looked that you get a warning tone to show you’re
for full access to its menu of powerful digital forward to the morning commute to see out of range. However, I discovered that
and analogue features. No doubt about it, what I could hear. quite often with the MD-9600, the rig would
the MD-9600 gives you all the value of a Here in west Oxfordshire, my daily com- not be able to establish communication
premium digital mobile radio at an amaz- mute takes me on the fringes of several with the repeater but, rather than issue the
ingly low analogue price!” DMR repeaters, including the GB7CT VHF warning tone, it would hang up the radio,
The features are listed in the sidebar. repeater at Tring some 40-odd miles away. which would then need to be switched off
I knew I could detect that signal quite well and on again before it would transmit. On
Getting Started through the journey, so I was curious to see a hilly road with a variable path to the re-
Within minutes after taking delivery of the how that translated into digital coverage. peater, this could happen quite a lot! Clearly
rigs from Don, I had the MD-9600 out of the Sure enough, I found that I could receive this isn’t an issue if you use the rig in a
box and was connecting it up to my PC to DMR signals from GB7CT although only base station situation where the signal path
set up the basics. I should add that Moon- on certain parts of my journey. I became to the repeater is much more of a known
raker had supplied the rig with a codeplug, quite adept in making quite short, snappy quantity.
which is ready to go. (A quick reminder that contacts on pieces of road when I knew When I got home, I did a little research
the codeplug of a digital radio determines there was coverage. One morning there to see if anyone else had encountered
the setup and configuration of the radio, in- was a lift and signals were gloriously strong these issues (yes, they had) and whether
cluding the channels, talkgroups and so on. all the way to the railway station. On one of there was any sort of workaround or fix
The codeplug supplied with both the radios my first mobile DMR contacts, it was great (yes, there is!). It transpired that the problem
reviewed here includes all UK DMR and to speak with Steve M3SXA also using the only occurs if the Zone (a group of chan-
analogue repeaters along with Marine band GB7CT repeater. nels and talkgroups within the codeplug) is
and PMR446 receive channels). All I had If I was travelling in a more westerly solely on UHF, so the fix was to edit each of
to do was to load the Customer Program- direction, then I could use the GB7TC the zones and put a dummy VHF frequency
ming Software (CPS) on my PC, connect Swindon UHF DMR repeater. It was on a into it. Actually, this worked out well for me
up the programming lead between the rig trip over the Cotswolds to the Cheltenham because for my commute, I wanted to be
and the computer and press ‘read radio’. area that I discovered a problem with the able to switch between GB7CT, GB7TC,
To my delight it worked first time. It doesn’t MD-9600s firmware. GB7BK, GB7AV DMR repeaters as well as
always, so It’s good when it does, espe- At the start of each transmission you some analogue repeaters!
cially because I use a virtual PC running on make, there’s a quick handshake protocol So, I programmed up a new zone
my Macbook, which shouldn’t complicate (known as the Transmit Admit criteria) to called ‘Commute’, which reflected this and

February 2018 Practical Wireless 11

10 moonraker.indd 11 15/12/2017 08:38

 Moonraker review

Note from Moonraker

As a postscript to Tim’s review,
Moonraker have asked us to include
the following: “TYT are a progressive
company and since the launch of the
MD-9600 radios the manufacturers
have done many updates both to the
firmware and, in the latest batch, to
the hardware too. We have carried out
factory approved modifications to the
radios supplied in the early batches to
address customers issues. The radio
has become a very good seller for us
alongside the HT-500”.
Moonraker have also said that, if
readers call and quote PW, they will
include free shipping to UK mainland.

feature was annoying but once I found

a way around it, that was fine. I strongly
The Moonraker HT-500D. suspect that by the time you read this, there
will be a new version of the firmware that
DMR facilities. The ability to listen across will, all being well, resolve the issue, but
all the talkgroups on each timeslot was do check with your vendor first. As noted
perhaps the most useful one to me. That previously, if you are going to use the rig
way, you can keep an ear on what’s going at home on a base antenna, it’s unlikely
on without having to scan across all the that you will notice the problem at all. I was
talkgroups. The codeplug supplied by pleased to find that various problems that
Moonraker also included a good range of had been reported with earlier versions of
contact details, so that the radio will display the firmware had been eliminated and did
someone’s name and callsign, which it not show up during the review period. Keep
translates from the DMR ID that they are checking for firmware releases because I’m
transmitting. quite certain that further improvements and
Of course, the MD-9600 works on FM as features will be added.
well, so my regular commuting configura- If you have one or more DMR repeaters
tion was to have the FM repeater, GB3RD, in your area, as well as conventional FM
running on one side of the radio and one repeaters and simplex activity, you could do
of the DMR repeaters running on the other a lot worse than consider the MD-9600. It
side of the radio. That way I was able to get is available for £279.95 from major amateur
the best of both worlds. Audio reports on radio retailers.
FM were also very good. The display is nice
and sharp and easy to read when mobile, The HT-500D DMR Digital Dual-Band
RF power output can be set to any of Transceiver
The Moonraker HT-500D. four levels, which equate to around 5, 10, Also in the box from Chris was a dual-band
18 and 45W on 144MHz, with the highest DMR handheld! A quick look at the rig
wondered whether it would solve the issue level just a little lower on 430MHz. This and I realised that this is almost identical
with the rig hanging up. Sure enough it did! makes the rig usable by Foundation licen- to another handheld we reviewed here in
This made for a much better mobile DMR sees on the lowest two power settings. our November 2017 issue. Given this is
experience. It didn’t improve the coverage, As supplied, the codeplug contains all the case it’s obviously not appropriate to
of course, but at least the rig didn’t need to current digital and analogue repeaters in the publish a full review of the rig. However, we
be switched off and on at regular intervals. UK as well as other things to listen to, such thought it might be useful to refer you to the
Using DMR mobile, apart from the as Marine and NATS (aircraft) frequencies – features of the HT-500D:
coverage issues, was enjoyable. The qual- the latter being some FM outlets given that The publicity says: “The HT-500D takes
ity of the received audio is excellent and the MD-9600 does not work on AM (used the experience of DMR to a new level with
I enjoyed making contacts around the coun- for many aircraft channels). features designed for the amateur radio
try and across the world. Similarly, I was user. The MOONRAKER HT-500D operates
pleased to receive good audio reports of my Conclusions in analogue and digital modes 400-480MHz
transmissions using the MD-9600. I found the MD-9600 enjoyable to use. The frequencies on UHF and 136-174MHz VHF
The MD-9600 contains many useful firmware bug around the ‘transmit admit’ at up to 5W of power. It uses Time-Division

12 Practical Wireless February 2018

10 moonraker.indd 12 15/12/2017 08:38

 Multiple-Access (TDMA) digital technology radios. It is also compatible with any dual-bander and if you don’t have an FM
to double the number of users on a single existing analogue two-way radio operating dual-bander already, the HT-500D would
12.5kHz channel. on the supported UHF and VHF frequencies probably be cheaper than two separate rigs.
The Audio on DMR is excellent in both for easy migration to digital technology. I wasn’t fond of the trackball but I was
transmit and receive ensuring dependable The radio is waterproof to IP67 as long glad that I was able to get around that by
communications. as all covers are fitted. The radio is firmware programming the side buttons on the rig.
The HT-500D boasts 3,000 channels, upgradeable and software is supplied free Other than that, I found the rig easy to use
10,000 contacts, built-in CTCSS/ of charge”. and didn’t have to resort to the instruction
DCS (analogue mode only), single call, It’s also worth mentioning that the HT- manual, which was probably a blessing.
group call and all call, remote kill/stun/ 500D comes with two years warranty and, Bear in mind that the supplied antenna
activate, transmit interrupt, VOX, and as mentioned in the context of the MD- seems quite poor to me, so be prepared to
lone worker function. It is compatible with 9600, the codeplug is programmed with a replace it – this need not be expensive to
MOTOTRBO™ Tier I and II,  wide range of talkgroups, repeaters and so do. RF performance of the rig itself seemed
The MOONRAKER HT-500D is equipped on. good.
with an excellent large colour LCD display. The Moonraker HT-500D costs £199.95
It also has the traditional keypad allowing Overall from Moonraker UK Ltd.
pre-programmed functions as well as direct Perhaps it’s useful to repeat some of my
frequency entry in VFO mode conclusions from that previous review, Our thanks to Chris Taylor and Moonraker
The HT-500D dual-band digital radio because the same thoughts apply with the UK Ltd, for the loan of the two rigs for our
uses Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) Tier 2 HT-500D. review. Moonraker were also kind enough
Standard protocol. It is compatible with Decide for yourself whether you need a to say that we could offer the two radios
the popular MOTO TRBO series Tier I and dual band DMR rig. It’s certainly nice having as competition prizes, for which we are,
II using standard encryption, as well as the two bands available on one rig, rather of course, extremely grateful. Please see
other makes and models of DMR supported than carrying a UHF DMR rig and a FM below for how to enter for a chance to win.

PW Competition

Two prizes to be won, worth £480 in total!

Thanks to our friends at Moonraker, we are able to offer the two transceivers reviewed by Tim Kirby as
competition prizes. See below for details of how to enter. The first correct answer will win the TYT MD-
9600 144/430MHz DMR mobile transceiver and the second correct answer will win the Moonraker HT-500D
DMR Dual-Band Handheld Transceiver. To be entered into the draw to win one of these super DMR
transceivers, answer the following questions by completing the form below. Photocopies are
accepted. Please provide a valid phone number so we can contact you should you win!

The Questions: How to Enter

What does DMR stand for? Free entry by returning this form to the address below.
Data Modes Radio.
Digital Mobile Repeater Title............................ Initials...................................................................
Digital Mobile Radio Surname.................................................................................................
What are the SKU codes for the two radios reviewed? Address..................................................................................................
(Hint – check the Moonraker website!) ...................... ...............................................................................................................
........................................................................................ ..................................................................... Postcode..........................
Entries close at midnight on February 11th 2018. To be Yes I am happy to receive special offers by post.
accepted into the draw, you must answer the questions
correctly and answers received after the date will not be Telephone...............................................................................................
accepted. Two winners will be notified by e-mail or telephone Yes I am happy to receive telephone calls about special offers.
on February 28th 2018. If either winner cannot be contacted E-mail address.......................................................................................
or does not claim the prize within 30 days of notification,
Yes I am happy to receive emails about special offers.
we reserve the right to withdraw the prize from the winner
and pick a replacement winner. The winners will also be Return to Competitions, Marketing Department,
announced in the May issue of PW.
Practical Wireless, Warners Group Publications,
ENTRIES CLOSE 11/2/2018 The Maltings, West Street, Bourne, Lincs PE10 9PH

February 2018 Practical Wireless 13

10 moonraker.indd 13 15/12/2017 08:38

 Review by Don Field G3XTT
• E-mail: practicalwireless@warnersgroup.co.uk

Review - Switch-Mode
Power Supplies
H
ow do you review a pow- The editor has been taking a look at two power supplies
er supply? Surely it does or
it doesn’t? That was my first from Nissei that we mentioned in last month’s News pages.
reaction when Martin Lynch
suggested I take a look at
the two new compact switch-mode power
supplies from Nissei that we had carried
news of in last month’s issue. (And if you
want to know more about the difference
between linear and switch-mode supplies,
be sure to read this month’s Technical for
the Terrified feature.)
When I started thinking about it,
though, I realised that I actually have a
number of criteria when choosing a power
supply unit (PSU). It’s no mistake that for
many years I have been using a rather
heavy but effective linear mode Daiwa
power supply in the home shack but car-
rying a lightweight Samlex SEC1223 with Fig. 1: The NS-1230M.
me on DXpeditions. For the former, weight
is not an issue but I want plenty of capac-
ity for running shack equipment, includ-
ing a typical 100W transceiver but also
various ancillaries, along with a variety of
connectors so that I don’t have to retermi-
nate everything that arrives in the shack,
and some metering so I can see what is
happening (current being drawn and so
on), especially when I am reviewing a new
piece of gear. And, of course, I don’t want
any spurious noise that might affect my
receiver when chasing that elusive DX.
For portable use, weight is probably
the major criterion but, again, the PSU Fig. 2: The NS-1230B.
must be able to deliver sufficient cur-
rent to handle a transceiver plus the odd details again. a banana plug) and, as you can see from
additional item of equipment (such as an The Nissei NS-1230M with metering, the photos, the NS-1230B also has an
external keyer). Again, it must not emit any Fig. 1, and NS-1230B (without), Fig. 2, identical set of terminals on the front along
spurious radiation (often a problem with both offer continuous duty at 25A, peak with a cigarette-lighter style of connector.
cheap switch-mode units). And, ideally, it to 30A, at 13.8V. Both feature short-circuit In contrast, the NS-1230M offers adjust-
should be usable on both 110 and 220V and over-voltage protection. The PSUs ment of the output voltage, along with a
mains supplies, depending on where in the measure just 154x127x63mm (6x5x2in) meter to indicate both the voltage and the
world I end up. and weigh only 1.35kg. Both have switch- current being drawn.
able inputs of either 110V or 234V at
Description 47-63Hz. In Use
As I said, we carried details of these two Mains is connected via a standard IEC The first thing to say is that these power
new units in last month’s News pages but lead. Both units have a pair of screw ter- supplies do indeed merit the description
to save you looking back, here are the minals on the rear (which will also accept compact. The photo, Fig. 3, shows them

14 Practical Wireless February 2018

14 nissei review 1 half pages.indd 14 15/12/2017 08:39

 Fig. 3: An indication of size relative to the author’s two existing power supplies. Fig. 4: An inside view of the NS-1230B.

alongside my two existing power supplies. the built-in meter appeared to be pretty on the NS-1230M the red LED lights as a
And they weigh in at slightly less than my accurate. warning. So, no worries there.
Samlex too (1.35kg as against 1.59kg) so Both units include a fan, unlike my
that’s also a point in their favour. There’s SEC1223, so I did wonder whether this Summary
quite a lot packed inside them as my might be a problem (in terms of acoustic These two PSUs do what it says on the
internal photo, Fig. 4, demonstrates. And, noise). In practice, I had a job persuading can. My Daiwa power supply is no longer
yes, they can be used on both 110 and the fan to come on – it appears to do available but the current equivalent ap-
220/240V as the specification says. How- so only when you have been running pears to be the MyDEL MP-304Mk11, sold
ever, the supply voltage is factory preset a full load for an extended period (or, by Martin Lynch for £99.95 at the time of
and to change it, you need to remove the presumably, in a very hot shack as might writing.
cover and extract the voltage selector be encountered on a tropical DXpedition And although I bought my Samlex
switch from the back panel. Personally, I – I’ve been there!). And even when the fan PSU in the USA on offer for about $80, if
wouldn’t hesitate to do this if I was using is running, it’s very quiet compared with you can find one in the UK nowadays, it
one of these units on a DXpedition – the other fans in my shack (on the radio or the will probably cost over £100 new. As for
process takes no more than about five linear amplifier, for example). those ‘matching’ power supplies to sit
minutes (yes, Martin, I’m afraid I did it just As for the ever-present concern about alongside your HF transceiver, some of the
to see!). electrical noise, I checked on a wide range prices are quite ridiculous! So, at £84.95,
The NS-1230B showed an output of of frequencies and failed to detect any- (non-metered) and £89.95 with meter, the
13.8V on zero load, dropping no more than thing untoward from either unit. Nissei units from ML&S look very attrac-
200mV when running 100W with my Icom Finally, the specification says that these tive indeed. And by using the code PW
IC-7300. The NS-1230M has a notch on units have short-circuit protection. This at checkout on the website, carriage is
the variable voltage control at a nominal seemed like a claim I needed to check out! included free for UK Mainland, saving
13.8V (again measured at 13.8V no load, It was quite a let-down – the unit simply £10.95. My thanks to ML&S for loan of the
as per specification). The output voltage shuts down and immediately returns to life review samples.
was variable from about 3.5 to 16.4V and when the short-circuit is removed. Oh, and www.HamRadio.co.uk/Nissei-PSU

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February 2018 Practical Wireless 15

14 nissei review 1 half pages.indd 15 15/12/2017 08:39

 Review by Geoff Theasby G8BMI
• geofftheasby@gmail.com

Kits & Modules – Stereo

are properly pushed down onto the PCB
before soldering, because if their spindles
are not in line, it is very noticeable. (Don’t

Amplifier & FM Tuner

ask me how I know!) Matching control
knobs are supplied but not for the on/off
push-switch. I spent three hours carefully
building the kit and, true to form, it worked
Geoff Theasby G8BMI looks at a stereo amplifier and FM tuner first time. Component locations and orienta-
tion are clearly marked on the PCB, as are
that are inexpensive and complement each other nicely. the component values themselves. The
finished board measures 90 x 75 x 40mm
high, including heatsinks. I obtained a pair

T
of Sony bookshelf loudspeakers through
his time I built a 3W + 3W the Freecycle movement. There are lots of
stereo amplifier and the pairs of speakers about, often left over from
ready-built module I’m look- a defunct, cheap stereo.
ing at is an FM stereo tuner.
These seem a natural choice to Tuner
work together, although not amateur radio The FM tuner module is delightful! Fully
as such. However, the amplifier is small and synthesised, with LCD display, it covers
makes a good bench amplifier for general 88 −108MHz extendable to 50 – 115MHz
testing. It took about three hours to as- with some tinkering. It uses a PIC12F1840
semble. microcontroller, a TEA5767 (RDA5807) radio
I realise that a built module isn’t so much The stereo amplifier. module and other ICs. It will drive small
fun as a project you made yourself but at speakers direct, or a stereo amplifier. It
the prices quoted, collecting the compo- measures 75 x 45 mm, and has a mini-USB
nents individually would be much more socket for power, or a separate supply of
expensive or difficult, particularly the PCB. 3 − 5.5V DC. A USB cable is supplied. RF
It may also be the case that these are ‘end input from a 500mm bit of wire is adequate,
of line production’ or obsolete components suggesting that a telescopic antenna is ac-
and when they’re gone, they’re gone! No ceptable, and it is tuned by a rotary control
doubt others will come along later. working in the opposite sense to that
I dealt with two main suppliers, Ama- expected (turn anticlockwise for increasing
zon and eBay, which in my experience are frequency). Pressing it briefly starts scan-
trustworthy to deal with, safeguard private The FM tuner on 105.7MHz. The resistor, top left, ning, ‘Up’ or ‘Down’ in frequency, depend-
details and have a formal complaints pro- is to enable an antenna to clip on. The red & ing on the direction last moved, and which
cedure. Other suppliers may be similar, but black leads are for audio outputs. stops on locating a signal.
I haven’t been trading with them enough to A longer press displays RF signal level,
form an opinion. In any case, neither PW Amplifier in dB/µV from 1 to 63 (representing 1mV).
nor the author can accept any responsibil- The amplifier runs from 12V AC. Please Another control adjusts volume in 15 steps,
ity for any subsequent difficulties. Caveat note this odd supply requirement. It’s so also working in the ‘opposite’ sense. Press-
emptor! that a dual-rail, ±17V DC, can be supplied ing it mutes the output. Search the internet
to the TDA2030A power modules. I found a for Application Notes and data sheets on
Sourcing computer printer power supply in my spares the PIC and tuner, plus circuitry. Current
There are usually several suppliers, and box that gave an AC output, but it was too consumption is about 20mA, and a 32Ω
even some counterfeit products, notably of high at 20V. On my bench, though, I have output is provided for headphones. This
JYE Tech kits. Not all kits are supplied with a Variac autotransformer, so I reduced little board is so good that I intend replacing
circuits or instructions but the information the mains voltage to the PSU to the point my analogue stereo tuner of great age (£1
is usually to be found elsewhere on the where 12V AC was produced. The rest of at a jumble sale!) with this device, suit-
internet. Search engines are a great help. the components are on the PCB, so it’s ably cased and beautified for the domestic
One kit’s details were particularly difficult to just a case of carefully building up the kit. environment. The phasing out of VHF/FM
track down. I spent about half a day looking In other circumstances, a suitable trans- broadcasts has been mooted in favour of
but was ultimately successful. If a search former will be required. Be very careful with DAB but no definitive announcement has
by the kit reference number reveals nothing, all equipment using mains voltages! The yet been made and it will probably take
try under the main active device and its only points to watch are to remember the years to implement.
Application Notes. Failing that, a reference four wire links, to loosely bolt together the
number is often marked on the PCB, which power modules and their respective heat- (Editor’s note: Checking at press time, the
leads to further information. I have built or sinks while the five pins and the heatsink amplifier was available on eBay for $6.99
bought every kit and module reviewed and mountings are persuaded to engage with while the tuner could be found on Amazon
to date every one has worked first time or the PCB, and to make sure that the three at the URL below).
straight out of the box. potentiometers (Bass, Treble and Volume) http://tinyurl.com/y9gderk4

16 Practical Wireless February 2018

16 g8bmi 1 page.indd 16 15/12/2017 08:39

 Contest Adjudicator Colin Redwood G6MXL
● E-Mail: practicalwireless@warnersgroup.co.uk

The Ninth Practical Wireless

70MHz Contest − Results 2017
Colin Redwood G6MXL has the results of the 2017 contest.

V
ery mixed weather greeted Cambridge and District Amateur
those who ventured out Radio Club G2XV noted that “As the band
portable for the 9th PW closed so the noise level came up. In the
70MHz Contest on Sunday last 20 mins the noise disappeared just
September 24th 2017. as the sun went in. Suspect solar installa-
Participation was up on 2016 and the 41 tions?”
entrants made a total of 895 contacts Guildford & District Radio Society
with 153 different stations in 29 different G4SDM found the band very noisy. They
squares, Fig. 1. had problems hearing stations from what is
normally a good location.
Low Power Section Winner
The SADGITS G4RLF/P operating from Weather
Win Green in IO80WX are the winners of Those stations that went out portable found
the low power section. They used an Icom less than ideal weather conditions. Poole
IC-7300 running 10W into a 5-element Yagi, Radio Society G4PRS/P, Fig. 3, operat-
Fig. 2. ing from the Purbeck Hills in Dorset, were Fig. 1: Map showing locator squares of stations
at times shrouded in mist but were able that entered (in dark blue) and other stations
Open Section Winner to shelter from the worst of the elements, worked (light blue).
The winner of the open section is again thanks to the use of a van belonging to one
Fred Handscombe G4BWP, operating of their members. Things weren’t much
from JO02FH. Fred used an Elecraft K3 better in Wales, from where Ron Price
transceiver + OZ2M transverter + Gemini GW4EVX/P was out on the hills, Fig. 4.
amplifier, feeding a 7-element PowAbeam
antenna. Equipment
Full details of the results can be found in The trend of using transceivers with 70MHz
the tables in this article. As usual, certifi- capabilities rather than transverters ap-
cates will be sent to all the leading stations pears to be continuing with just over half
and leaders in each square. the entrants using such transceivers. No
equipment problems were reported by any
RF Conditions of the entrants!
Dave Keston G8FMC thought the band
seemed, “A bit quiet & hard going with very First Time
noisy conditions, also windy so mast not at John Rockdove M6JIJ, on behalf of
full height. I am glad I was not out portable the Sheffield & District Wireless Society,
on a hill-top!” entered a PW contest for the first time and
Neil Smith G4DBN only popped on for used the MINOS logging program to log his Fig. 2: Leading low-power station G4RLF/P at
just over an hour to give some points away contacts and submit his entry. Win Green in IO80WX.
and support the contest. He says it was Description Name/Team Callsign
a “Nice and relaxed session. Nice to work Low-Power Winner SADGITS G4RLF/P
GM4JJJ on CW. Heard PA but unable to Open Winner Fred Handscombe G4BWP
raise them with only 4W”. Leading Single Operator Fred Handscombe G4BWP
David Whitty G4FEV was only able Leading Multi-Operator Guildford & District Radio Society G5RS/P
to operate for the last 30 minutes but still Leading English Station Fred Handscombe G4BWP
managed to make 12 contacts from his Leading Welsh Station Ron Price GW4EVX/P
QTH in Northamptonshire. Leading Scotish Station David Anderson GM4JJJ
Chris Brown G4CLB operated from his Leading GU/GJ Station Keith Le Boutillier GU6EFB
new QTH and enjoyed the contest even Leading Isle of Man Station Mike Webb GD6ICR
though his restricted antenna was lower Leading Overseas Station Mathieu de Breyne OT7E
than he would have liked. Table 1: Leading stations.

February 2018 Practical Wireless 17

17 radio comp results 3 pages.indd 17 19/12/2017 09:06

 Ninth Practical Wireless 70MHz Contest

Operating Techniques did not affect the overall position of the

Regular entrant Keith Le Boutillier stations concerned.
GU6EFB, operating from Guernsey, found For future years the rules will be
the contest very slow going, with a low reviewed to better accommodate MGM
level of activity. He added that, “Most activity. One approach may be to have
QSOs were only made by the use of an additional section for stations making
ON4KST” [meaning the arrangement of some or all of their contacts using MGM
contacts via the ON4KST chatroom – ed.]. (such as JT6M, JT65M, FSK441). This will
David Anderson GM4JJJ was among not, though, extend to digital voice modes Fig. 3: The Poole Radio Society operated from the
several stations to use CW for some of his such as DMR, Fusion or D-STAR. I would Purbeck Hills in IO80WP.
contacts.
The Norfolk Coast Amateur Radio
Pos Call Name Transceiver QSOs Squares Sco
Society M0CNA, decided to operate from
1 G4RLF/P SADGITS Icom IC-7300 + LNA 38 13 494
their club shack, which is at the QTH of
2 G3YDD Hereford Amateur Radio Society Icom IC-7300 36 13 468
their Secretary G3PND, near Cromer on
3 G4PRS/P Poole Radio Society Elecraft K2 + Spectrum TVTR 24 12 288
the North Norfolk Coast. The location is
40m ASL with a clear view of the sea to 4 G8FMC Dave Keston Elecraft K3 + OZ2M TVTR 21 11 231
the north and virtually round to the west 5 G4DBN Neil Smith Elad FDM-DUO + UT5JCW TVTR 16 11 176
and east. They used an Icom IC-7300 6 GW0EIY/P Simon Pryce Icom IC-7100 15 10 150
with a 5-element Yagi, Fig. 5. NCARS 7 M0OMB Roger J Rimmer Elecraft K3 + Meon TVTR 12 9 108
were hoping to better their first attempt 8 2E0OLG Dean Rugen Yaesu FT-707+ FTV707 10 7 70
last year when they managed just twelve 9 G4FKI David Thorpe Yaesu FT-847 10 5 50
QSOs. Unfortunately, they only managed 10 OK1DIG Daniel Glanc Icom IC-7300modi 5 5 25
six contacts this year although all were at 11 M0HFY Barry Eames Icom IC-7410 + HB TVTR 4 4 16
a good distance, to Wales and the South 12 GD6ICR Mike Webb Yaesu FT-817 + MM TVTR 3 3 9
West. Steve ponders whether being out on 13 M6JIJ Sheffield & District Wireless Society Yaesu FT-847 4 2 8
a limb on the Norfolk coast is a problematic 14 G8ZAX Guildford & District Radio Society B Team Elecraft K3S + HB TVTR 2 3 6
location – wondering whether those in the
15 PA9RZ Robert Van Der Zaal Icom IC-7300 1 1 1
centre of the country point their beams
easterly in their direction (although the Table 2: PW 70MHz Low Power Results Table
fact that G4BWP managed 70 contacts
from East Anglia suggests that this isn’t Pos Call Name QSOs Squares Score Locator Tr
the complete story). “We will try again next 1 G4BWP Fred Handscombe 80 26 2080 JO02FH K3
year – so don’t forget we’re out here”, says 2 G5RS/P Guildford & District Radio Society 60 17 1020 JO00EW IC
Steve. 3 G3NPI Geoff Suggate 52 17 884 IO92MA AN
Jim Joyce GM4JTJ says that, “There 4 G8CUL Mike Stevens 50 17 850 IO91JO Ya
seemed to be much more activity this 5 G2HX/P Gloucester Amateur Radio & Electronics Society 53 14 742 IO81WU Ya
year and also more GMs active. It was 6 G5TO/P Sheffield & District Radio Society 45 14 630 IO93EH Ico
an enjoyable way to spend a Sunday 7 M0ORO Ossett Amateur Radio Operators 42 14 588 IO93EQ Ya
afternoon, gentlemanly operating and just 8 G4FKK Martin Charman 30 14 420 IO91WI Ico
the right length of time”.
9 G0SKA Charlie Mitchell 36 11 396 IO91QN Ico
Peter GW4JQP says, “Nobody else
10 GW4EVX/P Ron Price 35 11 385 IO83KB Ya
from the St Tybie Club could make it this
11 GM4JJJ David Anderson 24 14 336 IO86GB Ico
year, so I did the contest on my own,
12 GW4ZAR Dave Flanagan 25 13 325 IO83KF Ico
hence the change of callsign. There were
obviously more English stations than I could 13 GW4TTA Dragon Amateur Radio Club 25 12 300 IO73QH Tri
hear but, as usual, many of them didn’t 14 G4SDM/P Guildford and District Radio Society 24 10 240 IO90QV Ya
beam West, so they didn’t work the Welsh 15 GM4JTJ Jon Joyce 16 13 208 IO86RP Ico
stations. The site was shrouded in mist and 16 G2XV/P Cambridge & DARC 16 10 160 JO02AD Ico
rain throughout, but that did help me get a 17 GW4JQP/P Peter Harston 15 9 135 IO81AS Ya
10GHz contact at the end of the day”. 18 G4FEV Dave Whitty 13 7 91 IO92RG Ico
19 G8EOP Mel Jackson 807ARO Contest Group 10 9 90 IO93EQ Ya
Machine Generated Modes 20 G4CLB Chris Brown 9 8 72 IO92HM Sp
A small number of stations used machine 21 GU6EFB Keith Le Boutillier 8 7 56 IN89RK Ico
generated modes (MGM) in the contest to 22 M1CJE Andrew Eastland 8 6 48 IO91CJ Ico
make meteor scatter contacts. A couple of
23 OT7E Mathieu de Breyne 6 5 30 JO11TA Ico
days before the contest I was approached
24 G4LDR Neil Underwood 5 5 25 IO91EC Ico
by one station to clarify whether this would
25 M0NCA Norfolk Coast ARS 3 4 12 JO02PW Ico
be permitted, while others went ahead
25 GW0GEI Pembrokeshire Contest Club 4 3 12 IO72WC Ico
regardless. However, fewer than 10 MGM
contacts were made and those contacts Table 3: PW 70MHz Open Section Results Table

18 Practical Wireless February 2018

17 radio comp results 3 pages.indd 18 19/12/2017 09:06

 welcome feedback from this year’s entrants Contest Length
on the approach to be adopted in future The reduced length of the contest this year
years. seems to have met with general approval.

2018 Congratulations and Thanks

The 2018 PW 70MHz Contest is Congratulations to the 2017 winners and Fig. 4: The antenna at the leading Welsh Station,
provisionally booked for Sunday on behalf of all entrants a big “Thank You” Ron Price’s GW4EVX/P.
September 23rd 2018. I am expecting the
rules to appear in the September 2018 Square Name Call No. entries
issue, due in the shops mid-August. IN89 Keith Le Boutillier GU6EFB 1
IO72 Pembrokeshire Contest Club GW0GEI 1
ares Score Locator Antenna Ht. m asl IO73 Dragon Amateur Radio Club GW4TTA 1
494 IO80WX 5-ele 277 IO74 Mike Webb GD6ICR 1
468 IO82PE InnovAntenna 3-ele quad 105 IO80 SADGITS G4RLF/P 2
288 IO80WP 4-ele Yagi 198 IO81 Gloucester Amateur Radio & Electronics Society G2HX/P 3
231 IO91NW 4-ele Moxon-Yagi HB 11 IO82 Hereford Amateur Radio Society G3YDD 2
176 IO93NR 5-ele PowAbeam 18 IO83 Ron Price GW4EVX/P 4
150 IO82LQ 3-ele Yagi 353 IO86 David Anderson GM4JJJ 2
108 IO83PO 6-ele PowAbeam 100 IO90 Guildford and District Radio Society G4SDM/P 1
70 IO83MN Create clp5130-1n log periodic 11 IO91 Mike Stevens G8CUL 7
50 IO92SA Dipole 170 IO92 Geoff Suggate G3NPI 4
25 JO60XJ 7-ele YU7EF 305 IO93 Sheffield & District Radio Society G5TO/P 5
16 IO81UT Dipole 15 JO00 Guildford & District Radio Society G5RS/P 1
9 IO74PF 7-ele CQM PowAbeam 30 JO02 Fred Handscombe G4BWP 3
8 IO93GI Single-ele Dipole 137 JO11 Mathieu de Breyne OT7E 1
6 IO91RF bazooka dipole 94 JO22 Robert Van Der Zaal PA9RZ 1
1 JO22GF 3-ele HB9CV 15 JO60 Daniel Glanc OK1DIG 1
Table 4: Leading Stations in Each Square.

ator Transceiver Antenna Ht. m asl

2FH K3, OZ2M, Gemini SSPA 7-ele PowAbeam 20
0EW IC-7300 + 4CX250B amp. 9-ele DK7ZB & 8-ele Jaybeam 170
2MA ANAN10+T4M TRVTR-+ H/B MOSFET amp. 6 over 6 LFA 110
1JO Yaesu FT847 + PA 6-ele Yagi 60
1WU Yaesu FT-991+ Spectrum TVTR + amp. 3-ele Quad 273
3EH Icom IC-7100 5-ele PowAbeam 410
3EQ Yaesu FT-847 + Gemini Amp 5-ele Vine Yagi 110
1WI Icom IC-756 Pro3 + HB TVTR + 150W HB PA HB 5-ele LFA 79
1QN Icom IC-7300 9-ele dual band Yagi 73
3KB Yaesu FT-817 + Spectrum TVTR 3-ele Yagi at 5m 456
6GB Icom IC-7300 + LDMOS PA 5-ele HB dual band Yagi 60
3KF Icom IC-7300 4-ele OWL Yagi 35
3QH Trio TS-120V + Spectrum TVTR + HB Linear 4-ele Sandpiper Yagi 162
0QV Yaesu FT-847 4/6 dual band Yagi 208
6RP Icom IC7100 + PA 5ele HB Yagi 90
2AD Icom IC-7100 4-ele Yagi 27
1AS Yaesu FT-847 HB9CV at 5m agl 374
2RG Icom IC-7100 5-ele Yagi 90
3EQ Yaesu FT-847 5-ele PowAbeam 12
2HM Spectrum TVTR Moxon 90
RK Icom IC-756 ProII + TVTR + preamp + HB amp. 5-ele beam 130
1CJ Icom IC-7300 3-ele beam 165
1TA Icom IC-7300 5-ele. DK7ZB HB 18
1EC Icom IC-7300 5-ele 'OWL' Yagi 145
2PW Icom IC-7300 5-ele Yagi 40
2WC Icom IC-7300 7-ele PowAbeam 100

February 2018 Practical Wireless 19

17 radio comp results 3 pages.indd 19 19/12/2017 09:06

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MFJ-945E 1.8-54MHz 300W tuner with meter...................................... £149.95
QJ1830SB 30 AMP Linear PSU,
MFJ-941E 1.8-30MHz 300W Versa tuner 2 ........................................... £164.95
no noise issues with the great old school
MFJ-948 1.8-30MHz 300W deluxe Versa tuner ..................................... £189.95
power supply unit, nice digital display and
MFJ-949E 1.8-30MHz 300W deluxe Versa tuner with DL ..................... £209.95
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Tuners MFJ-962D 1.8-30MHz 1500W high power tuner................................... £349.95 QJE QJPS30II 30 AMP Switch Mode
LDG Z-817 1.8-54MHz ideal for the Yaesu FT-817 ...................... £129.95 MFJ-986 1.8-30MHz 300W high power differential tuner ..................... £399.95
LDG Z-100 Plus 1.8-54MHz the most popular LDG tuner............ £169.95 Power Supply Unit
MFJ-989D 1.8-30MHz 1500W high power roller tuner ......................... £439.95 Includes noise offset control to elimi-
LDG IT-100 1.8-54MHz ideal for IC-7000 .................................... £179.95
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LDG Z-11 Pro 1.8-54MHz great portable tuner ........................... £179.95
LDG KT-100 1.8-54MHz ideal for most Kenwood radios .............. £209.95 X-Needle SWR/WATT ................................................................................ £549.95 circuit. This patent pending function is
LDG AT-100 Pro II 1.8-54MHz .................................................... £244.95 specially designed for communica-
LDG AT-200 Pro II 1.8-54MHz .................................................... £259.95 Analysers tion equipment use. Its effectiveness
LDG AT-1000 Pro II 1.8-54MHz continuously ............................. £519.95 MFJ-259C 530 KHz to 230MHz ....................... £329.95 may vary depending on the frequency
LDG AT-600 Pro II 1.8-54MHz with up to 600W SSB .................. £394.95 World’s most popular SWR analyser is super easy-to- and mode.
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LDG YT-100 ideal for your Yaesu FT-857D .......................................................£199.95 performance. You can read your antenna’s SWR and
LDG AL-100 1.8-54MHz 100w designed for the Alinco range of transceiver ....£139.95 Complex Impedance 530 KHz to 230 MHz continuously QJE QJPS50II 50 AMP Switch Mode Power Supply Unit
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Page 20-21.indd 20 19/12/2017 08:44

 Mobile Antenna Mounts
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All Yagis have high quality gamma match fittings RG58 and PL259 fitted – ideal for those larger antennas ........just £39.95 Diamond quality –
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RG58 and PL259 fitted ...................................................................£32.95
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YG5-4 4 metre 5 Element (Boom 104”) (Gain 10dBd) ................. £99.95 Length 100cm SO239. ........................................................
YG3-6 6 metre 3 Element (Boom 72”) (Gain 7.5dBd) .................. £99.95 ............................................£49.95 special offer £39.95
YG5-6 6 metre 5 Element (Boom 142”) (Gain 9.5dBd) .............. £119.95 SQBM200P 2/70cm, Gain 4.5/7.5dBd, RX 25-2000MHz,
Length 155cm, SO239 .................................£54.95 special offer £44.95
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ZL Special Yagi Antennas Length 250cm, SO239 .................................£74.95 special offer £69.95
The ZL special gives you a massive gain for the smallest boom
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length … no wonder they are our best selling Yagis!
ZL5-2 2 Metre 5 Ele, Boom 95cm, Gain 9.5dBd ......................... £69.95 Multiband Mobile Length 250cm, SO239 ................................................................... £84.95
ZL7-2 2 Metre 7 Ele, Boom 150cm, Gain 11.5dBd .................... £79.95 Why buy loads of different antennas when Moonraker SQBM223N 2/70/23cm, Gain 4.5/7.5/12.5dBd, RX 25-2000MHz,
ZL7-70 70cm 7 Ele, Boom 70cm, Gain 11.5dBd ........................ £49.95 has one to cover all! SPX series has a unique fly lead and Length 155cm, N-Type .................................................................. £79.95
ZL12-70 70cm 12 Ele, Boom 120cm, Gain 14dBd .................... £59.95 socket for quick band changing SQBM4010P Quadband 10/4/2/70cm Gain 2.5/3.2/3.6/5.5dBi
SPX-100 9 Band plug n’ go portable, Length 120cm...............................................................................£69.95
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HB9CV 0.5m, Power 50W complete with 38th PL259 or BNC fitting to
Length 120cm...............................................................................£69.95
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ideal for portable use ..............................................................................£44.95 SQBM4060P Quadband 6/4/2/70 Gain: 2.5/3.0/3.6/5.5dbi Length 120cm
SPX-200S 6 Band plug n’ go mobile, 6/10/15/20/40/80m, ...................................................................................................... £69.95
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Length 130cm, Power 120W, PL259 fitting.................................... £44.95
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HB9-6 ........................................................................................ £59.95
Length 165cm, High Power 200W,PL259 fitting ............................ £59.95

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HLP-4 4 mtr (size approx 600mm square ) ................................ £44. 95 baluns and high quality “original” flexweave antenna wire.
HLP-6 6 mtr (size approx 800mm square) .................................. £49.95 VHF/UHF Mobiles MDHF-80 3.5MHz balun matched mono dipole, length 40m ..........£59.95
GF151 Glass Mount 2/70cm, Gain 2.9/4.3dBd, Length 78cm complete
with 4m cable and PL259 .............................................................. £29.95 MDHF-40 7.0MHz balun matched mono dipole, length 20m ..........£44.95
MRM-100 MICRO MAG 2/70cm, Gain 0.5/3.0dBd, Length 55cm, 1” MDHF-20 14MHz balun matched mono dipole, length 10m ...........£39.95
magnetic base with 4m coax and BNC .......................................... £19.95 OSHF-80 3.5-30MHz balun matched off set dipole, length 40m ....£59.95
MR700 2/70cm, Gain 0/3.0dBd, Length 50cm, 3/8 fitting................ £9.95 OSHF-40 7.0-30MHz balun matched off set dipole, length 22m ......£44.95
MR777 2/70cm, Gain 2.8/4.8dBd, Length 150cm,
OSHF-20 14-30MHz balun matched off set dipole, length 11m .......£39.95
QRP Antennas 3/8 fitting....................................................................................... £19.95
LWHF-160 1.8-50MHz unun match end fed antenna, length 42m ...£49.95
The Moonraker Whizz range are great for getting on HF in a neat MRQ525 2/70cm, Gain 0.5/3.2dBd, Length 43cm, PL259 fitting
compact and totally portable way (high quality) .................................................................................. £19.95 LWHF-80 3.5-50MHz unun match end fed antenna, length 20m ...£44.95
MRQ500 2/70cm, Gain 3.2/5.8dBd, Length 95cm, PL259 fitting LWHF-40 7.0-50MHz unun match end fed antenna, length 10m ...£39.95
Whizz Whip HF/VHF/UHF portable antenna with telescopic (high quality) .................................................................................. £26.95
whip - ideal for any situation where a long wore or vertical MRQ750 2/70cm, Gain 5.5/8.0dBd, Length 150cm, PL259 fitting
(high quality) .................................................................................. £36.95 Get great results with the Moonraker range
antenna is just not an option - get on air today for just £99.95 of HF mobiles! From as little as £22.95!
MRQ800 6/2/70cm Gain 3.0dBi/5.0/7.5dBdBd, Length 150cm, PL259
Whizz Loop 20-60m compact loop is fitting (high quality) ....................................................................... .£39.95 HF Mobiles
ideal for QRP Transceivers when space is MRQ273 2/70/23cm Gain 3.5/5.5/7.5dBdBd, Length 85cm, PL259 fitting
limited or using portable with a Yaesu FT- (high quality) .................................................................................. £49.95
817ND or similar. Can be used indoors with MRQ900 10/6/2/70cm Gain 10m (2.15dB) 6m(2.5dB) 2m (2.8dB) 70cm
surprising results and handy for travelling (5.5dB) Length: 125cm PL259 fitting ............................................ £49.95 AMPRO-10 Slim line design 28MHz 2m approx. 3/8th fitting........£22.95
due to its “pocket” size antenna ideal for AMPRO-11 Slim line design 27MHz 2m approx. 3/8th fitting........£22.95
indoor or out and can be packed away and AMPRO-12 Slim line design 24MHz 2m approx. 3/8th fitting........£22.95
all for just £69.95 AMPRO-15 Slim line design 21MHz 2m approx. 3/8th fitting........£22.95
AMPRO-17 Slim line design 18MHz 2m approx. 3/8th fitting........£22.95
Whizz Loop V2 (right) same as above AMPRO-20 Slim line design 14MHz 2m approx. 3/8th fitting........£22.95
AMPRO-30 Slim line design 10MHz 2m approx. 3/8th fitting........£22.95
but with a frequency range from 40- Coax Switches AMPRO-40 Slim line design 7MHz 2m approx. 3/8th fitting..........£22.95
10m.............................£79.95 CS201 2 Way Switch 3 X SO239, 2500W 1-1000MHz .
AMPRO-60 Slim line design 5MHz 2m approx. 3/8th fitting..........£24.95
........................................................................ £19.95
AMPRO-80 Slim line design 3.5MHz 2m approx. 3/8th fitting.......£27.95
CS201N 2 Way Switch 3 X N-Type, 2500W
1-1000MHz ..................................................... £24.95 AMPRO-160 Slim line design 28MHz 2m approx. 3/8th fitting......£59.95
Other frequencies available. Call or see online for more details.
Base Antennas Lightning Arrestors
Simple plug and play HF antennas radial free and at ST-1 SO239 to PL259 adapter with earth wire
a great price connection ..........................................................£4.95
CDX-1 Lightning Arrestor 2 X SO239 sockets 400W ....
GP2500 All Band 80-6M Vertical TX 80-6M RX 2-90MHz, ........................................................................ £19.99 Baluns & Ununs
Power 250W Length 7.13M .............................. £199.95 High quality TX, RX baluns, and Ununs all fully potted and
GPA-80 budget version of GP2500 80-6M Dummy Loads weather protected with SO239 socket
Length 6.0M ...................................................... £99.95 DL-15 PL259 DC-800MHz 15W CW 20W 50 Ohms
........................................................................ £24.95 MB-1 1-30MHz 1:1 Current Balun 400W 50 Ohms ........................£29.95
DL-15N N-Type DC-800MHz 15W CW 20W 50 Ohms MB-4 1-30MHz 4:1 Current Balun 400W 50 Ohms ........................£29.95
........................................................................ £29.95 MB-6 1-30MHz 6:1 Current Balun 400W 50 Ohms ........................£29.95
MB-1X 1-30MHz 1:1 Current Balun 1000W 50 Ohms ....................£39.95
Portable HF Kits SWR Meters MB-4X 1-30MHz 4:1 Current Balun 1000W 50 Ohms ....................£39.95
SWR-100 Frequency 26-30MHz 100W 50 MB-6X 1-30MHz 6:1 Current Balun 1000W 50 Ohms ....................£39.95
Great dual band kits for portable use, MU-9 1-50MHz 9:1 Unun 500W 50 Ohms .....................................£29.95
two compact dipoles on an upto 14ft Ohms............................................................... £16.95
SWR-270 Frequency 120-500MHz 100W 50 Ohms LWB-1 0-40MHz Receive only 50 Ohms ........................................£24.95
mast just requires coax
........................................................................ £29.95
PK1217 HF Kit for 12/17M ..... £149.95
PK1520 HF Kit for 15/20M ..... £149.95 Ferrites
PK3060 HF Kit for 30/60M .... £154.95 High quality ferrites to suit all the popular cables
PK4080 HF Kit for 40/80M ..... £159.95 FCS-S to suit 6mm cable such as RG58 ............£1.95
(please note each kit requires two feeds) FCS-M to suit 7mm cable such as MINI8 ...........£2.95
FCS-L to suit 9mm cable such as RG213.......... £3.95

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22 Practical Wireless February 2018

Page 22.indd 22 19/12/2017 15:00

 Valve & Vintage with Michael Marinaro WN1M
l E-Mail: wn1m@msn.com

Insights
Michael Marinaro WN1M concludes the story of
transatlantic communications during the First World
War with a look at some of the advances that resulted
and benefited the next generation.

Fig. 2: Lt Alessandro Fabbri, 1919.

Fig. 1: Former Bar Harbor Country Club becomes the headquarters of NBD. Fig. 3: Typical ship’s radio setup of the time.

I
mentioned in the previous or reporting a U-boat sighting. As an Virginia or the commandeered, previously
two parts of this narrative abbreviation ALLO means ALL OTHERS commercial, wireless stations. Not many of
several situations that are and was one of several marine distress the ships operators survived these attacks
worthy of elaboration. These signals in use at the time. The Marconi and it became apparent that the signals
concern the WW1 activities of interests popularised the use of CQD, identified doomed ships.
Naval Radio installation NBD, Fig. 1, at which signified ALL STATIONS: DISTRESS During 1918, the last 11 months of the
Otter Cliffs in radio noise quiet northern but this was not adopted as the universal war, 2,666,942 tons of Allied and neutral
Maine. This ultra-sensitive listening post standard by world maritime bodies. shipping was sunk by submarines. Despite
was acclaimed at the end of the war by SOS (with the elements run together, the use of convoys and other defensive
Josephus Daniels, Secretary of the Navy no spacing: …---…) was the formally and offensive tactics, 21% of the total
as “the most important and the most accepted distress signal recommended for wartime shipping tonnage or over 500
efficient station in the world”. The station maritime use. ships was lost during this final period while
was established and commanded by Whatever, hearing any of these signals the US was engaged.
amateur radio operator Lt Alessandro emanating from the Atlantic, the NBD
Fabbri 1VX, Fig. 2, and staffed by Navy operator could envisage a fellow operator, The Flotilla
Radiomen operators, some of whom were a ‘sparks’, in the ship’s radio room at The Germans had declared unrestricted
previously and later radio amateurs. his key, Fig. 3, in peril of immediate submarine warfare on February 1st 1917,
torpedo or deck gun attack. Frustrated, provoking the US to enter the war two
Signals Heard the only rescue action available to the months later. The North Atlantic was a
NBD could, with exceptional clarity, hear land operator was to relay the message battlefield where U-boats wreaked havoc
the ALLO radio calls sent by vessels in to Naval headquarters in Washington virtually undeterred. The vital transatlantic
the Atlantic when other Navy east coast and Boston in the hope that an Allied lifeline of food and critical supplies
reception centres could not. ALLO, ship at sea could intervene. From the destined for the Allies was hanging by
followed by the name of the vessel and Naval centres, informational alerts and a thread. With the US entry into the
its position, was the distress call used orders were dispatched to ships at sea war, the Navy was confronted with the
by vessels under submarine attack via the Naval Station NAA at Arlington, prodigious task of not only sustaining that

February 2018 Practical Wireless 23

23 V & V 3 pages.indd 23 15/12/2017 08:41

 Valve & Vintage

Fig. 4: A packed troopship. Fig. 5: NBD operator’s position.

lifeline but also of safely transporting the British early in the war and was likely used
troops of the US Expeditionary Force. It by the Washington receptors to decipher
was essential that the troops and their the messages relayed to them by NBD.
equipment arrive at the port of Liverpool Early in the war the British Admiralty
and ultimately directly to the port of Brest established a formal cryptanalysis
in France quickly because they were organisation to interpret intercepted
urgently required to break the stalemate. German wireless messages. They
The troop ship armada comprised US established a network of intercept stations
ocean liners and confiscated German along the coasts. Augmenting the reports
liners, Fig. 4. They were converted to of coastal stations, British amateur Fig. 6: Navy model NC-4 seaplane (four engine
accommodate the troops and their listening operators were included in the configuration).
equipment and lightly armed. The system as well as NBD and other US
average vessel carried 5,000 troops and Navy listeners. Because the deciphered who were capable of copying 10WPM
the enormous 950ft, newly named USS contents of the intercepts and the (words per minute) at the conclusion of
Leviathan was capable of carrying over consequent naval reactions were classified their initial basic training were sent to
11,000 soldiers and crew. as Top Secret, it is not known precisely Harvard. Upon achieving 22WPM the
The troopships were obviously priority how the enormous volume of messages radioman was transferred to the fleet or a
targets for the U-boats, particularly when decoded assisted the war at sea. It is land-based facility. The length of training
they transited the treacherous 300 miles known that the intercepts enabled the varied. At the conclusion of activities the
of the Irish Sea. Known as ‘torpedo alley’, Allies to plot German naval strategies facility was training 3,500 men at a time.
during February and March 50 cargo and win several engagements and also to The school was closed in 1919.
ships had been sunk there. However, direct the destroyer escort effort to protect
the troopships had an advantage over troopships and convoys. A Postwar Adventure
freighters on this mission. They could Amateur operators again contributed to Although the fighting had ceased, NBD
speed along at 18 to 22 knots to outrun the war effort in this instance as listeners was as busy as ever with the organisation
and thwart U-boat attack strategies. Also, and reporters. of the return of the troopships and the
they had destroyer escort for this last and traffic to and from the Peace Treaty
most dangerous part of the journey. Later, The Operators conferences at Versailles. In the midst
they travelled in convoy the entire voyage, Obviously, the Navy operators at NBD, of these activities arose a spectacular
which further reduced the risk. There were Fig. 5, had to be highly skilled. Speed adventure involving not the shepherding of
no major losses or damage to any US and accuracy were required at every ships across the Atlantic but the guidance
carrier and, in fact, a troop carrier, the USS post, on every watch (six hours on, twelve of aircraft to France.
Mongolia, is credited with sinking a U-boat hours off) daily. Every message, often in WW1 brought powered manned
with one of its deck guns. five-letter cipher, had to be received and flight from primitive fragility to crafts
The Navy ferried 1,800,000 combatants retransmitted with precision. of substance and practicality. The
each way to and later from Europe without Initially, these skills were provided by development of radio paralleled that of
mishap. Obviously, NBD had a role in the the enlisted regular Navy radiomen and aircraft, meeting the communications
communications required for organising the reservist amateur radio operators. needs of increasingly sophisticated aircraft
and conducting this prodigious operation. However, the demand for qualified and their expanding missions.
operators was intense for both land and Going into the Great War inadequate
Code Interception sea duty. The Navy addressed this need aircraft, essentially flimsy engine powered
NBD was also capable of monitoring by establishing an operator’s school flying wings of fabric, were pressed into
coded German U-boat signals. The on the campus of Harvard University in service to meet the demands of the mili-
German naval code was known to the Cambridge, Massachusetts. New recruits tary. However, technology quickly began

24 Practical Wireless February 2018

23 V & V 3 pages.indd 24 15/12/2017 08:41

 1200 mile flight to the Azores, this time
shepherded by 22 destroyers spaced
approximately 50 miles apart, Fig. 7. At
night these ships were brightly illuminated
and fired star shells to keep the planes on
course. Despite these measures, NC-1
and NC-3 were unable to navigate through
the heavy fog they encountered, forcing
them to land in rough seas. They were
unable to resume their flights. NC-1 was
damaged in landing and was taken in tow
by a rescuing freighter but sank en route.
NC-3 had mechanical problems and taxied
on the surface for 200 miles to the Azores.
NC-4 however, succeeded in reaching
Horta, Azores Islands, after flying 1206
miles in 15¼ hours.
After repair delays NC-4 left Ponta Del-
gada on May 27th for a three-leg journey
of 768 miles to Lisbon, Portugal; 237 miles
Fig. 7: NC seaplane transatlantic flight path. to Ferrol, Spain and finally 487 miles to
Plymouth, England, again guided all the
to address the needs more adequately. of Long Island. way by ten destroyers. NC-4 arrived on
Near the end of the war substantially con- With the obvious constraints, it was May 31st.
structed and specialised aircraft, fought in difficult to fit in the navigational and The first crossing of the Atlantic by an
aerial combat, strafed with machine guns, radio gear that was were essential to the aircraft of any type was accomplished
dropped bombs and provided valuable en- mission. Each craft was equipped with with the two legs from Newfoundland to
emy position and movement information. a compact and lightweight radio pack- Lisbon, which consumed almost 25 hours
The ultimate in this evolution were the age comprising a propeller-driven 500W total flight time. The second ‘first’ was the
Navy’s flying boats, Fig. 6, conceived near spark-gap transmitter type SE-1310 for continental connection between America
the end of the war for long-range subma- communications when airborne; a 5W and Europe. The US Navy had reason to
rine surveillance and potential transatlantic battery powered radio telephone type SE- be proud of a clear demonstration of air
flight to augment maritime steamships. 1350 for communications on the water; and sea supremacy − a colossal feat of
In early 1917 a group within the Navy an aircraft receiver type SE-950 for broad daring and organisation.
was concentrating on designing a flying range reception; a radio compass type NBD played a significant role in this
boat capable of long-range flight with SE-1441-A for operation on a wavelength operation, assuring continuous communi-
sufficient engine power to lift the sizeable of 1500m as well as 600 and 2500m; and cations and relaying critical weather and
load from the grasp of the sea. Weight an SE-1605-B amplifier switchable for navigational information.
and lift were the basic design considera- either the receiver or the compass. Anten- The feat was acclaimed by a world anx-
tions and non-stop transatlantic capability nas were a skid-fin type or a single trailing ious for such adventurers. But the intensity
the objective. Identified as the NC (Navy, wire for use when airborne. The equipment of the praise began to wane as reports of
Curtiss) series, basically the craft would and radio operator’s position were located the flight of two Englishmen dominated the
be a biplane with a short hull and a tail in the stern of the hull. news. Just two weeks after NC-4 landed
group suspended on outriggers. The ship Three craft began their attempt, without in Plymouth, John Alcock and Arthur
that emerged had wing spans of 126ft the NC-2, which had been disassembled, Whitten Brown piloted a Vickers Vimy
upper and 94ft lower and a hull 68ft long. on May 8th 1919. The route took them biplane, heavy bomber across the Atlantic
Powered by four 400HP engines, the for 895 nautical miles from Long Island; from Newfoundland to Ireland. This first
craft weighed in at 15,900lbs (7.2 tonnes) to Chatham, Massachusetts; to Halifax, non-stop crossing was accomplished in
and was rated to carry a useful load of Nova Scotia, and finally to Trepassey, only 16 hours, 12 minutes and captured
12,126lbs (5.5 tonnes), most of which Newfoundland, the jumping off point the attention of the world. The modified
would be fuel (11,346lbs, 5.1 tonnes) to a for the ocean crossing. The flight had plane was not radio equipped. This was
speed of 58 (stall) to 74 knots when load- been guided on this part of their journey a feat endorsing the abilities of British
ed. Little weight capacity remained for six by two groups of four destroyers, each aviation.
personnel and radios and navigation gear spaced along the two open water hops. This concludes these facets of the
but it was, nevertheless, a remarkable feat The eight destroyers furnished navigation history of WW1 relating to the application
of aeronautical engineering. Four of these information and meteorological updates, and development of wireless. The Great
craft NC-1, NC-2, NC-3 and the most transmitting principally on 1500m, or War not only thrust wireless technology
recently built NC-4, each approximately 1200, 952 or 756m when requested by the forward to meet the challenges – there
of the above specifications, were assem- operator aloft to avoid interference. The were mighty advances in other fields that
bled into a squadron bent on crossing the planes transmitted on 425m. went on to serve a world that was, sadly,
Atlantic from their base in the Rockaway’s On May 16th the three NCs began the only temporarily at peace.

February 2018 Practical Wireless 25

23 V & V 3 pages.indd 25 15/12/2017 08:41

 Feature by Dr John Rogers M0JAV
• E-mail: emc.chairman@rsgb.org.uk

An Overview of RFI
This article has kindly been submitted by Dr John Rogers M0JAV, Chairman of the RSGB EMC
Committee, to increase awareness of EMC issues across the UK amateur radio community.

Is Radio Frequency Interference (RFI)

causing you problems?
Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) has been
a problem amateurs have had to deal with for
many years, with sources like atmospheric,
galactic, and power line noise. Recently, new
technologies have caused added concerns,
both with the number of sources and the
broad frequency range impacted. Electro-
magnetic Interference (EMI) can cause prob-
lems when radiated or conducted emissions
interfere with the operation of other elec-
tronic equipment. Electromagnetic Compat-
ibility (EMC) tries to ensure equipment can
operate properly in close proximity to other
equipment without them causing interference
to each other.
This means equipment must not cause
undue interference to other equipment or be
susceptible to interference (whether radiated
or conducted) from other equipment. RFI,
the subset of EMI at RF, has many sources.
RFI can be man-made or from natural causes
and it can have different characteristics. It Fig. 1: VDSL Interference below 3.7MHz masking most 80m band signals.
can be broadband, it may have harmonic
structure or be impulsive noise but its impact ety of Great Britain (RSGB) has two main together. Radio amateurs and shortwave
of obstructing radio reception is similar, irre- roles, first to provide advice and support to listeners rely on low background noise so
spective of its origin. In all cases good EMC amateurs with RFI problems and second these standards are essential to aid inter-
design will minimise the problem of RFI to a to help to protect the spectrum from RFI. ference-free reception. Second, they lobby
radio amateur’s equipment. The severity of Advice and support is provided through an regulators, suppliers and service providers
the impact varies depending on the type and EMC Helpdesk (helpdesk.emc@rsgb.org. to minimise the impact on the spectrum
strength of RFI. Evolving technologies are uk), through a website forum (URL below), of inadequate EMC provision. Third, they
proving more harmful to the spectrum than through advice on the webpages (also below) investigate interference caused primarily by
older ones because they are additive and and by regular articles to increase awareness new technology and make recommendations
combine to block reception of radio signals. of the problems and their solutions. If you to minimise the impact of these emerging
In Fig. 1 the impact of one of the most require help, please remember the service is technologies on amateur radio.
common sources of harmful RFI − VDSL − provided by unpaid volunteers and send an
can be clearly seen on the busy 80m band e-mail address for them to contact you or be VDSL Survey
below 3.7MHz, where all signals are seriously prepared to call them if you wish to speak to Following extensive concern about RFI from
degraded or completely obstructed by con- them in person. broadband connections, the RSGB con-
stant RFI. Communication was available on http://forums.thersgb.org/index. ducted a survey (Sept 2017), which asked
frequencies in the VDSL transition between php?forums/emcmatters amateurs to measure VDSL RFI and back-
bands 3.7 to 3.8MHz but the majority of www.rsgb.org/emc ground noise levels to find the true extent of
the band is unusable because signals are Spectrum protection is tackled three ways. this problem. We received 1,300 responses
obstructed by VDSL. First, EMCC members sit on standards com- in six weeks; about half of the respondents
mittees to ensure these standards provide showed evidence of VDSL RFI.
What can be done to help solve RFI Prob- adequate protection to radio communication More than 50% of respondents found
lems? devices. Emission and Immunity standards steps of more than 6dB in noise level at
The EMC committee of the Radio Soci- are designed to allow devices to operate VDSL band transitions. Of these, more than

26 Practical Wireless February 2018

26 EMC RFI 3 pages.indd 26 18/12/2017 13:45

 25% found steps of more than 12dB. The
number impacted per VDSL band is shown in
the histogram, Fig. 2.
VDSL2 superfast broadband is present
24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is
like white noise but with signal strength
varying with frequency. This degrades radio
reception up to its highest used frequency
of 17.7MHz by obstructing signals of levels
lower than the VDSL level. For each 10dB
increase in this VDSL level above the
background noise level, over 80% of signals
present are obscured. At some locations,
only a few percent of the signals present
(the strongest ones) can be received in the
impacted bands, the rest are masked by the
noise from VDSL.
The impact can be clearly seen in the
spectral plot, Fig. 3, where D denotes
downstream and U denotes upstream VDSL
bands.
At this location, the levels measured are
40dB above the expected levels in a rural Fig. 2: Number of respondents to RSGB VDSL survey reporting noise steps of different levels at VDSL
environment across most of the amateur band transitions.
bands, making radio communication virtually
impossible here.
These problems vary from location to
location as can clearly be seen in these heat
maps, Figs. 4 and 5, of measured RFI levels
covering about four square km and contain-
ing three VDSL cabinets. Blue and dark green
are levels expected in this rural environment,
yellow and orange result in degraded recep-
tion, red would make communication near Fig. 3: Spectrum of VDSL RFI 10m from a cabinet showing alternating downstream (D) and Upstream
impossible. These heat maps differ for each (U) VDSL bands.
of the bands. More information can be found
on the EMCC pages of the RSGB website:
http://rsgb.org/main/files/2017/08/2017-
RFI-Update-RSGB-Convention.pdf

What can be done about It?

It is over 20 years since the RSGB EMC
Committee first expressed concerns about
the proposed Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
system and its potential impact on the HF Fig. 4: Upstream 1. Fig. 5: Upstream 2 (The term no aggregation in Figs 4 and 5 is courtesy of
radio spectrum allocated to the Amateur Microsoft Excel and denotes each reading is plotted individually).
Radio Service. These concerns were partially
addressed by VDSL standards that require cabling, and an absence in other countries us we should make our complaints heard.
VDSL hardware to have the capability of of the unbalanced third wire (the so-called We have to demonstrate actual Harmful
‘notching’, that is to avoid using certain bell wire) in customer premises wiring. RSGB Interference to Ofcom. We recommend ‘Here
frequency bands such as amateur bands. continues to press Ofcom and Openreach to and There’ testing using an equivalent setup
Unfortunately, there is no requirement for this take remedial action. at two close locations at the same time,
‘notching’ capability to be used and it is not Despite the widespread adoption of VDSL one your home QTH suffering from RFI and
currently being employed in the UK. Many in the UK, it is not too late to do something another a nearby site free from RFI. Com-
other countries are seeing much less VDSL about the significant increase in HF noise parison of logs will show communications
interference than us in the UK. This seems to that has come about as a result. In the short received at the quiet station that cannot be
be a combination of three things: notching term, we should all complain to Ofcom where received at the RFI-impacted QTH. In the
of critical frequencies by VDSL operators, the interference is limiting our use of the longer term, our expectation is that VDSL will
a higher proportion (in some countries a bands. We believe that there are other HF become obsolete, most likely replaced by a
very much higher proportion) of customers’ users who are also at risk of being adversely combination of G.FAST (with amateur band
premises served by underground telephone affected (including the military) and between notching) and Fibre to the Home.

February 2018 Practical Wireless 27

26 EMC RFI 3 pages.indd 27 18/12/2017 13:45

 An Overview of RFI

VDSL is just one of the New Sources.

What are the Others?
Other sources of interference can be consid-
ered in two classes:
Green energy devices primarily using high
power, including wind farms, high-voltage DC
distribution (HVDC), solar PV devices, wire-
less power transfer (WPT) and LED lighting.
Digital technology primarily using switch-
mode power supplies (SMPSUs), or associ-
ated with electronic communication (xDSL),
which result in high level broadband noise
across much of the spectrum. Of particu-
lar concern is the fact that this broadband
noise-like interference is additive, so the
strength of interference is proportional to
the number of sources. We probably all have
hundreds of electronic devices close enough
to cause interference to our radios. So, it
is all the more important that each device
minimises its RFI contribution.
These emerging technologies try to
reduce environmental pollution or improve Fig. 6: Field strengths of RFI measured at problem locations compared with expected/measured
digital communication. Their aim is to provide background levels in various environments. All measurements are average (RMS) except the
improved lifestyle while minimising the im- windfarm which is Quasi Peak because of its high peak-to-mean ratio.
pact on the environment. An unfortunate side
effect of these new technologies is that they measurements taken on the perimeter of the cables. It can be seen in all bands, LF, HF,
increase RFI, which pollutes the electro- windfarm were up to 20dB higher. VHF, UHF and microwaves; it is often present
magnetic spectrum instead of the physical For reference, the purple line shows at all times of day and night. It impacts many
environment. S9 from a half-wave dipole at each of the users of the radio spectrum, not just the
Amateur radio operators conducting frequencies. Note particularly how many of amateur radio bands.
experiments in radio communication notice these RFI levels are well above S9, S9+40dB We see RF noise pollution having a similar
the impact of RFI before it affects the gen- not being unusual. It should be stressed that effect on radio users that light pollution is
eral public. They perform the ‘canary in the worst-case levels are significantly higher than having on optical astronomers, where reme-
coalmine’ role to give others advanced warn- the typical levels plotted. dial measures are beginning to have a posi-
ing about the potentially disastrous impact of tive effect. We ought to be able to inspire a
the loss of electromagnetic communication What Technologies do we expect to similarly successful campaign to reduce RFP.
as a result of this harmful interference. cause New RFI Problems in the Future? Ofcom has powers to enforce the UK
Similar investigations have been carried In the future we can expect a number of EMC Regulations, which apply at the point
out by the RSGB EMC committee in recent new technologies to add to our existing RFI of first sale or taking into service. They also
years into solar PV and wind farms. Plotted problems: have powers to enforce the Wireless Telegra-
in Fig. 6 are typical levels measured for some More high-power AC/DC conversion on phy Act provisions on interference, which ap-
of these devices at some affected amateurs’ the UK electricity grid as DC interconnects ply to apparatus already in use. However, it is
locations. are introduced for renewable energy sources extremely difficult to convince Ofcom of the
On the graph in Fig. 6 the dotted lines such as windfarms and solar PV systems, non-compliance of apparatus or installations,
are the expected levels of total manmade with battery banks giving the potential for or that harmful interference has been caused
noise as predicted in ITU recommenda- 24-hour operation to amateurs, even though we are fully entitled
tions on Radio Noise ITU-R P.372.13. They Wireless power transfer (WPT) to charge to protection under the law.
represent expected levels in three differ- our electric vehicles, perhaps in every car We all need to protect the spectrum from
ent environments, Quiet Rural, Rural and park and in every home’s garage or drive RFI but if you don’t complain to Ofcom, they
Residential. To check these predictions, we added to wireless charging of most other will say they don’t get reports so things must
measured a number of rural sites and found battery-powered home devices be alright. It is down to all of us to make the
the total levels plotted as the blue and green Even faster wired broadband xDSL, g.fast case that the spectrum is being constantly
diamonds. There is good correlation between and more use of PLT for home video distribu- degraded.
expected and measured levels. By compari- tion through mains wiring If Ofcom do not act, we need to try
son, in a residential environment each of the The RSGB is becoming increasingly con- some different approaches to bring pres-
problem sources (VDSL, windfarms, solar cerned about these growing levels of Radio sure to bear on them. If we continue to take
PV) contributes RFI much higher than the Frequency Pollution (RFP) being reported in the same approach, we can only expect
grey dotted line, which is the expected total the UK. This pollution is invisible but would the same outcomes. We all need to lobby
manmade noise level. The windfarm meas- appear to be all around us today, coming the people that Ofcom are accountable to,
urement shown is at a member’s QTH while from the most innocent looking devices and including our MPs.

28 Practical Wireless February 2018

26 EMC RFI 3 pages.indd 28 18/12/2017 13:45

Page 29.indd 29 18/12/2017 13:25
 Carrying on the Practical Way with Eric Edwards GW8LJJ
● E-Mail: ericgw8ljj@outlook.com

Diversity
is another way. The shack receiver has its
own station antenna, which is the usual
set-up and the other receiver and antenna
set-up can be an internet-based SDR

Reception
(Software Defined Radio) such as Hack
Green located at the Nuclear bunkers at
Nantwich. There is a long list of web-
based SDR receivers on the internet,
which will be worth looking at. Fig. 1

in the Shack
shows a block diagram of the set-up.

Why it is Needed
When band conditions are variable, I
regularly change from the shack receiver
to Hack Green and back again to the
Eric Edwards GW8LJJ describes a novel approach shack receiver because sometimes the
signal will go low on Hack Green and
to achieving diversity reception by combining your come back up on my shack receiver and
vice versa. One of my contacts, Cess
shack receiver with an internet-based SDR. GW3OAJ, my mentor of many years, when
on our daily net suggested that I built up
a system that could be used for diversity
reception using Hack Green (remote
station) as the second receiver and
antenna. This is a relatively simple process
because all that is needed is a mixer to
combine the two headphone outputs
of each receiver, one being the sound
card from a computer for the web-based
receiver (remote) and the other from the
shack (local) receiver, each connected to
one (mono) headphone. The problem with
doing that is that there is a delay from the
remote station so this had to be taken into
consideration when building up a suitable
headphone mixer. The local signal (shack
receiver) has to be delayed to the same
timing as the remote station. Both signals
can then be connected to the headset via
a simple mixer circuit.

The Delay
Searching the internet for an IC (integrated
circuit) that could do what I needed, I
found one that is used in musical echo
and reverberation units and is based on
Fig. 2: Circuit diagram. the ‘bucket brigade’ principle. I remember

D
using similar types many years ago when
iversity reception is playing with digital echo chambers for
usually associated tape recordings. The device I found is
with either two (or a PT2399, which is a 16-pin DIL (Dual-
more) antennas with in-Line) echo audio processing IC. I
different orientations downloaded the datasheet and with the
or polarisation sharing the same aid of a breadboard, I started playing with
receiver (commonly known as the device.
antenna diversity, space diversity
or spatial diversity) or it can be two The Circuit
receivers (ideally phase-locked), The circuit is powered by the shack 12V
each with its own antenna. It is not (13.8V) supply and the OpAmps are con-
Fig. 1: Block diagram of the diversity always practical for the radio amateur to nected as single supply so there are bias-
arrangement. provide any of these conditions but there ing resistors placed on the non-inverting

30 Practical Wireless February 2018

30 Practical Way 2 pages.indd 30 15/12/2017 08:43

 (or transceiver) is connected to the ‘local
in’ socket and is taken via the 47µF ca-
pacitor and the resistor network to pins 15
and 16 of IC2, PT2399. This is the ‘delay’
IC and is needed because the remote
signal will have a delay when listening to it
compared to the local signal. To bring both
signals into line, the local received signal
must be delayed by the same amount as
the remote signal. This is carried out with
the convergence control, which should
be easily accessible by fitting it on the
front panel. The delay (convergence)
control value has been chosen so that it is
compatible with both analogue and digital
(SDR) shack receivers because they will
need different delay settings. The output
of IC2 is buffered and has a small amount
of amplification of 33 (330kΩ/10kΩ) with
IC3 and is taken to the second channel of
the mixer IC1 via the 270kΩ resistor. The
Fig. 3: A view of the front panel. output from Pin 6 via the 10µF capacitor
is at headphone level. Because this output
is mono, the headphones need to be con-
nected accordingly.

In Use
One of the inputs is the ‘local’ signal
from the shack receiver and the other is
the ‘remote’ signal. The shack receiver
signal goes via a delay circuit whereas
the remote is a direct connection to the
mixer. This delay of the shack receiver
input is necessary to enable it to coincide
or converge with the remote signal.
The multi-turn potentiometer (I used a
50kΩ Bourns type), which is fitted on
the front panel, Fig. 3, is to adjust the
‘convergence’, which reduces the delay
between the two received signals. It
should be adjusted slowly, especially
when approaching convergence, because
it is possible to produce an echo in the
opposite direction if you ‘tune’ through the
converging signals! It will also be noted
that the delays will be different if the shack
receiver is either the usual analogue type
or a digital type such as the ‘Flex’ series.
Fig. 4: A view of the PCB mounted in the case. It may also be necessary to readjust this
control slightly because QSB (fading) on
connection (pin 3) to provide the linearity signal inputs. These could be bypassed if either signal will also affect the delay.
needed. The heart of the circuit, Fig. 2, is building your own but they may be useful
the PT2399 and a 5V regulator is used as for presetting the levels. Is There a Kit?
the supply for it. Two eight-pin OpAmps The headphone output from a PC I am not offering a kit on a normal basis
are used with one of the OpAmps used as sound card that is receiving an internet but the PCB will be available along with
a low-level buffer amplifier to give a little SDR is connected to the ‘remote in’ preset any parts that are not in your usual shack
gain (about x1.2) from the output of the volume control and through the 470nF stock or you may prefer to order with the
PT2399 and the other is the mixer circuit capacitor and 270kΩ resistor to one chan- PCB. The prototype was built as shown
combining the remote and local receiver nel of the combining mixer (IC1, NE5534 in the photos. Fig 4 shows the inside with
outputs. There are multi-turn pre-set gain pin 2). The shack receiver input from the the PCB almost the same (two resistor
controls for both the local and remote headphone output of the station receiver positions change) as the final design.

February 2018 Practical Wireless 31

30 Practical Way 2 pages.indd 31 15/12/2017 08:43

PW Feb 18.qxp_R User b Alinco June 06 14/12/2017 18:23 Page 1

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HF MOBILE ANTENNAS AB-1230M..Mobile 108-140/220-400MHz..................34.95 557..............Morse code key with oscillator............£46.95
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UHV-6 ......Whip 7/21/28/50/144/430MHz...................99.95 CMX-200..1.8-200MHz, 30/300/3k.............................79.95 901B ...........Versa Tuner 200W HF .......................£119.95 PSW-50.....Switch mode 50A (max) 9-15V DC...£129.95
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VHF MOBILE ANTENNAS 921..............2m Antenna Tuner ............................£114.95 PSW-30H...Switch mode 30A (max) 9-15V DC.....£69.95
ACCESSORIES 923..............2m Tuner & SWR/Power....................£249.95 PS23-SW1 .Switch mode 23A (max) 13.8V DC .....£59.95
CA-285 ....50/144 MHz, 1.32m 300W.........................25.95 CS-400P...Coax lightning Protector for DC-500MHz ....29.95
CSB7900 ..144/430MHz 5.1/7.7dBi 1.56m 150W ....69.95 931..............Artificial ground unit.........................£114.95 PSW-07.....Switch mode 7A (max) 13.8V DC .......£29.95
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SB-15 .......50/144/430MHz 2.15/4.5/7.2dBi 1.53m 120W..49.95 D-21M .....Dummy Load 100w DC - 600MHz ..............39.95
SBB-2.......144/430MHz, 2,15 / 3.8dBi 0.46m 60W .29.95 941E............300 Watts max Versa Tuner II............£164.95
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CF-4160B.1.3-170/350-540MHz SO239 N Type, SO239....39.95 RS-730 .....Trunk/Hatch back mount.............................21.95
RS-840 .....Trunk/Hatch back mount.............................24.95 1700C .........6 Way coax switch............................£144.95
CF-416A.1.3-170/350-540MHz SO239 + 2 x PL259 leads ..39.95 1701 ...........6 Way coax switch 2kW (SO239) ........£89.95
1704 (P)......4 way coax switch 2.5kW (SO239) .....£84.95
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• 9kHz- 13MHz Dipole covers: 40, 20, 17, 15, 12, 10.6m.........£109.00 2980 ...........Wire vertical (40m-6m).......................£99.95
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PRICE PLEDGE WE ALWAYS AIM TO BE COMPETITIVE - SEEN IT CHEAPER? LET US KNOW!

www.nevadaradio.co.uk
Page 33.indd 76 18/12/2017 13:25
 In the Shop with Harry Leeming G3LLL
The Cedars, 3a Wilson Grove, Heysham, Morecambe, Lancashire LA3 2PQ ● E-mail: G3LLL@talktalk.net

Intermittent Faults
Harry laments the problem of dealing with intermittent faults in a variety of situations.

H
oldings of Blackburn Ltd
was started originally by
my father-in-law James
Holding, who in his spare
time started buying and
selling second-hand office dictating
equipment. He eventually opened a
shop and moved into photography and
tape recorders. By the late1950s, he
wanted to expand the electronics side
of the business. He knew me through
church connections and I agreed to take
on this task but our plans had to be put
on hold while I completed my compulsory
two years of National Service. Towards
the end of my National Service a large
Hi-Fi exhibition was advertised in
London, which Mr Holding asked me to
attend. Because I was rather keen on
his daughter Brenda (we have now been
married for over 55 years), this sounded
like a good excuse for a bit of leave. I
got him to write me an official letter on
his company note paper and a few days’
leave was granted. Brenda managed
to tag along and the three of us had an
informative and pleasant few days.
When I eventually started work
at Holdings, none of the staff were
electrically qualified and a lot of the
electrical wiring at the shop had been
carried out by an odd-job man. The old
style 5A and 15A amp three-pin sockets Fig. 1: Location of C11 in the FT-101 circuit.
had been extended into un-fused un-
earthed three-pin and bayonet-cap To avoid any loss in translation, if you
sockets with lengths of twin lead and are leaving any kind of equipment for
the shop’s electrical system looked repair, it is best to attach a note with full
like an accident waiting to happen. At details of the complaint along with your
my insistence a ring main system was day and evening telephone number. Avoid
installed and some very unsafe practices vague comments because no engineer is
were banned. going to have time to test every operating
combination. He (or she) simply wants to
Leaving Equipment for Repair know what the main faults are.
Previously they had farmed out repairs
but when I took over this work, I soon “Do You Know Anything about Tape Fig. 2: This what C11 looks like.
found out that getting non-technical staff Recorders or Record Players?”
to book in repairs creates quite a few I am sure that quite a few PW readers of use, causing the drive belts to become
problems. Tape recorders arrived with have had this question from their hard and stiff, or to idler pulleys or rollers
notes such as ‘Give it a good overhaul’ neighbours, who have valued recordings that have been left engaged for years,
with no indication at all as to what the but ancient equipment that will no longer developing a dent. You are unlikely to be
customer was actually complaining about. play. This can often happen due to lack able to obtain replacements but you may

34 Practical Wireless February 2018

34 In the Shop 3 pages.indd 34 18/12/2017 13:44

 be able to effect a cure as follows.
Either remove the stiff belts and/or
dented drive or roller and place them
into a bowl of boiling water or heat them
with a hair dryer in situ for a couple of
minutes. You should then find that it is
possible to mould the item back to its
original shape. Refit it, and with luck the
recorder or player should then run and
enable the recording to be transferred to
a modern medium.
I was reminded of this old dodge when
I tried to refit the back on a digital watch
and found that the thin waterproofing
washer would no longer fit. I heated it
up with a hair drier. It then returned to its
original shape, fitted perfectly, and I once
again had a waterproof watch.
Likewise, I set out to discover why
the suction on our vacuum cleaner had
become somewhat reduced. Between
the dust collecting receptacle and the
cleaner is a rubber seal. It had shrunk,
become stiff and was causing an air leak.
I removed it, warmed it up with a hair
drier, stretched it back into its original
shape and our cleaner is once again as
good as new.

Intermittent Faults
It doesn’t matter if they repair cars,
washing machines, Hi-Fi or amateur radio Fig. 3: The underside of the FT-102 RF board, with the relays buried under switches and spindles.
gear, any technician will tell you that
intermittent faults are the bane of their trouble. After wasting many hours, the similar mortality rate!)
lives. I have spent many hours trying to fault was tracked down to an intermittent Many intermittent faults can be difficult
track down such complaints − if a fault leak on C11, Fig. 1. This was surprising to track down. A high or low temperature
will not occur, you can’t repair it! because it is not in the receive path but can often trigger a problem and I have
I was often asked how much I charged is in the driver anode and PA neutralising been known to bring rigs home and
per hour for carrying out repairs but as circuit and, to be honest, I only found it leave them in the garage overnight (or
far as fault finding is concerned, this by chance. I noticed that the fault could even to leave small rigs in the fridge).
question makes no sense at all (Would sometimes be cured or triggered by Alternatively, squirting freezing fluid or
you rather pay £50 an hour to someone removing and then immediately refitting applying a hair dryer to the circuit boards
who nails the fault in 30 minutes or £25 the driver valve. At first, I thought the will quite often start the trouble.
an hour to someone who takes a couple problem was the valve but swapping C11 Once the fault has occurred, you are
of days to find the trouble?). completely cleared the trouble. on your way because at least you know
A fault that a few customers had Well, if I had charged the customer what you are looking for. Gently poking
as early Yaesu FT-101s got older, was an hourly rate, it would have amounted and prodding around may then allow
intermittent interference on reception, to over twice the value of the rig so I just you to localise it. This can, however,
which continued even when the antenna had to make a reasonable charge and be deceptive because when you apply
was removed. Of course, like an aching book it to experience. pressure at one end of a circuit board, the
tooth at the dentist, the fault would Over the next few years several other board may flex and disturb a component
disappear as soon as the rig was brought FT-101s came in with the same fault. I or connection at the other end. If in
in to my workshop. The first time I had therefore charged these customers a little doubt, it is often best to concentrate your
this complaint the rig in question was extra for my ‘experience’ and I made up efforts on the most likely causes. Relays
returned to the customer unrepaired for the time I had wasted when I had first are a prime cause of poor contacts, and
because I couldn’t find anything wrong come across the problem. tapping or pressing them will usually
with it but he still had problems. Capacitors looking like C11, as shown show whether they are the problem.
Eventually, after taking the rig home with in Fig. 2, seem quite reliable in the short Bad soldered joints tend to occur on
me, I found it would occasionally ‘play term, but can be guaranteed to fail in old the larger parts such as regulators or
up’ for a few minutes but I still was not age and should be checked. (If I look in output transistors that are subject to
much nearer to finding the cause of the the mirror, I see something with a very vibration, particularly when the device

February 2018 Practical Wireless 35

34 In the Shop 3 pages.indd 35 18/12/2017 13:44

 In the Shop

is bolted to the chassis or a heatsink. transmit/receive relays, the FT-102 had

The contacts on plug-in circuit boards five small RF switching relays mounted on
are another source of trouble and these the RF board. Even worse, most of these
can usually be cleaned with something relays were impossible to clean because
like Servisol. The crimped connectors the plastic covers could not be removed,
in multi-way plugs that run to and from due to them being mounted under various
circuit boards can also be a problem. If control spindles and switches, Fig. 3.
one of these is found to be intermittent The time involved in removing the relays,
when its connecting lead is flexed, often cleaning them, refitting them and then
the simplest way to cure the problem is finding that one still did not work, was out
to remove the plug and solder the leads of proportion to the value of the relays
directly to the circuit. so the only answer was to swap the lot,
which was easier said than done.
Smoking Was Good for My Wealth
I started work as an apprentice radio and Removing and Fitting New FT-102
TV engineer in 1952. At that time TVs Relays
were not to be found in every household At first glance removing and fitting
and many people went down to the pub new relays in the FT-102 looks nearly
to watch the TV. Pub TVs were rather hard impossible without removing the entire RF
worked and frequently needed servicing. Fig. 4: Levering out small relays with a bent board but this is quite a task and many
The cathode ray tube was mounted screwdriver. radio amateurs made a real mess of their
behind a plate glass protection screen rigs trying. I always ‘cheated’, which you
so in a pub’s smoke-laden atmosphere controls became noisy and internal preset can do this way.
it was not long before the electrostatic bias potentiometers became intermittent Remove the metal inspection cover,
charge on the tube attracted a coating and blew output transistors. All good which is in the chassis under the RF
of nicotine, making the picture dim. This business for the service department. board, to gain access to the underside of
also happened, but to a lesser extent, Later the fun really started when I the relays. Use a solder sucker to remove
in customers’ homes, especially if they moved into servicing amateur radio as much solder as possible from the
smoked or, as was very common then, equipment. ‘Joe’ would walk into his relays and then on the relays that have
had a coal fire. cold shack, light a fag and switch on obstructions stopping them being lifted
A frequent cause of intermittent his FT-101. The fan would draw in the straight up from the RF board, cut the
operation of TVs in those days was bad smoke, which would condense on the relay pins as short as possible. If you then
connections between the valves and cold rig and eventually, if Joe was lucky, bend the flat end of a small screwdriver
the valve holders, which smoking also its operation would become intermittent. as per Fig. 4, you will be able to lever the
contributed to. Being the workshop He would then bring the rig to me and relays out of their sockets, after you have
junior, I often found myself dismantling I would have to clean a few relays and once again melted the remains of the
TVs to clean the screens. I also had to switches. If he was unlucky, there would solder, and then gradually tease them out
remove the valves, scrape their pins with be a flashover in the PA stage and he of the rig.
a penknife, squirt cleaning fluid on the would have to make a much larger To fit the new relays, clean the holes
valveholders and wiggle them about a bit contribution to my following month’s in the PCB with a fine drill, then cut the
while I refitted them. salary. relay pins so that they are only just long
(I cleaned them one at a time and enough to reach through the PCB and be
avoided the error that a trainee once The FT-102 soldered. Then with a little patience and
made in a local nursing home. He was When the first samples of the Yaesu some sticky tape, you should be able to
sent to collect the patients’ false teeth FT-102 arrived, I thought the radio was squeeze them under the switches and
for cleaning but wasn’t told to make any excellent. Instead of using loads of spindles and solder them in position.
records. He put them all together and switching diodes in the RF stages, Yaesu After fitting sets of relays, quite a few
then found he could not match the teeth had taken the more expensive route of of the rigs continued to come back after a
to the patients!) fitting small relays to do the job. This year or so with the same health problems
When I later progressed to repairing reduced cross-modulation and certainly and I was forced to give my customers a
tape recorders, radios and Hi-Fi improved the receiver and I thought it was choice − they either got rid of their fags
equipment, smokers once again helped a great rig but, oh dear, Yaesu had not or their FT-102. From watching the TV
pay my wage. I would frequently get allowed for what would happen when the programme GP’s Behind Closed Doors,
equipment brought to me from pubs, rigs were used by heavy smokers! After a I see that it is not only ‘Rig Doctors’ that
would squirt cleaning fluid on the PCBs year or two they started coming into my have this problem.
and watch a yellow stream flow off. workshop with insensitive receivers and
Fortunately, equipment seemed to have various intermittent faults. Spare Parts
been specially designed so that the The effect of smoke on amateur radio Please note; that it is now many years
ingress of nicotine did not do its worst equipment, as I eventually realised, is very since I retired so I am sorry but I can no
until the guarantee had run out! Switches much dependent on the number of small longer help regarding sources of Yaesu
then became intermittent, variable relays fitted. In addition to the normal spares. Try Yaesu UK or Google.

36 Practical Wireless February 2018

34 In the Shop 3 pages.indd 36 18/12/2017 13:44

 Technical for the Terrified with Don Field G3XTT
● E-Mail: practicalwireless@warnersgroup.co.uk

Switched Mode
Solid-state equipment, as used by radio
amateurs, is usually designed to work on
voltages ranging from 12V to 13.8V (the
latter because this is the usual open-circuit

Power Supplies
voltage of a car battery). In some case,
higher voltages (such as 50V) are required
for, as an example, high power MOSFET
power amplifier stages of a transmitter.
Conversely, lower DC voltages may be
needed to power various logic circuits, a
5V requirement being not untypical.
Don Field G3XTT, with help from the PW technical Again, there is nothing to prevent a
traditional linear power supply being used,
team, explains what a Switched Mode Power Supply with one or more secondary windings on
the transformer according the voltages
is and its Advantages and Disadvantages compared required within the equipment. The AC
from the secondary winding is then
with Conventional Linear Power Supplies rectified and smoothed in the usual way,
usually with a voltage stabiliser of some
sort, short-circuit protection and any other
monitoring circuitry that maybe deemed
necessary. The block diagram, Fig. 2,
shows the sort of thing.
This is all well and good but
transformers designed to work at mains
frequency (50Hz in the UK) are substantial
and heavy, needing lots of iron in their
core along with lots of expensive copper
wire. In contrast, switched mode power
supplies offer a number of advantages
in terms of size and weight. Although the
circuitry is somewhat more complex than
linear power supplies (see, for example,
the internal photo of the Nissei supply
in this month’s review), they can be
substantially cheaper because, as we all
know from the way the cost of PCs has
fallen, a lot of circuit complexity can be
bought very cheaply nowadays whereas
big transformers remain expensive.

The Theory
The RSGB’s Radio Communication
Handbook opts out of explaining the
theory, saying that the “subject would
fill a book”. The ARRL Handbook is
Fig. 1: SMPSUs come in a variety of shapes and sizes. more helpful in explaining the various

I
approaches and, as you would expect,
n this month’s issue we feature whether transceivers or linear amplifiers, there’s quite a lot of material on the
a review of two switched-mode generally requires high voltages of the internet, some more readable than others
power supplies. Nowadays, order of several hundred or even a few (as usual, Google is your friend).
though, you’ll find switched-mode thousand volts on the anode. There is also The name is the main clue, though.
power supplies everywhere, whether a requirement for a low voltage (typically Unlike a linear power supply, the pass
powering your laptop or desktop comput- 6.3V AC) for the valve heaters. A suitable transistor of a switched mode power
er, LED bulbs, your microwave oven or just power supply would, therefore, have supply (SMPSU) continually switches
about any electronic device in the home. two secondary windings on the mains between low-dissipation, full-on and
transformer, one to give the necessary full-off states, and spends very little time
Fundamentals high voltage (HT) supply (with suitable in the high dissipation transitions, which
A traditional, linear power supply takes the rectification and smoothing) and one to minimises wasted energy so that efficiency
mains voltage and steps it up or down via give the low voltage AC supply for the can be much higher, typically up to 75%
a suitable transformer. Valve equipment, heaters. or so, even higher in some small units

40 Practical Wireless February 2018

40 Technical for the Terrified one half.indd 40 19/12/2017 11:12

 working at switching frequencies as high
as 750kHz or more. Voltage regulation is
achieved by varying the ratio of on-to-off Fuse
Transformer Rectifier
Filter
time. In contrast, a linear power supply Mains
Regulated
output
regulates the output voltage by continually AC
Regulator
dissipating power in the pass transistor.
This higher power conversion efficiency is
an important advantage of an SMPSU.
The input supply can be a true DC
voltage from a battery or solar panel, or Fig. 2: Block diagram of a typical linear PSU.
a rectified DC voltage from an AC supply
using a diode bridge along with some
additional capacitive filtering. In the case
of a mains SMPSU, a transformer is Fuse
Rectifier / Filter Switching Transformer Rectifier / Filter
usually included for isolation purposes. Regulated
Mains
The heart of a typical modern SMPSU AC
output

50/60Hz
is an IC that handles all the clever stuff.
This IC doesn’t have to deal with the Secondary
Primary
incoming rectified 220V but controls ground
Isolation ground

a power FET of some sort (MOSFET, PWM Driver Opto-isolator

IGFET, and so on) that is happy with such sense

voltages. Because the switching is done Ref.

Reference
at high frequencies, any transformer that t amplifier

might be required can be a lot smaller than

one working at 50Hz, again saving cost,
weight and size. Any residual ripple on
the supply will also be at a much higher Fig. 3: Block diagram of an SMPSU.
frequency than in a linear power supply
and will therefore require a lower value rather than a voltage step up/down, it is producing spurious outputs across the
smoothing capacitor than would otherwise not needed in, for example, a 12V to 5.2V bands. I heard recently of some handhelds
be the case, thereby saving size. DC to DC SMPSU. The feedback signal is from two well-known manufacturers that
often isolated with an opto-coupler were bought for military use. The radios
Circuit Implementations The block diagram, Fig. 2, shows a passed acceptance tests without problems
There are various ways in which SMPSUs basic switch-mode supply. but the power supplies failed dramatically
can be implemented (you’ll come across The main disadvantage of switched because of spurious emissions. Modern,
terms like the Buck converter, the Boost mode power supplies is that the square properly designed switched mode PSUs,
converter, the Buck-Boost converter or waves that I mentioned earlier are, however, can be as electrically quiet as
the Flyback converter, for example). In by definition, an amalgam of a basic their linear counterparts and perfectly
each case the mains input is rectified, frequency and lots of harmonics. If not acceptable for shack use as well as, often,
chopped up (switched, hence the name) properly screened and smoothed, those being light enough and small enough for
into a square wave, transformer isolated harmonic frequencies can propagate portable operations. Some also include a
then rectified. There is feedback from some distance from the power supply, facility to change the switching frequency
the output that controls the duty cycle to causing problems to your HF reception so that, should the odd spurious output
maintain voltage regulation Because the – some cheap, plastic wall-wart style occur, it can be moved to a frequency that
transformer is an isolation transformer, power supplies are terrible in this respect, isn’t important to you.

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February 2018 Practical Wireless 41

40 Technical for the Terrified one half.indd 41 19/12/2017 11:12

 World of VHF with Tim Kirby G4VXE
Tim Kirby, G4VXE, Willowside, Bow Bank, Longworth OX13 5ER ● E-mail: tim@g4vxe.com ● Twitter: g4vxe

Moonbounce with 10W

T
ypically, when we think Tim Kirby G4VXE asks, “Can a Foundation licensee
about moonbounce (earth-
moon-earth, EME) contacts, make a moonbounce contact using only 10 watts?”
we think of very high power
being needed as well as huge There is all the usual news too.
antenna systems. Until recently, it would
have been very hard to envisage a UK
Foundation licensee being able to make
a successful EME contact, running a
genuine 10W.
Excitingly though, with the availability of
digital signal processing and some excellent
software, along with some well-equipped
stations around the world with skilled,
enthusiastic and patient operators, the pos-
sibilities are much better.
It was with great pleasure then, that I
heard from our good friends at the Essex
DX Group about a recent 70cm (432MHz)
EME contact made by Dorothy Stanley
M6EBQ using Tom Hackett’s M0ABA sta-
tion, Fig. 1. The gear was 10W from a Yaesu
FT-857 into a DG7YBN design 17-element
Yagi.
Tom M0ABA takes up the story. “I started
watching the HB9Q logger for activity at my
moonrise. Conditions were ‘interesting’ with
some heavy fading. While I was waiting for
Dorothy and her husband Richard to arrive,
I decided to ‘warm up the frequency’ with Fig. 1: A screenshot of the record breaking 432MHz moonbounce contact between M6EBQ and DL7APV.
Bernd DL7APV, running 5W into the 17-ele-
ment Yagi. After about 20 minutes, I got the (unless you know differently!). Congratula- hear something. On one pass over London,
all important OOO report but, unfortunately, tions to Tom M0ABA as well, for hosting just after the satellite was launched, I heard
conditions didn’t allow us to complete the another really inspirational piece of VHF/ signals on my Radiooddity GD-77 dual-
contact. Maybe another time! UHF operating. Both the team at the Essex band DMR handheld (using the FM mode,
“Once Dorothy arrived, she started to call DX Group and I hope that more people will of course) with the squelch on! It’s loud. The
DL7APV and after a few sequences, Bernd be encouraged to have a go at some simple uplink is on 435.250MHz, where you will
reported that he was hearing someone EME operating. If you do, please let me have to adjust your transmit frequency to
replying to his CQs. After a few more CQs, know how you get on. compensate for Doppler shift. Start off on
Dorothy and the team were very excited 435.240, then 435.245, 435.250 at closest
to see M6EBQ DL7APV JO62 OOO on A New Satellite to Play With: AO-91 approach, 435.255 and then 435.260MHz
the screen! After repeating RO a couple of After a successful launch a few days earlier, as the satellite goes away over the horizon.
times, the rest of the QSO went through. the Fox-1B satellite, now known as AO-91,
Bernd closed the contact by sending ‘TNX was released for general usage on the US The 6m Band
QSO −22’!” Thanksgiving holiday. We’ve got lots of Peter Taylor EA8/G8BCG has been con-
Considering that WSJT will decode sig- information about what’s been happening centrating on 6m EME from his QTH in IL39
nals down to −29 or −30 (this figure repre- with it in our satellite news this month, but where, he says, he discovered that despite
sents the signal strength in decibels relative suffice to say that it’s probably the easiest having a minimum horizon elevation of 16°
to the noise level), this shows that there was satellite to listen to. If you want to prove at moonrise and a fixed horizontal Yagi, he
plenty of signal to spare. Tom says that the it, listen to the 145.960MHz downlink fre- can work EME beaming into the ground! On
best report he’d had with the Yagi before, quency when the satellite is around (or just November 5th, Peter worked JG2BRI and
when testing at higher power, was −24. leave your set monitoring, or scanning the ZS6NK for two new initial contacts from
Congratulations to Dorothy on mak- channel) and whether you’re using a collin- EA8, followed by more initial contacts over
ing what we think is the first successful ear, a beam or even a simple handheld and the next week, including ES6EQ (DXCC 100
EME contact by a UK Foundation licensee rubber duck antenna, you’ll almost certainly from EA8, well done!), OH7KM, VP8WOS

42 Practical Wireless February 2018

42 World of VHF 3 PAGES.indd 42 18/12/2017 13:52

 (Chris G3WOS for DXCC 101), W9JN,
JA7QVI, OH6MIK and JG1TSG.
Here at G4VXE, I’ve had FT8 running
most of the time and managed a nice
‘tropo’ contact with G3YQC (IO82). In early
December, I’ve been monitoring MSK144
on the band – initially with short reflections
from stations such as GM3NKG (IO85) and
then today, December 9th, worked HG5OGI
(JN97) and S59SV (JN76). It’s always fun
to make these contacts using the simple
V2000 vertical.

The 2m Band
Jef Van Raepenbusch ON8NT (Aalter) has
been operating OP8NT during November,
commemorating World War 1. He says that Fig. 2: The station at OP0PPY, commemorating World War 1.
he didn’t have so much time to operate as
normal because, “I was involved in the set-
ting up and running of an exhibition on ‘the
history of Radio Communication in the first
World War’ together with the local heritage
society, city council and local parish in the
Saint Mary Church in Maria-Aalter.
“Next to the exhibition we also had a
stand of our local radio club UBA-ALT under
the slogan “Communicate worldwide with-
out the help of the internet, become a ham
operator!”
“We had a functioning WSPR station
(5W) on HF and an indoor antenna. Also on
display was my 5-element LPDA antenna for
satellite work together with my ID-51 port-
able radio.
“We guided classes of youngsters and
teachers from the local schools around the
exhibition and our stand. One young girl
of around 12 years asked me, “Can you Fig. 3: A nice shot of CT1FJC’s new balcony antenna system for satellites.
really talk to astronauts in the ISS with that
antenna?” and her eyes were blinking... “I’ve been quite active in the recent 2m UK land UK, with rising ground to 300ft ASL
“Youngsters also got an exercise for Activity contests and 144MHz AFS. Not too within a few miles. In the other direction, I
the classroom and at home to look for many stations worked but if I can hear them, worked OZ1BEF in JO46 with 59 reports
our special event station OP0PPY, Fig. 2, I can work them, proving that the new an- both ways”.
on wsprnet.org to see where our station tenna farm is working as expected. I may be Peter G8BCG had some excellent EME
was received... Afterwards we got positive losing up to 3dB of my transmit power in the contacts on the band from his Cornish QTH,
feedback from teachers who were combin- quite long feeder runs, around 40m to the including YC2MDU, W5ADD, F6HEO, NH6Y,
ing this exercise with geography and maths. antennas, so am seriously thinking of getting KL7UW, N0AKC, ZS5LEE, W7JW, W8KEN,
The youngsters were really surprised and the old DK1OF single 4CX250B amplifier SK5AA, JH1PFP, VK5APN, F6HVK, EW7AW,
excited that a small transmitter in their local down from the shelf where it has sat for the OK1UGA, RW3PX, DL6SH, JF3MKC, F8DO,
church was received worldwide!” last 17 years! I just need to gingerly apply V31EME, OH6ZZ, DL9DBJ, K0TPP, ZL3NW
On the 2m band, Jef found condi- mains power to it, to reform the smoothers (Peter’s best DX on 2m), W8TN, KB7IJ,
tions excellent on November 1st, working and the like. That will bring my power back OH6UW and OK1VRY. Peter had some
2W0JYN (IO83), M0CGL (JO03), M5AEH to 300W at the amplifier. Perhaps 4CX250Bs lovely feedback from Rich KB7IJ, “I’ve
(JO02) and F6HPP/) (JN19). During the are old hat nowadays but I just don’t feel never seen a better signal from a single Yagi
UK Activity Contest on November 7th, Jef comfortable laying out for a solid-state station!”. Peter says that his single Inno-
found conditions poor with a number of power amplifier when I have 300W already vAntennas 12-element LFA Yagi obviously
stations heard but not worked. He did work proven and working. works. Well done – some amazing DX there,
M0DXR/P (JO01), G4ZTR (JO01), G4LDL/P “Highlights of the stations worked in the Peter.
(IO91), G4ODA (IO92) and G6UBM (JO01). two contests: GI4SNA, GW8JLY, GW8ASD
It’s always good to hear from Derek and many others, in a very obstructed direc- The 70cm Band
Brown G8ECI (Lincolnshire) who writes, tion from my QTH, as is most of the main- During the UK 432MHz Activity Contest on

February 2018 Practical Wireless 43

42 World of VHF 3 PAGES.indd 43 18/12/2017 13:52

 World of VHF

November 14th, Jef OP8NT worked G3XDY nix) writes, “the launch of AO-91 was the downlink − using long duckies on each HT.
(JO02), G3PYE/P (JO02), G4FEV (IO92) and big thing for satellite operators in the past Hearing the AO-91 downlink with HTs and
G4ODA (IO92). month. It fixed the shortcomings in the their standard duckies also works on higher
uplink receiver on AO-85, and has been passes and I have seen some reports of
Satellites worked by many operators with HTs, rub- QSOs being made that way. As with AO-
Jef OP8NT monitored two ISS ARISS con- ber duck antennas (duckies), and milliwatt 85, the Chinese-made HTs that advertise
tacts during the month, one on November power levels − even down to 50mW from crossband or full-duplex operation appear
3rd, conducted by Paulo IZ0JPA in Italian a Kenwood TH-D72, or 100mW from a to work fine with AO -91. I have already tried
and one on November 30th, again with Yaesu VX-3. Over here, I have heard many my Wouxun KG-UV9D and I expect the oth-
Paulo IZ0JPA operating, this time in English. operators who are giving satellite operating ers that I successfully tested with AO-85 in
On November 3rd, Jef worked CT1FJC a try for the first time and others who were 2015, including the Wouxun KG-UV8D and
(IM57) through AO-85. active years ago when AO-27 and AO-51 Anytone TERMN-8R - would also work fine
Kevin Hewitt M0GTD writes, “I spent were on the air. The footprint, larger than with AO-91 full-duplex.
most of November in Chatham, Kent. During we currently have with AO-85 or SO-50, has “I had an AMSAT table at the Supersti-
my stay I received telemetry from RadFxSat also helped to increase activity. From my tion ‘Superfest Hamfest’, not far from my
(Fox-1B) shortly after launch. I was using an front yard, I have made AO-91 QSOs when house, on December 2nd. Since AO-85’s
Icom IC-271 with a crossed dipole for the the satellite was only 3° to 5° above the launch in 2015, followed by the recent AO-
WX band mounted in the loft and the audio horizon – a good demonstration of how well 91 launch, satellites were a popular topic at
connected to a PC running FoxTelem. A few the satellite’s uplink receiver works, coupled this Hamfest. I had some demonstrations
days later I was monitoring 145.960MHz with the downlink transmitter operating at during the Hamfest on different satellites,
and heard a digitised voice announce ‘Fox-1 500mW to almost 700mW on 145.960MHz. including these two and others such as
Safe Mode’. The ISS detector Pro Android “Once AO-91 was opened up to FO-29 and CAS-4B. Hams watching my
App was quick to provide preliminary pass amateurs on Thanksgiving Day here in the demonstrations were able to listen to AO-85
data after launch and pass predictions once USA (November 23rd), the daytime passes and AO-91 on their own HTs, or on some
orbit was established. I also tried monitoring have been busy. The larger footprint means HTs I had at my table. I still had an external
AO-85 for SSTV images on experimenters that more stations in the continental USA speaker connected to the radios I used for
Wednesday and only heard a digitised voice and Canada were able to work stations the demonstrations, but it is always better
announce ‘Fox-1’.” in Central America and even the northern when the hams are able to hear the FM sat-
Back in Gibraltar, where Kevin operates parts of South America. The recent HC8LUT ellite downlinks on their own equipment.
as ZB2GI, he continues, “I attempted to Galapagos DXpedition included AO-91 with “Besides the AO-91 excitement, we have
operate via RadFxSat (Fox-1B) designated other satellites they worked, making more had some SSTV from the ISS. The MAI-75
AO-91 and the westerly pass was very operators happy with FM satellite QSOs. test didn’t cover passes over Arizona but
busy with stations in Portugal, Italy, Spain By comparison, the night time passes have there was some worldwide ARISS SSTV
and England all easily received on the very been less crowded and these have been before the MAI-75 test. I recorded the trans-
strong 2m downlink. The Portuguese sta- times for many to experiment with less-than- missions with my TH-D74, then transferred
tion dominated the pass and I was unable ideal stations. the recordings from the HT to my tablet and
to complete a contact. The ARISS MAI-75 “I have done a fair bit of late-night decoded them using RX-SSTV. I had some
Slow Scan system in the Russian Service experimenting, starting with the four-day really good pictures, including one when
Module of the ISS transmitted SSTV im- Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Here is my the ISS passed directly over my head on a
ages on December 6th and 7th. The PD120 list of radio/antenna combinations I have Wednesday evening pass during the trans-
RS0ISS SSTV images depicted Russian used with AO-91: mission. The daytime passes I monitored
Cosmonautic anniversaries. I received six • Icom IC-2730 and Elk log periodic (full- had some noise, which came from a Russian
full and three partial images, twice receiv- duplex, also varying transmit power) voice announcing where the ISS was pass-
ing two full images on the same pass. My • Kenwood TH-D72 and Elk log periodic ing over at that moment. Those announce-
setup comprised an FT-817 connected via (full-duplex) ments weren’t present in the transmissions I
a data interface to a notebook PC running • Kenwood TH-D74 and MFJ 2m/70cm long heard in the evening.”
MMSSTV and a manually tracked 2m/70cm duckie Graham Jones G3VKV (Cheltenham)
log periodic. The FT-817 signal meter was • Wouxun KG-UV9D and MFJ 2m/70cm has been using AO-91 too, for some nice
full scale during the passes. ISS detector long duckie (full-duplex) contacts. On November 30th, Graham
Pro Android App provided pass predica- • Yaesu VX-3 and Elk log periodic worked N1AIA in Maine on a sub-2° eleva-
tions and the direction/elevation to point the • Yaesu VX-3 and MFJ 2m/70cm long tion pass and on December 8th, he worked
antenna”. duckie (varying transmit power between N1AIA again as well as TF8KY.
Mark Marment CT1FJC (Algarve) hasn’t 100mW & 1W)
had so much time for operating this month • Baofeng UV-5R and Diamond SRJ77CA Finally
but has made some nice contacts, Fig. 3, long duckie Thanks for all your news this month. I must
including CT8/DL7VTX (HM58), MI6GTY “I have also worked some AO-91 passes say it’s full of the sort of operating that fas-
(IO64), 2M0SQL (IO87) and CU2ZG (HM77) with combinations of two radios – for ex- cinates me – making me want to go outside
using the FM satellites as well as M0NPT ample, my IC-2730 and SDRplay RSP1 (it’s currently −2°C here), assemble some an-
(IO92), G0ABI (IO80) and GM4ZJI (IO86) connected through a diplexer to my Elk log tennas and point them at the sky! I hope you
among others through FO-29. periodic, or a TH-D74 for the uplink and want to go outside and put antennas up too
Patrick Stoddard WD9EWK (Phoe- a 30-year-old Kenwood TH-215 for the – but don’t freeze! See you next month.

44 Practical Wireless February 2018

42 World of VHF 3 PAGES.indd 44 18/12/2017 13:52

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February 2018 Practical Wireless 45

Page 45.indd 45 18/12/2017 13:26

 Data Modes with Mike Richards G4WNC
● E-Mail: practicalwireless@warnersgroup.co.uk

A New SDRplay
Mike Richards G4WNC has news of a new release from SDRplay, enhancements to Spy
Server and some thoughts about measuring SDR performance.

additional screening. If you’re into very low

frequency monitoring, you’ll be pleased to
hear that coverage is now continuous from
1kHz right through to 2GHz. The RSP-
1A also adds a bias-T power feed that’s
switchable in software. This is very useful
for monitoring the higher frequency bands
where masthead preamplifiers are often
essential.
The sharp eyed may also notice that
the ADC resolution has increased from
12-bit to 14-bit in the RSP-1A. This is
made possible thanks to the availability
of a previously undocumented feature of
the decimator in the RSP-1A’s sigma-delta
ADC. The extra resolution is only available
when tuning below 6MHz and is automati-
cally activated. In practice, you are unlikely
to notice much difference, unless you hap-
pen to live in an area with a very low HF
Fig. 1: The new SDRplay RSP-1A. noise floor. Another very welcome change

T
is the inclusion of a TCXO (Temperature
his is obviously a good signals around. If any signals drive the Compensated Crystal Oscillator). This is
time of year for new front-end or the mixer into non-linearity, a 0.5ppm device that can be adjusted to
receivers because we had spurious products will be generated and 0.01ppm using the SDR software. When
the Airspy HF+ last month these will pass to the mixer to create a used with SDRplay’s, SDRuno software,
and we have a new release confused soup of signals, many of which the RSP-1A can be used as a measur-
from SDRplay with the RSP-1A (Radio were generated within the radio rather than ing receiver with an accuracy of around
Spectrum Processor), Fig. 1. As you can being received off-air. To help moderate ±1dB and a readout in dBm in 50Ω. This
guess from the name, this is the successor the ill effects, designers employ software- is a very clever adaptation of the software
to the original RSP-1 that was launched switched preselection filters to help control that employs look-up tables that store the
back in 2014. Not only does the RSP-1A the range of frequencies presented to the gain profile of all the RSP-1 and 2 receiv-
offer some very useful improvements but mixer. The RSP-1 tackled this problem ers. I measured the accuracy when I last
they have been able to reduce the price to with eight band filters but the new RSP-1A reviewed SDRuno and I also checked that
just under £100! Here’s a quick run through has 11 filter bands, all of which use higher it works properly with the RSP-1A.
some of the changes. order filters, so they are sharper. The main So, if you’re in the market for a 1kHz
Most of the budget SDR receiv- filters are supplemented by user-controlled to 2GHz budget SDR, you really ought
ers employ a similar architecture with notch filters to attenuate the strong signals to consider the RSP-1A. It retails at just
an analogue tuner followed by the ADC in the MW, VHF/FM and DAB bands. RF £99.60 inclusive of VAT and DHL delivery.
(Analogue to Digital Converter) to digitise gain control in the RSP-1 was limited to The RSP-1A is available directly from SDR-
the signal. From a listener’s viewpoint, one switching the RF amplifier on/off, which play or from many popular radio suppliers.
of the main benefits of SDRs is their ability was too coarse an adjustment. The RSP-
to display a spectrum view of entire band 1A uses a new front-end architecture with Spy Server Enhancements
segments. However, the snag with this is a useful ten-step gain adjustment that is a I’ve mentioned the developing story of Spy
the requirement to pass a wide band of significant improvement. Server several times in this column and
RF through the preamplifier and mixing In a further attempt to control spurious the software continues to evolve. With the
stages. That leaves the system open to all signals, the plastic case of the RSP-1A release of some pre-production Airspy HF+
manner of problems, if there are any strong has a conductive coating to provide some receivers and further development of the

46 Practical Wireless February 2018

46 Data Modes 3 pages.indd 46 15/12/2017 08:46

 The order from high to low is: Float 32-bit,
PCM 24-bit, PCM 16-bit and PCM 8-bit.
Try reducing the Bandwidth setting.
If that doesn’t fix the stuttering, you
need to improve your internet speed. If
Spy Server your computer is Wi-Fi connected, try
URL entry moving closer to the router because con-
nection speed is directly related to Wi-Fi
signal strength. A much faster alternative
is to use an Ethernet connection to your
router. If that doesn’t fix it, you could try
some network diagnostics to see whether
you can pinpoint the root cause. There
are lots of network tools out there but a
favourite of mine is Ping Plotter Free. As
Fig. 2: SDR Sharp Spy Server entry. you can guess by the name, this is a free
version, so it has a limited set of tools, but
they are fine for our purposes. Ping Plotter
works by sending out ping requests to
the target server and measures both the
12 x 4kHz Group
Channels 60-108kHz overall response time and plots the perfor-
mance of the intermediate nodes. This will
quickly identify any problem spots on the
route. If you can’t find an easy solution for
Supergroup
the connection, then you should probably
5 groups
312-552kHz move on and try using a different server.
Coax
www.pingplotter.com/products/free.
Hypergroup
trunk cable html
15 supergroups 900 channels

SDR Performance Measurement

312kHz-4.096MHz

12 x 4kHz Group With the rapid spread of SDR technology

Channels 60-108kHz Supergroup
312-552kHz
there has been much debate about the
best way to measure the performance of
SDRs. Because the architecture of SDRs
is so radically different to the traditional
Fig. 3: Telecoms FDM communications link. superhet-based receivers many of the
measurements we have become familiar
Spy Server software, a new server page Run SDR Sharp. with are not very useful for SDRs. A classic
has been added to the Airspy web site. In the Source drop-down menu select example is the third order intercept, which
You can find the site here: Spy Server. is a calculated figure that is only meaning-
https://airspy.com/spy-servers Immediately below the Source drop- ful for analogue receivers. I’ve read several
When using Spy Servers with SDR down, you should see URL entry panel papers on the subject and one measure-
Sharp you can enter the web address of (Fig. 2). Enter the URL of the server you ment system is becoming increasing
the remote server and control their receiver want to connect to using this format: favoured and that is Noise Power Ratio
using SDR Sharp. There are a few limita- sdr://airspy.pi-hacks.com:5555 or NPR. I remember this from my distant
tions and you will see that some receivers Make sure that Use full IQ is unticked past when I used to work on transmission
are locked to a specific band. You will also and use the default setting for Bandwidth networks with Post Office Telephones (now
find that even with the free tuning stations, and IQ Format. BT).
the centre frequency is locked whenever Start SDR Sharp using the Play button In the 1960s and 70s all the long-dis-
two or more people connect. This is be- in the top left corner. tance trunk circuits used a Frequency Divi-
cause it’s not possible to have two or more That should start the connection and sion Multiplex technique to squeeze lots
people control the same hardware. As you should see the display come to life. of 4kHz-wide telephone channels down
well as a good opportunity to test the Spy You can start tuning around and setting a single coaxial cable. The basic building
Server technology, the servers give you the the receive mode and so on in the same block was called a Group and comprised
opportunity to try the new Airspy HF+ as way as when you’re connected to a local twelve 4kHz wide channels in a frequency
well as other receivers in the Airspy range. receiver. If you get stuttering audio or FFT band of 60-108kHz, Fig. 3. These could
Here’s a step-by-step guide to using a display, that’s a sign that the internet link then be combined into a Supergroup
remote Spy Server: can’t support the required data rate. There that carried five Groups (60 channels) in
Download and install the latest version are a few things you can do to reduce the a band 312-552kHz. A further develop-
of SDR Sharp: data rate demand as follows: ment combined 15 Supergroups into a
www.airspy.com/download Set the IQ format to a lower setting. Hypergroup with 900 channels (312kHz-

February 2018 Practical Wireless 47

46 Data Modes 3 pages.indd 47 15/12/2017 08:46

 Data Modes

Amplitude Measurement Amplitude Measurement

notch notch
0dB 0dB

Gaussian
Noise noise
power
10kHz ratio
(dB)

At least -90dB
Frequency Frequency

Measurement bandwidth Measurement bandwidth

Fig. 4: Gaussian noise with a measurement notch. Fig. 5: NPR measurement.

NPR dB

Fig. 6: SDR NPR measurement.

4.096MHz). To support transmission over channel with the notch on and off. When a wideband RF noise source with ana-
long distances, the combined RF spectrum the notched noise floor of the test channel logue notch filters. I’ve found one design
used amplifiers (known as repeaters) to starts to rise, the ratio between the power on the web but the hard part is produc-
boost the signal strength. The quality of with the notch out and with the notch in ing a notch depth of around 90dB with a
these amplifiers was critical to the overall are recorded and become the noise power bandwidth of around 10kHz! This requires
performance of the link, so they needed ratio for that system, Fig. 5. Although de- a very high-Q multi-stage notch filter using
to be very low-noise, highly linear devices. veloped many years ago, this test is ideal ceramic resonators or crystals. An alterna-
Any intermodulation in the amplifier would for SDR receivers because it helps to dem- tive approach is to go digital and generate
trigger the generation of spurious signals onstrate how good the receiver is when Gaussian noise in software. This could
that would appear in the channels as trying to receive a weak signal in among then be applied to a digital bandpass filter
noise. Because the channels were likely lots of strong signals, such as during a followed by a digital notch. I’ve also seen
to be heavily used, a simple measurement contest or working DX on 40m in the even- a suggestion that many random carriers
technique was required to show how much ing. When testing an SDR with a spectrum could be used instead of the Gaussian
noise would be introduced into an empty display, the NPR can be read directly from noise. This would negate the need for a
channel if the loading on the other chan- the screen. Just gradually increase the ap- deep notch because carriers would not
nels was increased. plied noise signal while tuned to the notch be generated for the test frequencies. I
The solution was to use a test signal frequency. As soon as the noise starts to suspect the digital route is the best way
that comprised a Gaussian noise source increase in the notch, the NPR is the ratio forward and I’m currently experimenting
filtered to the same bandwidth as the link between the signal level in the notch and with my Red Pitaya board because it has
under test, but with a switchable, narrow, the noise power outside the notch, Fig. 6. fast DACs (Digital to Analogue Converters)
notch filter that was slightly wider than As far as a practical measurement and a good-sized FPGA (Field Program-
one of the 4kHz channels, Fig. 4. The system is concerned, there are a couple of mable Gate Array). Watch this space or my
Gaussian noise level is gradually increased approaches that I’m currently researching. website (below) for more information.
and measurements taken from the target The first is an analogue design based on g4wnc.com

48 Practical Wireless February 2018

46 Data Modes 3 pages.indd 48 15/12/2017 08:46

 What Next? with Colin Redwood G6MXL
● E-Mail: practicalwireless@warnersgroup.co.uk

Various
made sure that my entries on QRZ.COM for
GW6MXL/P and G6MXL reflect how I like
to confirm contacts. I’ve also set up the ap-
propriate entries on Logbook of the World
(LoTW), eQSL, and Clublog. I’ve also done
the same when I have operated abroad.
So, to summarise, Ofcom guidance now
This month Colin Redwood G6MXL looks at a variety of topics, reflects what is the normal custom and
practice of amateurs operating from within
some of which should appeal to operators, while others will the UK and Crown Dependencies.
With regard to operating in Spain, Mar-
hopefully be of interest to those new to construction. tyn needs to comply with Spanish Licence
conditions. So Martyn is correctly prefixing
his home callsign with EA7/… which will

W
also be recognised as Spain by logging pro-
elcome to another URL below, from July 2017 is absolutely grams, awards schemes and the like. Note
What Next. This month clear that the correct regional secondary lo- that, generally, UK Foundation Licence and
I’m responding to an cator must be used according to where the Intermediate Licences are not acceptable
e-mail from a reader station is being operated from (thus GW6ITJ for operating abroad.
and then looking at in Martyn’s case from Wales but GM6ITJ if
the ARRL’s new International Grid Chase, in Scotland, for example). ARRL International Grid Chase
which started on January 1st. I’m following https://tinyurl.com/y7eeshkr Throughout 2018, the American Radio
this with a few observations on the uptake So that takes care of the licence condi- Relay League (ARRL) is running the ARRL
of FT8 and its impact on the amount of tions but what of amateur custom and International Grid Chase, a special year-
PSK31/63 activity. I’m then moving over to practice? I suspect nearly all amateurs long initiative based on four-character
the construction side of the hobby with a would find it very strange to encounter a locator squares (such as IO82, JO01). Using
little audio amplifier kit and, finally, I’m in- GW (or 2W or MW) prefix when a station almost any bands and any modes you are
cluding some help on identifying the values is operated anywhere other than in Wales. licensed to use, you make contacts as you
of small ceramic capacitors such as those In my experience, amateurs use the prefix might normally do, no matter whether they
used in the audio amplifier kit. of the country from which they are operat- are ragchews, nets, DXing, contests or the
ing so G (or 2E or M) in England, GW (or latest datamodes. Unless you are actually
Callsign Query 2W or MW) in Wales and so on. When I participating in a contest, there’s no need to
I don’t get many readers’ letters but when checked the prefixes used in the Practical call CQ Contest or exchange serial numbers
I do, they often cause me to do some re- Wireless 144MHz QRP Contest a few years or similar. Just operate as you would have
search to make sure that I provide the cor- ago, without exception both entrants and done anyway and upload your log to LoTW.
rect answer. The e-mail from Martyn Jones the stations they worked all used prefixes Because LoTW knows your locator and
GW6ITJ is a case in point. Martyn writes, “I that reflected the country from which they the locator of the station you have worked,
wonder if you could clear something up for operated. In case you are wondering, I used you’ll get a credit for each locator square
me? I have hardly ever operated in England the 6–character locator to check against a you work where the station you worked has
but once (many years ago) got derided for map. There are several reasons for using also uploaded their log to LoTW.
using GW6ITJ/A in London. However, on the prefix of the country where you are It doesn’t cost anything to sign up
asking the RSGB they said this was correct. operating from. Firstly, on hearing a GW and use LoTW. I described the process
I still wonder, though. I think the licence is (or 2W or MW) prefix, most amateurs with in the December 2014 issue of PW. Don’t
clear to use the given callsign (mine is GW). directional antennas would instinctively forget that if you operate from a variety of
I use turn their beams towards Wales. Secondly, locations (perhaps some favourite hilltop
EA7/GW6ITJ in Spain. Many others closer those amateurs who record the country that locations, another part of the British Isles or
to the borders will have this sorted so a silly they have worked will assume that working abroad), then you’ll need to make sure that
question but I’ve been told there’s no such a station with a GW (or 2W or MW) prefix the appropriate callsigns and locations are
thing so here goes!” means they have worked a station in Wales, set up in the TQSL program used to submit
Broadly speaking, this splits into two as will every computer logging program, logs to LoTW, so that the correct locator is
aspects: complying with your licence condi- award scheme, electronic QSLing system, associated with each log that you submit.
tions and amateur custom and practice. contest multiplier based on DXCC entities The main exclusions from the ARRL
I’ll deal with licence conditions first. For a and the DX Cluster. International Grid Chase are the 60m band
while, a few years ago Ofcom appeared I live in England, so I operate using (and, it appears, 4m, which is not available
to want amateurs to adopt the practice of G6MXL while in England. While I was on in the USA) and terrestrial repeater con-
using the same callsign no matter where holiday in North Wales in June 2017, I tacts. Satellite contacts certainly do count,
they operated from in the UK and Crown operated using GW6MXL/P. As I send and as do all the main HF/VHF/UHF/SHF bands.
Dependencies (Isle of Man, Channel Is- receive QSL cards using the QSL bureau, All the usual modes count too − SSB, CW,
lands). The overwhelming voice of amateurs I have sent some stamped addressed FM, and data modes, including FT8. Don’t
persuaded them to change their minds and envelopes to both the relevant GW and forget to download any updates to TQSL if
section 2.44 of the current Ofcom guidance, G6 QSL bureau sub-managers. I’ve also you are prompted, so that it accepts all the

February 2018 Practical Wireless 49

49 What Next 2 half pages.indd 49 15/12/2017 08:47

 What Next?

Fig. 2: An example of the audio amplifier kits based around the LM386.

10kΩ variable resistor 100μF capacitor

1kΩ resistor 1000μF capacitor
10Ω or 4.7kΩ resistor 3.5mm jack audio socket (Input)
0.1μF ceramic capacitor (marked 104) PCB x 1
0.1μF ceramic capacitor (marked 104) 6 pins (for output, DC, input)
3mm Red LED LM386 + IC socket
10μF capacitor DC socket

Table 1: Typical components used in the audio amplifier kits.

latest modes. absolutely is not). I acknowledge the advan-

There are several ways to find your tages of FT8 and the ease with which DX
locator. I think that the most reliable one for can be worked using it. However, it would
European stations to use is at: be a pity if we all just use FT8 without using
http://qthlocator.free.fr/index.php some of the other data modes.

PSK vs. FT8 Audio Amplifier Kit

Since its arrival in mid-2017, my impression Tex Swann G1TEX, until recently PW’s
is that many amateurs have switched to us- technical editor, gave me a little audio
ing FT8 rather than PSK31/PSK63 for many amplifier kit to try, Fig. 1. It’s based around
of their data mode activities. It has got to the popular LM386 integrated circuit and Fig. 3: The well-labelled PCB makes for easy
the point where it would be easy to get the obtainable from a number of internet construction (note layout varies between suppliers).
impression that the lack of PSK signals on sources for between about £1 and £3.
some bands might indicate that the band Search for LM386 amplifier kit on either of soever and do not include a loudspeaker.
is closed. It was brought home to me one the websites below and you’ll find numer- However, the PCBs are well-labelled, Fig.
December morning. After I had a worked a ous listings. It is clear that there are some 2, and with a little thought and care, it is
string of stations on 30m (10.136MHz) using small variations in the layout and compo- possible to work out which components
FT8, both European and some DX (Japan) nents supplied. I also purchased a kit from go where. To help readers, Table 1 shows
using a typical ‘back-garden’ trapped a different source from Tex, which omitted the component list but note that some kits
dipole antenna and a few Watts, I moved up the volume control knob but included an are supplied with different value resistors.
to 10.14MHz, to find the band was almost extra LED, so I would certainly urge readers It requires a supply of between 3 and 12V
devoid of PSK31/63 activity. to carefully check that they have a full set of DC (centre pin on the socket is positive).
There are many amateurs who prefer components! Having checked a datasheet for the LM386,
the flexible nature of PSK contacts and the www.aliexpress.com it is clear that the design maximum voltage
fact that even with the use of macros there www.ebay.co.uk is 12V DC, so I would suggest avoiding us-
is some variety between stations in what The kits are supplied with a small printed ing it with 13.8V supplies. There is a 3.5mm
is sent and exchanged (PSK was always circuit board (PCB, about 37mm x 41mm – jack socket for the audio input.
designed to be a ‘chat’ mode, which FT8 sizes vary) but with no documentation what- In reality there is some flexibility with this

50 Practical Wireless February 2018

49 What Next 2 half pages.indd 50 15/12/2017 08:47

 Fig. 3: The fixed resistor needs to be fitted before the volume control. Fig. 4: Two small ceramic 0.1μF capacitors labelled 104.

kit, allowing you to choose to connect the DC supply either via the Chosen by discerning Radio Amateurs
supplied socket or via supplied pins on the board. Likewise, you can Universities and Professionals Worldwide!
choose whether to use the 3.5mm jack socket for the audio input or
Vector Network Analyzer
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those who want to incorporate the board into other equipment or to DG8SAQ VNWA 3EC/3
Covers 1 kHz - 1.3 GHz
use it as a free-standing item. One application might be for several with a dynamic range of
of these to each drive a separate headphone socket for a club Field 90dB to 500 MHz and >50dB to 1.3 GHz
Day event. This way each operator can set the volume level to suit After-Sales Customer & Technical Support

their personal tastes. If you plan to use more than one kit, I would S-parameter, S11, S12, S21, S22, VSWR, Smith Chart & Component values
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With regard to the construction, I would strongly suggest start- RG223 Coax Cable + USB Lead £422.40 + p&p
GPS Disciplined
ing with the small components such as the resistors and ceramic VNWA 3EC in Presentation Case +4pcs Calibration
Reference Oscillator
capacitors because some of the larger components, in particular the Kit of Rosenberger parts £570.00 + p&p
£28.75
volume control, almost cover one of the resistors in some versions Step-by-Step Guided Measurements Book + p&p

of the PCB, Fig. 3. The PCB clearly shows the orientation of the New! SDRplay RSP1A
three electrolytic capacitors, the IC socket and the LM386 itself. The 1kHz-2GHz Wideband SDR Rx Precision Frequency
longer lead on the LED is the anode (positive). Clock for the VNW3E
and many other Shack
Applications
Ceramic Capacitors
14 bits ● Programmable Freq
450Hz-800MHz
Identifying the values of small ceramic capacitors, Fig. 4, such as SDR ● Stability 1 ppb 1E-9
those used in the audio amplifier kit can sometimes be a little dif- only <60 sec after GPS Lock
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will have a value of 220,000pF (or 220nF), while 472 will be 4,700pF Mitsubishi RD16HHF1 £4.80
● RF shielding layer inside case
(or 4.7nF) and 103 will be 10,000pF (or 10nF). The link below takes RSP2: 3 switchable Antenna inputs £149.95 +p&p New! CS40 40m & 20m
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February 2018 Practical Wireless 51

49 What Next 2 half pages.indd 51 15/12/2017 08:47

 HF Highlights with Steve Telenius-Lowe PJ4DX
● E-mail: teleniuslowe@gmail.com

Bouvet, FT8 and More

Steve Telenius-Lowe PJ4DX reports on a month replete with DXpedition activity
and a major contest as well as looking forward to what may prove to be the most
expensive DXpedition ever.

Fig. 1: Bouvet Island, as photographed from the RRS Ernest Shackleton in December 2011 (Photo: François Guerraz, Wikipedia).

G
iven that there were zero ‘The Big One’: Bouvet Island, 3Y0Z. the need for decent antennas and shield
sunspots for much of This DXpedition is likely to be one of the us from the vagaries and understanding
the month, conditions biggest (and most expensive) ever but its of propagation. “FT8 is allowing me to
remained generally sheer scale should provide an opportunity explore the possibilities that exist on the
pretty good in November, for those with ‘average’ stations to make lower bands after spending so many
although as expected there wasn’t a contact with one of the rarest DXCC years in the past on 10m and seeing in
much to work on 10 or 12m. The entities. Bouvet is a Norwegian territory real time propagation changing (using
plethora of DXpeditions in October (see located deep in the South Atlantic Ocean. PSKreporter)... Hopefully when the
last month’s HF Highlights) continued in The (colour) photo of Fig. 1 gives an February edition of PW is published the
November. The two Latvian operators at indication of how inhospitable Bouvet Bouvet expedition will be in full swing.
3C1L (Equatorial Guinea), having missed can be. It’s the most remote island on They intend to operate FT8 and have
their flight home at the end of October Earth, 1,700km from Antarctica, while the issued specific instructions for the mode;
due to a cancelled return flight from nearest inhabited land is Tristan da Cunha, nevertheless I predict total chaos!”
Annobon (3C0L), continued operating 2,250km away – and fewer than 300 www.bouvetdx.org/band-plan-
until November 12th. These operators people live there. frequencies
apparently existed entirely without sleep A team of 20 DXers will activate 3Y0Z Tony wrote that he had “Just nine
because they seemed to be working one on all bands from late January for at least contacts on 10m, the band was as bad
part of the world or another at all times of two weeks (the precise dates are weather as I’ve known it, the only two contacts
day or night! dependant) with multiple stations, Yagi outside EU were PU2RTO (16th) and
I don’t believe that there have ever antennas and vertical arrays for the lower- ZS6AMC (22nd). More luck on 40m
been four different VK9 operations frequency bands. with 178 contacts: seven W, nine JA,
during the same month before: VK9CZ Although there have been a few smaller three CO, four VK plus 9Z4Y, ZL3AAU,
(Cocos Keeling), VK9/M0VFC (Norfolk operations, the last large-scale activity 5T2AI and numerous Europeans. The
Island), VK9MA (Mellish Reef) and VK9AR from Bouvet was 3Y5X, Fig. 2, in 1989. If most productive time of the day was the
(Ashmore Reef). VK9AR counts as you get the opportunity to contact 3Y0Z hour around local sunrise when greyline
mainland Australia for DXCC but was a you should, because it could be another enhancement gave me the ZL and JA
rare IOTA, OC-216. Given the distances generation before Bouvet is activated contacts. I’ve not managed any west
involved, not all were easy to contact from again. coast US stations yet, but I believe as we
the UK, although VK9CZ (Chris GM3WOJ advance into the winter they do come
and Keith GM4YXI) had good signals and FT8 News through on 40m at dusk.”
I even worked them from Bonaire on 80m, In November Tony Usher G4HZW Bob Cox G3PLP has just completed
a distance of 18,400km. operated exclusively using the new Worked All States using FT8. “I had my
FT8 digital mode. He says he disagrees first FT8 contact in July 2017 and my
Bouvet with our editor’s comments (Keylines, first USA FT8 contact with N3YZ (MD)
It would be remiss of me not to mention December 2017) that FT8 may obviate on August 5th. Exactly three months

52 Practical Wireless February 2018

52 HF Highlights 3 pages.indd 52 19/12/2017 09:11

 later a contact with WG7H (NV) gave me
USA state number 50 on FT8, the last
ones confirmed on LoTW that same day,
November 5th, thanks to a rapid upload by
WG7H. Most contacts were on 14074kHz
using a 2-element wire delta loop fixed
towards the west coast. The most difficult
states were WH7AA (HI), NL7ER (AK) and
ND0B (ND).” Congratulations to Bob on
what may well be a first, at least from the
UK.

Readers’ News
Carl Gorse 2E0HPI is another who has
been using FT8. From home, he worked
ZB3M on 40m and YV5DRN and 4Z9III
on 20m, plus ZL3JAS on 20m SSB when
portable using an MFJ-1979 quarter-wave
vertical. Carl celebrated his birthday with
a visit to Blackpool, where he joined Dave
G4AKC. “We set up around 500 yards Fig. 2: 3Y5X QSL from Bouvet Island, 1989.
apart and managed to work PY7BTC,
VK7ROY, VK7GG and VK7JON using the
Alpha Loop on 20m SSB and ZL3OZ using
Dave’s equipment and vertical. I later went
to the Ribble estuary and worked around
75 contacts on 20 and 40m SSB.” While
in Blackpool, Carl operated from two rare
Worked All Britain (WAB) squares, SD22
and SD23, which are only accessible at
low tide, Fig. 3, walking 2.5 miles out to
sea with his transceiver and Alpha Loop
antenna. During the month Carl worked
two new DXCC entities, taking his total
on QRP to 101. On November 25th he
became 2M0HPI/P to activate two new
GMFF sites, GMFF-0100 Berwickshire
SSSI coast, where he made 147 contacts Fig. 3: Carl 2E0HPI operating from 2.5 miles out Fig. 4: That’s 86-year old Malcolm G0UYN up the
on 40 and 20m, and GMFF-0099 to sea – at low tide, fortunately! tree, erecting an antenna.
Burnmouth SSSI, also on the coast, from
where he made 61 contacts. Finally, Carl and FTdx9000, so this made operating a
reported that he has been appointed the pleasure. Malcolm was using one of his
GxFF coordinator for the World-Wide Collins KWM-2A transceivers from time
Flora and Fauna programme, covering to time while I was there. He has much
the UK, Crown Dependencies and British Collins equipment and uses items in
Overseas Territories. He and Adrian rotation to keep them all in condition – the
M0PAI are planning to develop the GxFF valves kept the shack warm!”
programme further to encourage greater The 3C1L DXpedition proved elusive
activity. to Victor Brand G3JNB last month but
Martin Juhe M0XJP recently visited was eventually worked on 17m CW and,
Malcolm G0UYN on the Isle of Wight. “At three days later, on 30m. He says VK9MA
86 years old he is still climbing high trees opened with a wonderful S7 signal on 30m
erecting antennas, Fig. 4. Unfortunately, but became unworkable after a coronal
his beam was down because the 60ft mass ejection hit and poor conditions set
pump-up mast has been returned to Clark in. However, the 9U4M (Burundi) team
Masts on the island for an overhaul, so all I provided Victor with a good 17m contact.
had available to use was the 138ft end-fed Later the VP2MDL (Montserrat) DXpedition
Zepp with open-wire feeder. This worked was logged on a near silent band and then
very well and I thought band conditions J5T (Bubaque Island AF-020, Guinea-
were quite good, which was a surprise. Bissau) as conditions recovered. On the Fig. 5: Making a final approach to Brussels
I was able to use Malcolm’s FT-1000D 21st, the J5T group were excellent on 15m airport over the Hexbeam at OS8D.

February 2018 Practical Wireless 53

52 HF Highlights 3 pages.indd 53 19/12/2017 09:11

 HF Highlights

and Victor spent ages calling but could not on 80m, working back to the Rock on
get through, and their split stations were SSB, receiving the ZB2BU 30m WSPR
mostly inaudible. “So I went off for half an beacon, Fig. 6 – and listening to Radio
hour and came back to work them third Caroline test transmissions on 648kHz.
call. A simple routine that can be most
effective.” As darkness fell, his patience Band Reports
was rewarded with 3XY3D (Guinea) on Carl 2E0HPI was busy on FT8: 40m FT8:
20m. After chasing for ages, they sent SM7EGM. 30m FT8: E73DN. 20m SSB:
“QRX 30min”. Victor pottered about the CG3ZN, W2/CT1GIF. 20m FT8: TA3AHJ,
shack, heard them call and minutes later YC0OSX. 17m FT8: OF5FP.
they were in the log. Finally, Victor says he Etienne OS8D reported 40m SSB:
was “stirred, but not shaken” to contact 5K0T, TO2SP. 20m SSB: 5K0T, 5V7SM,
Daniel Craig ZF2MJ (Cayman Islands) on 9U4M, J5T, JA8COE, LU8EEM, RI1ANC,
17m CW and asks if he had really worked S01A, TO2SP, UN8CWA, VK7HCK,
James Bond? No, Victor, when home this Fig. 6: Kevin M0GTD 30m WSPR reception screen shot. VP2MDL, YV5ENI, Z81D. 17m SSB: 3C1L,
Daniel Craig is N6MJ! 4J4K, 5V7SM, 9U4M, CX3AT, DS3EXX,
New reporter Mike Pemberton G4DDL winter does indeed seem to herald the EX8M, FR4OO, HK3C, J5T, PZ5RA,
wrote about his activity in the CQWW return to some decent propagation. A S01WS, TI8II, TO2SP, UN7TE, VK9CZ,
CW contest on November 25/26th. “I was short dabble in the CQWW CW contest VP2MDL, YV5ENI, ZD7FT. 15m SSB:
pleased to manage three QSOs with PJ4Y produced a few new slots followed by an 3B8HC, 9U4M, A5A, CO6HLP, J5T, J88HF,
on 80, 40 and 20m. I worked quite a few ATNO in Guyana (8R1/AG6UT).” S01WS, TR8CA, UN7NU, VK2XZ, VK9CZ,
Caribbean stations over the weekend, Owen Williams G0PHY reported ZD8AC. 12m SSB: J5T.
many of them on 80 and 40m. I was November as being “a good month for Terry M0CLH reports the following. 40m
pleased with my results because I worked DX with a number of DXpeditions, giving FT8: BG8IXQ, DU1/JH1FNS, JL1SAM.
61 countries on 40m and 51 on 80m in rise to contacts on 14, 18 and 21MHz. 40m SSB: AM3MDV. 20m CW: 3C1L,
about 22 hours of operation. I worked The best DX was at the start of the month 6Y3M, 9M2CNC, J5T, J68GD, TO2SP,
77 countries in all. Not too bad with only with a 21MHz contact with VK9CZ” (an TR8CA, VP2MDL. 20m FT8: 5T1A. 20m
100W and some very low wire antennas, ATNO for Owen). Owen worked 9U4M RTTY: J5T. 20m SSB: 9G5W, J5T, TO2SP,
all I can easily manage in a small housing on 15m and J5T on 15, 17 and 20m: VP2MDL. 17m CW: 9U4M, J5T, PJ4/
estate garden... It is quite surprising what “When these guys go on DXpeditions DL5CW, TO2SP, VP2MDL. 17m FT8:
can be achieved with low power and they are always very active and the instant 5K0T, CO3LF, CP6CL, HK7JA, VK2QV.
simple antennas. Not much worked to the display of their online log is a great idea,” 17m RTTY: 8R1/AG6UT. 17m SSB: J5T,
east but I did reel in 9M2CNC at the end Owen commented. The Polish TO2SP J68GD, TO2SP. 15m CW: 6Y0AE, 9U4M,
of the contest on 40m.” Mike concluded DXpedition also yielded contacts on 15, J5T, J68GD, PJ4A, PY2XB, V26K, V47T,
by saying he had worked three ATNOs (All 17 and 20m, while 9G5W on 20m was a VP2MDL. 15m FT8: A92AA, HC7AE,
Time New Ones) in 2017 – J5, 3C and V3 genuine S9 with Owen. “As always there LU9DO, VK2NSS, VK6ADF, YB9GWR,
(Belize) – to take his DXCC total to 250. were ones that got away. This month they ZR6DX, ZZ2Z. 15m RTTY: 9U4M. 15m
J5 was also an ATNO for David Smith were 5K0T on San Andres Island and SSB: J5T, VK9CZ. 12m CW: 3C1L, 3XY3D,
M0OSA/M, who says he did not spend 5K1B on Mucura Island, SA-078. With the VP2MDL. 12m FT8: C93PA, CE2AWW,
much time on the air but still managed J5T exception of VK9CZ and 9G5W, none of ZS1AGF. 12m SSB: J5T. 10m CW: VK9CZ,
on both 15 and 20m. He wrote, “I must the stations was particularly strong: weak 10m FT8: VK6XN.
congratulate the Italian team for picking but workable best describes them.” Martin GW4TPG reports 80m SSB:
my 50W SSB signal out of the pile-up after Martin Evans GW4TPG built a Battle J5T. 80m CW: 6Y0W, 9Y4/VE3EY, PJ2T,
only a few calls on both bands.” David Creek Special, as described by Steve PJ4Y, PZ5V, TI7W, V47T, ZF9CW. 40m
operates mobile near Huddersfield using VK6VZ in the August 2017 PW, and says CW: VP2MDL. 30m CW: 3C1L, 4U1ITU,
a Yaesu FT-857D to an Outback 2000 it’s working well. For those who missed J5T. 20m CW: 9U4M, VK9/M0VFC. 17m
mobile antenna. He added that he also the article it’s a trapped vertical antenna CW: 3C1L, 3XY3D, 9U4M, PJ4/DH8BQA,
heard TO2SP (St Barthelemy) on 17m but, for 40, 80 and 160m, although Martin will VP2MDL. 17m RTTY: 9U4M. 15m CW:
unfortunately, they were unable to hear add the 160m section later, “when the 9U4M, VK9CZ. 12m CW: 3C1L, J5T.
him. weather improves in the Spring and the Kevin M0GTD used a Kenwood TS-440
Etienne Vrebos OS8D/ON8DN neighbours are more used to a 50ft mast to a 5m vertical wire via a 9:1 balun to
(Brussels, Fig. 5) said November was “a in the garden.” He adds that “the SWR work, on 80m FT8: 5P1KZX, UA6HGM.
very good month in DXCC activities for bandwidth is fantastic on 80m compared 20m and 17m SSB: EA7JNC, ZB2BU,
me, with some ATNOs.” The best of his with my old HF2V, which really was only ZB2JK.
log (which is all SSB because “I think that good for about 50kHz. At last I can use
voice communication is the only real one the whole of 80m without an ATU.” Martin Signing Off
that really counts as real!”) is shown in the was another to work some ATNOs in My thanks to all contributors. Please send
band reports. November: 9U4M and VK9/M0VFC. all input for this column to teleniuslowe@
Terry Martin M0CLH worked most of Kevin Hewitt M0GTD (aka ZB2GI) gmail.com by the 1st of the month
the DX that was going (see band reports) spent most of November in Chatham and (February 1st for the April issue, March 1st
and commented “The journey towards describes his highlights as operating FT8 for the May magazine). 73, Steve PJ4DX.

54 Practical Wireless February 2018

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 Buying Second-hand by Chris Lorek G4HCL
• E-mail: chris@lorek.co.uk

The Yaesu FT-290R

This month Chris Lorek G4HCL revisits the hugely popular Yaesu FT-290R Mk1 2m multimode transceiver.

an updated feature on this transceiver by

popular request, which I hope will also be
of interest to newer readers.

Features
The FT-290R Mk1 is a tough and rugged
transportable 2m CW/SSB/AM/FM
transceiver, with a power output of 2.5W
and with a switchable low power of 0.8W
across 144-146MHz. It can be run from a
set of eight internal alkaline or rechargeable
C-sized cells or from an external 8.5-15.2V
DC power supply via the small coaxial
DC socket on the side of the transceiver.
There’s a severe word of warning here,
even at this early stage of this feature. The
DC connector uses the outer sleeve of the
mating plug as positive DC, and the inner
as negative DC, unlike the vast majority
of DC leads nowadays. Be sure you don’t
make a potentially very expensive mistake!
Also, if you have a disconnected DC power
lead, that the connector outer doesn’t
touch the chassis of any other equipment
that you’re using from the same shack or
Fig. 1: The Yaesu FT-290 Mk1. mobile DC power supply.

B
As well as selectable 12.5kHz and
ack in 1981, Yaesu The rig was available with a leatherette 25kHz FM channel steps, the radio offers
launched what must have carrying case and shoulder strap and, 100Hz and 1kHz steps on CW and SSB,
been one of their most as such, was often called the ‘Electric ten memory channels plus a priority
popular transceivers of Handbag’ by some of its users! It measures channel, two VFOs, a backlit digital display,
all time, the FT-290R 150x58x195mm and weighs around 1.3kg an analogue S-meter and RF power output
Mk1 self-contained 2m multimode, plus the weight of any internal batteries meter and a built-in telescopic antenna
Fig. 1. It proved to be an ideal starter rig that you may fit. Due to its portability, many on the front panel. The VFOs and memory
for numerous new ‘Class B’ amateurs, of these transceivers were and still are channels can be scanned for activity.
many whom had started out by operating used as self-contained ‘hilltop’ radios by There’s a noise blanker selectable from
on the 27MHz Citizens Band and had amateurs, and they are an ideal rig for use the front panel to help reduce electrical
progressed to licensed amateur radio. A in the annual summer PW 144MHz QRP car ignition noise. If you’re buying from
typical second-hand price at this time is contest. ‘across the pond’ (the USA), check the
in the region of £80, a significant saving I detailed the FT-290 series in general FM channel steps because they are 5kHz
compared with current multimodes. a few years ago in this PW column and and 10kHz in models sold there. However,
I fondly remember each working day received an extremely good response if you’re handy with a soldering iron or
in the early morning in the early 1980s, from readers. However, many readers know someone who is, these can easily
being in my kitchen with the kettle boiling asked for more information on the FT- be changed to UK steps by resoldering a
and having a regular morning contact on 290R Mk1, particularly on how to add a few internal PCB links. There’s now plenty
2m FM simplex with a lady amateur in CTCSS encoder because several amateurs of information on the internet for this. As
the same East Anglian village, who was who contacted me said that, in this day well as the telescopic whip, there’s also an
also making a cuppa for herself and her and age, for 2m FM operation through SO-239 socket on the rear panel to allow
husband while using her FT-290R Mk1 repeaters, it was virtually an essential. you to plug in an external antenna. For CW
on the kitchen work surface. She also Also, details of the DC connector, which operation, a rear panel socket is provided
came into the hobby from Citizens Band. has caught many out in the past. So here’s for connecting a Morse key.

February 2018 Practical Wireless 55

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 concentrating on expanded details on the
FT-290R Mk1.

Add-on CTCSS FM Encoder

To the best of my knowledge Yaesu didn’t
offer an optional internal CTCSS (sub-tone)
encoder for repeater access in European
models for this transceiver. Instead, a
built-in 1750Hz toneburst is included
because this was the standard method of
FM repeater access at the time. Because
it’s a discontinued transceiver, you may
well find it hard to obtain a Yaesu CTCSS
module over here, although if you buy an
FT-290 from the US, do check whether one
is fitted (but see my note above regarding
FM channel spacing). However, a number
of add-on CTCSS encoders are available.
One compact unit from the UK that will fit
nicely into the FT-290R Mk1 comes from
G8TMV, Fig. 2:
www.tuckley.org/ctcss
The tone encoder will generate any of
the standard CTCSS tones used by the
Fig. 2: The G8TMV CTCSS PCB. UK repeater system and many of the ones
used in Europe. Each time the ‘Up’ push-
button is pressed the encoder moves to
the next tone in the sequence. The ‘Down’
button steps in the opposite direction. Each
time a new tone is selected, and at power
up, the LED annunciates the code letter for
the tone in Morse code. A particular tone
can be made the default by pressing and
holding the ‘Up’ push-button until the LED
flashes once, useful for your ‘home’ area.
This stores the currently selected value in
the microcontroller non-volatile memory
so that it will be used the next time the
encoder is powered up.
Note that this isn’t a simple plug-in.
You’ll need to fit it using some electronic
wiring skills but there’s a useful guide;
https://billingtonrepairs.wordpress.
com/modifications/ctcss-for-the-yaesu-
ft290r-mk1

Expansion to 144-148MHz
Given that our 2m band now goes up to
147MHz for suitably licensed UK amateurs,
here’s a simple method of expanding the
tuning range to 144-148MHz. Remove
the battery compartment and slide out
Fig. 3: The Microset 2m 30W in-line linear amplifier and receive preamplifier. the power board to allow access to the
microprocessor board. Two tinned copper
Other Bands and Models Mk1, which covers the 6m band of 50- wire jumpers are visible on this board,
As well as the 2m model, you may come 54MHz. Later models included a Mk2 next to the microprocessor. One is easy to
across the FT-790R Mk1, which, as you version. see and the other is not because it is next
may have guessed, is the 70cm (430- Indeed, I have an FT-290R Mk2 here to the main board. Cut the jumper that
440MHz) version. Another rarer find, most in my shack and I plan for this to be the is difficult to see. If the wrong jumper is
likely because 6m wasn’t available in the subject of a further column in its own right cut, then the frequency display will not be
UK at the time of launch, is the FT-690R in the near future. However, here I’ll just be correct when the unit is powered up.

56 Practical Wireless February 2018

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 An Overview of RFI

Receive Preamplifier physically shorting to the copper screen and also check the driver
One of the most common, and useful, modifications by previous transistor Q2021 and associated resistor R69.
owners is the fitting of a receive preamplifier. The UK firm of muTek Receive and Transmit Off-Frequency: If this is just a small
manufactured a compact preamplifier specifically designed for amount such as one or two kilohertz, then you can realign the PLL
fitment into the FT-290R Mk1, and this is sometimes, arguably in- local oscillator. However, if the radio is several kilohertz off fre-
correctly, described as a ‘muTek front end’. Yet it’s very worthwhile quency, such as 10kHz or more, then check the PLL local oscillator
having. crystal X02 which is 18.7414MHz.
FM Transmit off frequency: If it’s only on FM transmit that the
External Transmit Amplifier radio is off frequency, then realign the FM TX oscillator coil L1002.
To boost the 2.5W transceiver output power for base or mobile use, However, if the frequency error is significant, then check crystal
many amateurs use an in-line RF-switched linear amplifier, typically X1001.
a 25-30W type, and this can be a useful extra if your seller has one
of these included in the sale. Some of them also have a switchable User Manual and Circuit Diagrams
receive preamplifier built in, which could obviate the need for an You’ll find that the manual and circuit diagrams are available for
internal muTek receiver preamplifier if you’ll only use the transceiver download from the internet, as with most radios nowadays. How-
for base and mobile work rather than out portable. The accompa- ever, if you’d like a PDF copy by e-mail, just get in touch and I’ll be
nying photo, Fig. 3, shows the 30W amplifier I use with my own pleased to oblige and include user operating instructions, circuit
FT-290R. This also includes a switchable low-noise GaAsFET details and diagrams, alignment details and component layouts:
preamplifier. chris@lorek.co.uk
I hope the above proves useful to readers who are looking for
Microphone Connections an economic but well-performing 2m multimode. The Mk1 was
If you find your transceiver doesn’t come with a microphone, or superseded by the FT290R Mk2 some years later. That one is
yours is damaged, here are the connections for the 7-pin micro- almost a completely different rig, albeit the same size and with the
phone connector: Pin 1 − ground and mic screen, Pin 2 – Transmit same general specifications. (It uses a set-top BNC for a portable
audio, Pin 3 – PTT, Pin 4 – 5V output (note that this can only pro- antenna rather than a telescopic whip. So don’t be misled when
vide up to a few milliamps, for an electret microphone, for exam- purchasing. The Mk2 is a newer radio but somewhat more expen-
ple), Pin 5 – Speaker, Pin 6 − Up scan, and Pin 7 − Down scan. The sive than the Mk1.). I’ll see you in next month’s PW with a further
pin numbers are given on the in-line socket. Emerging Technology feature.

Common Faults
Here are a few things to look out for, and their possible cures, if
you’re buying a second-hand FT-290R Mk1:
Broken Telescopic Whip: The telescopic whip is easily broken
Shortwave Shop SECONDHAND
PRODUCTS
AVAILABLE

but can easily be replaced. Just check prior to purchase. Note that
Amateur Airband Antennas
if you’re using an external antenna via the rear panel coaxial con-
nector, this whip should be fully pushed in because it forms part of
the PA tuning network.
Front Panel Display Bulb: The digital frequency incandescent
display bulb is the most common failure in these transceivers. If
you’re not going to use it in adverse lighting conditions, there’s no
need to worry about this and the replacement is rather a complex Marine Shortwave Security
bit of work. Instead of trying to replace the bulb, I’d advise carrying
a small LED torch if you’ll be using the radio out portable at night!
Battery Overcharging: If you fit internal rechargeable batteries
and you plug in an external unregulated current DC supply, the in-
ternal batteries can sometimes become overcharged and, in some

WE HAVE MOVED
cases, these could get extremely hot or even destroy themselves,
along with possible damage to the transceiver circuitry. This can
happen if you’re using a non-Yaesu supplied DC input plug that
isn’t the right length or diameter. A correct DC plug into the FT-
290R socket will disconnect this external connection to the internal Suppliers of Alinco, AOR, bhi, Butternut, Comet, Cushcraft, Diamond,
batteries when it’s plugged in. With an incorrect plug, though, the GRE, Hustler, Hi-Gain, ICOM, Kent, KENWOOD, JRC, MAXON, MFJ, Mirage,
batteries may not be disconnected when the external DC supply is MOTOROLA, Opto, Pro-Am, Radio Works, SSB Electronics, SGC, Tokyo,
plugged in. The cure is to use the correct size of plug! Tonna, Vectronics, Watson, YAESU, Yupiteru.
Intermittent Tuning: Intermittent tuning is usually caused by the
‘Step’ switch. A burst of electrical switch cleaner on this (please, Call the Shortwave Shop on 01202 490099
not WD40 or similar!) will usually provide a cure. Likewise, for tun-
ing ‘jumps’.
or e-mail sales@shortwave.co.uk to order
No Transmit Power Output: If it is not the power amplifier (which Zeacombe House, Blackerton Cross, East Anstey, Tiverton, Devon, EX16 9JU
is the most likely cause), then with a lack of power output, check Phone/Fax: 01202 490099
diode D24 in the antenna switching circuit. Check for coil L2012 Web: http://www.shortwave.co.uk
Ample parking.

February 2018 Practical Wireless 57

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 SEAnet Convention by Don Field G3XTT
• E-mail: practicalwireless@warnersgroup.co.uk

SEAnet Convention & CQWW

Contesting from HS0ZAR
PW’s editor Don Field G3XTT reports on his recent trip to SE Asia.

T
he South East Asia net
(SEAnet) started some
50 years ago, mainly as
a health and safety net
for that part of the world.
It met daily on 14320kHz and, over the
years, was able to help in a number of
situations, not just in passing on messages
but in providing critical information. For
example, Dr KN Singh 9M2KN, who I met
at this year’s Convention, was telling me
how from time to time he would provide
medical ‘consultations’ and advice to
seafarers who were remote from any
medical help.
The net controllers became very expe-
rienced with respect to radio propagation
in the area covered by the net and would
be careful to take callers in sequence
according to the progress of propagation
with time.
After a few years, the net controllers
and participants, scattered across the
nations of Southeast Asia and Oceania,
knowing each other simply as a familiar
voice on the radio, felt a need to meet face
to face. Hence was born the SEAnet Con-
vention. 2017 was the 45th running of the
Convention. There is no formal organising
body but, remarkably, given the logistics
of organising a Convention of perhaps 100 Don at Angkor Thom.
people from maybe 20 nations or more,
volunteers have always stepped forward. Convention, in contrast, will be held in friendships have been formed over the
The event takes place in a different coun- Indonesia under the auspices of the very years and many of the attendees see the
try each year and, to avoid last-minute strong Indonesian national radio society event as one of the highpoints of their an-
panics as to who will organise it next, ven- ORARI. The following year, the venue will nual diary.
ues are always decided upon two years in be Johor Bahru in Malaysia or on a cruise That said, they very much welcome
advance. This year, for the first time, the ship operating from Singapore, just across newcomers and it was made clear when I
Convention was organised remotely in that the Straits. enquired about attending that this would
a group of Indian SEAnet enthusiasts had Unlike the sort of radio Conventions be entirely appropriate. I had been hoping
volunteered to put together a Convention many PW readers will be familiar with, to go to for some time, having heard about
in Cambodia. The venue was suggested SEAnet, partly as a result of its origins and it from others who had been, such as our
by previous participants but with no resi- partly because of the culture in Southeast own columnist Steve Telenius-Lowe
dent active radio amateurs in Cambodia Asia, is very much a social occasion, PJ4DX who lived in Sabah, Malaysia
and no national radio society, this remote with participation by a number of wives, for a number of years and operated as
organisation was appropriate. The 2018 partners and other family members. Great 9M6DXX. I had also, for more than 40

58 Practical Wireless February 2018

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 Jamboree on the Air report, I was interest-
ed, particularly as an ex-Scout myself, to
discover that the Scout movement is thriv-
ing in many Southeast Asian countries,
actively encouraged by their governments
who believe that such youth movements
are an important part of young people’s
development. Events such as the World
Scout Jamboree are an ideal occasion to
showcase amateur radio Thai amateurs
rose to the occasion in 2017.
I made a short presentation about the
November 2016 ZL7G Chatham Islands
expedition in which I was involved and
which I wrote up in the February 2017
issue of PW. On this occasion, unlike at
UK radio clubs when I have given the
presentation, I focused more on the history
and culture of the islands, albeit with an
overview of the radio side.
Allan Papworth G3WUW (and many
overseas callsigns) spoke about his life
Traditional Cambodian dancers. in the radio industry, a career which drew
very much on his amateur radio back-
ground and connections. Allan worked
for many years for Wood & Douglas, who
many readers will remember for their ama-
teur radio kits. He also worked throughout
the Middle East and Asia, largely in the de-
fence industry, and had some entertaining
stories related to, for example, fitting radio
gear to noisy and vibration-prone Russian
tanks favoured by various Middle Eastern
militaries. Allan was, in the past, a regular
participant in SEAnet on the 20m band.
These days, in retirement, he and his wife
Rosemary divide their time between sum-
mers in the UK and winters in Florida, from
where he remains active on amateur radio.

Visits Programme
On the first afternoon we were taken by
Tuk-Tuk to the centre of Siem Reap. I had
no wish to explore the markets but ended
up visiting a Buddhist Temple and also the
SEAnet delegates line up for an official photo. Siem Reap Killing Fields site from the grim
days of the Pol Pot regime. Any of you
years since first reading about it, wanted to Bangkok and then by Air Asia (Asia’s who saw the recent BBC series about the
to visit the Angkor Wat and other temples answer to Ryanair, I guess) to Siem Reap Mekong River will recall what a sobering
in that complex, and such a visit was on where I was met by the hotel transport. and moving memorial this is.
the Convention programme so I could kill The hotel itself proved to be excellent and The following day we visited Angkor
two birds with one stone. What’s more, very charming with beautiful grounds char- Wat in the Morning and the Angkor Tom
the Convention would take place just acterised by lush vegetation and ponds full and Ta Phrom temples in the afternoon.
one week before the CQ Worldwide CW of fish. There are around 90 temples in the Siem
Contest, one of my favourite operating Reap area, designated as a World Herit-
events, and I hoped to join a contest team Radio Programme age site. Many are still being explored,
somewhere in that part of the world, which Saturday morning was taken up with a having been subsumed in vegetation over
fortunately turned out to be possible. programme of radio-related talks. Thida hundreds of years. Most changed between
The Convention was held in the Sokha- Denpruektham HS1ASC spoke about Hinduism and Buddhism, sometimes
lay Angkor Resort and Spa in Siem Reap amateur radio at the World Scout Jam- several times, over the course of their
and I travelled there by Qatar Airways boree. As I mentioned in last month’s active use – the history is fascinating, as

February 2018 Practical Wireless 59

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 SEAnet Convention

is the scale of the buildings and the whole for an evening dinner and the following
complex. morning headed to the contest site, some
four hours’ drive from Bangkok, collecting
Saturday Banquet Dietmar DL3DXX en route. Dietmar was
There was a formal banquet on the Satur- on his way home from the VK9MA Mellish
day evening, with delegates encouraged Reef expedition – some people can’t seem
to wear their national dress as appropriate. to get enough radio!
Perhaps not unexpectedly, the Indian la- Our host for the contest, Stig LA7JO,
dies stole the show in their beautiful saris! is married to a Thai and has a home near
Phai Mai, some 200 miles or so from
Open Forum Bangkok where he has gradually built
The daily SEAnet no longer takes place, up an effective contest station that now
partly because other reliable means of boasts four towers, with the tallest some
communication are now widely available 40m high. Antennas include a two-element
and partly because propagation is not so quad for the 40m band, high dipoles for Champ E21EIC at HS0ZAR with Fred K3ZO in the
reliable at this point in the sunspot cycle. 160 and 80m and a selection of mono- background.
However, during the open discussion on band and triband Yagis for the higher
the Sunday morning there was a call for bands. The station equipment is based
the net to be reinstated if at all possible. In on the venerable but effective Yaesu
any case, many of the participants remain FT-2000 at each operating position (two
ready and willing to carry out disaster or run stations and one multiplier station
similar communications should the need for this particular contest) plus a variety
arise and, in India in particular, the role of amplifiers. Some of the equipment is
of radio amateurs in emergency com- Stig’s while some is loaned by the visiting
munications is well recognised, espe- operators. Automatic antenna selection
cially after the major tsunami of 2004, means that either of the two run stations
when communication with the Andaman can select any antenna but with a lockout
Islands (belonging to India) was possible to prevent the two stations selecting the
only because there was a team of radio same antenna. (We were participating in
amateurs on the islands at the time of the the so-called Multi-Two category where
emergency. two signals are allowed throughout the Some of the HS0ZAR antennas.
Other topics of discussion included the contest – this is a great category because
annual SEAnet contest and how to attract usually there is more than one band open
and sustain the interest of youngsters in at a time but mounting a full multi-multi
the SEAnet movement. effort – six bands simultaneously – is a
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed my first major effort and can be frustrating if some
SEAnet Convention. It was great to meet bands only open sporadically over the
a wide selection of fascinating radio contest weekend).
amateurs from so many countries, to learn The rules of the contest specify a maxi-
about the similarities and differences in the mum number of band changes per hour
hobby in their various parts of the world, and the scoring system is based on points
to see some sights that had been on my per contact (one for same continent, three
bucket list for so long and to enjoy the per other continent) multiplied by the total
general hospitality, cuisine and ambience. of countries and CQ zones contacted
My only disappointment was that the on each band. It’s vital to catch all those
organisers had failed to get a temporary multipliers and this is where the multi- One of the failed amplifiers after internal arcing.
radio licence in order to set up a station plier station comes in. The contest then
for visitors to use. I wasn’t the only one to becomes a team effort with the operators while running a kilowatt. This is achieved
feel this and there was general agreement on the three stations working in harmony with the use of a high-power triplexer and
in the open forum that this should be a key with each other, keeping an eye on evolv- bandpass filters from 4O3A. It’s really quite
aspect of future Conventions as, I gather, it ing propagation to decide when to change remarkable. Why would we want to do
had been in the past. bands, swing the antenna towards another that, given that monoband antennas are
part of the world and so on in order to also available for each band? Quite simply,
And so to Thailand maximise the score. there may be times when, for example,
After the formal close of the Convention, I One technical development that many a band is open simultaneously to both
travelled back to Thailand and met up that stations have employed in recent years is Europe and Japan, which from Thailand
evening with Bob 5B4AGN (G3ZEM) and the ability to run more than one band at a are on beam headings 90° or so apart. It
Andy G3AB who, like me, were destined time on a single triband antenna. In Stig’s then becomes useful to be able to switch
for the HS0ZAR contest team. After a cou- case, there is a Force 12 C31XR triband instantly from one direction to the other,
ple of days rest and relaxation, we joined antenna, which both run stations can, depending on who calls following a CQ or
Tony HS0ZDX (G4UAV) and John W2YR should it be necessary, use simultaneously previous QSO.

60 Practical Wireless February 2018

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 They call this wireless? HS0ZAR team photo in the shack.

We were truly an international team of station. Fred was due to celebrate his 80th of operating the contest − the logging pro-
operators. I’ve mentioned team mem- birthday so we had a pre-contest birthday gram, copying callers without really having
bers from the UK, Germany, the USA, celebration and, for the contest itself, used to think about it, thinking about the stra-
Norway and Cyprus. There were also a Fred’s current Thai callsign HS0ZAR. There tegic decisions of when to run, when to
Malaysian amateur, a Swede and several is, by the way, an excellent interview with chase multipliers and so on – without be-
Thai amateurs, including one young lady, Fred that appeared in the ARRL’s National ing at the operating position long enough
already a competent Morse operator. In Contest Journal in 2015 and is available to start tiring . We had, as always seems
fact, amateur radio has grown hugely in on the web: to the case, a few equipment failures and
Thailand in recent years and much of the http://ncjweb.com/features/sepoct- station interactions. Our ‘engineer’ Sam
credit must go to Champ E21EIC who 15feat.pdf SM3DYU worked tirelessly to keep on top
readers may recall also featured in Chris of these, changing out amplifiers on the fly,
Burger ZS6EZ’s article in the October Propagation from Thailand for example. It’s all part of the fun!
2016 issue of PW. I first met Champ in One of the joys of operating from different Our final total, subject to checking by
2006 in Brazil when he was a sponsored locations around the world, apart from the the contest adjudicators, was just shy of
youth participant in the World Radiosport social aspects of working with fellow radio 5,400 contacts (of which 79 were with
Team Championship. Champ received amateurs of different nationalities, is to the UK, although only Full licensees from
financial support to attend Brazil from the experience local propagation. A few years what I can determine) and a claimed score
YASME Foundation and, as Fred K3ZO ago I was part of the 9K2HN contest team of just over 7 million points. On the CQ
put it to me, that’s an investment that has from Kuwait that set a new multi-multi Contest claimed scores page, that puts
paid off many times over. record in this same contest. Operating us as 35th in the World in our category
Talking about Fred. I have known him from Thailand, though, was very different. but second in Asia, which goes to show
for many years and it was a joy to see him Europe is something like twice as far away how tough it is from that continent. By
again. Fred’s career was in the US foreign compared with Kuwait and this is a chal- the standards of a similar station located
service and those with a long memory will lenge. It’s possible to work Japan more or just outside Europe or North America this
recall his first overseas assignment in the less round the clock on most bands but is a long way from earth shattering but is
Dominican Republic as HI8XAL. He later Japanese contacts count for just one point respectable in the circumstances.
operated as LU5HFI from Argentina and each. Europe is very much more difficult,
it was in South America that he was shot with short openings and weak signals. Final Thoughts
in the line of duty, for which he received a This is why a big station helps but, quite I realise this article must have seemed
Presidential letter of commendation. He frankly, a contester in Cyprus, for example, more of a travelogue than the usual run
is, though, perhaps best remembered for also counting as Asia, can probably work of PW articles but, that said, it’s also an
his years in Thailand where he operated three point European contacts all day and indication of how amateur radio can open
as HS1ABD and HS5ABD. He eventually night with a simple wire antenna and low doors and let you see ‘real life’, rather than
married a Thai lady and although, sadly, power. just as a more typical tourist, in distant
she passed away a few years ago, he Anyway, we persevered. Most of our parts of the world. This is an aspect of the
retains an affection for the country and operating was with shifts of four hours hobby I enjoy more and more as the years
is very much involved with Stig’s contest – this allows time to get into the groove go by.

February 2018 Practical Wireless 61

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 Morse Mode with Roger Cooke G3LDI
l E-mail: roger@g3ldi.co.uk

Bootcamps,
way from Redditch. He was presented with
one of the PK-4 keyers.
After this, three different CW speed
groups were organised − slow, medium
and fast. In hindsight we should have had

Bootcamps!
a beginners’ table. We had one operator
who was a complete beginner and two
others who were confident at 5WPM but
no faster. We had prepared three tables,
one for the slow operator, around 10WPM,
one for speeds around 15 to 20WPM and
the third table for the fast operators.
This was no easy task. Each table
Roger Cooke G3LDI has news of two more very needed mains power, an oscillator − some-
times two − with headphones and keying
successful Bootcamps, along with some other Morse- connections for approximately 10 or 12
operators on each table.
related snippets. During the next 90 minutes every at-
tendee was assessed for both sending and
receiving. Each was critiqued on formation
of characters, spacing, sending style and
so on. For receiving, speed was gradu-
ally increased and many found that this
technique helped them to receive at higher
speeds.
A coffee break followed, which was
particularly enjoyed because it was ac-
companied by three large and delicious
homemade cakes. These didn’t last the
day out! My wife, Isobel, had made a
cream and jam sponge with two iced fruit
loaves − they did not last very long!!
(So something of our ideas was used!
Cake always welcome!)
When visiting clubs and giving talks I
am often asked how to set up a straight
key. This may seem basic but it is surpris-
ing how many keys I see with far too much
tension, which produces very poor CW.
When I have explained how to adjust the
spacing and tension − the latter slightly
different for everyone − it is surprising how
the Morse improves.

A
Talks and demonstrations were given
s I promised regarding sponsored by Martin Lynch & Sons, who on straight, single lever, twin lever and bug
the Essex CW ARC donated two PK-4 Electronic Keyers. keys. Many had never seen or operated
Bootcamp, here is a (I can see we are missing something the different keys on display − they were
longer report on that here in Norfolk! Having started Bootcamps very impressed. Touch and twin-paddle
event. Event it was! Andy a few years ago, I think we should pinch keys were explained and how to operate a
G0IBN had a large number attend so it a leaf from Andy’s book. Perhaps getting paddle key Iambically, also the differences
looks as though Bootcamps are becoming some sponsorship would help with attend- between Iambic A and Iambic B.
very popular. Andy and Dean G4WQI’s ance – G3LDI) Instructors were changed around at
report follows: On arrival, attendees were booked in, midday to reassess everyone and to give
given a certificate of attendance, a pro- the attendees a chance to work with an
Prior Preparation Prevents Poor gramme of the day’s events and a sheet of experienced operator, asking questions if
Performance interesting CW information they could refer they had any problems.
ECWARC (Essex CW ARC) certainly to at a later date. At 1pm many had an unexpected treat.
proved the above adage correct. After During the introductory speech, a prize ECWARC had provided hot soup, sausage
extensive preparation, their first CW Boot was offered for the candidate who had rolls, beef crunchies and chipolatas, as
Camp at Witham, Essex, turned out to be travelled the farthest. This turned out to well as a never-ending supply of tea and
an outstanding performance. It was kindly be John M6KET, who had travelled all the coffee.

62 Practical Wireless February 2018

62 Morse Mode 2 pages.indd 62 15/12/2017 08:52

 For those interested in construction a
talk was given on how to make a low-cost
device to measure the Morse speed of a
paddle key.
There are many very good logging and
contest programs available but the contest
and station logging systems, N1MM+ and
Logger32, used by Dean and Andy, were
demonstrated.
The afternoon coffee break was fol-
lowed by a combined receiving session
for all attendees, starting at 5WPM and
gradually increasing to around 35WPM.
Everyone appeared to enjoy this test of
their receiving skills.
A radio station had been set up for
those who wanted a break from CW. An
ECWARC committee member was avail-
able to guide and instruct. Two members
were delighted with their time on the key.
One had his first QSO on the air, another
logged only his second on-air CW QSO
and they were both very pleased with their fitted so much into their day! We had no
day. time to take any pictures on this occasion.
RSGB Morse tests were carried out However, with our attendance up again, I
at 20WPM for three attendees with two think the Bootcamp idea is a really good
passes. one. Why not try it in your Club? It does
Every attendee said how much they take some organising but it’s well worth it
enjoyed the day and how much they judging by comments from students from
got out of it personally. Essex CW ARC both Bootcamps.
were delighted to be able to impart their If you would like any information on
knowledge and experience to others and, organising your own Bootcamp, please
hopefully, help to raise operating standards e-mail either myself or Andy and I am
on the amateur bands. sure we can help you have a fun and
We would like to think the idea of hav- worthwhile weekend. I’ve included some
ing a CW Boot Camp will spread to other photos from the Essex event to give you
clubs. The enthusiasm of those attending an impression.
was certainly worth all the effort.
https://sites.google.com/site/essexcw Dust Cover
All I can say is Wow! Andy’s visit to Have you ever wanted a simple dust cover
NARC and our Bootcamp certainly hit for your key? Dick G3WRJ sent in this
home and if this idea spread across the idea. All you have to do is go into Wait-
UK, it could become a standard way of an rose. Dick says: “It is a Waitrose profiterole
enjoyable approach to tutoring. Our hobby dessert. I bought it as part of ‘meal deal’
is about communications. Not a lot of that but I’m sure they can be bought separate-
goes on these days with the advent of ly. Almost a perfect fit for a Begali Blade
FT8 hitting the ground running. Not much straight key. Two small slots for the handle
information exchange there! However, and the lead and no dust!” See the picture.
these weekends would certainly be grist to It does pay to keep dust away from a
the mill in encouraging the newcomer to Morse key. I clean my contacts the way I
the hobby to learn Morse and widen his or was taught when I was first licensed. Sim- on his SDR and Hugo M6HBX was in full
her horizons. ply insert a piece of dry paper between the contact using his handheld transceiver. I’m
contacts, close semi-tightly and drag the finding that my GB2CW activity is most
Norfolk Bootcamp paper out again, complete with a covering appreciated at the club and I’m delighted
Here in Norfolk, the autumn Bootcamp of dust. to be doing something beneficial for our
took place in November and we had 16 hobby”.
attend ours. It was held as before at my GB2CW More satisfied customers! Keep up the
QTH, using three rooms for three sepa- Bob Houlston G4PVB e-mailed me this good work. We can use all the tutors we
rate classes. We had the usual supply of week: “I resumed my Winter time GB2CW can get. Please keep your comments and
cakes, sausage rolls, apple strudel and so broadcasts last night and I’m pleased to news coming! 73 and may the Morse be
on. I don’t quite know how the Essex club tell you that Steve Roderick received me with you. Roger G3LDI.

February 2018 Practical Wireless 63

62 Morse Mode 2 pages.indd 63 15/12/2017 08:52

 Letters Send your letters to:
Practical Wireless Letters, Warners Group Publishing
West Street, Bourne, Lincs PE10 9PH
E-mail: practicalwireless@warnersgroup.co.uk

Nomenclature we should use words, within

reason, that are in common
along the lines of, “Very sorry
to bother you but I’m taking my
www.on4nb.be/sim31.htm
On another matter, we often
Dear Don, use internationally. I suspect Japanese colleague back to the store components secured with
I read the letter (December 2017) ‘antenna’ wins in this respect. airport and he saw your antenna elastic rubber bands. But not
from Andy G3PKW with interest, As a bit of a digression, while and insisted we stop and say those such as switches that may
since I am also a bit of a stickler on the international theme, I was hello”. Of course, it turned out have with silver electrical contact.
about Americanisms drifting into brought up in Northern Ireland the Japanese gentleman was a Silver contacts may be
the traditional English language. in the 1960s and it was rare to radio amateur and he and I were ‘sulfurated’ by contacting with
I must admit, though, that the meet anyone who came from soon comparing notes about our rubber bands. Source:
French have a tougher time more than seven miles away and radio activities (and, of course, tinyurl.com/sulfuration2
keeping English words out of rarer still to meet someone from having the inevitable photograph And yet another topic:
their beautiful language. ‘the other side’. How wonderful together!). Meanwhile, reserved Charging leisure (not car)
I have two broad comments it was to communicate with English businessman looking batteries maybe of interest to
on the Antenna vs. Aerial or listen to people from many suitably nonplussed!
your readers via the link below.
nomenclature. The first is that I different countries, at no cost As we enter winter, don’t forget
believe Antenna is a better word
than Aerial, which means ‘up in
(phone calls to the US then were
about £1 a minute). Furthermore,
APRS that a deeply discharged battery
can freeze. It happened to my
the air’. If you look at a blown-up I found that the amateurs I met Dear Don,
dad’s car battery and seemingly
photograph of an insect, you can were much more open-minded We’re about to set up Pi based
took an age to restore.
see the similarity, and also the than the non-amateurs I knew iGates here in SE Cornwall, so
www.
fact that the insect’s antennae well. They also did not care found the article (Data Modes)
campingandcaravanningclub.
are used to pick up information. about race, nationality or religion in December’s issue useful.
co.uk/AdvicePdfs/
Furthermore, I recall, at a meeting – we were all the same, with our However APRS can do far
more than report your position Datasheet-36.pdf
many years ago, the chairman’s common love of radio (and a
(albeit that this is its most widely Finally, André Skarzynski
comments about a colleague desire to get the best out of the
recognised capability). Automatic M0JEK of Verulam ARC said,
who just woke up, “Ah James, I gear we have).
Packet Reporting System is what “I’ve set all my power supplies
see that your antennae are up”, Nigel Patterson G3YDT
the acronym stands for. See the to 13·5V”. At first I was outraged
when James suddenly became Maidenhead, Berks.
site below for more background. with this – heretical! Surely the
‘tuned in’ to the matter being
www.g4ilo.com/aprs.html conventional wisdom is 13·8V,
debated. Editor’s comment: Thanks
Keith Harris G1FMU I mused, but then it all made
Also, while mulling over which Nigel, it’s good to hear from
(Cornwall Raynet) sense. I have noticed that my
word was better, I then read you. Here at PW we will certainly
Callington, Cornwall power supply voltage may vary
another letter you published stick with our long-established
style of using the term antenna plus/minus a few tenths of a volt
in the same issue that I found
intriguing, namely ‘An Unusual but there’s no need to worry Various from over time so, erring on the side of
caution, I too now set my PSU to
QSO’. This was reporting a
QSO with an American soldier
about us drifting into such
Americanisms as tube rather G4PVB 13·5V. I’d welcome the thoughts
in Vietnam who had managed than valve or aluminum rather of others on this matter.
Dear Don,
to load up a coil of wire on the than aluminium! Your comment Bob Houlston G4PVB
Tony 2E0WAP of Verulam ARC
ground. Not exactly ‘aerial’ about radio amateurs being more St Albans
has found a new digital mode
but also I admit, not like an open-minded and international called SIM31 with SIM standing
insect’s antenna either. (I also in their outlook than many for Structured Integrated Editor’s comment: It’s always
love reading anything written by members of society strikes a Message. It uses BPSK phase good to hear from you Bob. With
Harry Leeming, and anything chord though – I do agree and modulation and in operation regard to new digital modes, the
about a KWM-2, one of which I I hope that internationalism is is a cross between the PSK31 problem seems to be that there is
have, but rarely use on transmit reflected in my SEAnet report in and JT65 modes. SIM31 was a new one every week (almost!).
since I don’t have a decent aerial/ this issue. I can’t resist a short developed by Nizar Ben Rejeb Some catch on (FT8 being
antenna to go into the ‘ANT’ anecdote here. Early one Sunday of Tunisia. The software is freely the most recent and extreme
socket). morning some years ago, a available from the web page example) while others never
The second comment is that knock on the door and a very below. My thanks to Ralph achieve the necessary critical
in my view, amateur radio in embarrassed-looking English G1BSZ, editor of the VARC mass of users to survive, other
an international activity, rather gent along with a Japanese man. newsletter, for drawing attention than perhaps between a few
than an English activity, so English gent says something to this. dedicated supporters.

Please note: The opinions expressed in any letter published in PW are those of the named correspondent whose letter has been published and they don’t necessarily reflect the opinions of the editorial staff or Warners Group. Editor

64 Practical Wireless February 2018

64 Letters 1 page.indd 64 15/12/2017 08:52

 Rallies
Send all your rally info to Georg Wiessala:
E-mail: wiessala@hotmail.com

Plan your rally visits with our comprehensive list of forthcoming events. RadioUser will be attending events marked with an asterisk* – come along to
our stand for great deals on subscriptions to Practical Wireless and RadioUser. Club Secretaries and Event Organisers: please send us details of your
events if you would like them to be mentioned here.

JANUARY 2018 The doors will open at 10.30am. largest second-hand and vintage Rally will be held at America Hall,
January 14th (Sunday) There will be free parking, trade hi-fi event”, Audiojumble will be held De La Rue Way, Pinhoe, Exeter
The Red Rose Winter Rally stands, freshly made refreshments at The Angel Leisure Centre, Angel EX4 8PW. The doors will open at
The West Manchester Radio Club (including the famous Canvey Radio Lane, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1SF. 10.30am (10.15am for disabled
will be holding its Red Rose Winter Rally bacon rolls) and facilities for Please see the event website for visitors) and admission will cost
Rally at the George H Carnall the disabled. details of the cost of admission for £2.00. There will be trade stands, a
Leisure Centre, Kingsway Park, Vic Rogers G6BHE standard and early entry. Items on Bring & Buy (items can be booked in
Urmston, Manchester M41 7FJ, Tel: 07957 461694 sale will include vintage and modern from 10.15am) and catering will be
just off Junction 9 of the M60, E-mail: nvr1945@btinternet.com hi-fi, valve amplifiers, transistor available.
opposite the Trafford Centre. The www.southessex-ars.co.uk amplifiers, speakers, turntables, Pete G3ZVI
venue is all on one level, with a huge tuners, tape recorders, CD players, Tel: 07714 198 374
car park, café area and facilities February 9th, 10th and 11th records, components, books and E-mail: g3zvi@yahoo.co.uk
for the disabled. The doors will (Friday/Sunday) vintage radios.
open at 11am and there will be the The Orlando HamCation www.audiojumble.co.uk March 4th (Sunday)
usual trade stands, components, The 72nd Orlando HamCation The Grantham ARC Radio and
a Bring & Buy, an RSGB bookstall will be held at the Central Florida February 18th (Sunday) Electronic Rally
and special interest groups. For Fairgrounds and Expo Park, 4603 The RadioActive Fair The Grantham ARC Radio and
further information, please see the West Colonial Drive, Orlando, The RadioActive Fair, promoted by Electronics Rally will be held at
information on the Club’s website or Florida 32808. The doors will be the Mid Cheshire Amateur Radio Grantham West Community Centre,
contact the Rally Manager. open from 9am to 5pm on the Friday Society, will be held at Nantwich Trent Road, Grantham, Lincolnshire
John and Saturday and 9am to 2pm on Civic Hall, 4 Market Street, NG31 7XQ and admission will cost
Tel: 07870 161 953 Sunday. Admission for all three Nantwich, Cheshire CW5 5DG. The £3,00. There will be talk-in, on-site
www.wmrc.co.uk days will cost US$17.00 (for tickets doors will open at 10.30am. There parking, traded stands, special
purchased at the gate) or US$15.00 will be free parking, trade stands, interest groups an RSGB bookstall
January 27th (Saturday) (if purchased online or via mail order a Bring & Buy, an RSGB bookstall, and facilities for the disabled.
The Horncastle Radio Rally by 31st December 2017). There will raffle, catering and facilities for the Kevin G6SSN
The Horncastle Radio Rally will be talk-in, free car parking, trade disabled. Tel: 07793 142 483
be held at Banovallum School, stands, a swap meet, tailgate sale, Stuart Jackson E-mail: g6ssn@btinternet.com
Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6DA, forums, special interest groups, Tel. 07880 732 534 www.garc.org.uk
with access via the Mareham Road family attractions and a prize draw. www.radioactivefair.co.uk
entrance. There will be free on-site www.hamcation.com March 11th (Sunday)
parking and admission will cost February 25th (Sunday) Dover Radio Rally
£2.00. In addition to trade stands, February 10th (Saturday) The BRATS Medway Radio Rally The Dover Radio Rally will take
there will be all the usual attractions, Ballymena ARC Rally The Bredhurst Receiving and place at Whitfield Village Hall,
including bacon butties. This is an The Ballymena ARC Rally will take Transmitting Society will be hosting Sandwich Road, Whitfield, Dover
indoor event and will be all on one place at the Ahoghill Community the BRATS Medway Radio Rally at CT16 3LY. Doors open at 10am.
level. Centre, 80 Cullybackey Road The Victory Academy, Magpie Hall Traders’ access is from 7.30am.
Tony G3ZPU Ahoghill BT42 1LA. Doors are open Road, Chatham, Kent ME4 5JB, just The auction starts at 12.30pm.
Tel: 01507 527 835 10.30am. There will be traders, B&B, off the M2 at Junction 3. The doors The rally ends at 1pm. Entrance
E-mail: refreshments, raffle and more. will be open between 10am (9.30am price for visitors is £2.00. Talk in on
tony.nightingale@yahoo.co.uk Hugh Kernohan GI0JEV for disabled visitors) and 2pm and GB3KS. There will be a Bring & Buy
Tel: 028 2587 1481 admission will cost £2.50. There will table, if you have any items you wish
FEBRUARY E-mail: HKernohan@aol.com be talk-in on 145.550MHz (GB4RRR) to sell, please bring them along,
February 3rd (Saturday) http://gi3fff.synthasite.com/ free parking and trade stands. On- 10% of the sale price will go to the
The Reading DX Meeting programme.php site catering is available. Traders will Dover Radio club funds. A Selection
The Reading International Radio have access to the venue from 6am. of hot and cold refreshments will be
Group will be meeting in Room 3 at February 11th (Sunday) Hugh H, G0BRC available as well as good parking
the Reading International Solidarity The Harwell Radio & Tel. 07825 838 877 facilities.
Centre (RISC), 35-39 London Street, Electronics Rally E-mail: secretary@brats-qth.org Aaron Coote 2E0FQR, M0IER
Reading RG1 4PS. The Meeting The Harwell Amateur Radio www.brats-qth.org Tel: 0771 465 4267
will take place between 2.30pm Society will be holding a Radio & Email: aaroncoote@hotmail.co.uk
and 5pm and offer an opportunity Electronics Rally at Didcot Leisure February 25th (Sunday) Website: www.darc.org.uk
for those interested in listening to Centre, Mereland Road, Didcot, Pencoed ARC Table Top Sale
broadcasters from around the world Oxfordshire OX11 8AY. The doors The Pencoed ARC Table Top March 25th (Sunday)
on the short wave, medium wave will be open between 10am and Sale takes place at the Pencoed Callington Radio Rally
and FM bands to get together. 3pm and admission will cost £3.00 Rugby Football Club, The Verlands, The Callington Radio Rally,
Mike Barraclough (children under 12 free). There will Felindre Road, Pencoed CF35 5PB. organised jointly by the Devon and
Tel: 01462 643 899 be talk-in on 145.550MHz (G3PIA), Doors open at 8am for sellers and Cornwall Repeater Group and the
E-mail: free parking, trade stands, special 10am for buyers, entry is £2. Tables Callington Amateur Radio Society,
barraclough.mike@gmail.com interest groups and RSGB bookstall. are £10 each, on a first come first will be held at Callington Town Hall,
Refreshments available all day. served basis. Refreshments are Callington, Cornwall PL17 7BD.
February 4th (Sunday) Ann, G8NVI available on site. The doors will open at 10am and
The Canvey Radio & E-mail: Madeline Roberts admission is £2.00. There will be
Electronics Rally ann.stevens@btinternet.com Tel: 0773 837 5775 ample free car parking adjacent to
The South Essex Amateur Radio www.g3pia.net/radio-electronics- the venue, trade stands, a Bring and
Society will be hosting the 33rd rally MARCH Buy (10% commission) and on-site
Canvey Radio & Electronics Rally at March 4th (Sunday) catering.
The Paddocks Community Centre, February 18th (Sunday) The Exeter Radio & Roger 2E0YPH
Long Road, Canvey Island, Essex Audiojumble Electronics Rally Tel: 07854 088 882
SS8 0JA (the southern end of A130). Audiojumble. Billed as “the UK’s The Exeter Radio & Electronics E-mail: 2e0rph@gmail.com

February 2018 Practical Wireless 65

65 Rallies 1 page.indd 65 15/12/2017 08:53

 Classified Adverts
DISCLAIMER Some of the products offered for sale in advertisements in this magazine may have been obtained from abroad or from unauthorised
sources. Practical Wireless advises readers contemplating mail order to enquire whether the products are suitable for use in the UK and have full after-
sales back-up available. The publishers of Practical Wireless wish to point out that it is the responsibility of readers to ascertain the legality or otherwise
of items offered for sale by advertisers in this magazine.

Antennas For Sale Valves

G4TPH MAGLOOPS Remote tune and manual CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE FOR LOTS VALVES AND ALLIED COMPONENTS IN
tune models. 40m through 10m, 100 Watts, OF NEW AND EXCITING ITEMS! Windows STOCK Ring for free list. Valves/ books/
SSB. See PW review on website. Details at 10 ready CAT and programming cables, magazines wanted. Geoff Davies (Radio).
www.g4tph.com latest version SDR USB sticks, replacement Tel: 01788 574774.
microphones, cables and PTTs for studio
microphones, linear switching cables and much
more. technofix.uk TOP PRICES PAID
CTCSS ENCODER AND DECODER KITS. FOR ALL YOUR VALVES, TUBES, SEMI-CONDUCTORS AND ICS.
DTMF kits and modules. Pic development kits.
 https://cstech.co.uk


Would you like to

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
Practical Wireless? www.langrex.co.uk
Repairs Please Contact Kristina Green
REPAIRS TO RECEIVERS, TRANSMITTERS
for all your advertising enquiries While prices of goods shown in advertisements
are correct at the time of going to press, readers
ETC. New/old, valve/transistor.
Call 07903 023437 for details. Tel: 01778 392096 are advised to check both prices and availability
of goods with the advertiser before ordering
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 Bargain Basement
Bargain Basement adverts now cost £5 per advert (subscribers still free) and will also be published in RadioUser, our sister magazine, unless requested otherwise.

Send your advert to Please write your advert clearly in BLOCK CAPITALS up to a maximum of 30 Advertisements from traders or for equipment that is illegal to possess, use
words, plus 12 words for your contact details on the form provided and send or which cannot be licensed in the UK, will not be accepted.
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Any advert which contains ?? marks indicates that the advertising dept. could point out that it is the responsibility of the buyer to ascertain the suitability of
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WANTED ONLY
CIRCUIT DIAGRAM FOR 1947
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Please insert this advertisement in the next available issue of Practical Wireless.
receiver in memory of an old friend.
Tel: Peter 2E0CYS 01793 642775 (Swindon) For Sale Wanted Exchange
Email: pmartin862@btinternet.com PLEASE NOTE: as a security measure, you must include your house number and postcode.

FOR SALE Name ........................................................................................ PW & RU

Address ....................................................................................
HEATHER LITE EXPLORER LINEAR
.................................................................................................. PW ONLY
AMPLIFIER. VGC, fully working, serviced
................................................ Post code .................................
recently. Collection in person. £600 ono.
Tel: 0208 6895149 (Croydon) Telephone Number ...................................................................
CARD NUMBER
TEN-TEC SCOUT MODULES for
(30)
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Tel: 01726 891320 Switch issue number (if on card) ..............................................................

KME80 4M 10W TRX £30 Start date of card ............................. Expiry date of card.......................
INTEK HR-2800 AM-FM 20w £40 My Subs Number is................................................(or send mailer label)
Pofung 300MHz TRX £20
KL35 Power Amp £10
SWR Meters plus other parts £10 We know a lot of people use the internet for second-hand sales nowadays but this is
a free service for subscribers and very cheap otherwise so please USE IT OR LOSE IT.
p&p not included or buyer collects.
Don’t forget to make cheques and postal orders payable to Warners Group Publications.
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Engaging young people in radio technology

At the RCF we want to encourage more youngsters
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pw_rcf_ad_2017.indd 1 05/05/2017 08:30:58

February 2018 Practical Wireless 67

Bargain Basement Feb 2018.indd 67 19/12/2017 11:25

 Radio Book Store
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Pages Price
SCANNING & FREQUENCY GUIDES
● SCANNERS 7 B Robertson & P Rouse ....................................245 £9.95
A TIT EW
D E
!
ED
D L
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ANTENNAS/PROPAGATION
● AN INTRODUCTION TO ANTENNA MODELLING
Steve Nichols G0KYA (RSGB)..........................................................80 £9.99
● NOVEL ANTENNAS Steve Telenius-Lowe PJ4DX (RSGB)..............192 £14.99
● ANTENNAS MASTERED Peter Dodd G3LDO (RSGB)..............288 £14.99
World ● STEALTH ANTENNAS 2 (RSGB) ...............................................208 £14.99

Radio TV ● RSGB ANTENNA FILE (RSGB)..................................................288 £14.99

Handbook 2018
● HF ANTENNAS FOR EVERYONE (RSGB) ................................336 £14.99
● BUILDING SUCCESSFUL HF ANTENNAS (RSGB) ............................ 224 £14.99
This is the 72nd edition of World Radio TV Handbook and this great directory continues ● HF ANTENNA COLLECTION Edited by Erwin David G4LQI
to offer the most comprehensive guide to broadcasting on the planet. With the help of an (RSGB) ........................................................................................233 £19.95
international network of contributors they again provide the most up-to-date information on
mediumwave, shortwave and FM broadcasts and broadcasters available in any publication.
● Articles on topics of great interest to professionals, listeners and dxers alike including BEGINNERS/LICENCE/MANUALS
articles on Anipodean Journey, Receiving Noise, Radio Romania International, A New ● HF SSB DX BASICS Steve Telenius-Lowe, 9M6DXX (RSGB) ...........96 £8.99
Voice of Hope and Radio Voices from the South Seas.
● RADIO PROPAGATION EXPLAINED Steve Nichols G0KYA ..........128 £12.99
● Reviews of the latest receivers and equipment
● Maps fully updated showing global SW transmitter sites ● HAMSAT (RSGB) ........................................................................128 £9.99
● The Features section provides colour pages giving articles, radio reviews, propagation ● GETTING STARTED IN AMATEUR RADIO (RSGB)...........................96 £8.99
predictions, and colour maps ● ADVANCE! THE FULL LICENCE MANUAL
● National Radio – The world’s national radio services, and the broadcasters, listed by
country Alan Betts G0HIQ & Steve Hartley G0FUW (RSGB) ...................104 £11.99
● International Radio – Full broadcaster details and the winter SW frequencies as supplied ● AMATEUR RADIO EXAM SECRETS
by the broadcasters together with an expanded Clandestine section Alan Betts G0HIQ (RSGB) ....................................................................... 104 £12.99
● Frequency Lists MW frequency lists by region; international and domestic SW broadcasts
● FOUNDATION LICENCE NOW! 5th Edition
by frequency; international broadcasts in English, French, German, Portuguese and
Spanish by UTC; DRM broadcasts Alan Betts G0HIQ (RSGB) ............................................................32 £4.99
● Television – Details of the broadcasters arranged alphabetically by country ● HF AMATEUR RADIO 2nd Ed. Ian Poole G3YWX (RSGB) .......144 £12.99
● Reference – International and Domestic SW Transmitter sites, Standard Time and ● INTERMEDIATE LICENCE – BUILDING ON THE FOUNDATION
Frequency Transmissions, DX Club information, Internet resources and other essential
information 4th Edition Steve Hartley G0FUW (RSGB) ..................................76 £6.99
All of this for just £35.00 plus p&p ● LOW STOCK MORSE CODE FOR RADIO AMATEURS (RSGB)32 inc. CD £8.99
● LOW STOCK SECRET OF LEARNING MORSE CODE
Mark Francis (Spa)........................................................................84 £6.95

AN INTRODUCTION TO DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION

ANTENNA MODELLING ● HOMEBREW COOKBOOK (RSGB) ..........................................208 £12.99

● CIRCUIT OVERLOAD (RSGB) ...................................................504 £18.99
For many years, the only way for most radio amateurs to work out
how well an antenna design would work was to build it and find ● THE ART OF SOLDERING R Brewster (Babani) .........................84 £3.99
out. The arrival of computer based antenna modelling programmes ● BUILDING A TRANSCEIVER
has changed this. This book looks at the Free MMANA-GAL E Skelton EI9GQ & E Richards G4LFM (RSGB) .........................176 £12.99
antenna modelling program that will let you design and optimise a
whole host of antennas and all on your PC. SHACK ESSENTIALS
PRICE: £9.99 PLUS P&P. ● RTTY/PSK31 for Radio Amateurs Roger Cooke G3LDI (RSGB) .............48 £7.99
● LOW STOCK RSGB AMATEUR RADIO OPERATING MANUAL
8th edition (RSGB) ................................................................................ 240 £16.99
RESTORING OLD ● NEW DELUXE LOGBOOK & DIARY 2017 (RSGB) .....................80 £4.99

RADIO SETS   ● NEW HART REVIEWS (RSGB)............................................................ 192 £12.99

● RSGB PREFIX GUIDE 12th edition (RSGB) ................................80 £9.99
For many, there is nothing more charming than an old broadcast ● SIX & FOUR Don Field G3XTT (RSGB) ............................................. 288 £13.99
receiver glowing away in a substantial wooden or Bakelite case.
However, these are now a rarity and it is much more likely that old ● AMATEUR RADIO ASTRONOMY 2nd Edition
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dusty, unloved condition. Restoring Old Radio Sets is a book that
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68 Practical Wireless February 2018

68 Book Store pages.indd 68 15/12/2017 08:54

 THE VINTAGE RIG GUIDE  
Amateur radio equipment saw great changes from the 1960s
onwards with the arrival of solid-state designs and there is
much superb equipment from the latter decades of the 20th
century available in the second-hand market. This brand new
publication focuses on the amateur radio equipment from
theses decades in the same format as the The Rig Guide,
describing the basic information about the equipment, along
with when it was first made and what it may be worth.
Price: £5.99 plus p&p.

Pages Price RADIO PROPAGATION EXPLAINED  

Understanding radio propagation is essential for anyone with
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Steve Nichols G0KYA, Radio Propagation Explained provides
everything you need to know about this fascinating topic.
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HISTORICAL
● THE VINTAGE RIG GUIDE Steve White G3ZVW............................80 £5.99 HF SSB DX BASICS  
Contacting far flung parts of the world (DX) on the High
Frequencies (HF) on single side-band (SSB) is one of the
CRYSTAL SETS enduring fascinations of amateur radio. HF SSB DX Basics
● THE VOICE OF THE CRYSTAL H Peter Friedrichs ......................185 £11.95 provides a practical guide to making the most of this endlessly
fascinating area of operation.
Price: £8.99 plus p&p.
ELECTRONICS RTTY/PSK31 FOR RADIO AMATEURS
● LOW STOCK COMPUTERS IN AMATEUR RADIO Data modes appear to be a daunting prospect to newly
licensed radio amateurs but they do not have to be. This book
with CD (RSGB) ..........................................................................256 £14.99 is a practical guide to the two most popular data modes, RTTY
● TEST EQUIPMENT FOR THE RADIO AMATEUR (RSGB) .......250 £14.99 and PSK31. However, RTTY /PSK31 for Radio Amateurs does
carry a warning: Buying this book may lead to an enjoyment
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Price: £7.99 plus p&p.
● PRACTICAL WIRELESS OR RADIOUSER. .........................................£10.00
GETTING STARTED IN AMATEUR RADIO
If you want to know something about the hobby or are newly
ACRCHIVE CDS NOW AVAILABLE licensed or are even just looking for something different,
The archive sets are each on a single optical disc and provided in a searchable portable document Getting Started in Amateur Radio provides the answers. What
format (PDF). It’s ideal for any computer running a PDF reader program – there should be no problems! about receiving digital images from the International Space
Station? Or talking to friends around the world via satellite?
RADIOUSER 2016 ARCHIVE .................................................................. £14.99 Or perhaps being able to help out during natural disasters? All
PRACTICAL WIRELESS 1965-1969 ARCHIVE ................................... £24.99 of these things are possible with amateur radio and Getting
Started in Amateur Radio details these and many other
PRACTICAL WIRELESS 1970-1974 ARCHIVE ................................... £24.99 possibilities. £8.99
PRACTICAL WIRELESS 2010-2014 ARCHIVE ................................... £24.99
THE VOICE OF THE CRYSTAL
RADIOUSER 2011-2015 ARCHIVE ....................................................... £24.99 185 pages of practical information on the fabrication of
PRACTICAL WIRELESS 2015 ARCHIVE .............................................. £14.99 electronic components suitable for use in building crystal
radio sets. Basic theory and simple analysis are combined
RADIOUSER 2015 ARCHIVE .................................................................. £14.99 with dozens of examples of historical practice, work by
IN THE SHOP ............................................................................................. £14.99 contemporary experimenters and construction details for many
instruments fabricated by the author himself. £11.95
DATA MODES ............................................................................................ £14.99
CARRYING ON THE PRACTICAL WAY .................................................. £14.99 CARRYING ON THE PRACTICAL WAY
20 years of projects in practical wireless
PRACTICAL WIRELESS 1975-1979 ARCHIVE ................................... £24.99 Since 1996, there has been an ongoing series of small practical
projects in Practical Wireless magazine. The Rev. George
PRACTICAL WIRELESS 1980-1984 ARCHIVE ................................... £24.99
Dobbs G3RJV has been the mainstay of this series by far,
PRACTICAL WIRELESS 2014 ARCHIVE .............................................. £14.99 having written around 95% of the articles that appeared up to
date. Therefore, as a tribute to George’s love of the hobby and
RADIOUSER 2014 ARCHIVE .................................................................. £14.99
to the other authors who take over the task of demonstrating
PRACTICAL WIRELESS 1985-1989 ARCHIVE ................................... £24.99 that building your own projects is easier than you might think,
we’ve collated them into one electronic archive.
ANTENNA COLLECTION ARCHIVE ....................................................... £14.99 Because of the wide-ranging subjects it’s not easy to catalogue
PRACTICAL WIRELESS 1990-1994 ARCHIVE ................................... £24.99 them because there are around 230 articles to browse through.
Of necessity, some are similar in nature but all are unique in
PRACTICAL WIRELESS 2013 ARCHIVE .............................................. £14.99 showing how easy it can be to create small circuits that can
RADIOUSER 2013 ARCHIVE .................................................................. £14.99 be coupled together to produce receivers, transmitters, test
equipment or just plain novelties to amuse. Nevertheless, all
PRACTICAL WIRELESS 1995-1999 ARCHIVE ................................... £24.99 are part of the self-training aspect of the hobby. £14.99
PRACTICAL WIRELESS 2012 ARCHIVE .............................................. £14.99
HARRY LEEMING’S IN THE SHOP
RADIOUSER 2012 ARCHIVE .................................................................. £14.99 A collection of Harry’s long running In The Shop series in PW.
PRACTICAL WIRELESS 2000-2004 ARCHIVE ................................... £24.99 Find hints, tips and anecdotes about customers that Harry met
while running Holdings HiFi Audio, an amateur radio shop. If
PRACTICAL WIRELESS 2011 ARCHIVE .............................................. £14.99 you’ve got an older Yaesu transceiver, this is the CD-ROM for
PRACTICAL WIRELESS 2010 ARCHIVE .............................................. £14.99 you with some 300 searchable pages. £14.99

PRACTICAL WIRELESS 2005-2009 ARCHIVE ................................... £24.99 MIKE RICHARDS’ DATA MODES
RADIOUSER 2011 ARCHIVE .................................................................. £14.99 Since he started his regular column some years ago, Mike
Richards G4WNC has explained the many data modes using
RADIOUSER 2006-2010 ARCHIVE ....................................................... £24.99 a computer with your radio. They’re all here, but these are not
the only computer related topics Mike has covered. Find out
RADIOUSER 2017 ARCHIVE .................................................................. £14.99
how to use the Raspberry Pi, a £25 Linux computer or create
PRACTICAL WIRELESS 2017 ARCHIVE .............................................. £14.99 projects using the Arduino system. All this in 178 searchable
pages. £14.99

February 2018 Practical Wireless 69

68 Book Store pages.indd 69 15/12/2017 08:54

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 the new Short Wave Magazine
incorporating Radio Active

The ICOM IC-R8600 Wideband Receiver In his review, Keith Airband News David Smith reviews potential cyber-threats to
Rawlings G4MIU offers an in-depth assessment of the technical aircraft and reports on ground-breaking remote-control tower
specifications, key features and advanced capabilities of the new technology in the UK, before updating readers on routes and
flagship receiver from ICOM. arrival procedures.
Scanning Scene Scanmeister Bill Robertson provides hints and DXTV, FM & Satellite News Keith Hamer and Garry Smith
tips for wireless remote scanning in and around your home and demonstrate the truly global nature of their hobby, delineating TV
looks at a type of radio that could be said to be out of this world. and FM DXing successes during October and using contributions

ON
The ELAD FDM DUOr Multi-Use Receiver Former RU editor Andy from readers around the world.
Thomsett re-examines the ELAD FDM DUOr multi-use receiver LM&S Broadcast Matters Chrissy Brand checks back in from a
from the point of view of its software capabilities, its versatility and visit to the Woofferton SW transmitter site, looks at global radio

SALE
its practicability for the hobby monitor. stations’ QSL policies and reacts to readers’ reception reports on
Sky High Godfrey Manning evaluates the use of selected radio short and medium wave.
Decode Mike Richards covers more of the aspects and

NOW
communications as aids to aviation, surveys good practice,
covers callsigns and offers some operational and frequency workings of the Weak Signals Propagation Reporter system,
updates. including its WSJT-X component.
Fifty Years of BBC Colour TV Keith Hamer and Garry Smith return News & Products Key developments in the radio and podcasting
with a mini-series in which they remind us of one of the more industries, resources for you to explore, frequency schedules and January 2018
significant media anniversaries of 2017. new radio and SDR equipment to explore. Available from all good
Maritime Matters Robert Connolly weighs up minimum Comms from Europe Our man in Hungary, Simon Parker, caps newsagents. Price £3.99
specifications for non-GMDSS maritime VHF equipment, relives off this year by investigating emerging technology, assessing
the recent hurricane Ophelia and undertakes some equipment antennas and sampling dealers, clubs and networks in the CB
comparisons. community.
Digital Radio New regular columnist Kevin Ryan looks at weather Off the Record Oscar the Engineer observes a very short-lived
and DAB reception, assesses smaller DAB trials and reports transmission from Radio Caroline and envisages some changes
on issues of coverage, audiences and services in this sector of to his column for the coming year.
digital radio. Radio Websites Chrissy Brand surveys the key results of the
Radio Museums 1 (UK) Without any claim to comprehensiveness, recent Radio and Internet (RAIN) summit in London, reads
David Harris and Georg Wiessala offer a short table of some unusual, radio-themed, novels and chooses festive radio
historical sites and museums in the UK dedicated to radio history, programming online. RadioUser is Published by:
technology and design. Software Spot This month, QSP73 Services offers a quick-and- Warners Group Publications Ltd
Book Review Avid radio book reader David Harris reviews a not-so-dirty guide to some new digital data modes in amateur West Street, Bourne, Lincs. PE10 9PH
fascinating, updated, biographical account of the life of Michael radio, before offering access to a wide range of corresponding Tel: 01778 391000
Faraday by Professor Iwan Rhys Morus. decoding software.

Coming
Review – The WSPRlite Flexi
Tim Kirby G4VXE looks at the WSPRlite
Flexi from SOTAbeams.

next month
Doing it by Design
Eric Edwards GW8LJJ describes an
efficient high-quality AM transceiver for
the 60m band.
Valve & Vintage
IN THE UK’S BEST AND ONLY INDEPENDENT In the centenary year of the
development of the superhet, Dr
AMATEUR RADIO MAGAZINE Bruce Taylor HB9ANY relates
how one remarkable amateur
revolutionised the art of radio.
Carrying on the Practical Way
Tony Jones G7ETW follows
up his Morse sender project
(November 2017) with an
Arduino-based Morse reader.
What Next
MARCH 2018 ISSUE Colin Redwood G6MXL
ON SALE 8TH FEBRUARY 2018 reviews the BITX 40m SSB
Transceiver kit.
AT ALL GOOD NEWSAGENTS There are all your other
regular columns too,
Current issues are available direct for including HF Highlights,
World of VHF,
the cover price (post free). Please see Emerging Technology,
the Book Store pages for ordering information Making Waves and
Data Modes.
The publishers reserve the right to change content according to circumstances.

February 2018 Practical Wireless 73

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Practical Wireless
Advertisers index
Allport Communications ..........................................74
A wonderful selection of radio Birkett, J ..................................................................41
based books are available Bowood Electronics ................................................41
Lam Communications .............................................29
We can also supply a copy of most individual Langrex....................................................................66
reviews that you may have read in past editions Lindars Radios ........................................................74
of Practical Wireless and RadioUser Martin Lynch & Sons .............................37, 38, 39, 75
See the Book Store pages in this issue for ordering information Moonraker ...................................................20, 21, 22
Nevada ...............................................................32,33
Practical Wireless – coming next month .................73
Radio Communications Foundation ........................67
Would you like to advertise RadioUser................................................................73
in Practical Wireless? Sandpiper Aerial Technology...................................74
SDR Kits ..................................................................51
Short Wave UK ........................................................57
Please Contact Kristina Green Sotabeams ........................................................45, 66
for all your advertising enquiries technofix ..................................................................66

Tel: 01778 392096

Tennamast ...............................................................74
Waters & Stanton ..............................................2, 3, 4
E-mail: kristina.green@warnersgroup.co.uk Yaesu UK Ltd...........................................................76

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