For those readers who live outside the UK, the government department responsible for policing the radio spectrum is called Ofcom. Ofcom has recently published its 2005/2006 prosecution statistics. This shows that their resources almost exclusively spent their time shutting down unlicenced broadcast stations (that operate on the 88 to 108Mhz FM band I suppose) and unlicensed Private Business Radio operators.
Out of 52 prosecutions, they secured 52 convictions. A case of making sure you have very strong evidence I assume. However only 4 warning letters were sent out to the hobby market; these four letters covered all those 27Mhz stations running 500 watts, those ops on 6.6Mhz and all those radio amateurs broadcasting music on repeaters (eg GB3 Charlie Fox middle of January 2007) and generally causing a mess of QRM. Not a single prosecution.
Looks like you can get away with murder then?
January 31st, 2007
Posted by
callum |
Amateur Radio |
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I’ve just found this page on the internet whilst I was doing a search to track down exactly how the IDBT control works on my Yaesu FT1000MP Mark IV (Mk 5). It stands for something like Interlocked Digital (analog) Bandwidth Tracking and it’s part of the EDSP controls. Thierry explains it better than me, however I’m a happy bunny now because I can get the Mk5 sounding like my original MP :)
Anyway, these deeper (advanced..?) instructions beat the instruction manual hands down. Merci Thierry!
January 29th, 2007
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callum |
Amateur Radio |
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This morning, I removed from the loft, a pair of nested dipoles for 40 and 20 meters fed with one coax feeder. The 40 meter dipole was loaded with some coils so that I could fit it in the attic, see here for one of the coils: http://www.m0mcx.co.uk/gallery/picture.php?/96/category/12. It gave me 40, 20 and 15 with a push because although a 40 meter dipole should give you a resonant 15 meter antenna, in this case - with the coils for 40 - it mucked the maths up and caused the ATU some trouble. On 40m, it worked a treat.
If anyone is interested in making up the “shorty forty”, you may find my experience of interest: Each coil was made from 3 meters of hard drawn BT downlead, coiled around a PVC plumbers pipe of around 25mm diameter and about 30 turns or thereabouts. The actual spec from the dipole centre was as follows:
- Dipole centre to coil: 3.7 meters
- Coil to end of dipole leg: 3.3 meters
- = 7 meters each leg + length of the coil
I replaced the nest was replaced by a half-size G5RV in a “lazy” inverted V configuration, tucked up in the rafters. Good for running a second radio and it gets me on 10m as well as the WARC bands.
Incidentally, when I was testing this original dipole, I started off with 8 meters for each leg and ran it through the MFJ analyser. It was resonant on 6.66 Mhz. An old favorite pirate band that some people may remember. Adding the coils raised the renonant freq from 6.6 to 8.5, so cutting a meter off each side to get the whole thing working for the amateur bands was necessary.
So there you have it, a 45 foot long 40m band dipole.
January 27th, 2007
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callum |
Amateur Radio |
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Not being able to resist the pull of the decibals, I raided the larder tonight for a Pringle tin to build a wave-guide antenna from scrap parts. This is the story of that project. The photo project is here: http://www.m0mcx.co.uk/gallery/index.php?/category/37.
Manufacture: I soldered a 30.5mm (quarter wave) element to a UHF bulk-head connector and drilled out a hole in the Pringle for hot-glueing. Exactly how far away from the base of the tin I should fit the element took ages - and lots of conflicting web pages. In the end, I aimed for 1/4 wave from the back of the tin. Someone is going to tell me that this is probably the most awful place to stick it - I can believe you :)
My multimeter couldn’t get a reading on the foil inside the can so I used kid’s water based glue to stick sheets of tin-foil to the outside. This tinfoil was grounded to the base of the tin, although I had some difficuty in doing this because there appears to be some sort of laquor applied to the base. The copper wires seen in the photo were to act as a physical and an electrical assistant; to provide a good ground to the outside of the can.
Ater connecting the Pringle-Wave-Guide to a buffalo wireless access point, I turned it in the general area of the kids room that was running NetStumbler on their network card. I waggled the can around in my shack, and went to the kids room to check if the signal strength had risen at all during the waggling. No luck. So far, it’s as much use as a dummy load. This can’t be right though, so I’ll have to do some more evaluation.
To date, the most reliable antenna has been the 1/4 wave vertical. I’m just waiting for those Parabolic dishes to turn up. Then we’ll have some fun!
January 26th, 2007
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callum |
Amateur Radio |
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I needed to get an antenna higher for the kids computer room but a quarter wave vertical didn’t seem to have the gain I wanted, in fact from the kids room I couldn’t even see the network. I hunted for a Pringle can to make a “Can-Tenna” (see http://www.m0mcx.co.uk/?p=17) but apparently we were out of stock(!). A small yagi was the answer:
I made the driven element directly out of the lossy RG58 coax so that the centre conductor became one side of the driven element and the braid became the other. I used solder to give the wires some strength.
A good test but don’t be fooled. The standard 5/8th antenna shipped with most routers are probably just as good. This yagi needs to be a 5 or maybe 8 element to work better!
2.4 Ghz, three element yagi pictures: http://www.m0mcx.co.uk/gallery/index.php?/category/36
I also built a quarter wave last night directly from Westflex W-103, no other components - and although it compared well to the shipped vertical, it only started to match the retail antenna when I gave it some height. Another good (but failed!) experiment!
2.4 Ghz quarter wave vertical antenna pictures here: http://www.m0mcx.co.uk/gallery/index.php?/category/35
January 25th, 2007
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callum |
Amateur Radio |
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Possibly the funniest MP3 I’ve ever heard. Little Becky calls a demolition company and asks that they destroy her school. Fabulous.
Little Becky used to have her own “micro site” at http://www.98fm.ie/ but it’s been taken down recently (checked Dec 2007).
January 24th, 2007
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callum |
QRO |
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I can never find the comparison charts between RG213 and Henry Westlake’s Westflex W-103. At last, I’ll have this logged forever now. Per 100 meters:
|
RG213/URM67(Mil spec)
|
Westflex 103
|
| 100 MHz 7 dB |
3.2 dB |
| 144 MHz 8.5 dB |
4.5 dB |
| 200 MHz 10 dB |
5.4 dB |
| 300 MHz 13 dB |
6.2 dB |
| 432 MHz 15 dB |
7.5 dB |
| 1000 MHz 27 dB |
13.0 dB |
| 2450 MHz use Westflex 103 |
19.1dB
|
| 3000 MHz use Westflex 103 |
27.8 dB
|
| 5000 MHz use Westflex 103 |
34.1 dB
|
January 24th, 2007
Posted by
callum |
Amateur Radio |
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I hit upon this article whilst looking for equipment boxes for the wireless router project. it’s not until you get to about page 3 that you start to think with this is either a wind up - or he’s a potential radio amateur!!
http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=39099&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
It’s no wonder they created legislation to protect those stupid enough to kill themselves with electrikery!
January 21st, 2007
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callum |
Club |
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I have just bought some MC to N-type pigtails for the wireless project but now I’m trying to find equipment enclosures to house the router up the mast right next to the grid antenna. Can I find one? Nope. There’s a company paying good money to Google for first place in the rankings for “non metallic enclosure” but the site is so bad(!) and the pages are even named, “NewPage 1″ and stuff like that. The MD’s son’s summer project by the look of it. Need to get the pros in!
After much searching, I found a few sources:
January 21st, 2007
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callum |
Amateur Radio |
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Now that I have installed and got working the photo library, I’m thinking that maybe there’s better options on the market! phpWebGallery is hardly user configurable so I’m a bit stuck for pre-completed themes. I’m looking at CopperMine (see http://coppermine-gallery.net/) but I don’t know how to uninstall phpWebGallery. What a drama.
January 21st, 2007
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callum |
QRO |
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I got a really childish buzz out of doing the AFS yesterday. The adrenaline rush at the beginning was so real! My voice was faulterinig and I was shaking through the excitement, how mad is that? I remember looking at the shack clock 11 minutes after the start with 20 QSOs in the log wondering how I was going to cope for 4 hours? I bagged 103 in the first hour and 95 in the second hour, thinking that I was heading for a world record(!), but I only scored 39 in the third hour. Anyway, it was such good fun and to do 4 hours on the radio without a pee? I must have timed everything just right.
After dinner, I asked Emily if she’d like her own blog. She’s had www.emilymac.co.uk for over a year and although I built her a really pretty site, she coudn’t update it because it was a static site, with no software. Anyway, we’ve sorted one out for her and I spent most of last night getting it working.
2:30 in the morning I was still awake, listening to the occasional banging from the neighbours garden gate that wasn’t closed properly. Finally I had had enough, I got dressed and walked around three sides of a square to get to their house and would you believe it, their son opened the window just as I walked up the path! We both spooked each other. I told him my purpose and he grunted (he’s about 17, they grunt quite well).
Then I just lay awake for ages. It’s morning now, so I guess I slept.
January 21st, 2007
Posted by
callum |
QRO |
2 comments
Thanks to Lee for finding this link: http://flakey.info/antenna/waveguide/ which is about some keen guys putting together a “Circular Waveguide Antenna for 2.45 GHz / 802.11b / WiFi / WLAN” achieving a 2200 meter link with tin cans. There’s hope for us yet!
January 21st, 2007
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callum |
Club |
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AFS starts soon. I’m here early setting up for it. I can’t hear much, are the bands open? N1MM is working OK but my voice keyer is making nasty noisy QRN from the computer and it’s horrible so I’ve ditched it whilst I consider what to do. This means more fluids (to keep voice in working order!) = more toilet. Last CQWW I used a bucket so I wouldn’t lose my frequency. I’ll just have to cross my legs this time!
I’m logged into the Wythall chat room and waiting for people to join. I love these club activity contests. The anticipation kills me!
At 45 minutes before the off, I am holding 3.697 MHz and calling CQ, speaking with MU0FAL (Colin), M3NSQ (Steve in Hornsea), M1EBV (Bristol) and G0ICJ (David from Wythall Club) and I stay on that freq at the off, gradually moving up to 3.698 MHz until 16:21pm with 213 QSOs in the bag. Over the next 100 minutes, I only scored another 45 QSOs, mainly because I lost my frequency through stupidity by deciding I could score more doing some single VFO work, cruising from the bottom of the band through to the top, then I realised what a fabulous frequency I had!
I ran full UK legal power (400 watts) though my FT100Mp Mk5 and my Ameritron 811 amp almost on tickover using a turned-down Class A from the 1000 as the driver for the linear amp. Anyway, finished on 259 which is about 20 QSOs better than last year.
Wythall Chatroom:
15:28:56 [ChrisG1VDP] I am stuck between 2 very loud and wide stations on my running freq…
15:29:24 [g6kmq] m0mcx one of them?
15:45:16 [g0mtn] we’re finished now - time for shopping
15:45:56 [m0mcx] Shopping? Loser
15:46:32 [g0mtn] 133 first hour though. can’t complain
16:50:43 [g7ugc] You swine Chris pinchinf my QSO
16:51:02 [g6kmq] who me?
16:52:21 [g0mtn] back from shopping. now starting cooking… (!)
16:52:26 [g0mtn] scores on the doors so far ?
16:52:44 [g7ugc] 53
16:52:49 [g6kmq] 54
16:52:51 [g0eyo] 54
16:53:24 [ChrisG1VDP] 66
16:54:43 [m0mcx] 234
17:40:54 [m0mcx] Last year: http://www.contesting.co.uk/hfcc/results/2006/afsssb2006.shtml
17:51:23 [g0mtn] remember: fivers to me after the contest
17:54:08 [g0mtn] just received my first log not even finished yet
17:56:07 [m0mcx] Got called by DL16XXV - sounds like a post code!
18:00:49 [ChrisG1VDP] Do we send the logs to lee to enter the contest?
18:00:58 [g0mtn] yes please.
18:01:24 [g0mtn] i will then send them to myself
18:02:12 [g0mtn] qsy dinner
18:02:53 g0eyo exits from this room
18:03:06 [m0mcx] Me too !
January 20th, 2007
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callum |
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It’s uploading now as I speak. I used a program called PhotoResize400 to resize every photograph to 800 pixels wide (default is 400 pixels, you change it by changing the program name to PhoResize800, how cool is that?). Check it out at http://www.rw-designer.com/picture-resize. My 500Mb of antenna projects came down to 17Mb.
Then I discover that all the spaces in my file names can’t be used with PHPwebGallery, so I found another utility to change all spaces to underscores: http://cerebralsynergy.com/download.php?view.55. You would think finding a simple utility to do this would be easy but like all small utilities, there’s rather a lot of false starts. The first two I downloaded were littered with bugs and/or cripple-ware. How am I supposed to test out a recursive utility if I’m restricted to 30 files? Software authors need to get in the minds of users.
January 20th, 2007
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callum |
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PHPGallery is working here: http://www.m0mcx.co.uk/gallery/ but integrating it with WordPress utilising the plugin “Photon” is proving complicated and error prone, I may junk the integration :(
Time for bed.
January 20th, 2007
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callum |
QRO |
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I have a first class project in tow to put a 2.4GHz link in to the club about 4.5 miles away. I’ve just secured 5 grid dishes with 24dbi of gain for £125. What is a Fresnal zone and how do I spell it?
Anyway, there’s this great site to calculate the potential likelihood of succeeding in putting a link up between one site and another: http://www.atdi.uk.com/WebObjX/default.asp. It also gives you the dreaded Fresnel Ellipse data which I think I’m slowly starting to understand - essentially, you can block around 40% of the ellipse in one place and the link should still work, but no more. Google it for more.
January 19th, 2007
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callum |
Club |
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Since installing WordPress last night, I discover that maybe I’d prefer a photo blog (!) so I’m in between a rock, a sponge and a hard place, however not all is lost. Photon (see http://www.jillij.com/wordpress/?page_id=66) is a plugin to WordPress but it’s complicated, I need to install PHPWebGallery http://www.phpwebgallery.net/ first.
January 19th, 2007
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callum |
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.. and I’m becoming extremely pissed off with teenagers.
Last Halloween, Wendy called me from the car to say that yobs had run out in front of her and chucked an egg at the car. She reversed to see who it was and called me. Whilst on the phone, they threw another one – both splattered on the car. Emily got scared and started crying so Wendy drove around the corner and waited for me. It only took me 40 seconds.
When I got there, the 30 lads and girlfriends were still huddled at the corner so after reassuring Emily, and being deaf to Wendy’s “don’t chase them” I ran full pelt at the 30. Amazingly, they crapped themselves and made for the depths of Conquer Lane. Mind you, I was dressed in black shoes, black trousers and a black military looking T shirt – so maybe a fat bloke from the SAS had just turned up? It didn’t take me long to find one hiding in a hedge. He had cracked a twig underfoot. I questioned him and asked who the ringleaders were. On hearing that he didn’t know, I “nicked” him by grabbing his anorak at the chest area and pulling him towards me.
“You’re f*cking nicked mate”! I heard myself saying to him, “no please, please, please” he wibbled. The smell of more crap emitted as he followed my arm, reluctantly stuck to his chest area as I strode down conquer lane, dragging him along, shouting obscenities at a bigger crowd of yobs, now formed 500 meters down conquer lane. I delivered the wobbling mess of a mate at their feet and demanded to know who it was. Of course, they didn’t know and some 15 year old made his way forward, taking charge and using intimidation tactics. I held my ground and shut him up, along with the girl who started giggling, “What’s funny honey”? I had made my point though, if you yob around, eventually some crazy bloke will come and murder you – and my goodness, you could see in their eyes that they knew I was one screw from being very loose!
What do you do?
January 18th, 2007
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callum |
QRO |
one comment
I emailed Chris last night and told him to dump realpictures.co.uk down the list and promote my new site, M0MCX to a full domain so that I could test out WordPress. I must admit, it’s a cracker of a program but the million hours of configuration takes it’s toll!
January 18th, 2007
Posted by
callum |
QRO |
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