WDØDXD

The latest version of HRD 5.0 was released today, build 2893.  This included the fix for duplicate entries in the JT65-HF ADIF file.  I downloaded it and installed it with no problems.  Sure enough, it fixed the duplicate entry problem.  That removes one step from my import process.

The new build of HRD also includes LOTW support natively, so I will be using that from now on instead of HRD Utilities.  The eQSL import is now native.  Not sure if I will use it for now since HRD Utilities also downloads the QSL card images.  I like that since I then ftp them up to the website.

To setup the LOTW process in HRD, you just select Logbook->LOTW->upload menu and enter your LOTW login info and point to the TQSL exe file on your computer.

That’s it for now….

I earned my first operating award last week.  I finally got enough contacts for the eQSL eDX 25 award.

It was mostly due to the opening of the 15m band and JT65.  I made a ton of DX contacts on 15m using JT65.

I did find out one thing.  LOTW was rejecting my JT65 contacts when I tried to use HRD utilities by WD5EAF to upload them.  A little investigation revealed that it was an old version of TSQL that I was using, not HRD Utilities.  I just downloaded the latest version of TQSL (1.13 as of this writing) and installed it over my existing version.  No need to reinstall the cert.  Then I was able to go back and re-upload my JT65 contacts without any issues.

Had a chance to get the RV out this weekend and take it over to Fort Kearney State Park.  We love this time of year, because it allows us to if not partake in the annual Sandhill Crane migration, to at least admire it.

From the RV park, you can sit outside and watch the cranes fly over in the morning as they leave the Platte river and go to nearby corn fields to feed.  Then the reverse happens at sundown as they return to the river.

So this year, I thought I would do a little JT65-HF from the RV.  Well remotely from the RV.  Didn’t work out too well.  I only got one bar from out of my Verizon wireless internet card at the campground, so it was too slow to remotely control the HAMSHACK computer.

When I got back, I did a little research and ordered a Zoomtel 3g wireless router and a Maximum Signal Amplifier.  The 3g wireless router will let me hook up several laptops at the same time.  The Maximum Signal Amplifier is touted to boost the 3g signal strength for areas that have poor cell reception.

I will post my results in a few weeks after installation and the next camping excursion.

I have been using JT65-HF for about a week now.  It has been really fun.  I have made about 30 contacts on 15m, 20m and 40m.  Most of them DX.  Ranging from Japan, to Wales to Russia.  It’s alot of fun.

Setting it up was pretty easy and I also installed JT-Alert which helps keep track of previous contacts.  I have it set to scan my HRD log book.  I have been importing the JT65-HF log into the HRD log book and then manually uploading to eQsl.  I did discover that the is one problem with the import process.  Because of an importing problem HRD doesn’t recognize duplicates and will re-import existing records.  On the HRD forum I found that they had worked on the problem and it will be fixed in the next kit.  In the mean time, after I import the ADIF file from JF65-HF I just delete the ADIF file and start over.  I hope in future editions of HRD-HF it will be programed to write directly to the HRD logs.

A little background information here.  My primary HF antenna is a 220′ horizontal loop that I feed with a dual pair of RG-6 coax.  The shields on each coax are bonded together and then each center wire of the coax are connected to one end of the loop.

I then feed it down to a MFJ-962D manual Tuner.  The setup works really great.  I can tune 80-6m pretty easily.

In a previous post I mentioned that I am playing with remote operation using logmein remote.  That works fine, but when I get a chance, I want to try it from somewhere outside of the house.  So I have a brand new LDG AT-1000 pro tuner that I would like to use.  So now I have to figure out a Balun to work with the RG-6 coax.  The two of them together gives me about 150 ohms.

So while I research the issue, if anyone out there has some experience in balun design, I would love to hear from you.

Last night I got to thinking that the ability to remotely control my rig would be nice.  I have looked at this in the past, but setting up skype and hrd, etc. seemed like more than I wanted to mess with at the time.

In our Managed Service Business we use a version of Logmein remote to do about 90% of our work.  So last night I signed up for their free account and installed it on one of my Ham pc’s.  I have been running HRD and just installed JT65-HF on it the previous day.

It worked great.  I went up to our bedroom and logged in with my laptop and ran JT65 for about 2 hours last night.  I made 4-5 contacts that way on 20m.

The free version of logmein will work great on digital modes.  It won’t send sounds from the remote computer, so if you want to run voice, you will have to pony up for the paid version.  For more info go to http://www.logmein.com

This past weekend I made several short PSK contacts with Amateur’s in Japan.  JM1VWQ, JM7OLW and JH7VHZ.  All three of them were very gracious and I appreciated their taking the time to reply to my call.  They all thanked their contacts for their thoughts and prayers.  I know I have found a new level of respect for our fellow Ham’s in Japan, I can’t imagine what they are going through.  It makes me think twice about complaining about the trivial problems I encounter every day.

I have always wondered about something.  After being the only country to have an atomic bomb used in war on their soil, how were they able to clean up the radioactivity.  Seeing what they are going through now, I finally decided to do a little research on the internet to find out this weekend.  Pretty interesting.  If anyone out there has any first hand info, I would be interested in hearing about it.

In the meantime, I and my family’s thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Japan.  Here’s hoping that we have many fine QSO’s in the future.

Tried a new mode today.  I downloaded JT65-HF and installed it.  After getting it set right to work with my Signal Link USB sound card, I was off and running.  I have it controlling my ICOM-746Pro using HRD.  Found that I could export the logs and import them into HRD Logbook, so far it seems to work seamlessly.

ARAN finally moved our IRLP Node from a simplex transceiver over to our 443.200 uhf repeater.  We are using a CAT400 controller.  For anyone who is trying to make a cable for this, here is the pin out:

CAT RX Audio Port#X pin 5 -> Sound Card Line Audio Out
CAT TX Audio Port#X pin 4-> Sound Card Line Audio In and IRLP Card pin 8

CAT Port#X pin 9 -> 10k resistor -> Port#X pin3
CAT Port#X pin 9 -> 10k resistor -> Port#X pin1

CAT Port#X PTT pin3 -> IRLP Card pin 7 COR In Control
CAT Port#X CORT pin1 -> IRLP CARD pin 2 PTT OUT Control
Cat Port#X Ground pin 8 -> IRLP Card pin 6 Ground

Tip and middle ring on the sound card jacks got tied together and I tied the grounds together (bottom ring) and connected them to Cat Port#X Ground pin 8.

Substitute your CAT port number on the controller for “X”.

Then set COR LOW on the CAT Port (dip switch 4 on in our case since we are using port 3) and make sure COR is low on the IRLP controller board.

Then  you good to go.  I just need to figure out how to disable port 3 on the CAT if port 2 is active and vice-versa.  I will explain the reasons why later.

Things have been kind of crazy around here and I have neglected the blog.  I am kind of getting things turned around, so I plan on posting more often.

I have 3 projects that I am or have completed lately, so I will post more on them.  The first is moving the local IRLP node to a repeater.  The second is finishing the Sienna and lastly I have started a Genesis G59 SDR project.

More on those in the coming days.