Got on to the SARS net again last night once I'd got home from teaching, and was operating from the car-rig setup on my driveway. I put in a couple of overs, then we had a little debate as to whether I should report /Mobile or not. When I was last licensed, you didn't have to report mobile as long as you were within the boundaries of your licensed property, which - being on the driveway - I was. I wasn't sure whether this had changed at all in recent times, so I asked and the consensus was that operating from a parked car within the boundaries of the property was no different to operating from a garden shed... just one made of metal, with wheels! :-)
Working 10W out of the car on the Icom IC-260E and a whippy aerial was a huge improvement on working 1W off the tiddly yet very useful VX-1 handheld. Steve and I had a great deal of trouble working each other last week, however this week I was (quote) "blowing the windows out" with a 5/9+ signal. I'm very pleased with that, as I'm not in the best of locations at home. With VHF field-day this weekend, I might get on top of the hill and see what and where I can work from that little vantage point.
Can't wait to find out what this little setup is really capable of :-)
Friday 2 July 2010
Thursday 17 June 2010
Back in the driving seat - M1DRB/M
After cunningly altering a hard-drive power connector to fit an Icom IC-260E, I finally got my car rig powered-up and running. It's taken a couple of attempts, however it did reinforce the whole "fail to plan, plan to fail" thing - as cracking the case off answered all of the questions I needed answering and would have saved me quite a bit of time and messing about had I done it a week ago.
With the exception of the power lead, the kit which comprises the set up used to belong to my father, Ian M1APT. The 2 metre mag-mount aerial was used for RAYNET events (and now will be again) and the Icom IC-260E was used at my house when I was a teenaged amateur. The hand-mic came with the radio, and the power-lead I hashed together myself this week from two Maplin plugs (12v "cigar-lighter" plug - £2.50, and a "build it yourself" molex - £1.39) and a couple of pieces of cable plus an inline fuse and holder.
I left at about 20:30 so that I'd have time to nip to McDonalds, get up the hill, and get set up before 21:00. I managed to get caught by the level-crossing going both ways, so was cutting it a bit fine by the time I got set up - but that's the price you pay for a Large BigMac meal I suppose! I got parked up in the car park at the top of Butts Lane, dashed to get the kit out of the boot and set up, and at barely two minutes to nine, the set crackled to life... only to find that they'd already started some time ago!
Once I'd broken into the conversation, the SARS net consisted of myself, Peter G4BLS and Dave G0UAI. We've all known each other for a long time, and we had a good chat about everything from retirement to gardens to trains and more! The net lasted for a good 20 minutes or so, and then everyone said their good nights. If I remember rightly, my fellow net participants were based in Hampden Park and Hailsham - and I was getting a good 5 and 9 from and of both.
Fortunately, I had remembered to bring my mobile phone, which appears to cause very little if any interference to the rig as long as it's more than 6 inches away while transmitting. I had posted a status message on my Facebook before leaving, saying where I'd be and on which frequency - and while talking to the others, had checked to see if there had been any responses. There had - and once the net had closed for the night, I waited for a few moments rather than unplug the rig, and surely enough Lemmy swiftly swooped in.
He's based a good 15 miles from my position at the top of the hill, although it helped that he was up on a hill of his own (well.. it's not like he owns the hill or anything - but you get the idea). We were getting a smashing 5 and 9 from each other - which I was rather chuffed about with not really knowing what to expect from my rather old kit in a mobile setup. Again, we had a great chat, and it was really good to catch up as we've not really come across each other for a few years now other than on Facebook and the likes. In fact - when we last met face to face, I didn't even know that he had an amateur radio licence!
As we finished up the conversation, the sunset faded and it was time for me to go back down the hill - and try not to hit any of the sizable hiking party who headed down the steep road about five minutes before I left. A rather geeky night, but one I'll be repeating as often as possible I think! The kit is in a bag at home (so breaking into my car will get you nowhere!) ready to chuck into the boot whenever the urge takes me - and that is likely to be quite often. M1DRB/Mobile is now on the road and no longer relying solely on a 1W handheld for getting involved!
With the exception of the power lead, the kit which comprises the set up used to belong to my father, Ian M1APT. The 2 metre mag-mount aerial was used for RAYNET events (and now will be again) and the Icom IC-260E was used at my house when I was a teenaged amateur. The hand-mic came with the radio, and the power-lead I hashed together myself this week from two Maplin plugs (12v "cigar-lighter" plug - £2.50, and a "build it yourself" molex - £1.39) and a couple of pieces of cable plus an inline fuse and holder.
(Car rig set up and being tested with a Yaesu VX-1 on my driveway)
I left at about 20:30 so that I'd have time to nip to McDonalds, get up the hill, and get set up before 21:00. I managed to get caught by the level-crossing going both ways, so was cutting it a bit fine by the time I got set up - but that's the price you pay for a Large BigMac meal I suppose! I got parked up in the car park at the top of Butts Lane, dashed to get the kit out of the boot and set up, and at barely two minutes to nine, the set crackled to life... only to find that they'd already started some time ago!
Once I'd broken into the conversation, the SARS net consisted of myself, Peter G4BLS and Dave G0UAI. We've all known each other for a long time, and we had a good chat about everything from retirement to gardens to trains and more! The net lasted for a good 20 minutes or so, and then everyone said their good nights. If I remember rightly, my fellow net participants were based in Hampden Park and Hailsham - and I was getting a good 5 and 9 from and of both.
(Radio and "dinner" in the car :-) )
Fortunately, I had remembered to bring my mobile phone, which appears to cause very little if any interference to the rig as long as it's more than 6 inches away while transmitting. I had posted a status message on my Facebook before leaving, saying where I'd be and on which frequency - and while talking to the others, had checked to see if there had been any responses. There had - and once the net had closed for the night, I waited for a few moments rather than unplug the rig, and surely enough Lemmy swiftly swooped in.
He's based a good 15 miles from my position at the top of the hill, although it helped that he was up on a hill of his own (well.. it's not like he owns the hill or anything - but you get the idea). We were getting a smashing 5 and 9 from each other - which I was rather chuffed about with not really knowing what to expect from my rather old kit in a mobile setup. Again, we had a great chat, and it was really good to catch up as we've not really come across each other for a few years now other than on Facebook and the likes. In fact - when we last met face to face, I didn't even know that he had an amateur radio licence!
As we finished up the conversation, the sunset faded and it was time for me to go back down the hill - and try not to hit any of the sizable hiking party who headed down the steep road about five minutes before I left. A rather geeky night, but one I'll be repeating as often as possible I think! The kit is in a bag at home (so breaking into my car will get you nowhere!) ready to chuck into the boot whenever the urge takes me - and that is likely to be quite often. M1DRB/Mobile is now on the road and no longer relying solely on a 1W handheld for getting involved!
(Great sunset over Butts Brow between 2115 and 2145ish)
Tuesday 9 March 2010
RAYNET: Eastbourne Half-Marathon
First time back on RAYNET duties since my licence was reinstated, and it was a pretty easy ride. I was on checkpoint with two long-standing friends, who brought their motorhome for extra comfort. We got there for a 9:30 kick-off, and got our runners' numbers posted by lunchtime - which resulted in us being able to stand down half an hour early! We pretty much took it in turns to do the talking, and I called in with the leading female runner's number.
I also drove around to see Dick Jeffries (Group Controller) on a checkpoint near ours, and dropped in on the main control station at which I met some of the other current RAYNET members, some new, some familiar. The control station has been upgraded since I was last about, and rather than a caravan, it's now a purpose-built box-trailer which looks really well fitted out inside with whiteboards and information charts the like.
I'm certainly looking forward to getting involved again, and hopefully (as I'm old enough now!) some training as well :-)
I also drove around to see Dick Jeffries (Group Controller) on a checkpoint near ours, and dropped in on the main control station at which I met some of the other current RAYNET members, some new, some familiar. The control station has been upgraded since I was last about, and rather than a caravan, it's now a purpose-built box-trailer which looks really well fitted out inside with whiteboards and information charts the like.
I'm certainly looking forward to getting involved again, and hopefully (as I'm old enough now!) some training as well :-)
Monday 22 February 2010
First Contact... (again)
Since my last post, I have made my first contact with my restored licence! I took part in the SARS 2m net on Thursday evening, which happens to start at the same time I finish teaching that evening. I walked home with my Yaesu VX-1 in hand and managed to get a break in to reintroduce myself and have a chat. Although I could hear everyone, not everyone could hear me (not surprising on half a watt in a built-up area on foot!) - but it was very satisfying nonetheless.
My local RAYNET controller has also been back in touch - and the group will be covering the local half-marathon. He invited us new and returning members to join in, and be placed with one of the more experienced teams. I replied, indicating my interest, and have been placed with two people I already know from SARS and who I get on with very well.
It's all 'go' now - and I can't wait to get back working as part of RAYNET :-)
My local RAYNET controller has also been back in touch - and the group will be covering the local half-marathon. He invited us new and returning members to join in, and be placed with one of the more experienced teams. I replied, indicating my interest, and have been placed with two people I already know from SARS and who I get on with very well.
It's all 'go' now - and I can't wait to get back working as part of RAYNET :-)
Tuesday 19 January 2010
Honey, I'm Hooooooome!!!
Checked the Ofcom website at lunchtime - and they've re-instated my licence! :-) Whoop whoop! Same old callsign, new 3-page licence and 20 pages of T&Cs to print out.
Time to get myself a new hoodie printed methinks!
Time to get myself a new hoodie printed methinks!
A bright future?
I'm back on the committee at the radio club for the first time in some years, and while I went to the meeting with some trepidation - I came out of it smiling. While there are a number of new faces, some of which weren't even members when I was last about, the Chairman outlined a very positive way forward for the coming year and everyone seems pretty keen to work together to restore the club to its glory days.
As I'd requested before the meeting, I was given 5 minutes or so (which, with discussion, turned into a bit more than that!) to bring everyone up-to-date with my current skill-set and outline what I felt I could bring to the table as a returning member of SARS, and as a member of the committee. Some of my ideas invoked discussion and we went rather over the 5 minutes - but it was almost all positive (including my proposal that we consider moving the club magazine over to a more blind-compliant digital format from the one it's currently presented in) so I'm now pretty optimistic about the coming year.
I was also able to make a number of offers and suggestions with regards to some of the other matters discussed, such as sourcing QSL cards, club publicity, and filling the vacant October slot on the club meeting/talks list. I've also offered to donate one of my very old laptops to the club once I've decommissioned it as a server. It's got a floppy drive and a serial port, and so should be great for all their old software used for contest logging etc. I have to check however whether it has a DVD drive, as one of the other things they'd need it for is for showing videos at meetings. I'm sure I can sort something out!
All that said and done - I came out of the meeting feeling like I'd returned to a big group of old friends, which was lovely. I think we could be in for a good year as far as SARS is concerned, and I'm really hoping that we can do a lot to expand our membership this year. Our treasurer also happens to be the membership secretary for my local branch of RAYNET - and gladly took my forms and subs before I left. It certainly looks like we could have good times ahead!
As I'd requested before the meeting, I was given 5 minutes or so (which, with discussion, turned into a bit more than that!) to bring everyone up-to-date with my current skill-set and outline what I felt I could bring to the table as a returning member of SARS, and as a member of the committee. Some of my ideas invoked discussion and we went rather over the 5 minutes - but it was almost all positive (including my proposal that we consider moving the club magazine over to a more blind-compliant digital format from the one it's currently presented in) so I'm now pretty optimistic about the coming year.
I was also able to make a number of offers and suggestions with regards to some of the other matters discussed, such as sourcing QSL cards, club publicity, and filling the vacant October slot on the club meeting/talks list. I've also offered to donate one of my very old laptops to the club once I've decommissioned it as a server. It's got a floppy drive and a serial port, and so should be great for all their old software used for contest logging etc. I have to check however whether it has a DVD drive, as one of the other things they'd need it for is for showing videos at meetings. I'm sure I can sort something out!
All that said and done - I came out of the meeting feeling like I'd returned to a big group of old friends, which was lovely. I think we could be in for a good year as far as SARS is concerned, and I'm really hoping that we can do a lot to expand our membership this year. Our treasurer also happens to be the membership secretary for my local branch of RAYNET - and gladly took my forms and subs before I left. It certainly looks like we could have good times ahead!
Thursday 14 January 2010
Methinks it is webware time
I went on an SQL course back in May-ish 2009, and have been looking for a project to make good use of it on. I've messed about a bit with creating a "caught/seen/failed" Pokédex, but haven't done anything really useful so far.
So - with getting back on the air (and subject to whatever the rules are now - should be made available to me at the same time as my licence is re-instated) I'm thinking that I might write myself some logging webware which also generates RSS feeds, stats, and so on. I'd then test it out for a bit, maybe put out a Beta, then release it for free (or ad-supported) download.
I'm going to start off with basic call-logging, then hopefully build in other tables to take care of callsign-locating etc. and additional queries for "busiest day of the week", "busiest time of day" and the like. Anyone interested or want to suggest any features? :-)
So - with getting back on the air (and subject to whatever the rules are now - should be made available to me at the same time as my licence is re-instated) I'm thinking that I might write myself some logging webware which also generates RSS feeds, stats, and so on. I'd then test it out for a bit, maybe put out a Beta, then release it for free (or ad-supported) download.
I'm going to start off with basic call-logging, then hopefully build in other tables to take care of callsign-locating etc. and additional queries for "busiest day of the week", "busiest time of day" and the like. Anyone interested or want to suggest any features? :-)
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