6BTV downed in storm. Beware of cheap 'para-cord'.

The 6 band trapped vertical was downed during a series of storms with sustained wind speeds of over 90MPH with gusts over 100MPH being recorded around the UK. 

The antenna was fitted with 6 guy ropes with 3 about 1/3 of the way up and 3 about 2/3 of the way up the antenna the two groups of guy lines were equally spaced around the antenna and secured to large fence posts and one of the small sheds. This appeared to be holding up and working well during the first two storms. Unfortunately as the third storm was reaching its peak at least one of the guy lines snapped initiating a complete structural collapse of the antenna. The bottom section of alloy tubing was badly bent with two of the upper sections and one trap also damaged in the collapse. 

The guy lines used on this antenna were made from the same so called 'para cord', green woven outer covering containing 11 individual strands.  The same cord was also used for stringing up a few wire antennas that survived the storms only to be brought down the following week as we got battered by another storm with high winds and heavy hail. 

Beware of cheap 'para-cord' !  There are many products available that are sold as para cord or shock cord that may be fine for light duty use but simply do not have the tensile strength to be reliable in  harsh weather conditions.  I have repaired the damaged trap and straightened out two of the three bent sections of tubing, The bottom tube section was the most severely bent and will most likely have to be replaced. 

I will be investing in some proper heavy duty, high strength, 'tried and tested' para-cord from a reputable supplier of antenna hardware when the vertical is reapaired and re-erected in springtime.

Like many things, going for the cheap option may do the job under low stress conditions, but will inevitably fail when conditions deteriorate. It is simply not strong enough to handle elevated stress and high peak loading during storm conditions. 

I should have known better but instead of waiting until I could get some good quality high strength cord I used the cheap stuff that I already had in a rush to get the vertical on air. 

Learn from my mistake. Use proper high strength para-cord or proper guy rope from a reputable supplier and avoid the cheaper options found online. 

73 de MM7WAB, Hairy Paul, Ayrshire, S.W.Scotland. 

6BTV up an running.

 6BTV now under test.

After several delays I eventually got everything together and a break in the weather long enough to do something!   There had already been much pondering about shortest feeder run possible while keeping coax out of the way, getting the fatter coaxial into the shack would be a struggle. And of course, where would be the best place to put the six band trapped vertical that could meet this feeder criteria and be realtively easy to add counterpoise/ground radials to as required without causing too much disruption.

It ended up almost in the middle of the back yard, on an existing timber post that was 'over engineered at the time for no aparent reason'  

Fixed the antenna base plate to 4x4in timber post with six 3 in screws. 

Feedpoint about 3ft above ground level, Belden 9913 coaxial from antenna feedpoint to Joint-Box outside shack window. 

 Assembled antenna laid on long bench and roughly adjusted traps with Nano-VNA knowing they all change when up in the air.  This usially gets You somewhere close on a few bands but some will need a bit of a tweak to get them just right for the part of the band You will be working. This may seem like a bit of a pfaff at the time but it is all part of the process to make the antenna work as efficiently as possible on site. After measurments and some testing, adjustments are done one band at a time, working from the highest frequency down until all traps are adjusted and each band is tuned for your specific use. 

When deploying a trapped antenna each section has to be tuned, in sequence, on site for best results so the antenna has to be easy to drop for adjustments. Final tuning can sometimes take many drops and a fair bit of time to accomplish good results. It depends on what radios you are going to run on it and how You prefer to run Your station. 

When using radios tha do not have matching devices, eg; Yaesu FT707s and the like it is best to have the antenna resonant with a good 50 Ohm match for efficient energy transfer. Always best to actually tune the antenna rather than use an ATU to load the antenna system to match the radio.  

Note: Adding ground spike, counterpoise or ground radial wires has significant effects on antenna behaviour, feedpoint impedance and resonance, so make sure all connections are good before final tuning. Adding another 'ground line' means cheeking each band again and adjusting where required. 

In general adding ground radials improves efficiency but they can de-tune the antenna too, so always best to check. 

  In my case two para-cord guy lines get released and two backed off a bit to release all tension that may impede lifting.Antenna is then lifted off base pole and, lowered to ground, tilted down and laid on long bench for adjustments. It took me a few hours to get 10,15,20 and 30m just right before losing daylight and about an hour the following morning to get 40m and 80m a bit better.

I am currently running comaparative tests using FT8 narrow band digital mode on HF bands. 

Switching between 3 antennas, (only two on 80m, 40m)

G7FEK homebrew wire. 80, 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, 12, 10

DX Engineering 6BTV,  80, 40 ,30 ,20 ,15 ,10

A99 (upper element of center fed vertical)  30, 20, 17, 15, 12, 10

When I am not operating the FT8 station, it will be receiving and reporting to pskreporter map.

When left unattended the station is connected to the 6BTV under test.

All grounds and radials will be disconnected during some tests.

Currently running with one 10m ground radial to W.N.W. 

 

Paul Godley Transatlantic Centenary Special Event Station, Ardrossan.

 Special Event Station - GS2ZE - GB2ZE - GB1002ZE - Ardrossan - 11-12 Dec 2021

First we have to look back to the times when massive, high powered, expensive spark transmitters were used on very long wavelengths for long distance communication and it was believed that shortwave frequencies were of no practical use other than for short range local transmissions.

 1902

G. Marconi managed to get a single letter 'S' across the Atlantic on 5th December 1902 from Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada to Poldhu (Cornwall) in England using a high power longwave spark gap  transmission.  For the next 19 years longwave transmitter and receiver stations were developed and used to send messages across long distances using enormous antenna systems and high power spark transmitters.  It was believed that signals could not be sent long distances using shortwave frequencies.

 1921

In December 1921 Paul Godley 2ZE received the first complete CW message sent by an amateur radio station across the Atlantic ocean on shortwave frequencies. This proved that long distances could be covered on shorter wavelengths without huge, high powered commercial radio transmitters. 

 The test results also proved that CW transmission was a far better mode than the spark gap systems in use at the time.  From 1922 many longwave spark gap transmitter stations were decommissioned and replaced with CW equipment as messages could be sent and received using smaller, cheaper more reliable stations running less power that generated less interference than the noisy spark gap systems. This began a new era in radio communications technology.

1921 Transatlantic Test shortwave receiver station at Ardrossan.

On 9th December 1921 Paul Godley 2ZE set up a receiving station at Ardrossan, Scotland. The receiving equipment used was a Paragon regenerative receiver, Type DA-2 detector-amplifier and a superheterodyne receiver with external beat oscillator. The receiver system used a total of ten tubes (valves) The radio equipment was housed in a tent, with an oil lantern for light and an oil stove for heat. A Beverage wire receiving antenna almost 1,300ft long was strung up 12ft above the ground over a series of poles carriying standard Post Office pattern insulators at 125ft intervals from the tent stretching down the seaweed covered field towards the sea. The phosphor bronze wire was grounded through a variable non-inductive resistance, the ground plates consisted of four lengths of iron pipe buried 4ft in the ground where they reached water. 

He spent the next few nights following the transatlantic test time schedules with an official listener, Mr D.E.Pearson, District Inspector of the Marconi company. They were listening for signals transmitted across the Atlantic ocean from selected amateur radio stations in America. 

At 02:52 GMT on 12th December 1921 Paul Godley received a complete CW message on 1.3MHz (230m) that was sent by 1BCG located in a farmers field in Greenwich, Connecticut. The Transmitter was running 990W into a T-cage antenna, 100ft long and 70ft high with 30 raised radial counterpoise wires each 60ft long. This may seem like a large antenna system and a lot of power but this was considerably smaller than the antennas used by longwave stations and with less than a kilowatt this station was using a fraction of the power normally used for longwave transmissions at that time. 

Up to this point it was believed that it was impossible to use shortwave frequencies for long range communication.

The successful reception at Ardrossan was reported by Paul Godley and Mr Pearson, a message containing the report was sent back to America via the high power, long wave Marconi transmitter station at Carnarvon in Wales where it was transmitted across the Atlantic to the longwave station at New Brunswick, America. 

The transatlantic tests continued until December 16th and more reception reports were returned. Several British amateur stations sucessfully copied CW signals from American amateur stations including, 1AFV, 1BCG, 1UN, 1RU, 1ZE, 1XM, 2BML, 2FP, 2ZC, 2ZL, 2ZU.  

100 years later. . .

2021 

A Special Event Station station was set up within one wavelength of the original location at Ardrossan. This was set up and operated by members of the Kilmarnock and Loudoun Amateur Radio Club  from 12:00 GMT on Saturday 11th December to 12:00 GMT on Sunday 12th December 2021.

The station was set up at short notice with equipment gathered together by KLARC members. We ended up with four HF sets on site. Two HF stations were operated at the same time, taking care what bands they were operating on to avoid causing each other QRM or desensitization of the receivers. We also had VHF/UHF and network assisted stations on site during the 24 hour event.

Working Conditions

It was cold & wet with bitter icy winds overnight at the Ardrossan Special Event Station site. This was  expected for December on the West coast of Scotland and everyone had dressed accordingly, although I did manage to fill my boots with icy water about 2am on sunday while we were stringing out a linked dipole antenna in the dark. The van provided shelter from wind & rain for equipment with a convenient table that was just big enough to fit two HF stations. A third 'portable' HF station complete with PSU, ATU, radios etc built into a self contained unit on wheels (Very neat 'shack in a box') was also used on Saturday evening. The 160m station and a VHF station were set up in cars parked beside the van, 240V AC power was provided by two generators, one powering equipment in the van, one for stations in other vehicles.   

Antennas

There were three monoband vertical antannas (30m,20m,17m) A multi-band horizontal 'linked dipole' strung between two small mounting poles with central pole mast to elevate the mid point providing a slightly inverted V configuration. The central pole-mast also carried a VHF colinear attached to the top. The linked dipole was held away from the mast attached to a pulley rope. This allowed for the antenna to be dropped and raised quickly for making band changes. This arrangement also made it easy to change over to the top band antenna at night for 160m operation.

 While the 160m station was operational the linked dipole was moved and temporarily erected to the west of the site. Center feed point lofted using extendable pole arrangement with wire sloped to 3ft poles at outer ends. After struggling for a while on 80m we dropped the antenna, unplugged 80m link and pushed it back up in the air to run 40m.  

At this point there were four stations operating simultaneously, the top band station on 160, two SSB HF stations , FT8 station working on 30m and the network radios operating via WiFi mesh and 4G bridge into MB7IAE connected into the FreeSTAR network. 

FT8 digi-mode

During the event the FT8 narrow band digital mode station was mostly working 30m as this was the most stable band throughout the 24hrs of operation at the site. Despite the poor HF band conditions the KLARC team managed to make many good contacts across the Atlantic and had QSOs with stations spread out across four continents. 

FreeSTAR network

We also made over 130 contacts with stations over the FreeSTAR network while operating with the GS2ZE special event callsign. Some of those who made contact over the network had no HF capability due to restrictions at their QTH or were unable to make contact on HF due to poor propagation conditions and were very happy to make contact with the Ardrossan centenary special event station using network assisted communications through linked repeaters, gateways, personal hotspots and software/apps on various platforms connecting a diverse range of  technologies.​ Several stations were also tracking our band changes reported over FreeSTAR network and trying to reach us on HF. 

We made contact with operators using many modes including DMR, WiresX, YSF, NXDN, P25, reflectors, Digital and Analogue gateways & repeaters, network nodes and ops using software solutions including, allstar & PiStar nodes/hotspots, echolink, droidstar, dudestar, peanut etc.. 

 

-+-

I know using network assisted communications at a Transatlantic event may seem odd to some. 

The reasoning behind it is that there are many licensed amateurs around the World who have restrictions at their location and cannot have an HF station on the air. Many landlords, housing associations and even some town planning departments do not allow antennas to be erected or fixed to structures at all !.  Working stations with special event callsign GS2ZE over FreeSTAR network at least gave some of those HF restricted operators a chance to make contact with the site during this historic event using whatever equipment they have available. 

 It only took a few minutes to deploy Inrico T320 (with high gain antenna for 4G data connection) and have Hytera PNC380 , Inrico TM-7 (MK1) and Android tablet connected with FreeSTAR connection live.  With over 130 contacts over the system in the limited times available I am happy that I set up the FreeSTAR station at this event. 

I used a few other systems during the event to keep in touch with friends, clubs and networks. The Inrico T199 (top right in above picture) screenless 16 chan network radio was handy outside when it was raining, (most of the time) The TM-7 was used in the van as it is 'not so waterproof'. The Hytera PNC380 (bottom right in above picture) is also waterproof and was used when I wandered off to the beach, and go beaten back by the harsh icy winds.

 Telegram, Zello and even Zoom (running on another T320) came into play a few times reporting band changes and receiving reports from stations hearing us on HF. 

I think we made best use of the technologies available to us, from throwing RF along a wire for CW on 160m to DV (Digital Voice) over 5GHz mesh and 900/800MHz data link into Global networks. It is all part of the ever broadening spectrum of equipment, modes and methods available to experiment with.

Many thanks to all those who worked GS2ZE, GB2ZE & GB1002ZE at the Ardrossan site on this historic occasion.

Please visit Kilmarnock and Loudoun Amateur Radio Club  for more information including links to videos and photos from the centenary special event stations site. 

73 de MM7WAB/2ZE (GS2ZE at Ardrossan event) 

Network Assisted Communications for HAMs

Network assisted communications for amateur radio operators. Making good use of avaiilable tech.

     Amateur radio repeaters and networks.

As licensed amateur radio operators we have access to stand-alone repeaters as well as repeaters and gateways linked by various forms of network infrastructure. Amateur repeaters and gateways are owned and operated by amateur radio operators using licensed amateur radio bands/frequencies. 

There are thousands of repeaters and gateways into networks exclusively for licensed amateur use around the World. There are amateur radio transponders / repeaters on satellites and even the International Space Station has a VHF/UHF cross band repeater for licensed amateur operators. 

Some repeaters and gateways have backup power so they can remain operational during times of power failure, but the vast majority do not. The range and coverage provided by amateur repeaters and gateways is limited and there are large areas where there are no amateur communication services available. 

    Extending coverage using existing 'non-amateur' infrastructure.

The largest network of radio gateways in the World with the greatest coverage available to the public has to be the global mobile telephone/data network. It is comprised of millions of 'cell tower' sites around the Globe with over 1.5 million in the UK alone. Each cell tower site is effectively a multi user radio gateway installation linked into Global network communications infrastructure. Some people seem to think using the cellular phone/data networks is 'not radio communications' but they are indeed mistaken. The cellular networks operate using radio frequency energy propagated through free space, which by definition is most certainly radio communication. It is correct to say this is not technically Amateur Radio as it does not use licensed amateur radio fequencies/bands but it can be put to good use by amateur radio operators to communicate to/from locations where there is no access to licensed amateur radio repeaters or gateways. The vast majority of cell sites are operated as primary communication systems with full backup power and multiple network connections providing reliable global communications most of the time. 

Of course in times of major disasters or when the network infrastructure fails for some reason an independant self powered amateur radio station will often become the primary means of emergency  communication, as long as the operator has prepared for such an event and has backup power available.

    Make good use of the technologies available.

It makes perfect sense for amateur radio operators to make use of this vast network of supported infrastructure to communicate when they are in areas that are beyond amateur repeater / gateway coverage or have restrictions that prevent them erecting antennas and using amateur radio equipment.

This is where mobile phones, network radios, tablets, laptops and other portable devices connected to the Global communications networks via cell tower sites and WiFi access points or hotspots can be used with a wide range of software / mobile device apps allowing the user to stay connected to the amateur radio networks gateways and repeaters around the World. 

Using software / applications such as Echolink, Peanut, IRN(teamspeak), DroidSTAR(Android & iOS), DudeSTAR(PC), DVswitch, and many others the licensed amateur operator can easily be connected to amateur networks and communicate with other licensed hams using a wide range of equipment almost anywhere on Earth. The coverage is expanding rapidly with the deployment of satellite internet  

    Communicating with multiple modes across multiple networks.

One of the most innovative networks that provides inter-linked communications between licensed amateurs using a wide range of modes, networks and equiuipment is the FreeSTAR network. This brings together a diverse range of technologies such as DMR, Dstar, YSF, WiresX, NXDN,  P25, IAX, M17 and network linked analogue repeaters and gateways. 

 Have a look at freestar.network for more informations and details of how to connect with whatever equipment You have handy. 

Knockshinnoch Castle Colliery Disaster Memorial.

MM7WAB/P working other licensed amateur radio stations from the commemorative cairn enclosure at the Knockshinnoch Castle Colliery disaster site on Sunday 13 June 2021. Many thanks to the stations that worked me on 2m FM simplex and via the FreeSTAR network during this activation.

(Location NS6097 1250). KNOCKSHINNOCH CASTLE Colliery

Location: New Cumnock
Types of Coal: House and Steam
Production Commenced: 1944
Year Closed: 1968
Year Abandoned: 1969
Workforce: Average 578 : Peak 755
Peak Year: 1956

Shaft/Mine Details: 2 shafts, 187m and 128m deep

Details in 1948: Output 900 tons per day, 264,600 tons per annum, stoop and room working. 580 employees. 3 screens for dry coal. Baum (Simon Carves) type washer. No baths, but canteen available. Steam powered cranes and machinery. Electricity from public supply. 

Pithead baths were added in 1949, and also served neighbouring pits.

The photographs below were taken on 1st day of activation, Sunday 13th June 2021.

 

Clear signage at road end of pathway.

 

Pathway suitable for wheelchair or mobility scooter access.

The enclosure has a wide gate for ease of access and is well cared for.

The commemorative cairn at the Knockshinnoch Castle Colliery disaster site.

Sighting pillar showing headings and distances.

View towards crater site over the sighting pillar.

Detail of the stone at front of memorial enclosure.

View across location of the crater.

The disaster occurred on 7 September 1950 when workings driven too close to the surface allowed a peat basin at the surface to burst into the mine, the ensuing inrush trapping 129 miners underground, of whom 13 subsequently died. Most of the trapped men were heroically rescued through workings connected to the neighbouring Bank No. 6 Colliery. 

The accident occurred about 7.30 p.m., whilst the afternoon shift was at work, on Thursday, 7th September, 1950, when a large volume of liquid peat suddenly broke through from the surface into the No. 5 Heading Section of the Main Coal Seam. The inrush started at the point where the No. 5 Heading, which was rising at a gradient of 1 in 2, had effected a holing at the outcrop of the seam beneath superficial deposits and had made contact with the base of a large natural basin containing glacial material and peat. The liquid matter, rushed down the steeply inclined heading and quickly filled up a large number of existing and abandoned mine tunnel drifts and roadways as well as several working places. This inundation of liquified peat /moss cut off the two means of egress to the surface from the underground workings of the Knockshinnoch Castle colliery.

There were 135 miners working underground at the time. Six men working near the main shaft bottom quickly escaped to the surface by way of the downcast shaft before it become blocked, while 116, with all means of escape cut off, found their way to a part of the mine then unaffected by the inrush, leaving 13 persons missing. The 116 men trapped below ground were rescued after an incredible rescue effort by miners and rescue teams from as far afield as Edinburgh and Liverpool lasting more than two days. 

The 13 men who sadly lost their lives in the disaster were;

1. John Dalziel, 50 Loader Attendant
2. James D. Houston, 46 Coal miner
3. Thomas Houston, 40 Coal miner
4. William Howat, 61 Switch Attendant
5. William Lee, 48 Coal miner
6. James Love, 48 Coal Miner
7. William McFarlane, 36 Coal Miner
8. John McLatchie, 48 Shotfirer
9. John Murray or Taylor, 33 Coal Miner
10. Samuel Rowan, 25 Coal Miner
11. John Smith, 55 Coal Miner
12. Daniel Strachan, 38 Fireman
13. John White, 26 Coal Miner

Further information:

Scottish Mining site page: (enquiry, reports and extensive information including links to newspaper reports of the accident, rescue and recovery operations.) http://www.scottishmining.co.uk/370.html

The Rescue: Timeline and information on the rescue of 116 trapped miners: https://newcumnockhistory.com/mining-minerals/coal-mining/knockshinnoch-disaster-1950/the-rescue/

Video footage of a news report on the disaster from British Pathe news:  https://youtu.be/SnYOKy6_7Uc

Pathe News clips: https://youtu.be/6DHjZcTXO1A

Canmore site information link:  http://canmore.org.uk/site/80656

The disaster was dramatised in 1952 with the release of the British film, 'The Brave Don't Cry', starring John Gregson, Alex Keir and Fulton Mackay.

. o 0 O 0 o .

Proper use of "BREAK" call on amateur radio.

Many amateur radio operators are heard calling "Break" incorrectly. 

 Break should only be used to signify there is high priority / emergency traffic. For example, a QSO is in progress between two or more stations and another station needs to report an accident, incident or other emergency situation that requires assistance.

When the station currently talking stops transmitting the station with the accident report or emergency traffic should key his transmitter and call, “Break" The other stations should immediately acknowledge the breaking station and allow them to pass the urgent traffic.

The term break in amateur radio communications is commonly misused by new operators and old-timers alike. These operators often incorrecly use a "Break" call as a signal that they wish to join the ongoing conversation, use the frequency to make a contact or to simply make their presence known. For these types of interruptions the operator should simply wait for a gap between transmissions and give their call sign once. When the operators using the frequency are at a suitable breaking point in their conversation, they will acknowledge the new station and call them in.

 Most amateur radio operating guides instruct to only use a "Break" call in an emergency or life threatening situation. Many amateur radio clubs, groups and repeater systems have operating procedure guidelines that amateur station operators should follow. These are guidelines and not rules or laws, they are proper etiquette. Operators who do not follow proper etiquette are often frowned upon or ignored by other stations.

To avoid any confusion calling "Break" should only be used in urgent or emergency situations. 

If You wish to 'break in' to an ongoing conversation, and there is No accident or emergency assistance required, You should simply give Your callsign once and wait patiently for one of the stations to bring You in. 

If the frequency, channel or repeater You wish to call on has no current traffic a "Break" call should only be used in an emergency situation to alert other stations that there is an accident, incident, emergency or life threatening situation requiring urgent assistance.

When calling "Break" in an emergency You should be prepared to give information relating to the type of emergency, the location of the incident and state what assistance is required. This information will enable stations receiving Your emergency Break call to pass the required information to emergency services or other organisations that can provide the required assistance.

73 de MM7WAB

Amateur Radio Protocol & Procedures - Why do so many get it wrong?

 It is amazing how many experienced amateur radio operators seem to have forgotten the basics. 

Simple things like getting callsigns in the right order during a QSO or when calling a specific station.

You only have to listen for a short time on the amateur radio bands to hear stations giving their callsign followed by the callsign of  the station they are calling or handing it back over to during a QSO. This is of course the wrong way round. When in QSO or calling a specific station You should first give the callsign of the station You are calling followed by Your callsign. It is easy to do this correctly and there is no reason to get it wrong. 

Giving impossible signal reports is also becoming more common. 

Anyone who has listened to the amateur bands during a contest will be well aware of false 'You are 5/9' signal reports.  I have heard many poor excuses for why this is done during a contest and it seems to be generally accepted that fake signal reporting is fine during a contest. 

Whatever excuse is used during a contest there is NO good reason to give false signal reports the rest of the time. If You were Really being received as a proper 5/9 (Readability 5 = Perfectly clear and understandable) there would be no reason to be asked a second time for Your callsign or to repeat information. 

Incorrectly using QRZ instead of CQ when calling for a contact.

Calling on amateur bands for a contact by giving Your callsign followed by QRZ instead of CQ is a very common mistake. QRZ and CQ have specific meanings! QRZ should NOT be used instead of CQ.  QRZ should only be used AFTER a station has called You. QRZ means "who is calling me" 

These mistakes (and many others) are heard every day from supposedly experienced operators who should know the correct procedures and protocols. There is no sensible reason to get the basics wrong. 

I have often thought that there should be some sort of refresher course every few years to remind operators of the correct operating procedures and protocols as this would help them to correct their bad habits and do it right.  

Look up the Amateur Radio Q codes and use them properly, it is easy to use them correctly & there is no reason to get it wrong. 

If it is worth doing at all it is worth doing it Right.

73 de MM7WAB 

Beware of 2TB Clover CM201hi external USB3 hard disk devices. Something not quite right...

 A good friend recently bought a new external USB3 2TB hard disk that was behaving strangely from the first time it was plugged in. It was initially plugged into a USB3 port on a Windows 10 machine.   When plugged in the LED on the case flashes to show the device is active. After a significant wait time, sometimes the PC 'sees' the drive and identifies it as a Clover CM201hi external USB device but reports the size as Zero. Sometimes the PC sees it as a USB storage device with size listed as 1.8TB but Most of the time it reports the device as USB storage with no other information. 

We have tried using various hard drive repair/recovery software and forensic analysis software/hardware to interrogate the device. 

We managed to get the drive to start up a few times (with start up delays of between 20 minutes and 2 hours) On performing a device block scan we got reports the drive had read/write errors on almost every block. After between 5 and 11 hours of block scanning (between 80% and 98% of all scanned blocks reporting errors) the drive then fails completely and appears to be 'unplugged'. 

It has some very strange information listed on the label. Quoted information below copied exactly as shown on label.

"During format preocess our hard disk will choose exFAT automatically as default efficient format. Please DO NOT select NTFS maually, this format is not supported by our hard disk, will cause disk crash." 

"QC Passed. Hard Disk Formatted already before packing & shipping. there is no need to reformat when first use."

"Special attention to our products (partitions are not supported), partitioning will cause damage to the hard disk. For safer and longer service life, use it directly as one independent partition"

There is also a second smal label that says "YP005 2TB" on the packaging.

---------------

If You are looking for a new USB3 hard drive it would be best to get a known brand that has good user reviews, proper specifications listed by the manufacturer and does not have the strange limitations quoted above from the device label.

After much hunting online I did find some information from a few people who have managed to get these drives to work. They all reported that the performance is very poor, significantly slower than most USB2 storage devices. These drives are also very unreliable, suffering with read/write errors and loss of data after a only a few weeks of use.

Buyer Beware : 

Always research the item You are looking at and check user reviews before parting with Your funds. 

If in doubt, Don't ! There are plenty of good branded devices out there to choose from. They may be a little more expensive but when it comes to data storage an unbranded, unknown device that saves money will often have a short working life and lose Your precious data, if it works at all.  

73 de 'Hairy' Paul.

Identity Theft on DMR networks.

 If You have seen my callsign MM7WAB on a DMR network monitor or repeater dashboard recently but did not hear my voice, there is a pretty good chance it was Not a legitimate transmission from me! 

I realised someone else was pirating my DMR-ID / Callsign when I saw my callsign appear on my local repeater dashboard with the source shown as 'Net' a few minutes after I had made a test transmission into the repeater and gone QRT. This was a big red flag to me for two reasons. 

#1: All of my legitimate transmissions into the repeater are listed with source as 'RF' with associated RSSI information and I have Never accessed the repeater via any other means.

#2: My DMR radio had been swtiched OFF a few minutes before the illegal transmission appeared over the 'Net' connection into the repeater. 

At first it was assumed that someone had made a mistake entering their DMR-ID on their new radio or hotspot and that they would realise it was wrong and correct their mistake. 

After a few hours of reseaerch I have found several transmissions recorded in various online system logs at times when I was actually operating SSB or Digimodes on HF, on local 2m analog FM nets or working stations on other Non-DMR systems. Many of the pirate transmissions on DMR using my callsign have been logged when I was not even 'On-Air' at all.  

Someone else has been illegally using my DMR-ID / Callsign from a location in England 400 miles South of my QTH for at least the last month. 

Surely there must be a way to stop this sort of identity theft and illegal activity on DMR systems, after all the DMR system was originally designed for commercial/business users so there should be some way to manage the system to ensure illegal operators are removed. Unless of course the system management features were broken when DMR was adopted/modified for amateur radio use. If this is the case then I will simply delete all DMR related data from my radio and use it purely for good old fashioned analog FM operation and working satellites instead. 

There are plenty of other network supported systems to use instead of DMR. 

If all else fails with exclusive amateur network assisted modes like DMR my friends can still contact me on the Network Radios channel suite, Southern Ireland Repeater Network and a few other well maintained channels on the Zello-PTT platform where each user is 'trusted in' to transmit and every user connected to each channel has a recorded history of transmissions on the channel. This makes it easy to check any reported issues and moderators, administrators and channel owners have granular access controls with the power to easily block pirates or abusive operators from the channels when required. 

I still personally prefer the simplicity of good old fashioned analog RF communications without network assistance and fancy codeplugs or software applications but I have also enjoyed operating over a selection of network assisted simplex communications platforms. Some are better than others, many have proved to be badly implemented or hard to manage and none of them are 'perfect' but when poor propagation conditions and excessive noise levels make normal RF operation impractical, network assisted communications platforms do have their place in the communications enthusiasts toolbox. 

: If I continue to use DMR or not depends on how well the system is managed and how well the DMR system can deal with identity theft and stop illegal users masquerading as legitimate licensed operators.

73 de MM7WAB 'Hairy' Paul. 

 UPDATE:  The offending operator that was illegally using My registered DMR ID was tracked down and it appears that they had incorrecly entered their own DMR ID when programming their DMR codeplug and setting up their new DMR radio. With a little assistance from a friend their mistake was corrected. They contacted me with an apology and the problem was resolved. 

When setting up a new radio, hotspot or other device always double check the information You have entered is correct to avoid issues like this from arising.

I have now returned to using the DMR network assisted communications system.

73 de MM7WAB

It's life Jim! But not as we know it. COVID Lockdown

With Scotland and many countries around the World currently in a state of Lockdown, day to day life has changed dramatically. For some people all they see is the negative effects of restricted movement, closure of workplaces, schools, parks, churches etc and separation from friends and loved ones. For others there are some positive effects.

It may sound a bit odd but as huge numbers of people around the World are having to stay at home many of them who are licensed amateur radio operators have dusted off their HF communications equipment and are keeping themselves, other hams, radio enthusiasts and short-wave listeners, occupied during these difficult times.

Although we are at the bottom of the 11 year solar cycle and radio propagation conditions are rather poor many amateur radio stations, myself included, have been enjoying a significant increase in activity on the amateur bands since the COVID-19 virus lockdown has brought many of the dormant stations back on air.

Over the past couple of years I have lost count of how many hams I have heard stating 'the bands are dead'. Some have given up trying, packed away their HF radios or even sold off their gear!
Of course many embraced the challenge, focussed on the lower frequency HF bands, continued to 'chase the propagation' and make good use of the often brief band openings to work distant stations.

My own amateur radio operators license (UK Foundation License) limits my power output to 10W ERP and I do not have fancy radio equipment or large antennas placed high above the ground for optimum efficiency.

I have been making the best of what I have in the space that is available to me. Using home-brewed wire antennas made from scrap copper wire (an vast improvement on the two 10M plastic coated steel washing lines I made my first HF contacts with!) My antennas are strung between home-brewed towers build from recycled timber with the tallest standing at 29ft 6in tall. None of my HF antennas are at their optimum operating height above ground. This is especially noticeable on the lower frequency bands where wavelegths are longer and antennas low to the ground incur losses making them somewhat inefficient. So my meager transmitted signals need to be put the best possible use.
This means utilising enhanced propagation effects whenever possible.
Simple thangs can make a big difference. While working one band on HF, using a seperate receiver to monitor other bands for openings.(I use a 40year old Yaesu FRG-7) If You do not have a dedicated HF or general coverage receiver a cheap SDR receiver or online Web SDRs can be used to keep an ear on other bands for activity.
Following the Grey-Line to maximise the chance of making contacts with distant stations has worked very well for me with over 8000 successful QSOs in my shack log and over 4000 logged on QRZ. Maximum distance so far being just over 10,500miles to Norfolk island off the East coast of Australia!  Not too shabby for a bunch of home brewed wire antennas pushing 8W.
At this point in the solar cycle the main ingredients required for working DX stations are time, patience and persistence. 

If You have HF gear sitting gathering dust, now would be a good time to blow the cobwebs off it, throw a wire up in the air and have some fun while there are lots of stations with plenty of time spare on the air.

73 de 'Hairy' Paul MM7WAB

Software: The choice to Update or Not

In the wonderful World of modern technology almost everyone has electronic equipment that is comprised of a selection of 'off the shelf' modules, sub-assemblies and other hardware that works together to perform specific tasks. Many of these devices are often reliant on Software to make the hardware operate the way we want it to.

Software Updates or Upgrades usually fix bugs and improve the way a device operates, often adding new features or functions improving the end users experience and enjoyment of the device.

Having the latest release or most up to date version is usually a good thing, but not always.

There are occasions when a certain software version does everything we need it to and works very well. Then an update appears that seems to be a step backwards. Changing the way the device works making it more awkward to use. Removing useful features that worked perfectly well. Making the device slower or unstable due to additional fancy graphics increasing processor load (wasting energy on battery powered devices) or bloating the software and wasting memory with functions we do not actually need or use. I believe that functionality and efficiency are far more important than making things look pretty. 

Most of the time if we do not like the latest version we can go back to using the older version, But not always...

Sometimes we are forced to update or upgrade with no choice to keep the older version that worked for us. Fortunately most of the time it is up to the end user when/if they want to upgrade/update to the latest version.  I personally tend to look at new versions of software (and firmware) read release notes and information presented by the programmers or producer of the software and wait until I see or hear feedback from other users before deciding whether I want to try the newer version myself.

It is always nice to have the choice to upgrade or Not.
Giving end users the option to wait until most of the bugs are ironed out and any new features or functions are proved to work properly and actually be useful is a good thing. Especially when the software producer/programmer only provides the latest version with no option to roll-back to the older version if You do not like the new one!

Android

I also use Android based devices (both home based and portable/mobile Network Radio equipment) and had issues in the past with the Google Play-Store automatically updating applications that turned out to be much worse than the older version I had been using.
I have turned OFF auto-update in the Play-Store and only update after doing a bit of research to find out what changes have been made, reading other users reports of the new versions behaviour and when possible speaking to others who are using the latest version before deciding whether to try it or not. This has saved me a lot of trouble when a supposed update or upgrade turned out to be a downgrade with more problems than the version it replaced.

There are a few key apps I use daily that could be thought of as 'out of date'. The newer versions have changed a lot, added fancier graphics, incresed latency, become less stable and removed specific functions I require for correct operation of some devices. Fortunately I have been able to re-install the older version that works properly with all the functions and features I need.

 With Android Apps it is a good idea to keep a backup copy of the .apk file for an app before trying the latest updated version. This makes it much easier to go back to the version that worked before.

To Update or Not ?   As an end user the choice should be Yours.

73 de Hairy Paul.

Digi-Mode Interface on the cheap: Arduino Nano VOX BOX

There are many 'digi mode interfaces' available that require a Serial port to control PTT on the radio.
As most modern PCs do not have a proper Serial port on them A USB to Serial adaptor is required in order to get PTT / TX control to work.

BEWARE: Many cheap (and some not so cheap) USB-Serial converters/adapters only provide very basic Data IN and OUT serial lines with NO hardware flow control support. If You do get a digi-mode interface that needs a serial port and intend to purchase a USB-Serial unit make sure it does actually have fully working CTS/RTS/DTR etc hardware flow control before You buy or You will end up with a Serial device that will Not work with Your interface!

Of course there are 'digi mode interfaces' available that only require a USB connection to the PC but they tend to be rather expensive. (even the older ones that use a Serial port are not particularly cheap)  If funds are tight, or You just don't want to pay over the odds for a simple interface unit there are much cheaper ways to set up your PC and radios for digi mode operation.

Home Brew Digi-Mode Interfacing.

Working FT8 (and other digi modes) can be quite easily achieved with only simple audio cables connecting the radio and PC and manually switching TX/RX.  I have used good quality shielded cable with 600ohm audio isolating transformers in line to ensure there are no potential difference / ground loop issues between radio and PC.

Using this very basic setup on both radios I worked 500+ stations in 50+ countries but it did become tedious manually operating the TX toggle button on the radios. (MOX button on FT 707 and TRANSMIT button on Icom IC-756) 

As I had an Arduino Nano doing nothing I decided to use it to make a VOX BOX that would use the audio output from the PC to control TX / RX on the radios with more accurate timing than pushing buttons on the radios manually.

 A socket on the rear of the radios is used to feed received audio from the radio into an external USB sound card and accept audio input from the same USB sound device on the PC.  

Feeding Audio into the Arduino Nano.

The audio LINE OUT from the PC is connected to the radio but it is also connected through a capacitor to a simple potential divider circuit comprising of two resistors which feeds into an analogue input on the Arduino Nano via a second capacitor. This effectively gives the Arduino a relatively smooth LINE level audio input at a decent level that is easy to handle by reading the analog input pin voltage on the Arduino. There is also a resistor from the input pin to ground that 'bleeds off' the charge from the second capacitor when the audio input stops, this ensures the Arduino reacts rapidly to the input level drop when the audio output from the PC stops.

NOTE: On the Arduino Nano board the command analogReference(INTERNAL) sets the reference voltage for analog input pins to 1.1V instead of  the default analogReference(DEFAULT) that uses the on-board regulator voltage (+5v) for the analog input reference voltage. 

Using analogReference(INTERNAL) as the voltage reference provides more accurate level sensing for standard audio LINE LEVEL input (1.1V Peak to Peak) 

You MUST read the Arduino documentation for Your specific Arduino device carefully before using the reference voltage commands. The analogReference control is NOT the same on all Arduino boards.

How Arduino VOX BOX controls the radio.

When WSJT-X / JTDX or other digimode software on the PC sends Audio out, the Arduino 'hears' it and sets a Digital Output pin HIGH. (+5V) This pin drives a 2N2222A transistor via a current limiting resistor that simply switches the PTT pin on ACC socket of the radio to Ground. This puts the radio into TX mode.
The Arduino also illuminates a red LED on the board when the output pin is set HIGH giving clear indication when TX is enabled.

The program sets the Digital Output pin LOW (0V) when the audio input drops below a set threshold level. This turns OFF the output transistor switch returning the radio to RX mode.

I included a single pole latching switch (ON/OFF) that disconnects the electrical connection between the Arduino VOX BOX and PTT pin on the radio ACC socket to guard against any possible accidental TX. This is handy when testing and adjusting the program on the Arduino and You don't want it to actually transmit 'on air'. 

Programming the Arduino.

If You only wish to use FT8 mode a really simple program in the Arduino can be used to 'listen' for audio input and Hold the radio in TX mode for 14 seconds by keeping the Digital Output pin HIGH and then switching it LOW when the timer runs out putting the radio back into RX mode.

To make the VOX BOX more flexible for modes that use different operating time periods the Arduino is programmed to set the Digital Output pin HIGH when audio above a set threshold is applied to the Analog Input. It then keeps checking the Analog Input level and sets the Digital Output pin LOW when the incoming audio drops below a set threshold level for longer than a defined delay time.  

It would be easy to add features to this simple unit to make a multi-mode, multi purpose user adjustable VOX BOX. 

Adding rotary controls (variable resistors/pots) connected to analogue input pins on the Arduino to provide easy manual adjustment of the threshold levels for TX and RX switching. A third rotary control could be used to adjust the delay time and another could be used to adjust the audio input level if required. 

The Arduino program can be made to read the voltage level of each pot and set a variable for the threshold levels and delay time accordingly. This would make the Arduino VOX BOX easily adjustable to suit different radios, PCs and modes requiring VOX control. With the addition of a small microphone audio amplifier You could even use the VOX BOX for 'hands free' operation when using Voice / Phone modes (Would be handy if You have a radio that does not have its own built in VOX function)

: I have now worked over 900 stations in 78 countries and I am enjoying FT8 mode much more since the VOX BOX controls TX/RX switching with perfect timing every time. :-) 

Grab an Arduino and have some fun.

73 de MM7WAB 'Hairy' Paul 

Eventually got round to diving into the Blogosphere again after many years elsewhere.
I am not quite sure what to publish on this new blog but it will probably be mostly related to Amateur Radio and/or Mountain Biking.

I am a licenced Amateur Radio operator located in Ayrshire, S.W.Scotland.
My HAM callsign is MM7WAB and I enjoy working the HF HAM bands using Voice (SSB) and also dabble with various narrow band Digital modes.

Although we are at currently at the bottom end of the 11 year solar cycle and propagation conditions are somewhat poor I am happy to say I am continuing to prove the protagonists of doom are most certainly wrong, The bands are NOT dead ! 

Having worked hundereds of stations in 72 countries on six continents over the past six months using home-brewed wire antennas with a maximum of 10W ERP I can most certainly state there is life on the bands and it IS possible to make contacts.

Working HF is a challenge that never ceases to entertain those who are prepared to put a little effort into it. Like many things in life, the more time and effort You put into something, the more You will get back out of it.

Most of the equipment I use is old, second hand stuff that was either scrapped or sold off very cheaply for spares or repairs. All of the equipment in the shack is old, repaired, restored or rescued except for two Network Radios, The Inrico TM7 and the Inrico T199 were both brand new gifts from very good friends. But after a bit of time and some careful repair/restoration work everything is  working well and gets put to good use almost every day!

The winter shack setup at my home QTH 

73 de 'Hairy Paul' MM7WAB