This page is for posts about things which I’ve not necessarily created, so mainly covers mods and thoughts. These don’t really live in my Projects page…
IC-7300 CI-V Voice Keyer [Undocumented] Command
Manufacturers have had built-in Voice Keyers for some time now, Icom have had it in various radio models with varying functionality. Voice Keyers are useful for many types of operating, contesting being the main one. As mentioned, Icom, have implemented…
Read more
Getting the DX Cluster to Work on KST2Me
KST2Me is an application written by Bo OZ1M, and makes using the ON4KST chat pages much simpler. It uses the Telnet connection to the ON4KST server so it’s also much quicker on slower connections. One aspect which always bugged me…
Read more
Eltek SMPS 1800SI Connection Mod
The Eltek SMPS 1800 SI 48v switch mode power supply is capable of supplying 37.5A (1800w) so is great for powering 48v amplifiers. The only issue, which is common to most rack mounted SMPSs is they have proprietary connectors on…
Read more
Woodbox Radio TMate 1.0 Windows 10 Driver
I bought the TMate v1.0 “VFO Tuning Knob” a few years back at Friedrichshafen for use with my Flex-1500 as the TMate was much cheaper than Flex’s own “FlexControl”. When I bought it I was probably still using Windows XP,…
Read more
Getting started in Meteor Scatter (MS) – Pre FT-8
NOTE: This article was written before FT-8 and even MSK144, became popular. Many of the principals I mention are applicable to both, where I mention FSK441 then MSK114 can be substituted, and where JT6m/JTMS etc is mentioned then FT-8 can…
Read more
Playing Radio in GM over Easter 2015
For Easter 2015 Bex and me decided to visit my parents in Dumbarton. While there I took the time to catch up with Stevie MM6ZFG a couple of times to play radio. Kilcreggan – IO75OX – 3rd April 2015 The…
Read more
Ecoflex-15 Degradation
The Problem As a member of the G3PYE contest minions, I bought two 25m runs of Ecoflex-15 back in 2011. A year later we started to notice less power at the antenna end of the runs, we initially put this…
Read more
RTL-SDR R802T – SMPS Mod
My mod was based on this article here http://www.rtl-sdr.com/improving-hf-reception-disconnecting-switching-power-supply-rtl-sdr/ I had no success using diodes myself so instead I used an LD1117A 1.2v regulator, which I think is a better solution too. This is the RTL-SDR (R802T) after fitting the…
Read more
Repairing the Brake and Motor on my Yaesu G400 rotator
The brake in my G-400 rotator bell fell off and got jammed in the gears, this is not the first time this has happened and previously nothing was damaged, other than the brake disk, and I managed to get new…
Read more
Yaesu FT-817 IF Tap for SDR
As with my other radios (IC-756pro3 IF Tap page, IC-910H IF Tap page & IC-706mk2G IF Tap page) I wanted to tap the IF (Intermediate Frequency 68.33MHz) out of my Yaesu FT-817 to allow monitoring on an SDR radio and…
Read more
Icom IC-706Mk2G IF Tap
As with my other radios (IC-756pro3, IC-910H & FT-817) I wanted to tap the IF (Intermediate Frequency) out of my Icom IC-706Mk2G to allow monitoring on an SDR radio and associated software. The IC-706Mk2G has two IF frequencies, I tapped…
Read more
Homebrew Solder Dispenser
To save a bit of desk space and to save me getting annoyed at solder getting tangled in my projects I decided to make a couple of solder holders / dispensers.
Mobilinkd Bluetooth TNC Auto Power on Mod
In my car I use an Icom IC-2820 which is a dual band (dual receive) mobile radio, but only ever monitor one side at a time (the other side has the volume down) and in the previous car I used…
Read more
Icom IC-2820 DC from Packet Port
In the car I use an Icom IC-2820 as my VHF/UHF radio. This has a packet port on it and previously I used to use an APRS tracker on it which would be switched on and off with the car…
Read more
Icom IC-756pro3 IF Tap
The Icom IC-756pro3 has 2 options for tapping the IF, one is at 64.455MHz and the other is at 13.345MHz taken from the bands scope circuit. This article covers tapping the IF at 64.455MHz which I found more useful for…
Read more
Reflection on 2014
In reflection (which is a good thing to do) and in regards to my ham radio activities, my attitude is changing. I find myself questioning my skills and abilities and on DX’Peditions I get the feeling I irritate people more….
Read more
Ascension Island (ZD8UW): 2013
From Monday 2nd – Friday 6th December 2013, G3VFC, G3ZAY, M0BLF, M0VFC and M1BXF will be operating as ZD8UW from Green Mountain, Ascension Island. We’ll be active on 40m-10m, mainly SSB and CW. (Being equatorial, there’s little point in taking…
Read more
OY/M1BXF Faroe Islands DX’Pedition
As bunch of us from the CUWS (Cambridge University Wireless Society) headed to the Faroe Islands for a weeks DX’Peditioning between Monday 17th June 2013 and Monday 24th June 2013. We are currently staying in a hostel in Torshaven. I’ll…
Read more
Fixing 2m Tonna Dipole with Polymorph
What is Polymorph? Polymorph’s full name is Polycaprolactone which is basically a mouldable plastic when heated, normally in warm water. The problem I had, which seems to be a common one, is the threads for the thumb-screw which holds the…
Read more
Parrot Asteroid + UNIKA in my Nissan 350z
So I recently changed cars from a Volvo S60 to a Nissan 350z Roadster. The 350z came with the GT pack which includes a Bose sound systems however surprisingly the standard double DIN head unit had a tape deck! It…
Read more
Adding 70MHz (4m) Allocation To Flex PowerSDR
I had a question about how to ‘remove’ the “Out Of Band” message you see in PowerSDR when using it with a transverter on 4m. Natively Flex do not have the 4m allocation in their .XML config file so PowerSDR…
Read more
Yaesu’s Quadra VL-1000 Will do 70MHz
So I had noticed a while back, when developing my Icom (CI-V or band Data) to Yaesu BCD Band Data Converter that occasionally I could get 70MHz to show up as the band. I always had it in mind to…
Read more
SCAM12 Installation
So I was convinced for my new mast I would use a SCAM12 after seeing G4ERO’s installation (picture on his QRZ page). I had done some antenna work round at Colins QTH and seeing how simple it was to erect…
Read more
40m 1/4 Vertical [Epic] Antenna
So the antenna farm at M1BXF QTH just got larger with the addition of a 40m 1/4 vertical. I’d been thinking about this antenna for while as verticals are good for DX, more in this in a moment, and require…
Read more
Using Power Point for Project Decaling
So I build loads of project which in the end require labelling, but how to do it so it seems professional? In the past I used to just make lines of text which was more or less the project name…
Read more
Icom IC-910H IF Output Modification
I looked about on the net for how to modify my Icom IC-910H to bring the main band IF out on a connector at the rear of the radio but couldn’t find anything so I dug out my service manual…
Read more