A drop of the white stuff

For logging purposes I just use QRZ.com as it does most of the things I need. I have nothing against the various logging packages, it's just that they are all way over the top for my meagure needs. I don't do high pressure stuff or contesting (yet!) so my needs are simple. However, I do maintain a local database primed from the data in QRZ. It is there that I store eQSL information and WAB square information. QRZ does have fields for eQSL but I decided to store it locally. Having all this data to hand made me think of ways to use it. Having reapplied my programming hat I now have a few useful modules. My next aim is to make them into a dashboard sort of display rather than console output as now. One module displays data from pskreporter via the extremely useful pskreporter MQTT feed (see mqtt.pskreporter.info) and stores this in a database along with distance (direction is planned). A web page displays it so I can see where I am being heard (provided that data gets into pskreporter of course). Another module takes UDP data from wsjt-x and tells me which of the stations calling CQ…

I am surprised that I actually managed to do something useful today. For a while now I have been meaning to put a Cross Country Wireless HF/VHF/UHF antenna splitter to use and today was the day. It is now sat upside down on the top shelf above the radios, fed from the discone in the loft and feeding two little LoRa modules, one for TinyGS and one receiving radiosondes. The TinyGS receiver had been running for some time sat in the loft and was previously the only thing connected to the discone. The radiosonde receiver had a 70cm ground plane in the shack and never received anything. Since reorganising the feed it has burst into life, rather surprisingly finding a balloon quite close to this QTH which was apparently launched from somewhere to the west of the Lake District but the data does not show the launch site. Looking at the altitude figure in the data I suspect it is already sat on the ground. Pity I cannot go out right now to see if I can find it. Now, the cabling is RG58 and so not particularly good at UHF. The next step is to put a pre-amp next…

Armed with the LF converter I have been experimenting with antennas for the low side of things. There is far too much electronic hash in the house for any hope of receiving things so I now have a couple of antenna options to try outdoors. Given the radios are all upstairs and there is no easy cable route to the workshop where the antennas can go this means a remote SDR. There is already Ethernet in the garage where the QO100 transceiver was so experiments can begin. Anyway, here are the new fiddleables... an IP35 mini whip from eBay seller radio.el32 complete with bias tee: This comes as the two PCBs - antenna and bias tee - plus 3 BNC sockets. The metal box was sourced from eBay and the waterproof plastic housing from Amazon. It's a lot bigger than is needed but should be fine. And a 'loop antenna amplifier' (LAA++) and bias tee from Cross Country Wireless: All being well the first test will be of the IP35 antenna once mounted on a wooden pole. The LAA++ will take me a little longer as I need to make a loop for it.