public:blog:start
Table of Contents
07 : Blog
2 Post(s) for March 2025
| Sun 09/03/25 : Tweaking The Blog Setup | 09/03/25 14:29 GMT | John Pumford-Green | blogging |
| Sun 09/03/25 : A New Blogging platform? | 09/03/25 14:00 GMT | John Pumford-Green | blogging, chyrp-lite |
Wed 19 July 2023
- SFI = 219 A = 16 K = 1
- Period 1 : 0700z
- 30m
- Heard G4XRV working N1GKE - bug/bug - N1GKE only 339 here, so no point trying to call him
- CQ @ 10123kHz - BVc
- Called by G4XRV - Rupert - nr London - B.U.G member - BVc - RCh - nice catch-up and chat about bug group & our bugs - Rupert using McElroy 1937 - had to cut QSO short to get ready for work - will have more QSOs (last one in 2021)
- Period 2 1700z
- 30m
- Had an idea to try using the IC-M710 marine transceiver on CW - it's not a nice CW radio for the crowded HF bands but might be okay on 60m?
- Wired up the rear-panel DIN plug with the switched key select line (allows me to switch the bugs/keys between different rigs) for “rig #2”
- and sent a few RBN TEST DE GM4SLV GM4SLV calls to see how it fared
- Called by OS5Z - Marc - nr Tournai
- I don't think I'll be using the IC-M710 much on CW - perhaps with my Python Control panel it'll make a “fun alternative” rig - like an old Skanti marine radio - but not for most HF operations - the fixed BFO offset of 1kHz is not pleasant, either.
- Period 3 : 2215z
- IC-7200
- 40m
- Band very quiet - not much activity heard…..
- Heard a CQ from DL2FCN and replied - Bo - nr Darmstadt - BVc - RSt
- 30m
- Sent a few CQ calls on 10.123 - no replies
- Heard a CQ on 10.108 from SA0BFW which sounded manual/bug sending - I replied and…
- QSO with SM0BFW - Wittich - Stockholm - BVc/BVp (& SKh briefly) - RCh - he was using Vibroplex Original Standard from 2022 “bought it direct from Vibroplex in USA” - had a nice >30min chat about bugs etc. Will look for him again - always good to have a Bug-Bug 2-way QSO
Tue 18 July 2023
- SFI = 180 A = 24 K = 3
- Membership of Bug Users Group confirmed : #318
- Period 1 1015z
- 40m
- Heard end of a QSO of GM4OAS - Gordon - Mallaig - so I tail-ended and had nice catch-up chat - BVc - RCh
- Period 2 2015z
- 20m - thought I'd try 20m for a change…
- CQ - called by LZ2UG - Angel - Tirnovo - BVp - RSt - + Age = 79
- Called by RU9UX - Geo, Belovo (Siberia) - BVp - RSt - + Age = 73
- Called by 4O6DN (Montenegro) - Don, Podgorica - SKh - RSt
- Called by SP3DGV - Genek - Przeclaw - BVp/SKh - RSt
- Called by IZ1NQY - Enzo - Camburzano - BVp - RSt + Born 1942/ham 1977
- Called by HB9DAX/qrp - Fred - BVp - lost him when I tried to QRP to match his 5W…. QSB?
- A strange sort of evening - all the people calling me were on the slow side which is fine, but it tends to make me switch to a straight key in case my slowest bug speed (~18wpm) is either to fast or too buggy for someone who's only sending at 16-18wpm themselves.
- 30m CQ…. no replies…..
- Just before leaving shack heard CQ DE PH2CV on 30m…
- Worked PH2CV - Okko - Rotterdam - BVp - RSt
Mon 17 July 2023
- SFI = 184 A = 10 K = 4
- * Period 1 : 1400z
- CQ 30m 100w - BVp / BVc
- RBN Spots
- 10124.3 : OH6BG SE5E TF3Y TF4M ES2RR G4HSO DC8YZ DF1DN DL8LAS ON6ZQ G0KTN OK1FCJ DL1HWS OE9GHV DL0PF DF2CK G4ZFE
- No replies…
- Bug sending practice at ≥ 25wpm - BVc - for 30+ minutes
- Period 2 : 2050z
- SFI = 184 A = 10 K = 2
- CQ 60m - BVp - no reply….
- 40m
- Heard EA3PP calling CQ - distinctive bug sound - have QSOd already on 30m and 17m, so 40m is a new one…. I called him and had QSO - BVp - RSt
- 30m
- Heard CQ from IZ0FBJ - not strong but workable -BVp - RCh - nice QSO - Alex - nr Rome - Age 50 (someone younger than me!) Xiegu G90/20W - been 40C during day! Then QSB and rising QRN made it too difficult to continue
Sun 16 July 2023
- Period 1 2000z
- SFI = 179 A = 8 K = 1
- 60m
- Heard G3XIZ call CQ on 5262kHz (QRP freq) & replied using 5W QRP too
- Chris heard me with difficulty under his high local noise floor and I decided to make things more even by increasing to 100W
- This is probably a fair levelling of the playing field!
- BVp - RCh - discussed rigs/keys/keyer/MF and local noise levels. Makes me consider a return to “500kHz” MF in the winter - only on CW of course!
- Is this going to be possible? Some thought needed. Last time I was on MF I had to give up HF operation - only space for one “big” antenna and its ATU
- 40m
- Heard G3XBI call CQ and called him amid lots of close-in QRM.
- 599 report both ways and nice QSO - BVp - ~RCh
Sat 15 July 2023
- SFI = 181 A = 20 K = 2
- Flare : M2.9 @ 0741z - will condx be poor today?
- Period 1 : 2000z
- 30m Beacon : IZ3DVW/B 10129.5 - peaking S3 on meter. Strong signal : 2020z
- Replied to a CQ call sent by DL4YHF - “CQ TESTING INDOOR ANTENNA PSE K” - Wolf - nr. Bieldefeld - “we have worked before from club DF0WD a long time ago” - BVc - ~RCh
- CQ 30m
- RBN Spots
- 10115.5: SE5E OH6BG TF3Y SM7IUN ES2RR DM6EE DL0PF G4HSO OE9GHV G4IRN S53WW DL8LAS DC8YZ CT7ANO G4ZFE DJ2BC TF4M HB9DCO IK4VET DR4W EA5WU RN4WA DF2CK DO4DXA ON6ZQ DM5GG HB9BXE (+ 20 more)
- Called by UB3B - Alex - Moscow - BVp / BVc - RSt
- Replied to a CQ call sent by M7NDB - SKh - was strong, S9, and he came back to me and then faded away to NIL during his first over. Copied “op John qth Man….” and gone, nil, nada!
- Listened on 40m and heard a lot of CQ TEST from (mainly?) Spanish stations (2120z) - what contest? There's nothing listed on the WA7BNM Contest Calendar - where do all these contests come from?
- QSY to 60m
- CQ 60m 5260kHz
- called by G0GZN - Lindy - Poole - BVp - RCh - discussed the heavy rain today, I apologized in case my Bug sounded like “a bag of spanners” and was told it didn't (phew!), her holiday in Cornwall and the Shetland TV Detective series.
- I get worried using a bug with people who aren't “bug people” - they can be an acquired taste and when the “swing” is exaggerated can be very difficult to read unless “it's your thing”. I try to make my sending as “neutral” as possible, without hiding the fact that it's not from an electronic keyer - bland and homogenous. It's a fine line between “a fist with personality” and “speech impediment”!
- QSY 30m
- 30m heard Bug-Bug QSO between IK4EWX and OH2EA - for FOC “Bug Day”
- IK4EWX called CQ BUG DAY and was answered by a Russian station….. I waited and then called him myself
- QSO IK4EWX (FOC?)- Ian - nr Ferrara - BVc/BVp - RCh - would love a longer chat when more time/less QSB & QRN - lots of Rain Static during QSO. Bug CW was “Music to my ears” - You Tube video potential….
public/blog/start.txt · Last modified: 09/03/25 14:54 GMT by john