1st QSO on PSK-31 using Yaesu FT-450D

I've had Ham Radio Deluxe for a while now and decided to give PSK-31 a tryout.
My HF rig, the Yaesu FT-450D has a data port on the rear. This is connected using a bought cable to a USB sound card. There is also another cable used to connect the CAT interface to the computer via a USB COM port. It sounds complicated but it's not and I will write something about the connections in a later post.
After much configuration I still couldn't get the rig to transmit the audio is was being fed. I listened to output of the sound module to make sure that audio was coming out - it was.
Then I got out my very old FRG-7 receiver and tuned to the 20m frequency I was supposed to be transmitting on.

When transmitting the rig was putting out about 5 watts as I thought on upper side band but it also had a carrier wave that I could distinctly hear. I put out a number of CQs with no response. The waterfall of DM-780 sound module of Ham Radio Deluxe showed the correct waveform. I was mystified.

So I resorted to reading the Yaesu FT-450D manual - we all do that when something doesn't work don't we? Anyway I found the problem. You first of all have to set the rig into a "User Mode". Essentially this instructs the rig what to do when put into datamode. In my case I wanted to transmit audio through the rear socket in upper side band. You have to go into the rig menu by pressing F for 1 second then follow the next sequence:

• rotate the DSP/SEL knob until D Type appears (this is Data Type)
• press the DSP/SEL knob - then menu text flashes and RTTY will probably be selected (it was on mine)
• rotate the DSP/SEL knob until USER-U is selected
• press the DSP/SEL knob -the menu text stops flashing
• press the F key for longer than one second
• Next select the mode you want (USB Data mode) using the mode up or down buttons
• Select the frequency of transmission - in my case 14.070.00 MHz on the 20m band

Then you are all set for transmitting data.

When you set the mode to data mode the rig only takes audio from the data socket and the microphone PTT switch is disabled. The microphone is also disabled so you don't run the risk of transmitting expletives along with the data whilst transmitting - it happens apparently when things get heated in the shack during data transmission mode.

What a fantastic rig the Yaesu FT-450D is - once you have read the manual!

I called CQ again and after 2 minutes my first contact was with a station in Konetspol, Ukraine followed by another station in Lyon, France - 1486 miles m and 588 miles away from G8YPH respectably. Not bad from 5 watts into a long wire partially running through the shack!

Interesting radio related websites

There are lots of useful websites out in web land. Here's a few:

• www.bandplans.com - Have you ever wondered where different modes should be operated, what frequencies to avoid as a courtesy (like SSTV), etc? This site will be the database for the following: 1) known net frequencies, 2) known segments for different modes, 3) known beacons
• www.g4nsj.co.uk - Ray G4NSJ's site - quite a lot of useful information and some humorous stuff too.
• hfradio.org.uk/index.html - G4UCJ's website - Digital modes with screenshots and sound files useful if you want to visualize digital reception

Ham Radio Deluxe 6.2.9.354 released

The latest version of HRD has been released and is currently 6.2.9.354
There are a number of bugs fixed in the release and a couple of enhancements so if you haven't already installed it try to do it asap.

The bug in Logbook that I reported seems to be fixed although I had the logbook crash on me again for some other reason. I've not been able to replicate it yet though.

Cable clamps arrived

Both sets of cable clamps have now arrived at long last. The 6mm ones came last weekend and the 3mm ones came today.
The 3mm ones came all the way from China and the 6mm ones from Germany hence the long wait.

Both types look of excellent quality so I just need to make some time this weekend to erect the new antenna.

Bug in Ham Radio Deluxe 6.2.8.330 Logbook module

I paid for the excellent Ham Radio Deluxe yesterday as I had been using the evaluation version for a couple of weeks. My PC required rebuilding so I reinstalled Windows 7 SP1 and patched it to the hilt. Then HRD was installed.

I created a new database in the c:\programdata\HRDLLC\HRD location with my callsign as the logbook name. This is a hidden folder on your C: drive if you didn't already know. I left everything in the HRD Logbook application at its defaults with callsign lookup set at Logbook and Country file.

Then whilst in HRD Logbook I clicked Add and performed the following:

• entered a callsign. 
• clicked the QRZ button 
• waited for something to appear in the country tab
• click cancel
• Then the error "HRDLookbook MFC Application has stopped working" appears

This is very repeatable and the error is written into the Windows application log.

I opened up a support ticket with HRD and after a little communication between me and them they confirmed I had found a bug. There was a new release about to be made and the developers have been made aware of the bug to see if it is also in the new release.

Hopefully they can sort this problem out. I always like helping out software developers and realize that as this software is now so big occasional bugs like this creep in.

50MHz Aurora

Around 5PM on 17th March 2015 I was listening to 2m anda local stations remarked he could hear several auroral contacts on the 6 m band. I tuned to 50.190 USB and heard a Scottish station working several long path contacts. His voice had that strange Dalek like voice reminiscent of auroral QSOs.
The two local stations attempted to contact him and one was successful. I tried but as my antenna is a long wire at the moment and I was only running 5 watts I was unsuccessful.

Then that evening the majority of the UK was blessed with seeing the aurora borealis (or the northern lights where the sky was clear. The earth had just been hit by a huge solar flare and the consequence was enhanced communications via aurora for radio hams in the direction of the flare.

The unexpectedly strong geomagnetic storm meant the lights - seen here in Lewis in the Western Isles - spread far and wide Picture by Chris Lewis from the BBC news website

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31936513

Waiting for the postman

I ordered a load of antenna parts from Amazon the other day to aid erection of my new HF dipole. Everything has come apart from 10 off 3mm shackles and 5 off 6mm Stainless Steel Cable Clip Saddle Clamps. These are essential to clamp the guy lines in the air.

I looked on Amazon today, they have been despatched but have a delivery estimate: Monday, 23 March 2015 - Wednesday, 15 April 2015 despite them being ordered 12th March 2015.

Why does it take so long for delivery? Most other items arrived within a couple of days.

Applying for a NOV to a full license

This really could not be easier!
Providing you are the holder of an A class full amateur radio license, as I am, just go to the Ofcom website. From there follow the links to Radiocommunication Licenses>Amateur Radio>Apply For Notice Of Variation link here.
Then choose what you wish to apply for a NOV for. You will need your callsign, name and address, email address and the license serial number.

Fill in the relevant online form and within seconds receive a certificate in PDF form for what you have applied for.
For 5MHz there are 9 spot frequencies available. My FT-450D has 7 of them already programmed in. There are ways of modifying this rig for wide band transmit but I am content on what I have.

My Wouxun quad band rig is already capable of transmitting on the 147 MHz band.

I have just applied and got a NOV for the experimental 5MHz band and a NOV the newly released 147MHz band. So I am legal to transmit on these bands.

For all you full license holders why not try it out? See you there.

73 Terry

Wouxun KG-UV950P review - Part 7 - Out of band transmission WARNING

Out of the box this rig is capable of transmitting out of band, assuming you have a resonant antenna, which I found odd especially as it was of UK spec.
There is a Windows program available from a few dubious sites on the internet called KG-UV950P-FrqLmt
I downloaded a copy of this software to have a look at the system defaults on my rig.

 KG-UV950P-FrqLmt executable

As can be seen 

• on the 144M band the rig can transmit from 136 to 179MHz. 

Wouxun KG-UV950P review - Part 6 - Initial Operation

After you have programmed your channels you will be eager to try the rig out. I connected up my dual band collinear into the SO239 socket on the rear of the rig.
I also had set both the default VFO power output to low and each memory had been pre-programmed with low power.
Connecting the microphone couldn't be easier as it is a latching RJ45 plug that connects to a socket on the side of the front panel. I'm not sure if this is actually a good connector for use on what is ostensibly intended to be a mobile rig but a lot of modern rigs tend to be using this connector these days.

First contact

Tuning to S20 and giving out a CQ gave an immediate response from a station about 30 miles away. Changing to another channel to continue the QSO revealed that the rig was very audibly quiet and the

Wouxun KG-UV950P review - Part 5 - Scan settings

The rig is capable of scanning the VFO or any memories you may have programmed in.
As a default SCAN A (VFO A) and SCAN B (VFO B) are set to scan all channels from 001 to 999.
I changed my settings so that VFO A could scan all the memories I had  programmed and VFO B to scan VHF/UHF local repeaters near me.

Wouxun KG-UV950P review - Part 4 - FM Broadcast settings

Wouxun KG-UV950P transceiver.

Once again when running the KG-UV905P 2.5K programming software if you click the FM Broadcast Memories tab you see this.

FM Broadcast Memories tab with a few
frequencies I have programmed.

The rig is capable of tuning broadcast FM radio channels on VFO A only. On the FM Broadcast Memories tab there is the ability of programming up to 20 channels with your favourite FM frequencies between 76MHz and 108MHz FM only.

Wouxun KG-UV950P review - Part 3 - Configuration and VFO Programming

Maybe I should have had this section first as it is very important other wise everything defaults to Chinese.

Configuration Tab

Whilst running the KG-UV950P 2.5K software click the Configuration tab.

Out of the box settings

As can be seen there is a lot of options here but I have mine now set to this

Wouxun KG-UV950P review - Part 2 - Memory Programming

Cable connection

The programming cable has a USB connector at one end and an RJ45 plug at the other. Plugging into the rig involves removing a protective rubber bung from the rig port and pushing the connector in. The other USB plug end is simply inserted into a spare USB socket on the PC. On Windows 7 it is recognised as a COM port with a Silicon Labs driver. On mine as seen below it is COM4. Note this can change if you subsequently plug the lead into another USB socket.

KG-UV950 2.5K software

First you connect setup the software to talk to the COM port. This is simply done by clicking Memories>Port and checking the port you have installed. Have a look in device manager in Windows if you are not sure.

Wouxun KG-UV950P review - Part 1

The Wouxun KG-UV950P has been part of the radio shack since around November 2014. In that time I have been pleasantly surprised by it.

The rig as fitted in G8YPH radio shack

Specifications

The brief specifications are:

• Quad band FM/AM transceiver for amateur bands
• 10m 10 watts output from 28-30Mhz
• 6m 50 watts output from 50-52MHz
• 2m 45 watts output from 144 to 146MHz
• 70cm 35 watts output from 430 to 440 MHz
• Dual VFO
• 8 bands receive the 4 amateur bands + 350MHz + 800MHz + Airband AM + Broadcast bands 87-108MHz
• Twin band simultaneous reception
• Duplex Communication (Cross-Band mode useful for 10m to 6m repeater work for instance)
• Same-Band repeat on to combined radios (yes 2 UV950s can be linked to become a full repeater system)
• Voice scrambler
• 999 memory channels (maybe too many)
• SOS alarms
• Full CTCSS/DCS compliant

Arrival

The radio is made in China and came boxed in a very substantial, well padded cardboard box from Martin Lynch and Sons. I paid £239.95 including a shipping charge of £10.00

About G8YPH

My name is Terry McKnight and I have the UK amateur radio callsign of G8YPH
I have been licensed since 1980 and have mainly been operational on VHF/UHF.
I was involved in the very early days of Packet Radio until its demise in the early 21st century.

As you may see I am also passionate about woodworking and maintain another blog at tmcwoodworks.blogspot.com
Both blogs automatically appear on my Google+ profile too.

The current station Radios

I have a number of rigs:

• Trio 7500 - Single band FM 2m 80 channels 10 Watts - this is now in a cardboard box in my attic but I think still works
• Kenwood TH77E - Dual Band FM 2m/70cm handheld 5 Watts - 2m no long transmits on this rig sadly
• Icom T81E - Quad Band FM 6m/2m/70c/23cm handheld 5 Watts - still working fine
• Yaesu FRG7 0-30MHz communications receiver - still working fine after many years service
• Wouxin KG-UV950P - Quad Band FM 10m/6m/2m/70cm upto 50 Watts - a new purchase and a mighty fine rig



Wouxun KG-UV950P



Kenwood TH-77E

• Yaesu FT-450D - HF/50MHz all mode transceiver - a new purchase and a fantastic rig at a perfect price

Yaesu FT-450D

Icom T81E

Antennas

I'm a little light on antennas so far, even though I have gone through many over the past 35 years, but have the following:

• Dual band VHF/UHF colinear of unknown manufacturer - it's been up on the chimney for the past 15 years and I have forgotten what it is. I get VSWRs of about 1.5:1 on 2m and 1.1:1 on 70cm
• A long wire strung across the yard for HF. As I have only recently aquired a transmitter for HF this will change in the near future.
• Many mobile antennas of different makes as I was heavily involved in mobile working at one stage many moons ago