I have seen that my ICOM radios are picky about the power supplied to them. In my mobile, running an IC-7000, when the voltage got low, it would suddenly power-cycle. I thought that RF was getting into the rig, but later realized that the input voltage was the more likely problem. I am now using... Continue Reading →
N1MM+ RTTY Spot Frequencies are Off
I was using my IC-7300 in AFSK Mode in the CQ WW RTTY contest. I decided to enter as "assisted" so I could maximize my score, given that I was only going to operate for a couple of hours. I started to pick some Spots and the frequencies were off by about 1.5 kHz. I... Continue Reading →
What’s Up With the ICOM IC-7610?
First off, I want to say that the IC-7600 has been a great radio for me, and I have no doubt that the IC-7610 is much better. I was thinking about finally taking the plunge and upgrading to the 7610 soon, so I started following the IC-7610 group at Groups.io. There was suddenly a mention... Continue Reading →
A WiFi-Connected N1MM Antenna Selector Prototype
I have been considering automating a 2X6 antenna switch using the Broadcast Antenna Selection Data from N1MM+ (which I may refer to as simply N1MM from here on). Most Ham Radio contesters use N1MM+ for contest logging and many are now using it with two radios in a Single-Operator-Two-Radio (SO2R) arrangement. N1MM Broadcast Data for... Continue Reading →
Can I Use My ZS6BKW on 160 Meters?
I wanted to get on the air for the CQ 160 contest this weekend but my Inverted "L" is down. I have a ZS6BKW that I have used on 80m before and wondered if I could do it on 160 meters. The two legs are around 45 feet each and the ladder line is about... Continue Reading →
Beverage Antenna Support Structure
One of the first tasks in my Beverage antenna project was to decide upon a method of supporting the wires. I planned on a bidirectional antenna, so a dual wire hanger is needed. Some key concerns are the desired height and the environment where the antennas will be installed. In my case, I want the... Continue Reading →
FTDX-3000 Power-cycles During TX
I have been using my FTDX-3000 for several years and suddenly, in a contest, the rig power-cycled when I was transmitting on 20 meters. This happened a couple of times, and it needed immediate attention. I have found in the past that some radios would power-cycle when the input voltage/current was too low. I assume... Continue Reading →
Using WSPR Transmission for HF Antenna Testing
I have been playing around with the weak-signal propagation mode WSPR for about a year now. Most of my WSPR initial work was in receiving and reporting Spots from WSPR transmitters. Now I wanted to do some HF antenna testing but it was in a rough RF reception environment. So instead of receiving and reporting... Continue Reading →
VA QSO Party 2024 is in the Books
The 2024 VA QSO Party (VAQP) is over and I would say it was a great success. But there is always room for improvement, and VAQP is no exception. Here are some of my thoughts and some suggestions. VAQP Activity and Contest Notes There was a great deal of activity on day one - Saturday,... Continue Reading →
WSPR with Yaesu FTDX-3000 – Part 2: Getting Receive and Spots working
After my initial issues with WSPR on this radio (see Part1 WSPR Post), I did some online searching. I found that there is a frequency Offset setting on the FTDX-3000 for "Other SSB Modes," which I assume means Digital Modes. There are many settings, and each is briefly described in the User Manul, but there... Continue Reading →
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