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G8MNY > HOBBY 12.02.15 11:33l 186 Lines 8404 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 22108_GB7CIP
Read: DG1FI GUEST DG0TM DB1BU DK3HG
Subj: Re: regular packeteers on air
Path: DB0FHN<DB0PM<OE2XZR<OE3XAR<OE1XAB<HG8LXL<CX2SA<GB7CIP
Sent: 150212/0708Z @:GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO #:22108 [Caterham Surrey GBR]
From: G8MNY@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO
To : HOBBY@WW
By G8MNY (Updated Sep 2013)
(8 Bit ASCII graphics use code page 437 or 850, Terminal Font)
Some time back Andy, G0FTD wrote:-
> There's a surprising amount of true on air activity from some
> packeteers that we obviously don't hear enough about.
So here is MY BLOG
I have done a lot of amateur radio operating & construction since I started in
1977 with the B licence. (actually passed the written RAE in 1970, but too busy
with college, work & discos etc. to take it up.)
NO CW
I was not interested in the 150 year old CW mode, I am not musical at all, so
learning CW looked too hard to do for me.
§-Ú-Ð--Ð-¿ -. - .-.- ??
~~~~~~
So I strove to do more technically challenging modes like ATV, where home
design & construction was the norm.
PACKET
I have been active on packet radio for over 20 years, started with YAPP. Now
still run TNC & RF...
____________ _______ ______ ______ \|/ Loft
|Compaq W98se|-|TNC 220|-|FT290R|-|30W PA|-----------/ fullwave dipole
| PaKet 6.2 | ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~|12v PSU &|
~~~~~~~~~~~~ | battery |
And I am well known for the ASCII art in technical bulletins that I publish on
packet radio, this I do to try keep the mode more interesting. These I allow to
be copied to Ham internet sites, A seach on G8MNY current reveals 106,000 hits!
ACTIVITY _______________________________________
My level of activity, since 1977 I have | | | | | | | | | | | | |
filled 13 full size log books with main | | | | | | | | | | | | |
station & /P activity but not including | 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9|10|11|12|13
my /M operating (2m 200W FM) | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
DX ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My best DX ever, was years ago with a confirmed SSB contact to VK on 70cms/2m
via OSCA 10. ___
/~ G~\ ~ - _
| | 70cm up~ - _
| EARTH | _~ =*Osca10
| | 2m down_ - ~
\_ VK_/ _ - ~
~~~
<8000miles>
< ---- 23000 miles ---- >
Although using a satellite may be seen as cheating by some, my 70cms signal had
to go 23,000 miles up to a target which was just on/below the horizon. Then
through the Satellite transponder to 2m, then another 23,000 miles to again
another earth scraping path to the VK, and in the rare 10 min window when this
was possible only every few months.
ATV
On the ATV front I often used to run fast scan TV with a 400W PEP Vestigial
Side Band colour on 70cms from a homebrew Tx & homebrew K2RIW PA. I worked
stations in full 625 line PAL colour ATV a 100 miles away.
_______ ______ ________
|12V PSU| |ATV Tx|---|K2RIW PA|-----¿
~~~~~~~ ~|~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ \__________70cm beam
__Ú---¿ | ___ _______ Relay/ LDF 450 & rotator
()_|CAM|-----/ |[ ]|---|PREAMP |----Ù
À-Â-Ù ~~~ ~~~~~~~
/ \ 70cm TV
Later I moved ATV activity to FM on 23cms, but with only a 40W homebrew Tx & PA
when GB3HV repeater started up 51kM away in 1987. I have been one of the main
players in the Home Counties ATV Group since it formation in 1980, serving as
club secretary for many years, & I can still be found at rallies on the ATV
stand.
/P CONTESTING
I have also done a lot of /P contest from the hilltop @ Woldingham (sometimes
under G6CTU call on 2m 1988-1999 or other calls) working mainly on VHF/UHF both
ATV & SSB modes with ERPs of around the 40kW mark from large aerial arrays at
66ft & I designed & built much of the kit for this.
o_o_o_o_o_o_o_oo²
70cm 27el ×
Quad Loop Yagi º 400W
/-/-/-/-/Â/-/-/-// @ 66ft º
/-/-/-/-/Â/-/-/-// º
4x 17el ÃÄÒÄ´ 400W º
Boxed ÃÄ×Ä´ ×
/-/-/³/×/Á/-/-/-// º
/-/-/-/-/Á/-/-/-// º
º º
2m beams º º
@ 50ft × ×
º º
º º
º ÚÄÄÄÄÄ.-Ä-. º
º generator |Operating³ º
Rotator² [] |Tent&³Van³ Rotator ²
The 4x 17el was soon replaced with 2x 17el @ 55ft & 66ft due to the work
evolved in putting it together, but it was VERY nice to use a 20dBd gain aerial
on 2m!
DEMO STATIONS
Also been /P for many demo station both ATV, VHF, & HF etc. with SCOUTS, GUIDES
RAFA, OFCOMM, CLUBS, RALLIES, SUMMER CAMPS etc.
/ / /
/-/-/-/-/-/-/ 80/40m trap dipole /----/-----/
17 el ×--------=-------------Â------------=--/----/× /
2m º | 3el HF º
beam º | Tribanderº
@ 66ft × | @ 66ft ×
º | º
º | º
× /\ | ×
º / \ | º
º generator |Demo|| º
Rotator² [] |Tent|| Rotator ²
HF at my QTH
I have grown VHF & UHF aerial systems over the years & now have up..
2m Loft full wave dipole (packet),
4m dipole @ 25ft,
2m & 70cm X500 15ft tall colinear @ 30ft
2m 8el homebrew Quad @ 40ft
70cm 19el Tonna @ 41ft
24cms 24el Tonna ATV Tx @ 42ft
23cms 55el Tonna ATV Rx on 2nd mast @30ft
70cms 55el fixed vertical beam (ATV repeater command)
Since class B's were given access to the HF bands, I equipped my shack with an
HF rig now IC735, & the garden with a nest of HF dipoles & a squeezed in a
topband dipole over the house too.
Houseúúú------------------------------o----------------------------------úTree
Chimney 80m 40m~ ~ ~ ~-~-~-~-~/º\~-~-~-~-~ ~ ~ ~
+15m 20m ~~~~ º ~~~~10m
feeder
But my HF interest is not as high, all too easy rubber stamp QSOs etc.
I have had a brief go at PSK31 as well, but again not that interesting really.
TRAINING
I have also been involved in training (tech side). At first just a 1 day break
a year from the normal lecture on the original full RAE courses, & later with
Novice & now the M3 Foundation & 2E0 Intermediate courses, at Bromley club. And
also once @ RSGB HQ for their staff. Our club M3/6 & 2E0 training team has had
over 200 students of all ages youngsters to old timers, with a good pass rate.
So ask yourself "what have you done for amateur radio?"
CLUBS/SOCIETIES
I am member of B.A.T.C. (UK ATV), Home Counties ATV club, R.S.G.B. (UK Soc),
Bromley & District ARS (Mainly Training), Caterham Radio Group (Mainly packet),
Surrey Radio Contact Club (based in Croydon where do monthly "Fixit nights" &
VHF NFD) & Wimbledon & District ARS (I do much of the summercamp). I often give
talks & help out with demo & /P activities to these clubs. There are loads of
other clubs locally I could join too, but enough is enough!
How many clubs do you actively support?
COMMUNITY RADIO
On a different tack since 1994 I offered my radio expertise to a local
broadcast Restricted Service Licence projects (28 day max) 37 done so far.
Normally they are 10W ERP Band 2 full spec stereo & RDS, with Band 1 or 3 VHF
links & sometimes live O.B. systems as well.
Also 6 AM ones done on 531kHz, with a wire aerials that are huge, but still
tiny compared to the wavelength!
Now SUSY RADIO has a 5 year licence for 103.4MHz & there has been loads more
work done to get it all through the Ofcom technical inspection etc.
See & listen on www.susyradio.com
I see this as another way to "put back something into the community".
See my technical buls on these subjects.
Y don't U send an interesting bul?
73 de John G8MNY @ GB7CIP
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