2024 QSL ready for sending to buro

 In 2004 I made almost 8.000 QSO.  100% PSE QSL are now ready for buro.

2.500 QSL cards with destination USA.

A second batch with RRDXA 60th anniversary going to the European stations

WSJT-X no transmit

While investigating the reason why there was suddenly no reception in WSJT-X (see the post below), I ended up tweaking some parameters, which resulted in FT8 transmission no longer working either.

After much trial and error, here is the solution:

Both channels must be set to "mono" and not to left or right.

WSJT-X error in sound input

Today I encountered an issue when starting WSJT-X that appeared completely out of nowhere, namely the error message 'error in sound input.'

It is very frustrating to face something like this because both the FlexRadio and Windows are essentially black boxes, making it challenging to find a solution.

Various solutions are listed online, ranging from RF-related issues to driver problems. The latter, replacing drivers, is a major step that I’d rather avoid.

After much searching and experimenting, I happened to come across the screen under 'Settings' -> 'Microphone.'

There, access was blocked. Enabling it resolved the issue.

DXCC 322 : Minami Torishima JG8NQJ/JD1

Not the most difficult one, but if you aren't in the shack at the good moment, it can take a very long time to work this DXCC.

While listening for N5J, the hamalert app beeped me up for JD1.  Worked JG8NQJ/JD1 easily on 15m CW.

DXCC 321 : Palmyra & Jarvis N5J

Good one !  The first big RIB-expedition started super FB.  Almost 10K QSO's the first day of N5J...

During the first hours of the expedition I made contacts on both 20m CW and 17m FT8.  I normally wait for a couple of days to start listening, but this time I took time to try to break the pile-ups and with success.

The new SuperFox FT8 method worked excellent !  What a nice evolution in data-transmission.
The coming days I will listen to 15/12/10 some extra QSO are possible.

Optibesteppir on the air

           

The basic idea of using the Optibeam OB5-10 in combination with another antenna has succeeded. The Steppir, which was repaired over the winter, is now working optimally again and utilizes the OB5-10 boom.

Electrically, everything is OK, but mechanically, the concept needs to be revised. I am currently using a U-profile for each element, fastened to the Optibeam boom with two screws. This system is very simple and quick to assemble, but it does not meet the mechanical demands in windy conditions. The risk is too great that lateral movements will cause the screws to bore a hole into the aluminum boom.
I need to switch to a design where the U-profile completely encircles the boom, which essentially corresponds to the mechanical model that Steppir uses. This will be a project for the coming weeks.

                                             

A second adjustment involves providing a suspension because the additional weight is putting pressure on the Optibeam boom. Due to the tilt plate, the suspension is mounted separately. This is working fine.

                                              

But it would be uncharacteristic if everything worked as it should. Two problems have arisen:

1. I was tired of constantly having to replace the ropes that operate the anti-fall plates of the mast. They deteriorate in quality due to UV light every couple of years. My idea was to replace them with steel cables. This works well, except that in a vertical position, the plates no longer fall down due to the weight of the cables. So, a bad idea.
   
   
   
   

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. The old issue with the Karlock has resurfaced.
   When tilting the mast, the hook gets stuck in safety mode, preventing the antenna from becoming horizontal.
   I used to fix this by pulling on a Steppir element and manually tilting the boom a bit, but due to the weak mechanical attachment to the Optibeam boom and the weight of the combi-yagi, that’s no longer a solution.
   I’ll have to come up with something else, and I’m considering using a linear motor to push the hook aside with a rod. This is also on the to-do list for the coming weeks.

So, a lot of work ahead, but thanks to the Steppir, I’ve added two new countries while the 10m band has not delivered what I expected, despite the high solar flux.

IARU contest 2024

A few years ago, I bought the Flexradio 6400 with the primary goal of achieving the 6M DXCC by making contacts in FT8. 

It took a while before I dared to participate in CW contests with this 'black box.' After all, the absence of a tuning knob requires some adjustment. I had never done an SSB-contest with this transceiver before. The old faithful Yaesu FT1000MKV has never let me down, and the external voice keyer works perfectly.

And it's been quite a while since I seriously participated in this type of contest. Unlike a CW contest, this one is a noise-maker in the house. Still, I had decided to give it a try with the Flexradio in the IARU contest as a test. Although this contest is actually meant for multi-band, I created my own category: 'SOSB SSB 10M HP non-assisted.' Participating to rank in 'SOHP SSB' was excluded from the start.

These were my goals:

• Test all the possibilities and parameters of the transceiver related to voice
• Test the panadapter of N1MM+
• Try out the voice keyer within N1MM+
• Investigate whether there is an added value within non-assisted for using a spectrum scope versus the old method with the Yaesu
• At least 70 contacts for the RRDXA ranking, at least 250 contacts for an IARU award, and preferably some hundreds of QSO with some huge short pile-ups to the States/Japan.
• Test the new Optibeam yagi

Here are the results:

• Having a wide bandscope via the Flexradio is an absolute added value. By making the time-out of the contacts in N1MM extra long, new stations appear very easily. For the first time, I also noticed that I receive local QRM, probably from a solar installation a few houses away. Every 50Khz, there is a noticeable peak. Not pleasant, but workable.
  
  
                           

  Flexradio spectrum filled with own spots (no cluster connection)
  
  
  
  
  I couldn't determine extra added value of the spectrum scope of N1MM. Maybe the CQ function if the band is very busy.

 

                                     

• The voice keyer in N1MM works quite well; I still need to figure out why there is a small dead time at the start. Probably a delay setting somewhere.

• Equalizer, voice processor, bias, voice amplifier were tested and found satisfactory by the receiving ham stations.

• The Optibeam works perfectly. Directional, but still just wide enough and a nice F/B ratio.

The 10-meter band, on the other hand, was the biggest disappointment of the entire contest. I did not see this setback coming. On Saturday, the path was wide open to South America and Africa. But the USA and Japan were absent. This costs hundreds of contacts. On Sunday morning, it was like calling into the desert, and this was the case for everyone. For that reason, I had to work hard to find contacts to exceed 250, but then I stopped 4 hours before the end. Time on Sunday is too precious to call without answers. Apparently, conditions improved in the last hours, but this did not matter to me.

                              

Alone in the desert with OP0HQ, DA0HQ, GR2HQ and two QRM peaks.

Some excitement on Sunday when I heard a clubmate running a SSB pile-up with the USA on 28.414Mhz while I could only hear noise in all directions.

It took a few minutes before I realized he was on 14.207Mhz, and his 2nd harmonic was blasting through my receiver.
This is no longer for me: I use the high duty monoband 4O3A filter to reduce possible EMC problems with the neighbors and to keep other bands free from splatter.

Conclusion: 10 meter is not 15m nor 20m.  It's always a risc to go for a 10 meter single band operation. 
But I am ready for the CQWW SSB 10M. Hopefully for more better conditions at the end of October!

                                   

10m highway to South-America