Bilgediver
Well-known member
Hope all goes well and hope to hear you some time.
Down on 3.760 there is the usual net and they have a good path between at least Surrey and Falkirk so there is hope.
Amateur Radio 80m Yachting Net anyone?
- Thread starter Turnbuckle
- Start date
Down on 3.760 there is the usual net and they have a good path between at least Surrey and Falkirk so there is hope.
Skylark
Well-known member
An apology from south of Manchester, Richard. I listened last week, heard nothing, but didn't listen this morning. I'll try next week 
I'm quite enjoying getting back into radio, thanks to lockdown. I'd never really used the lower frequencies as I mostly worked on 14MHz and higher through a 3 element beam. I'm getting more acquainted with the vagaries of 80m. I was using it on Friday morning and the band was wide open. A minute or so later, it was as though someone turned the lights out, it had closed.
90% of my current HF use is CW as I get a lot of satisfaction from it. My Morse is improving but I've a way to go to get back to my pre hiatus speed and competence.
Much of the CW traffic seems to be machine generated, I just don't get it. Like many weekends, there was a CW contest on Saturday and Sunday. It was one massive pile-up across the whole of 40m with a million exchanges at 30+wpm. I tried to listen to some of the exchanges but found it incomprehensible.
I also have a NanoVNA H4. Less than £50, incredible. Simply inconceivable that an amateur could have had this capability during the 1980/90s without spending thousands. What do you use for stylus? I find that the plectrum marks the screen and that the thumb wheel isn't great. I would have paid more for a decent touch screen.
Best wishes for the op and a good outcome, John
I'm quite enjoying getting back into radio, thanks to lockdown. I'd never really used the lower frequencies as I mostly worked on 14MHz and higher through a 3 element beam. I'm getting more acquainted with the vagaries of 80m. I was using it on Friday morning and the band was wide open. A minute or so later, it was as though someone turned the lights out, it had closed.
90% of my current HF use is CW as I get a lot of satisfaction from it. My Morse is improving but I've a way to go to get back to my pre hiatus speed and competence.
Much of the CW traffic seems to be machine generated, I just don't get it. Like many weekends, there was a CW contest on Saturday and Sunday. It was one massive pile-up across the whole of 40m with a million exchanges at 30+wpm. I tried to listen to some of the exchanges but found it incomprehensible.
I also have a NanoVNA H4. Less than £50, incredible. Simply inconceivable that an amateur could have had this capability during the 1980/90s without spending thousands. What do you use for stylus? I find that the plectrum marks the screen and that the thumb wheel isn't great. I would have paid more for a decent touch screen.
Best wishes for the op and a good outcome, John
Turnbuckle
Member
Hi John
Last week was a blank - my SWR was sky high when I came to operate, and discovered that the ice had pulled my antenna wire down!!
If you'd like to try a CW sked separate from the Yachties Net, let me know. Just say when. I'm happy going at your speed (my copying speed isn't much above 18wpm!)
Nano VNA is great - learning how to use it is a bit of a vertical learning curve though. I am going to re-make my EndFed Half Wave with lightweight antenna wire so it's less susceptible to ice, so should come in useful for that.
Best
Richard
Last week was a blank - my SWR was sky high when I came to operate, and discovered that the ice had pulled my antenna wire down!!
If you'd like to try a CW sked separate from the Yachties Net, let me know. Just say when. I'm happy going at your speed (my copying speed isn't much above 18wpm!)
Nano VNA is great - learning how to use it is a bit of a vertical learning curve though. I am going to re-make my EndFed Half Wave with lightweight antenna wire so it's less susceptible to ice, so should come in useful for that.
Best
Richard
Skylark
Well-known member
Happy to try. How about 3.555MHz, plus or minus, at 08h00 any weekday?
Turnbuckle
Member
OK. 3.555 +/- tomorrow, Wednesday, and I'll use the MX0WSX callsign for a Wessex Ham CW call. Pls confirm here, and I'll put out a call tomorrow at 08:00....
Skylark
Well-known member
I’ll have the 6146 valves warmed-up and ready to go................
Do you still have a note of my call sign (from our previous PM exchanges)?
Turnbuckle
Member
Yes, PYH.
Turnbuckle
Member
Hi Skylark. Called you several times on 3.5475 as 3.555 was busy. Nothing heard from you, but a nice QSO from MI0RPT who called me from Millisle, NI. Thanks, Richard - I am assuming you read this forum and picked up the sked from here. Nice looking boat! I was having massive problems with my paddle key this morning - the tension was all over the shop!! My CW at times hardly readable, so apologies. Will try to get the key sorted, but having a CW sked was good.
Skylark
Well-known member
No success here ?
I listened at 08h00 but nothing heard. I called you, Richard, several times at and around 3.555.
At 3.553.2 I was listening and heard “nil from g4pyh” This was from rpt Richard. Your signal from Newtownards into south Manchester was 459 but with QSB. I could not hear the other station.
I’ve tried several times now on 80m ssb and now cw but no success into Wessex land ?
My 80m long wire aerial is evidently too much of a compromise and/or wrong orientation. That I could hear N Ireland confirms that w-e propagation is better than n-s.
Happy to try another band on another day?
I listened at 08h00 but nothing heard. I called you, Richard, several times at and around 3.555.
At 3.553.2 I was listening and heard “nil from g4pyh” This was from rpt Richard. Your signal from Newtownards into south Manchester was 459 but with QSB. I could not hear the other station.
I’ve tried several times now on 80m ssb and now cw but no success into Wessex land ?
My 80m long wire aerial is evidently too much of a compromise and/or wrong orientation. That I could hear N Ireland confirms that w-e propagation is better than n-s.
Happy to try another band on another day?
Skylark
Well-known member
I bought a paddle key recently but have put it back in its box ?
I don’t think that the spacing of my straight key is anywhere near as good as the paddle but I found that I was making far too many mistakes so, for now, at least until my proficiency has significantly improved, I’m sticking with my trusted 1939 ex-military, straight key.
Richard, rpt, albeit qsb, your keying was easy to read, thanks ?
Turnbuckle
Member
Yes, I think it is a directional/orientational thing. We have tried, but so far no copy. We could try a sked on 40m at your convenience just to see if its directional or propagational?
john_morris_uk
Well-known member
I’m trying to call on 3.765 but it’s a bit crowded and nothing heard atm
Turnbuckle
Member
Ok will keep listening - there's a gap slightly higher. I did hear a call
Turnbuckle
Member
OK, nothing heard here. I did hear someone in the noise trying to call -= may have been you - but no realistic contact. Closing down at 08.15. Will be on our Zoom at 11.00 - details on wessexham.co.uk
john_morris_uk
Well-known member
I’ve got a meeting with my curate at 1030 but if it’s over quickly I’ll try and join the Zoom.
Bilgediver
Well-known member
Nothing heard here on 9th however the horizontal lads were in full swing on 37600 and a QSO from Eastern areas, Lincoln further up the band. Put out CQ calls 08:10 .
Turnbuckle
Member
Not an easy morning. I had an excellent QSO with Isle of Man at 7.50, then dropped near to 3765 and called for five minutes, but there were German stations on . So dropped down below the horizontal guys and called for a bit, but nothing, so must have missed you. I think a different approach is going to be needed if this is going to work. I am planning on setting up a web page for the net, and gathering people initially on there. We can then decide beetween us on both time and frequency - that way it is likely to be less 'hit and miss'. Once the web page is up, I'll ping you a message on here.
73Richard
Bilgediver
Well-known member
Sounds a good idea Richard.
I could just hear two of The Horizontal lads and nothing between them and a QSO at 3.775. The static was at about a 5
but did drop by 08:30 to a 2 - 3 . The bands have been interesting. Last week I fired up JTX and was surprised to see stations listed from the Carribean down the whole of South America to Argentina. Reminded me of the old days when I had regulsr contact with a chap in Rio using Amtor. Might catch you on Zoom later in the week.