Menu

Show posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.

Show posts Menu

Messages - RadioRay

#31
If anyone makes contact via radio ( I am too far away in the USA) please post details here :-)

RadioRay ...- .-

#32
Gil said : ..."there are three high-db reports of me on 10118 on the 11th. Those are fake."

That explained those huge signals in the Canadian/US Pacific North-West, yet nothing in Europe at that time.

I hope that you get some good rest tonight and a continuing fine sail.


>Ray
#33
Reverse Beacon Network showed the following.  // Gil reported that these are fake, not him. //

F4WBY   10118.0   CW CQ   31 dB   17 wpm   2033z 11 Jul
F4WBY   10118.1   CW CQ   50 dB   17 wpm   2033z 11 Jul
F4WBY   10118.0   CW CQ   34 dB   17 wpm   2033z 11 Jul
#34
I believe that we know this fellow :-).  Port tack and a beautiful day.

>>> Gil said that he will try to be on freq tonight. Looking at his course and speed , I am assuming his QTP/QTH should be the coast slightly west of Barcelona.
#35
Gil's Garmin track shows that he has launched into the Med Sea , making almost five knots !
#36
Military Radios / Re: The UK PRC 316 / A-16
November 12, 2019, 02:29:13 PM
The Paraset !  I could certainly a video of you making contact with England while using a Paraset from France
;-)

Of course, if you EVER find one of these at a hamfest ---



73 de Ray  ..._ ._
#37
Military Radios / Re: The UK PRC 316 / A-16
November 11, 2019, 07:31:07 PM
$500  Ouch!  With one frequency in the 80m band and possible one other at the high end of 80m , depending upon the variant, you're better with the choices you've already made in QRP rig.  The COOL factor is quite high with the PRC-316 though ;-)

de RadioRay  ..._ ._
#38
Retirement and ham radio are a good mix. 

My Wife & I saw a plaque a few days ago that said it all:

   -Retirement -
Twice the husband.
  Half the money.



Welcome aboard -
#39
General Discussion / Re: Death By Microprocessor
November 03, 2019, 11:32:47 PM
Bushy de Ray -...-

How goes the Morse code practice ? Have you tried a first contact? 

73 de Ray
#40
General Discussion / Re: Site update.
November 03, 2019, 07:52:44 PM
Thanks for the update & especially the SPAM fighting.
-...-

Here, my BRAVE browser will not logon but the Firefox and phone does (same password: "1234" but don't tell anyone!!!).  Other than that, it seems to work well .

73 de Ray  ..._ ._
#41
Morse Code / Guess Who I Heard Today ? //Gil//
October 08, 2019, 03:13:55 PM
High winds broke the line holding up my 80-10m dipole, leaving it laying in lower tree tops, AND it's pointed the wrong way to hear France.  However, I heard Gil veeeeery weakly while he was in Morse QSO with a German station.  Gil was using his home made magnetic loop on the balcony and MTR - 5 Watt transceiver! Unfortunately, I heard him probably at the end of the band opening, because by the time the Dk/F4 QSO ended, I tried calling him while he was fading fast. Of course, my RF noise level at this little country cottage is extremely LOW. His RF noise level in an apartment in a town  - I do not know, but local RF noise from chargers, displays, power supplies & etc.  can make a huge difference.

5W, homemade magloop on balcony, distance = 4196.5 mi (6753.7 km)

Food for Thought:   the German station Gil had talked with was easily readable, and -technically- could have relayed some short messages between Gil & I pretty easily. That could be handy in a grid down situation.

72 de RadioRay  ..._ ._
#42
General Discussion / Re: Death By Microprocessor
September 27, 2019, 05:34:48 AM
Aaah Bushy!

Good to hear from you, my old friend.   You'll be happy to know that I too am now a pensioner - never thought I'd see the day ;-) 

Like you, the sounds of Morse is also comforting to me, and I usually have a receiver with a wide filter to hear Morse conversations in the background when I'm in my little shed, working on projects. Your practice process provides you a skill-set for life.  Unpretentious, simple, accurate Morse is a workhorse that can be depended upon, and enjoyed even when I've been down to my last copper.

You Morse regimen sounds quite reasonable. To communicate at an accurate 8-10 words per minute in a robust mode like Morse is far superior to 'sometimes' being able to communicate at thousands of baud > if everything is running correctly  and electrical power is plentiful < ( and IF Windows does not kill the system with an infernal update ;-) As the saying goes: "In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is King."

GReat to hear from you !


> Ray

Ps. I once had a girlfriend who -quite literally- could not open a can of food without electricity...  that didn't last long.
#43
General Discussion / Re: Lab599 Discovery TX-500
September 21, 2019, 07:08:21 AM
The KX2 is a superb transceiver.  The ability to run highly portable at relatively low current drain - well, that's priceless.  Like you, Gil and others have mentioned, having a more 'hardened' construction would be much appreciated, yet, you are correct, the market is very small for such a ham transceiver , with it's extra costs.  Few hams are physically active.  A 100 Watt transceiver drawing many amps, with a huge lead-acid battery, driven by car to a Park for contest/"Radio Sport" style operation seems to be the goal.  Naturally, when grid-down communication is the focus, points and awards are less than meaningless.  I really don't care if I win the Worked-All-Shoe-Sizes award, as long as my actual needs and a few wants are handled.

Related to that is the dependence upon computers. They do a lot of marvelous things, but are generally a significant burden in size, weight and power and are the first to die. As much as I appreciate Winlink, having used it since the AMTOR days, depending upon MS Windows is a REAL problem.  Exapmle: mt laptop just decided that my Windows 7 is not genuine.  Why, after all these years it has done this - and begun the countdown to killing my USB ports & etc. I do not know, but all this began as the last hurricane was approaching... 'nuf said, I'll stick with Morse and to pass formal traffic, use Radio Relay International / NTS nets, of which there are MANY every day. I can't send pictures and file extensions, but health & welfare messaging is their speciality.

Please keep us posted.


73/72 & GL with the KX2/Lab599.

de Ray  ..._ ._
#44
General Discussion / Re: Lab599 Discovery TX-500
September 21, 2019, 12:09:13 AM
Well, I am still waiting for my Hallicrafters Nine-Zillion, from 1962, but I was one of the lucky ones who managed to put down a deposit, so now it's ALL OVER, except the waiting... (image attached)

#45
General Discussion / Re: Lab599 Discovery TX-500
September 20, 2019, 02:40:51 PM
Yes!  That caught my eye as well.  The receive current drain (critically important for field opns) is a bit over 100 mA , which is superb in a full function, rig and the physical layout and construction is where 'we' really need to be for rucksack radio, because anything can work on a picnic table - which is fun- but robust & survivable is worth the extra expense.   I do hope that this makes the transition from prototype into a retail product.

de Ray  ..._ ._