Long wave bandscan during good conditions - Sony ICF SW11 (Christmas Day 2018) Edmund Spicer 2018-12-25 | Last month I bought a mint condition Sony ICF-SW11 in a charity shop for £4 including batteries.Conditions on Long Wave have been particularly good since the winter solstice four days ago, so I thought I would record a bandscan of the band this Christmas Day (153 - 270kHz).The video also includes a couple of my observations about the radio.A special mention to the Oxford Shortwave Log channel on YouTube, whose idea I nicked for this video!
International Space Station contact with Girl Guiding event in Surrey (5 October 2024) Edmund Spicer 2024-10-05 | On Saturday 5 October 2024, a scheduled contact took place between the International Space Station and Girl Guiding Surrey West at Brooklands Museum.The astronaut speaking in the video is Sunita Williams, who was using the amateur radio callsign NA1SS. The Girl Guiding Station was using the callsign GB4GGB, but you cannot hear their questions in this video. It is possible to surmise the questions from Sunita's answers, though.The ISS was transmitting a strong signal over the UK on 145.800MHz.Recorded on East Preston beach using a homemade antenna for the two meter band, and an old Baofeng UV-5R handheld transceiver. Despite its age and cheapness, the Baofeng allows a step of 2.5kHz which makes it easier to adjust the radio for Doppler shift. My more expensive handhelds can only manage a step size of 5kHz.The final third of the video gives a closer look at the antenna, information about the radio, and a warning against transmitting on the ISS downlink frequency of 145.800MHz.For more details, please visit live.ariss.org/?fbclid=IwY2xjawFt91tleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHS9dGpAblztBJ_CGjPwcJbZ0R7CVTeYG-Hnea8m9igPpgMOPH2DZAvuQuQ_aem_NELcmwCpI2LfH1RGwfc1FA#
British Inland Waterways On The Air - G2XP at Runnymede (mostly scenery) Edmund Spicer 2024-09-20 | British Inland Waterways On The Air (BiWOTA) takes place on the August bank holiday weekend each year.On Sunday 25 August 2024, Martin M1MRB and Ed M0MNG travelled to Runneymede in SW London. We took part in BiWOTA from the banks of the River Thames.Martin kindly allowed us to use the club callsign G2XP, which belongs to the Sutton & Cheam Radio SocietyThis video is a compilation of videos and photos that I took. Unfortunately I did not film many contacts as I was operating for much of the time.Our furthest contact, and the only one outside of Europe, was with Cal VO1CAL in Newfoundland. Unfortunately, some individual saw fit to jam this contact which was a great shame. Nevertheless, we exchanged enough details with Cal for the contact to be valid.Our vertical antenna tuned on all bands above 40 meters. Whilst the antenna was good for more distant contacts within Europe, it was not so good for contacting other BiWOTA stations around the UK unfortunately. However our very first contact of all was with a BiWOTA station in Scotland!It was a very fun day and I would certainly recommend BiWOTA to everybody for future years.Web links of interest:BiWOTA: nharg.org.uk/biwotaG2XP: qrz.com/db/G2XPVO1CAL: qrz.com/db/VO1CALRunnymede: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borough_of_Runnymede
Ferring Pillbox - a quick look inside (1 June 2024) Edmund Spicer 2024-06-09 | Ferring Pillbox was restored and reopened recently. The plan is to open it on "high days and holidays", roughly half-a-dozen times per year.The Pillbox was opened on Saturday 1 June 2024, so I took advantage for a quick visit. It is really very small and not somewhere that I would have wanted to spend a lot of time in a war scenario.Apologies that I was swinging the camera around so much... I didn't realise it at the time.
Ten on 10 FM - Contact with G3SKY/p Isle of Wight Radio Society Edmund Spicer 2024-04-21 | The first ever "Ten On Ten" event ran from 1200 to 1300 GMT on Saturday 20 April 2024.The plan was to work ten stations (or as many as possible!) on 29MHz FM simplex. It was not a contest and this fun event was designed to get some activity on a part of 10 meters that is not used so much.I managed nine contacts in the end, and the contact in the video was my first one when I answered a call from the Isle Of Wight Radio Society.G3SKY were portable on St Boniface Down on the IoW. This is approximately 34 miles line-of-sight with a sea path for almost the entire distance.Apologies for the wind noise, and the rather abrupt ending to the video. First of all my camera battery went flat, and then my camera refused to recognise the memory card!!My best DX was SW Turkey and the Canary Islands, both at around 1,760 miles away. Unfortunately I was not able to film either of these. My closest contact was 1.5 miles away in the next village!This was a fun activity afternoon, and I hope another one will be organised soon. Maybe right in the middle of the Sporadic E season!Other YouTube videos of interest:Description of event:youtube.com/watch?v=uI3sKBFgmKIVideo from G0CNN:youtube.com/watch?v=CDbo1wVRmQkVideo from M0GQC:youtube.com/watch?v=w024-jjTUsg
433 Alive - 70cms activity event on Easter Saturday afternoon (30.03.2024) Edmund Spicer 2024-03-25 | It has been suggested that this coming Easter Saturday afternoon (30.03.2024) would be a good time to get some more 70cms FM simplex activity on the air.From the "433 Alive" Facebook group:"Here's my idea for a 433 Alive 1st activity.Saturday March 30th starting at about 12:00UTC to 15:00UTC.I'm not proposing to set any net frequencies, nor ask for callsigns for net controllers.What I'm suggesting is that people use 433MHz FM, either by calling CQ on 433.500MHz and then moving to another frequency, or else nominating a frequency on here [the FB group - Ed], as long as that frequency is clear when they start up.I'm assuming that we are all Radio Amateurs and that we can cope if a frequency that we want to use is already in use and can move to another frequency if needed.If you want to be included in my details of who worked who, I ask that you send me details of where you were (IARU locator square please), your callsign that you used and then details of who you worked. As a minimum, their callsign, IARU locator, or else a location name.The times are flexible, if you want to set up early and finish later, or set up later and finish earlier, that's not a problem, please just send me details of who you worked.Dave (G0DJA)"Good luck to everybody taking part. Whilst this is a newer and very different event to 145 Alive, it is well worth taking part if you can. It is possible to get more gain with physically smaller antennas relative to 145MHz.I would suggest QSYing to somewhere between 433.400 and 433.775MHz. Below that, you have repeater outputs; above that, you have other users (e.g. APRS, digital simplex gateways, hotspots etc).Don't forget that, if you are out portable, your activation may also quality for Parks On The Air, Summits On The Air and the like.Websites of interest:433 Alive Facebook group:facebook.com/groups/937121657760723Tropospheric ducting forecasts:tropo.f5len.org/forecasts-for-europe70cms Cluster:dxfuncluster.com/?b=uhfWhat's My Locator (good for discovering your locator and WAB square):whatsmylocator.co.uk
Essex CW Club - Andy G0IBN awarded honorary presidency Edmund Spicer 2024-02-05 | Keith G3WGE announces that Andy G0IBN has been made honorary president of the Essex CW Club.Filmed at the Canvey Island Amateur Radio Rally organised by SEARS (South Essex Amateur Radio Society) on Sunday 4 February 2024.Websites of interest:essexcw.ukG0IBN QRZ page:qrz.com/db/G0IBNSEARS homepage:g4rse.co.uk
29.250MHz Greek(?) announcements in FM on the 10 meters C4FM frequency Edmund Spicer 2023-10-25 | In the last few years, 29.250MHz seems to have been adopted as the worldwide frequency for C4FM, also known as Yaesu System Fusion.Today (Wednesday 25 October 2023) I received brief transmissions in standard FM on this frequency. They appeared every five minutes and were an alternating mixture of male and female voices.I don't speak the language, but I assume that it is Greek... not least because the message sounds like it mentions a "Sierra Victor" callsign. Some of them also contain what sounds like "C4FM" towards the end.Can anybody confirm the language and give us an English translation please? I would be interested to know the location and purpose of these transmissions.Received on the south coast of England (locator IO90ST) using a Uniden Bearcat scanner, 10 meters of RG213 coax, and a 70cms Yagi!
Slow Scan TV (SSTV) audio from a low power 500mW French balloon on 144.650MHz (callsign F4KMH) Edmund Spicer 2023-10-13 | If you are interested in receiving Slow Scan TV (SSTV), it may be worth keeping an ear on 144.650MHz.Fortunately I had this frequency in my scanner, and I came across this transmission purely by chance. I had not heard anything about it.This frequency can be used by RAYNET in the UK, so my first thought was that they were experimenting with SSTV. However I soon realised this was not the case when I heard the announcements in French!The speech at the start of the transmission says:"This is the stratospheric balloon from the school of engineers at Limoges F4KMH. Frequency 144.650MHz. Beginning of the SSTV transmission in PD120 mode". At the end it says: "Thank you for your reports. 73 to everybody".I have only been able to find this webpage:ballonrecreasciences2023.vrpnet.org/index.phpReceiving equipment was my Icom IC-7300 connected to a colinear antenna.The signal was a bit crackly at times but was always between 52 and 55 with slow fading occasionally.
Bunkers On The Air - QSO with F4ERR Maritime Mobile on 2 meters FM simplex Edmund Spicer 2023-10-07 | QSO in French between Ed M0MNG/p and Jean F4ERR/mm, who was two miles north of Cherbourg.I was activating Littlehampton Bunker for Bunkers On The Air, reference B/G-0814. Jean responded to me calling CQ. He was using a Yaesu FT2980E with a vertical antenna at the back of his 10 meter-long boat.There were good tropospheric conditions today along the south coast of England and across to continental Europe.My elderly Trio TR-9130 puts out around 20 Watts, and could doubtlessly do with a service. The antenna was a 7/8ths wavelength whip on top of my car.I would not normally hold a QSO on the calling channel, but we had tried to QSY a couple of times previously and had not managed to find each other on an alternative frequency for some reason or other.***QSO en Francais entre Ed M0MNG/p et Jean F4ERR/mm, qui etait deux miles au nord de Cherbourg.J'etais QRV au Blockhaus de Littlehampton, participant dans l'activite "Blockhaus sur les ondes". Le reference est B/G-0814. Jean a repondu a mes appels. Il traffiquait avec un Yaesu FT2980 avec une antenne verticale.Il y avait des bonnes conditions tropospheriques au long du cote sud d'Angleterre, et a travers la Manche vers l'Europe.Mon ancient Trio TR-9130 produit 20 Watts environs, et sans doute elle fonctionnerait encore meilleur avec un peu de maintien! L'antenne etait verticale sur le toi de ma voiture et mesurait 7/8iemes de longeur d'onde.D'habitude je ne ferais pas de QSO sur le canal d'appel. Nous avions tentes de faire QSY deux ou trois fois auparavent, mais nous n'arrivions pas a nous retrouver sur un autre frequence. Allez savoir pourquoi.Websites of interest:Bunkers On The Air:bunkersontheair.org/siteF5LEN Tropo forecast for Europe:http://tropo.f5len.org/forecasts-for-europeF4ERR qrz.com page:qrz.com/db/F4ERR
GB23BLH Littlehampton Beacon highlights (RSGB Beaconnect project) Edmund Spicer 2023-07-01 | Apologies for the wind noise and very shaky camera work in parts of this video!I activated the Littlehampton Millennium Beacon as GB23BLH (Beacon Littlehampton) as part of the RSGB's Beaconnect project. This was during a period of leave from work between Wednesday 21 - Friday 30 June inclusive.I operated as close to the beacon as possible each time, although occasionally I was slightly further away for discretion and personal safety reasons.Locator is IO90RT, WAB square is TQ00.QSOs took place on 40 meters and 20 meters SSB, and 2 meters and 70cms FM. I always seemed to end up with a major pileup on 40 meters, so I never got round to trying the higher HF bands.My SOTAbeams linked dipole gave an excellent account of itself in the inverted V configuration right next to the sea. The Ampro 20m and 40m whips also performed extremely well for what they are, although the dipole was in a different league to the whip. I bought the 70cms Yagi from an e-Bay seller years ago. I can't remember who the seller was nor how much I paid for it. I think he was located somewhere in central Europe (Slovakia?)The Yaesu FT450 is the original model, not the more recent 450D. It was the first HF radio that I ever bought (2009) and it still works perfectly today.Thank you to the 200 plus stations who worked me, mainly on 40 meters SSB. This video contains a few highlights. One highlight that doesn't appear was a contact with Alan GR0TLK, who kindly coordinated the Beaconnect project.Websites of interest: RSGB Beaconnect initative: https://rsgb.org/main/the-coronation-... QRZ.com page: qrz.com/db/GB23BLHSOTAbeams linked dipole: sotabeams.co.uk/band-hopper-iii-three-band-linked-dipole
GB23BLH Littlehampton Beacon - on air for Beaconnect (21-30 June 2023) Edmund Spicer 2023-06-18 | I will be activating the Littlehampton Millennium Beacon as GB23BLH (Beacon Littlehampton) during a period of leave from work. This is from Wednesday 21 June to Friday 30 June inclusive.Locator is IO90RT, WAB square is TQ00. Activity could well be in brief fits and starts, low power, compromised antennas, or all of the above. It may be difficult to get decent HF antennas in the air due to the busyness of the area and the EMF regulations. I may well be on later in the evening or early in the morning to avoid the crowds. I have a SOTAbeams 40m/30m/20m linked dipole, a homebrew 20m end fed, T2LT antennas for 10m and 6m, various Ampro whips that could go on the top of my car, and various whips for VHF and UHF. I would love to be on 40 meters SSB as much as possible, but this could be difficult for logistical reasons. I will always try to operate as close to the beacon as possible. So please spot me on the cluster if you hear me!! I will need all the help I can get. Websites of interest: RSGB Beaconnect initative: rsgb.org/main/the-coronation-of-the-king-and-the-queen-consort/beaconnect QRZ.com page: qrz.com/db/GB23BLH Wonderloop on 10 meters video on this channel (using Sporadic E): youtube.com/watch?v=r06DzCRV1No
145 Alive - Trying to work G2TO portable near Cambridge (29.04.2023) Edmund Spicer 2023-04-29 | The March 2023 edition of 145 Alive took place on Saturday 29.04.2023.I took part from Chantry Post near Storrington in West Sussex, which is just over 600 feet above sea level.145 Alive is not a contest but a fun activity afternoon, designed to generate activity on the FM simplex portion of the two meter band.The most distant station I received from G2TO near Cambridge. Although I could hear that station, they could not hear me. Many thanks to Garry M6KVK located on the Hogs Back for passing my greetings on.Sometimes, for various reasons, you will hear stations but those stations will not hear you!The radio is the first mobile radio I ever bought back in 2009. The Kenwood TM-701E was an old radio, even then! It put out around 25 Watts into the antenna on my car, a 7/8ths wavelength whip. Many thanks to Tim G5TM for organising the event.
G2NM will be on the air from Amberley Museum on International Marconi Day (22 April 2023) Edmund Spicer 2023-04-10 | Amberley Museum in West Sussex takes part in the International Marconi Day every year. In 2023 the event falls on Saturday 22 April, the nearest Saturday to Marconi's birthday.We use our club callsign G2NM for this event, which is (usually) the one and only time per year that this callsign goes on air. In decades gone by, the callsign belonged to Mr Gerard Marcuse who was the father of Empire Broadcasting in the 1920s and a former president of the RSGB.We are usually on the air from around 1000 to 1600 local time (0900 to 1500 GMT) with activity mostly on SSB, normally from the 40 meter band upwards. 40 meters is often the band of choice.International Marconi Day is a rare opportunity to get the G2NM callsign in your log, so we hope to speak to you on 22.04.2023.Websites of note:International Marconi Day:http://gx4crc.com/international-marconi-day-historyLatest list of officially-registered stations for 2023:http://gx4crc.com/imd-stationsG2NM qrz.com page:qrz.com/db/G2NMGerald Marcuse:swling.com/blog/2015/12/history-of-gerald-marcuse-g2nm-founder-of-empire-broadcastingAmberley Museum:amberleymuseum.co.ukGB2CPM (Chalk Pits Museum - our 'usual' callsign at Amberley):qrz.com/db/GB2CPM
Dont jump straight to the conclusion that something is broken Edmund Spicer 2023-02-20 | Here are two examples, less than one week apart, where I jumped to the conclusion (wrongly) that something was broken.I hope this video will encourage people to stop and think when facing a similar situation, and hopefully avoid wasting as much time as I did!I know it sounds obvious and especially with the benefit of hindsight. Neverthelss it is easily done and I hope this video will help somebody.
145 Alive from Truleigh Hill 14.01.2023 (includes SOTAbeams bandpass filter) Edmund Spicer 2023-01-19 | On Saturday 14 January 2023, a new edition of the 145 Alive event took place. This is an activity afternoon designed to promote activity on 2 meters using FM and simplex contacts.I drove three-quarters of the way up Truleigh Hill near Shoreham in West Sussex. My antenna was a 7/8ths wavelength whip on my car.Whilst this video does include a few contacts on 145.325MHz, the main point of interest is the excellent SOTAbeams bandpass filter. I did not realise initially exactly how much transmissions from a nearby VHF mast were desensing my mobile radio.For example, Tim G5TM who was 51 on the Kenwood (with no filter) was 56-57 on the Yaesu handheld with the SOTAbeams bandpass filter in line.I have just bought myself a new laptop and this one does not have Windows Movie Maker on it, so I am getting used to using Openshot video editor instead. So apologies for the even dodgier-than-usual video editing!!73 and I'm looking forward to the next 145 Alive event!
RTL 234kHz Long Wave - Last Day On Air (31 December 2022) Edmund Spicer 2022-12-31 | The final day of broadcasting from RTL on 234kHz Long Wave.Here are a few thoughts, along with a translation of the French announcement that they have been broadcasting regularly on Long Wave only.The reason given is to save energy and money, and reduce RTL's carbon footprint. Even today, there are areas of France - particularly rural areas - where good reception of RTL is virtually impossible on FM. France Inter and Europe 1 have already stopped transmissions on Long Wave, but their FM coverage of France was excellent (France Inter) or very good (Europe 1). RTL trails far behind in that respect.RTL's programmes tend to be aimed at slightly older listeners, and they are the very age group who are more likely to be listening on Long Wave rather than online or through their smartphone.I would not be surprised if RTL ended up losing more listeners than they are anticipating. As ever, we know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.In the 1980s, it was the MW/LW (no VHF/FM at that time!!) car radio that picked up French stations on long wave... rather than my mum's Vauxhall Chevette itself!I recommend the excellent mediumwave.info site, where the closedown announcement recording appears.
Doorbell plays intro to Mission: Impossible theme Edmund Spicer 2022-12-26 | You gotta have a laugh between Christmas and new year!Filmed at a secret location somewhere in West Sussex.Original here:youtube.com/watch?v=tGSUjuSBt1A
432.493MHz G4WTV 50mW Morse code beacon (Radiosonde transmitter) Edmund Spicer 2022-12-16 | Roy G4WTV lives approximately three miles away from me, as the crow flies.Recently he was lucky enough to track down and retrieve a landed Radiosonde transmitter, as launched by the Met Office. Using his considerable skills and knowledge, he was able to modify the transmitter to work in the 70cms amateur band. It is currently on 432.493MHz.The UK band plan allows a small section of frequencies just above 432.490MHz for personal low-power Machine Generated Modes beacons.I believe the Radiosonde puts out 50mW, and the transmission is going into a vertically-polarised 5/8ths wave antenna. This could change as time goes by, I suppose.The transmitter may be off the air at times due to experiments, modifications, maintenance etc.All reception reports to the owner please. Contact details appear on Roy G4WTV's qrz.com page.Radiosonde information:radio-workshop.co.uk/g4nsj-radio-sonde-weather-balloon-radiosondeUsing them on 70cms:radio-workshop.co.uk/g4nsj-radio-beacon-70cms-worthing-west-sussexG4WTV on qrz.com:qrz.com/db/G4WTV
National Hamfest 2022 - Some Sights And Sounds From Newark Edmund Spicer 2022-10-17 | The 2022 National Hamfest took place at Newark on Friday 14 and Saturday 15 October.I recorded a few clips here and there of things that interested me, and I hope they will interest you too. I didn't get many opportunities to film and this video only scratches the surface of the event.Apologies for the shaky camera work. In many cases, I had to zoom in from afar because other visitors were standing in the way!!I encourage you to type "National Hamfest 2022" into YouTube and watch the many other videos that others will undoubtedly make to get a 'fuller' view of everything at the show.Websites of interest:National Hamfest main website:nationalhamfest.org.ukCamb-Hams website:http://www.camb-hams.comTelex Wikipedia article:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TelexIcom IC-905:icomuk.co.uk/Icom-IC-905-VHF-UHF-SHF-Transceiver-Announced-at-Tokyo-Hamfair-2022/2/3250Yaesu FT-710:yaesu.com/indexVS.cfm?cmd=DisplayProducts&ProdCatID=102&encProdID=615ADFEAB5EDBC65EBE1D64835F209DB&DivisionID=65&isArchived=0Parks On The Air (POTA):parksontheair.comQO-100 Geostationary Satellite:amsat-uk.org/satellites/geo/eshail-2Barcoded Stamps information:royalmail.com/sending/barcoded-stamps#:~:text=We're%20adding%20barcodes%20to,be%20very%20familiar%20to%20you.
KQ2H 29.620MHz repeater received on a 70cms Yagi (southern England) Edmund Spicer 2022-10-12 | The KQ2H repeater in the Catskill Mountains (USA) has been on the air for many years. Its output is on 29.620MHz with the input 100kHz lower. According to its page on qrz.com, a 146.2Hz CTCSS is needed to access it.If signals are strong enough, it is possible to receive them on an antenna which is not designed for anything like the frequency in use. Obviously any 10 meter antenna would have worked much better here, but this is a good example of what is possible.I bought the 70cms Yagi for £5 at a recent radio rally. It is homebrew, vertically polarised and pointing eastwards towards Europe. It is fixed in the attic and is eight elements long (from memory).The other repeater that you hear at 1400 local time is GB3CQ which is located in West Sussex, southern England. A CTCSS tone of 88.5Hz is needed to access that one. Frequencies are the same as per KQ2H.KQ2H only broke the squelch on my other scanner when it was at its strongest through the Yagi. My other scanner (Uniden Bearcat XLT125) is connected to a 2m / 70cms colinear which is also in my attic. Both scanners are connected via 10 meters of RG213 terminated in PL259s.
The Longwave Broadcast Band Edmund Spicer 2022-09-22 | This is an unscripted, unrehearsed and rather long video about the Long Wave band in the UK.The video contains a step-by-step journey through each frequency on the band, followed by a daytime bandscan then a nighttime bandscan.Thanks to the Coastal Waves and Wires YouTube channel for the inspiration to make this video.Websites / links of interest:Coastal Waves and Wires on YouTube:youtube.com/c/COASTALWAVESWIRESThe Longwave Broadcast DXing in Europe video:youtube.com/watch?v=tU3DbPsSm6ILongwave Wikipedia entry:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LongwaveList of Longwave broadcasters Wikipedia entry:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_longwave_radio_broadcastersBBC Radio Four Wikipedia entry:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Radio_4Denmark Radio 243kHz interval signal (Oxford Shortwave Log on YouTube):youtube.com/watch?v=8EWng8WYRjsPirate station from The Netherlands on 261kHz:youtube.com/watch?v=ke0XEPVjpF0
GB8SL Shoreham Lighthouse during the 2022 ILLW (International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend) Edmund Spicer 2022-08-22 | The International Lighthouse & Lightship Weekend (ILLW) celebrated 25 years in its current form in 2022. The event almost always takes place on the third full weekend in August.The amateur radio Special Event Station GB8SL went on the air from Shoreham Lighthouse in West Sussex. The Worthing & District Amateur Radio Club has put the station on the air every year since 1999, apart from 2020 and 2021 for Coronavirus reasons.This video contains clips of a couple of contacts and some information about how the event went overall. In two words - extremely well!Many thanks to the Shoreham Rowing Club for providing us with mains electricity, water and access to their facilities.Thanks also to the 357 stations who worked us, which included 50 different lighthouses inside Europe.The contacts in this video (in order):GT3FLH - Europa Point Lighthouse (Isle of Man)... Reference IM0001GB0NL - Newhaven Lighthouse (East Sussex, our nearest neighbour)... Reference UK01902E0HPI/p - Heugh Lighthouse (QRP 6 Watts from Yaesu FT818)... Reference UK0188 GB8PCA - Prostate Cancer Awareness (Special Event Station)TM59LH - Sandettie Lightvessel moored in Dunkirk Harbour as a museum ship... Reference FR0036Websites of interest:www.illw.netwww.qrz.com/db/GB8SLwww.wadarc.org.uk
Analogue scanning hints (sort of a VR to Ringway Manchester) Edmund Spicer 2022-07-02 | If you have an analogue scanner, here are a few hints and tips that I hope you will find useful.This video is for education and information only, and should not be misconstrued as an authority or invitation to listen to transmissions. For this reason I do not mention any frequencies in particular, apart from one CB channel and the 2 meter amateur band - both of which are authorised for general reception.Many thanks to Ringway Manchester for his videos about scanners (and all the other topics as well!) which was the inspiration for this video.Be discreet and stay safe :-)Ringway Manchester:youtube.com/c/RingwayManchesterTribute to Bill Robertson (real name Chris Lorek G4HCL):facebook.com/415598365194825/posts/g4hcl-chris-lorek-g4hcl-obituaryit-is-with-sadness-that-we-have-to-inform-our-fo/1683002208454428
Amateur radio things you could try - ideas for the Platinum Jubilee (part 2) Edmund Spicer 2022-05-28 | This is the follow-up video to the first part:youtube.com/watch?v=zZlhtLn-PS8&t=32sThis video shows a few ideas in action. Apologies that it is a bit heavy on the VHF/UHF side rather than the HF side of things.I will active throughout June 2022 using the special callsign MQ0MNG. I would be very pleased to get in your logbook if you happen to hear me :-)
C4FM Beaconing on 29.250MHz - setup, demonstration and contact Edmund Spicer 2022-05-08 | A guide to setting up C4FM beaconing on the Yaesu FT991, and a demonstration of a contact on 29.250MHz.Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/249799482598245
Amateur radio things you could try - ideas for the Platinum Jubilee (part 1) Edmund Spicer 2022-04-29 | Trigger warning for those who suffer from a lack of patience... this is a relatively long video!Part two will appear in a separate video and will be released later in May 2022. Otherwise this video would have been very long!The video was recorded in more-or-less one take, with just minimal editing to take out repetition and hesitation.If you spot any errors, or have any ideas of your own that we all ought to try during the Platinum Jubilee, then please add them in the comments. Thank you in advance.Weblinks of interest:C4FM beaconing on 10 meters:Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/c4fm10Demonstration of a C4FM QSO on 29MHz: youtube.com/watch?v=9Dw2Q8e8MTsAmplitude modulation:AM revisied with John Petters G3YPZ: youtube.com/watch?v=ZvI8UxOSy7sCW Practice:https://morsecode.world/international/trainer/trainer.html/FM satellite contacts:Satellite etiquette: youtube.com/watch?v=R-0slpHyPRMAMSAT: amsat.orgForeign languages:Denby Dale Amateur Radio Club German lesson: youtube.com/watch?v=TUeA879_VQIYL Raisa's conversation guide for foreign languages: https://raisa.blog/how-to/the-radio-amateur-s-conversation-guide/YL Raisa on YouTube with an Italian lesson: youtube.com/watch?v=3EGfuX1ITqIMagnum 1012 handheld (I have the same antenna):WD0AKX DX contact on 28MHz: youtube.com/watch?v=JTyuOe22xDw Meteor scatter on six meters:Demonstration video: youtube.com/watch?v=fW0BK-ZXwp8Sixty meters (5MHz):UK Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/29927945061112260 Meter UK bandplan: rsgb.org/main/operating/band-plans/hf/5mhzSix meters (50MHz):UK Six Meter Group: uksmg.org/landing.phpBritish Amateur Television Club - reduced bandwidth digital Fast Scan TV: batc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/cq-tv-rbtv.pdfWeak Signal Propagation Reporter (WSPR)Main website: wsprnet.org/drupalMy local C4FM simplex gateway (MB6GG):santerweb.net/mb6gg-gwOut and about:English Castle Awards: englishcastlesawards.ukHumps Excluding Marilyns Award (HEMA): http://www.hema.org.ukSummits On The Air (SOTA): sota.org.ukParks On The Air: parksontheair.comGateways On The Air: https://gota.freestar.network/ (11 to 19 June 2022)Platinum jubilee:Pages on the RSGB website: rsgb.org/main/activity/hm-queen-elizabeth-platinum-jubilee"Special" Special Event Stations: rsgb.org/main/activity/hm-queen-elizabeth-platinum-jubilee/special-event-stationsMQ0MNG website entry: qrz.com/db/MQ0MNG
GB1BB Bramble Bank - A unique Special Event Station on 70cms (18.04.2022) Edmund Spicer 2022-04-22 | On Sunday 18 April 2022, a unique amateur radio station went on the air for a brief time in the evening.GB1BB (Bramble Bank) was located in the Solent on a sandbank that only uncovers for short periods at extremely low water a few times per year.I heard the station on 40 meters SSB, 2 meters FM simplex, and on 70cms via the GB3IW repeater on the Isle of Wight. This video contains a few contacts on GB3IW. The lady you hear is Lizzie M7CZW and she obtained her Foundation licence recently specially for the GB1BB event. Given that she is new to amateur radio, she did a superb job at handling all the stations calling her. At times it was almost like a pileup on HF.This was a gloriously odd Special Event Station from a unique location... and I loved it! Kudos to the Isle of Wight Radio Society and I really hope they do it again in the future!Useful links:Operation Bramble Bank: iowrs.org/about/bramble-bankIsle of Wight Radio Society: iowrs.orgGB3IW: qrz.com/db/GB3IWAMC Radio Club video of GB1BB on 40 meters: youtube.com/watch?v=Sp8m3xZ6XmE
Car boot sale purchases for amateur radio - ICQ Podcast episode 374 (feature companion video) Edmund Spicer 2022-04-10 | The ICQ Amateur / Ham Radio Podcast is a free fortnightly radio talk style podcast for amateur / ham radio operators by amateur / ham radio operators.Each episode we review the current news, discuss a technical feature and the hobby in general, and hear from our many listeners from around the world.Episode 374 was released on Sunday 10 April 2022:icqpodcast.com/download-the-show/2022/4/10/icq-podcast-episode-374-ham-radio-bootsale-and-podcasters-quizI recorded the feature for that episode, and it starts around the 1 hour 32 minutes mark. This is a companion video to that feature. I describe items that I have bought at car boot sales during the last few years, but a picture can be worth a thousand words. So I present a selection of the items 'in vision' where, perhaps, I did not explain them very well in the feature or where some of our non-UK listeners might not have seen them before.I hope this video, combined with the ICQ Podcast feature, will prove useful and interesting.
1467kHz Special broadcast on 05.02.2022 - Daniel Balavoine on Radio Andorra (July 1979) Edmund Spicer 2022-02-05 | On Saturday 5 February 2022, a special one-off broadcast took place on 1467kHz Medium Wave between 1900 and 2100 GMT.This was a repeat of a programme broadcast originally on Radio Andorra on 1 July 1979.The presenter is the late and much-missed French singer, social / political activist and charity worker Daniel Balavoine. This transmission on 5 February 2022 coincides with what would have been his 70th birthday.There had been transmissions earlier in the day on various shortwave frequencies.The MW transmitter is located at Roumoules in the south of France and outputs 1 MegaWatt (1000kW).The radio in the video is my Sangean ATS-909 using its built-in ferrite rod antenna.
Amateur Radio special callsigns during the Queens Platinum Jubilee (June 2022) Edmund Spicer 2022-02-02 | The RSGB have announced that OFCOM have agreed that amateurs licensed by them may insert the letter "Q" as a Regional Secondary Locator in their callsigns.This will be granted by applying for a Notice of Variation, and is available to all three licence classes. The NoV can only be used throughout June 2022.I will be applying for one, and I intend to be on the air as MQ0MNG as much as possible during June.I encourage other UK amateurs to do the same, and I explain why in this video.***UPDATE 10.02.2022:The NoV application link is now available on the RSGB website:rsgb.org/main/blog/news/rsgb-notices/2022/02/09/notice-of-variation-available-for-jubilee-celebrationsAnother option is to add a suffix of /70 to the end of your callsign, whether you are using the Q Regional Secondary Locator or not:rsgb.org/main/blog/news/gb2rs/headlines/2022/02/04/suffix-70-permitted-for-platinum-jubilee***Link to RSGB news article:rsgb.org/main/blog/news/gb2rs/headlines/2022/01/21/special-rsl-for-queens-jubilee-celebrationsLink to MQ0MNG qrz page:http://www.qrz.com/db/MQ0MNG
GB3CQ - UK 10 meter repeater contact with I5KAP (08.07.2021) Edmund Spicer 2021-12-28 | GB3CQ is a 10 meter (29MHz) repeater located near Worthing in West Sussex. It went on the air in June 2021 and is currently the UK's only operational in-band 10 meter repeater.This is a recording of the first contact I ever made through the repeater, which was with I5KAP in Italy. I don't speak Italian so you can have a laugh at my efforts if you want!!Although I don't know how much power Franco was transmitting, I know that he tends to use low power (QRP) based on his qrz.com information.Due to the very localised nature of 10 meter propagation sometimes, and the fact that you might be using a different kind of antenna than the repeater uses, it is worth monitoring the repeater's input frequency if the signal being repeated is not too strong.GB3CQ is around three miles from my house. My South Midlands Communication CBM 272 produces around 3 Watts, and the antenna connected at the time was a T2LT end-fed coaxial dipole supported by a roach pole in the front garden.In the weeks following this contact, I spoke with stations in around half-a-dozen European countries via summer Sporadic E.GB3CQ's output frequency is 29.620MHz with the input 100kHz lower. Access is either via carrier or using a 88.5Hz CTCSS tone. The tone requirement is more likely to be switched on during periods of very good propagation.This is on the same channel as KQ2H in New York, so a frequency change for GB3CQ in the year(s) ahead is not out of the question.FM can work very well on 10 meters during good propagation conditions, so don't forget the world above 29MHz!Happy new year and all the best for 2022. 73 from Ed M0MNG.Links of interest:radio-workshop.co.uk/gb3cq-10-metre-uk-repeaterqrz.com/db/I5KAP
Thank you WRTH - World Radio TV Handbook 2022 Edmund Spicer 2021-12-15 | The 2022 edition of the World Radio TV Handbook (WRTH) has now been published. Unless a new publisher can be found, this edition will be the final one in print. I was always expecting this announcement to be made eventually, but that does not make the occasion any less sad.Please may I encourage everybody watching this to buy the 2022 edition as a gesture of support and thanks towards the publisher, even if you do not buy the WRTH usually.Thank you.Links of interest:WRTH website:wrth.comWikipedia entry:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Radio_TV_HandbookOxford Shortwave Log video on this same subject:youtube.com/watch?v=W1w1o-eboW0&t=86s
International Space Station - Two amateur radio contacts with schools (inc. English subtitles) Edmund Spicer 2021-10-14 | On 12 and 13 October 2021, contacts took place between schoolchildren and astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS).On Tuesday 12.10.2021, students at Mary Hare School for the deaf in Newbury put questions to astronaut Mark Vande Hei KG5GNP. He used the call sign NA1SS and the school used GB4MHN.The following day, another contact took place between a gathering of students from several schools in the Nantes area and astronaut Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG. Thomas used the callsign FX0ISS and the Nantes Radio Club used F5KEQ/P. This is due to be the last amateur radio contact that Thomas makes from the ISS before he returns to earth.I have included on-screen English subtitles for the French contact, and they are a very rough translation rather than a word-for-word transcript.The downlink was on 145.800MHz in narrow FM but received with wide (12.5kHz) deviation. Signals were extremely strong both days.Towards the end of both contacts, you can hear the effect of Doppler Shift where I forgot to adjust the receive frequency accordingly!I have edited out certain transmissions due to wind noise, fading, or where I simply have not understood what the astronaut was saying. I lost reception of the ISS sooner on the second day due to the inferior antenna I was using.Unfortunately it is not possible to hear the questions that the students are asking, but you can often surmise the question from the answer.Apologies for the shaky camera work, especially during the first contact. It is very difficult to hold an Elk log periodic antenna, a handheld radio and a camera all at the same time!Websites of interest:http://www.qrz.com/db/GB4MHNhttp://www.qrz.com/db/NA1SSyoutube.com/watch?v=wmI3qKZgjJ4 (video of the contact from the Mary Hare School)ariss-f.org/contact-radioamateur-entre-kg5fyg-thomas-pesquet-et-carquefou-planifie-au-13-octobre-2021-a-15h39-heure-de-parishttp://www.qrz.com/db/F5KEQ (Nantes Radio Club who organised the contact from the French end)youtube.com/watch?v=z8PBoaNFU-w (Video of the contact from Nantes)ariss.org (Amateur radio on the ISS)
Buyer beware...things arent always what they seem!! Edmund Spicer 2021-10-03 | Have a chuckle at my expense!Be careful at car boot sales, charity shops and jumble sales... sometimes things are not quite as they seem!
2E0YYY Mike activating The Roaches (HEMA) on 2 meters FM 22.09.2021 Edmund Spicer 2021-10-02 | During my annual holiday, I drove to the Highoredish Picnic Site in Derbyshire on Wednesday 22 September 2021.I was thrilled to speak with Mike 2E0YYY over the airwaves for the first time. Although I have met him face-to-face several times, I have never spoken to him "on air" on any band. The fact this contact was on 2 meters FM made it even better!Mike was activating The Roaches in Staffordshire as part of the HEMA programme.More details:http://hema.org.ukqrz.com/db/2E0YYYderbyshire.gov.uk/leisure/countryside/countryside-sites/wildlife-amenity/highoredish-picnic-site---local-nature-reserve.aspx
GB2ISL Shoreham Lighthouse - 2021 ILLW (International Lighthouse & Lightship Weekend) Edmund Spicer 2021-08-23 | GB2ISL (International Shoreham Lighthouse) took to the airwaves for the second time in 2021, although this year it was on the air for both days. In 2020 I had only been on the air on the Saturday.This video includes some of the contacts that I made with other lighthouse stations, as well as some more local contacts on the 2 meter and 70cms bands.For more information about the ILLW, please visit http://www.illw.netInformation about GB2ISL appears at http://www.qrz.com/db/GB2ISLFor more details about the 2021 MegaCycle DXpedition (GB5CWL):rsgb.org/main/blog/news/gb2rs/headlines/2021/08/20/megacycle-ride-reaches-northern-scotland73 and hope to work you in 2022 for the 25th anniversary of the ILLW in its current format. I am hoping that the Worthing & District Amateur Radio Club will be back with the usual GB8SL callsign.
GB0JSS June Summer Solstice 21.06.2021 Edmund Spicer 2021-07-09 | A few clips from GB0JSS (June Summer Solstice) amateur radio Special Event Station. This took place at Galleywood Common in Essex on 21 June 2021.It was a shame that the rain and miserable weather conditions put an early end to the event mid-afternoon, but 40 and 20 meters were very good in the morning before the HF bands collapsed in the early afternoon.Many thanks to Essex Ham for inviting me.
Gateways On The Air (GOTA) - 12 to 20 June 2021 Edmund Spicer 2021-06-22 | The first ever Gateways On The Air (GOTA) event took place between Saturday 12 June and Sunday 20 June 2021 inclusive.People were encouraged to activate their local gateway by going out portable, or to try to work activators as chasers.My original plan was to activate from a different location on each of the eight days. Unfortunately this did not go to plan, mainly for reasons beyond my control!Here are some of the highlights of my adventures. The opening ceremony runs for about the first four minutes and the remainder of the video is made up of GOTA contacts.Please visit www.gota.org.uk for more details and visit the "Freestar International" and "Freestar UK" pages on Facebook.
Amberley Museum is open again and back on the air (GB2CPM) Edmund Spicer 2021-05-20 | Amberley Museum in West Sussex re-opened to the public on Wednesday 19 May 2021.Please visit the website at www.amberleymuseum.co.uk for the latest details, to book tickets and so forth.There's more information about the amateur radio station at www.qrz.com/db/GB2CPM
Mills On The Air 2021 - GX3WMU portable at High Salvington Windmill (10m and VHF) Edmund Spicer 2021-05-09 | Mills On The Air takes place every year on the second weekend in May.High Salvington Windmill in West Sussex is closed until July 2021 according to the official website. So the Worthing and District Amateur Radio Club were unable to put the usual callsign of GB0HSM on the air.Taking the approach that doing something is better than doing nothing, I decided to "active" the mill from my car parked immediately outside the grounds.I managed contacts on every band from 10m to 70cms, and a selection appear in this video in chronological order.There was no tropospheric ducting on 2 meters, but Sporadic E is starting to come alive for voice modes on 10 meters and 6 meters.II5RCH is an Italian Special Event station commemorating the 35th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. This was my only contact on six meters and the best DX overall.The Spanish station was EA4FLS near Madrid.If your club is unable to put Special Event Stations on the air due to disruption from COVID-19, why not consider having a go at putting something on the air like this. Don't forget VHF or the higher HF bands either. 73 and good luck!
Yaesu FT4XE - Repeater shift memory programming problem and solution Edmund Spicer 2021-05-04 | The short version: Turn off Automatic Repeater Shift (menu item 29) if you are losing the repeater shift when you try to program a repeater into the memory manually.The longer version: I almost gave up and bought a dedicated Yaesu programming cable! There are quite a few videos on YouTube that cover how to program the FT4XE, but I couldn't find one that covered this problem.Every time I tried to program a repeater into a memory channel, all the information would go in successfully... apart from the repeater offset. Keying up would transmit on the output frequency of the repeater as if it were a simplex channel.I did RTFM but, if this "quirk" is covered, then I managed to miss it!The solution I found was to turn off the Automatic Repeater Shift. I assume my FT4XE is representative of all of them, but as ever your mileage may vary.This is the video that helped me, and I recommend it highly:youtube.com/watch?v=-oFLanyxVtAThanks to HAM RADIO DUDE for filming it.Don't let the radio's few little quirks put you off; it's a great piece of kit for the asking price. I bought it myself and Yaesu have not bribed me to say good things about it :-)
Creepy quiet music on 49.875MHz (suspected old baby monitor?) Edmund Spicer 2021-03-18 | I have not heard anything at all on the 49MHz LPD (Low Power Device) band for well over five years, and I have never received a strong signal there.This afternoon an extremely strong signal appeared for about 20 minutes, and then disappeared abruptly. It has not come back since. The audio was very quiet even with the volume turned all the way up. It sounds like a music box playing in the background.I assume this must be an old-style baby monitor, but I didn't hear any baby noises. I'm not aware of anybody having a baby in the houses near me either. Maybe it was a radio enthusiast mucking about? Or somebody who just found some old baby monitor equipment in a cupboard and just plugged it in to see if it still worked?The moral of the story... it is worth keeping an ear on frequencies that never ever have anything on them. Because one day a signal might just appear out of the blue!Equipment: Uniden Bearcat UBC125XLT and 2m/70cms colinear antenna in my attic.
V2 Radio launch day - Monday 18 January 2021 Edmund Spicer 2021-01-25 | Proper local radio has returned to West Sussex!V2 Radio launched at midday on Monday 18 January 2021.Tune in on DAB digital radio, via the V2 app, via your smartspeaker, or online at www.v2radio.co.ukThe final song played before launch was "The Final Countdown" by Europe. The first song after launch was "The Boys Are Back In Town" by Thin Lizzy, followed by "Let's Dance" by David Bowie.Milly Luxford and Ian Crouch are the presenters.
Video response to February 2021 Radcom VHF/UHF column - observations and tips Edmund Spicer 2021-01-13 | Following a request in the February 2021 VHF/UHF column in Radcom for observations and tips, here is an overview of my setup for monitoring 10 meters through to 70cms.I do a lot of typing during the day for my work, so I decided to film a video response rather than writing an e-mail!Extra things I should have mentioned in the video:The Uniden Bearcat and Intek H520 plus (on receive) work just as happily using rechargeable NiMH batteries as they do using Alkaline primary cells;145.325MHz is a good frequency to monitor for signs of the 2 meter repeater in northern France near Caen. The output of F5ZBF is always the first signal to appear when there are tropospheric lift conditions across the channel. On a similar note, France Musique from Caen on 95.6MHz is often the first French radio station to become audible.During good conditions, I have worked Ireland, Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Guernsey using the colinear. The contact with GU was using SSB with genuine 59 signals each way, despite the station at the other end being horizontally polarised. Despite huge cross-polarisation losses, it is worth calling and listening near 144.300MHz even if you only have a colinear;The signal on 455MHz is a sporadic data transmission that I hope to identify eventually.The OIRT broadcast band runs from 65.9 to 74 MHz, and is still in use in some eastern European countries (although less so than in previous decades). The Uniden cannot demodulate wide FM as used for broadcast radio, but the stations are still audible when they are there via Sporadic E. Good quality audio is possible through the Icom IC-7100.
Happy New Year 2021 from Peak Lane duckpond Edmund Spicer 2021-01-01 | Happy new year and fingers crossed that 2021 will be better for us all than 2020!If you live in / visit East Preston, the pond in Peak Lane is full of water after years and years of being completely dry. If this brings back memories from decades gone by, come and have a look before it dries out again!There is also a brief mention at the end of the Amberley Museum amateur radio club callsign GX3WMU going on the air again.
Sangean ATS 909X Medium Wave bandscan at sunset (01.12.2020) Edmund Spicer 2020-12-01 | I have just won a Sangean ATS-909X in an e-Bay auction, so I decided to test it out during a walk to my local beach on 1 December 2020.Here is a scan of the Medium Wave band, filmed around sunset at East Preston beach (West Sussex, southern England, locator IO90).During December I am going to try to log 300 separate stations on the MW band using this radio and just its internal ferrite antenna. Although this is not an "ultralight" radio, please search for "#ultralight" on Twitter for more details about this DX challenge.I am not planning to upload videos as I go along (unless I manage to log a particularly noteworthy station) but I might do a 'highlights' video in January.My Twitter account:twitter.com/mzeromng
Wouxun KG-UV8G New 4 and 2 meter handheld - some details Edmund Spicer 2020-11-19 | A new handheld radio is available which covers the 4 meter (70MHz) and 2 meter (145MHz) bands.Please understand that this video is not intended to be a review of the Wouxun KG-UV8G. Instead I have addressed the first half-a-dozen questions that went through my mind when I heard about this radio.This radio is available in the UK exclusively from Martin Lynch & Sons (as at 19 November 2020) and I understand that Wouxun produced this radio specially at Martin's request.I paid for this video with my own money, and I have no connection to Martin Lynch & Sons other than as a satisfied customer.Please post any questions you might have, and I will answer them as best I can.Links of interest:Something For The Weekend which features the UV8G (starts at 02:29):youtube.com/watch?v=XyYWpTsIqR0 The radio itself:hamradio.co.uk/amateur-radio-handheld-radio-wouxun-handheld-radio/wouxun/wouxun-kg-uv8g-144-70mhz-pd-11706.phpBig Clive deathdaptors:youtube.com/watch?v=nB1DlBpyS9wUK information about 4 meters / 70MHz:70mhz.org
Chicago museums and sightseeing (May 2019) Edmund Spicer 2020-10-29 | I visited several museums in Chicago in May 2019 as a member of the ICQ Podcast team. Here are a few clips from some of the museums, along with views of the city itself.
145 Alive - M1/M25 motorway service stations on the air Edmund Spicer 2020-09-27 | The second "145 Alive" event took place on Saturday 26 September 2020. The aim is to promote activity on the 2 meter band and FM simplex contacts in particular.On that day, I was driving home to West Sussex from a holiday in Derby. So I was not able to travel to high ground this time.Instead I called at the seven motorway service stations on the M1/M25 that I passed on my journey, and attempted to make one QSO from each location.This is the video of how I got on.Search "145 Alive" for more videos of this event on YouTube.
C4FM simplex - random contact with M0GET/p on 144MHz Edmund Spicer 2020-09-21 | On Sunday 20 September 2020, I drove to high ground in Derbyshire to play on VHF and UHF.I called CQ using C4FM (Yaesu System Fusion) on 144.6125MHz, not expecting a reply. Imagine my surprise when Paul M0GET/P responded to my very first call. Paul was at the Shireoaks Pit Tip which is about 18.5 miles away from my location at Highoredish Picnic Site.The video includes extracts of our QSO and a comparison between C4FM and standard FM.
