Radio Bursts

June 29 2012, on my instruments a nice sudden ionospheric disturbance. Together with a strong radio burst on two vhf radio frequency's. Around this M2.2 flare also some other isolated radio bursts, said Rob Stammes (Sounds very Dutch) on his web site.

Warm and thunderstorms

Yesterday it was suddenly very hot, about 30 C. Very warm so we ended up with thunderstorms. I must disconnect my antenna cables. In the late afternoon I made some qso’s on 10 meter PSK31. LY2CK, SQ8GBG and OM7ASP. Earlier today on 20 meter: DL6UCK, RA9FHM, IK6SBW, UA9AFS and YO5OO.

RDR50B QRP transceiver

The RDR50B is a radio receiver with transceiver option and is based on direct signal sampling (digitization of the antenna signal by two 16-bit ADC) and signal processing in the frequency plane (use of spectra for display and demodulation). (Read more >>>)

I have never heard about this QRP 5 watt transceiver before. It is made in Germany. I always say what is made in Germany is good quality. Only it looks like a transceiver from the sixties. Homemade. The tuning knob is tiny. Though, a transceiver with touch screen must be one of the newest.

Does anyone know about this transceiver? I can’t find anything about the price. Who knows?

Update: There is a PDF file on their site where you can find prices.

Second Hand KX3

I wonder why someone sells a two weeks old transceiver. An impulsive buy? I don’t t get it really. 1700 dollars? Why should I buy a ‘second hand’ transceiver for so much money? I rather buy a new one instead.

The last two days I was running WSPR on 10 meter. Last night I was spotted in Brazil. PY2SDR. Other DX: A45WT Oman, EA8FF Canary Islands, FR1GZ Reunion Island, and CN8LI Morocco.

Father's Day

Today I remember my father, he died in 1999 on August 9. I still miss him, he was a good father en a very nice man. He was also a ham radio amateur PDØDCZ. In the early eighties we had several skeds on 2 meter band. I like this old photo when he was 19 years old and joining the Dutch Royal Navy in 1939. From 1942 till August 1945 he was prisoner of war in a Japanese camp Pakanbaru on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. This photo was taken just before he left the Netherlands in 1939.

Today poor conditions, but I did work OK1FIM and YL2NX with JT65 and ED5KB with SSB on 20 meter.

Japan

I worked JA5BDZ Susumu from Maragame City, Japan with JT65 on 15 meter. 15 meter was in a good shape, I was spotted also by ZR5CAT, PY3OL, WB9OTX, FR5ZU, KK4XO and RA9KT. Have a nice weekend!

6 meter

In the late afternoon I worked R200V on 20 meter, a special event station. A very nice QSL card. On 6 meter, the only station I heard at that moment on 6 meter was SM3PYB, I worked him with CW.

At daytime I let WSPR run with 10 watt on 6 meter. See where I was spotted today. One spot was very strong, EA6CA but the software could not decode the signal. Fortunately he ended his WSPR transmission with a CW id.

My log - all with 5 watts

What should I do?

You visit the Netherlands this summer? Here is some advice what to visit in out beautiful capital, Amsterdam.

When I look at my statistics I noticed that the number of visitors to my blog is decreasing. Could be summertime or my blog isn't interesting any more. Or more and more radio amateurs are using social media such as Twitter and Facebook, and are more busy themselves. There is no need to visit blogs, accept when you are searching for special items.

My Twitter account has 301 followers, and I follow 360 hams. Almost 10 times more than my blog members.

I will not delete my blog, there is enough for looking back at in the past tense. But I will slow down activities here for the summertime months. When I made a nice qso or something like that I mention it on my Twitter account.

I have a renovation of the barn soon, so I have to take down the end fed wire. I do have only my 6 meter vertical at hand. Also vacation of the kids soon, and we will go for holidays. That means low radio activities for the summertime. I wish you all a fine and warm summer.

Enjoy!

Today

On 20 meter I worked Giuseppe IT9NMJ with CW. It was almost midnight but sigs on 20 meter were pretty good. Also worked RA1TV Serge. In the afternoon I worked OK1MVV on 20 meter. On 6 meter this morning IK0FTA. The reverse beacon network showed the following spots:

All qso's and CQ's today with 5 watts.

Weekend activities

All kind of activities except ham radio, hi. Though, this afternoon while I came back from our trip to Groningen/Drenthe, I did work EA5BS/P on 14060 KHz 2 way QRP contact. He was not to strong 529 with qsb, but we could manage a qso. I gave me 559 report. Back in Drenthe I could not work much with my hand held for 2 meter and 70 cm. I hear and could open PI3GRN with 1750 hz tone. But only one station came back and could not hear me well. I also opened up PI2WSN repeater on 70 cm in Stadskanaal but no qso. But most Dutch were watching the Dutch soccer team against Denmark. We lost the game. Aaargh.

Solar wind

As you can see on this magnetogram, there was a high peak this afternoon. A high-speed stream of solar wind is buffeting Earth's magnetic field, setting the stage for possible geomagnetic activity. NOAA forecasters estimate a 60% chance of polar geomagnetic storms during the next 24 hours. (Source: Spaceweather.com Conditions on HF are already very poor.

Listening

I was listening on 20 meter to JT65A signals. See my results. I made also a few qso's, a nice one was AE5VB Hugh from Louisiana, which is a new state for me. And MJ6BDJ from the island of Jersey. I was using 15 watts. For a few hours I set up as a Reverse Beacon for CW on the QRP spot 14060 KHz today and yesterday. There is enough activity though. See my list.

Two Times Sardinia

I have worked on 6 meter two times Sardinia island. ISØGQX and ISØAFM with CW. Also EA1AHO and EA1MX.

On 10 meter PSK31 I worked a special station 3Z2Ø12RKT because of European Football Championship which start June 8th.