Triband antenna ordered

I'd noticed in the past few weeks that reception on FM 2m (and 70cm for that matter) had got worse. I have a dual band collinear, of unknown manufacturer, mounted atop a 8 foot aluminium mast on the chimney. This has been up for the best part of 15 years and is now showing it's age. I think something is corroded or the cable has been damaged in some way.

The existing dual band antenna
Yes I know it could be any old antenna
but it's the one I currently have in operation on 2m/70cm

So I have just ordered a brand new Diamond V2000 tribander, good for FM on 6m, 2m and 70cm to suit the Wouxun quadband FM tranceiver I have. As I can't hear anything on 10m with the Wouxun I'm not too bothered that the aerial is just a tribander.

I ordered a fresh 5 foot 1.5" aluminium pole, 25 metres of Messi & Paoloni Ultraflex 7 and some matching M&P PL259 plugs. Hopefully this will cure my deaf rigs - I know the problem is the existing antenna as every VHF/UHF rig I own is equally deaf.

HRD 6.2.10.377 problems solved

Well it turns out that Microsoft's Windows Firewall was the culprit on this issue. It seems that during the installation process a command is issued asking your permission to punch a hole through for the HRD Logbook module. This didn't seem to be working when a machine was attached to a domain.

I setup a test box with vanilla Windows 7 domain member, no virus scanner (as that usually causes 99% of problems) and did an install with 6.2.9.355 and imported all my settings including the license. That worked OK in test. Then when I installed 6.2.10.377 over the top is started displaying issues during the install saying certain registry keys were not present. When I got HRD finally to start it would ask me for my license key again. Then when going into HRD logbook it said I had an invalid key and would not access the internet to pulldown lotw updates.

So I flattened my main machine and rebuilt it from ground up. After Windows 7 and all its respective drivers were installed the first program I installed was Avast licensed AV software. Then I did a straight install of 6.2.10.377. Again there were issues with various registry keys not being there but I clicked past them. Then I was presented with the licensing manager screen. I entered my callsign and key and then HRD complained again about certain registry keys not being present.

I decided to just open HRD logbook module on it's own as that was always the one that complained that there wasn't a license. Bingo I saw a Windows firewall prompting to allow access to the internet for HRD Logbook. Then it became hidden behind other windows but nothing seen on the task bar! I clicked around until it became active and was then able to allow the firewall. The rules were then written into the firewall.

Here's what was trying to be written into the firewall rules

Ham Radio Deluxe 6.2.10.377 - upgrade - my experiences

When a new upgrade for any software comes out I am always slow to install it. I remember the disastrous Windows NT Service Pack 6 in the late 1990's!!
On June 1st 2015 HRD Version 6.2.10.377 was released. This release makes many changes too numerous to mention
I installed it on June 6th. Oh dear!!. To say I am not impressed is an understatement.

The installation routine came up with several errors about registry keys/files not present.

Allstar/Echolink simplex nodes

I found a local node called MB7IUK located in Ashton Under Lyne which is attached to the "UK Allstar Hub Network" - whatever that is - and had a listen.
It seems to act like a repeater but isn't a repeater.
Today I heard a station coming out of Manchester Airport and to me it just sounded like a mobile station with the associated flutter. He was talking to a station in Norfolk.
There was a few two tone noises and it appears that this is the "over" sound. I'm not sure how the station in Norfolk was accessing the node - maybe he was doing it over the internet using Echolink or connected to a node local to him and had opened a channel (again over the internet but node to node this time).

I had a look on QRZ.COM and found a note about the node that said "Please be aware you may not be able to hear the station talking to the node as this is not transmitted out of the node, only received."
So how does this work as a repeater? If I can't hear the station talking into the node how can we communicate?

Update 07/07/2015

Nick M0NCZ the owner of MB7IUK too the time to write to me to explain how the system works.


"The reason you are not able to hear some stations at times is that these stations are talking “into” MB7IUK in that it is receiving there signal then sending it to the UK Allstar hub.

This is distinguished by a Der dah tone (means local traffic to the node – it is receiving)

The normal courtesy tone “Sqerch” (short Motorola sounding control tone) means this is traffic coming from the UK ALLSTAR HUB (therefore MB7IUK transmits it out).

So if you have a local user going “Into” MB7IUK on 145.2875 then you would be receiving him direct just like MB7IUK is.

I hope this makes sense?"

Squerch sound
UKALLSTAR HUB > MB7IUK> 145.2875MHz> G8YPH


Der dah sound
UKALLSTAR HUB  <MB7IUK <145.2875MHz <Local RF User into MB7IUK (could be G8YPH)

Thanks to Nick for explaining my queries about how it works. Now it's a pity I don't currently have a Dstar rig to investigate this system more. I'll have to try out MB7IUK on regular FM myself and see what it can do.

FOr more information about Allstar and to participate goto this link for a look.