Much on telly tonight ?

I have been trying some television broadcast today, well actually slow scan television on 15m, as that band has been open across the Atlantic most afternoons.

Here is the result of the only contact I managed, using the SSTV program that comes with DM780, which is part of Ham Radio Deluxe, this software is used also to control the CAT functions on the radio.

The first picture is a cheesy one of the Good lady, with myself trying to smile..

VE3RNG first transmission back to me.

I had the auto slant options enabled, but didn't quite sync properly, you can just see in the bottom left my transmission that he received.

This is by far my farthest SSTV transmission at 3650 miles, using 85 watts, into the ZS6BKW.

http://www.ham-radio-deluxe.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow-scan_television

More than one way to skin a rabbit..

Or bag a new DXCC, one of the many that I have never heard, but have wanted to work.

I am talking about Paraguay, now Brazil and Argentina I hear quite a lot, especially now that 10m is opening up, also Chile and Venezuela, Paraguay however I have never heard, so when I chanced upon ZP5DBC at 5/7 with QSB on 10, well it has to be worth a shout.

After a few calls and getting nowhere, I heard my pal, G0VQY get through on his second call, I was even more determined to get through, I wont however shout and shout, instead timing single and full calls when he called QRZ, still no luck though.

Sometimes you just now it's not going to happen, so I decided that maybe the data modes would offer an opportunity, so down to 28120 and PSK31, I think it was fate as the cursor on the waterfall was exactly on the trace of ZP8AE, he was a little outside the AF passband at 2700 Hz, so I adjusted the vfo up 1 Khz to bring him in at 1700 Hz.

Of course it wasn't easy, it took 5 calls, with him calling back other stations, and finally I saw him call M0PCZ !

Two new DXCC close to home.

Last night was Radio Club night, and what better way to start the evening than by working some new DXCC on 2m.

I heard a station on 145.500 FM, G0VHS, Terry in Weymouth, Dorset which is about 45 miles from my qth, this got me thinking, is there a lift on, anyway before I had a chance to call back, my local pal, Alan, G2DXU has done so, and I follow up to listen.

As soon as I heard Mike, GU3WHN, from Guernsey (distance 84 miles) break in I knew we were onto something, so Alan brought me in and we worked them both, with reports of 5/3 both ways.

As we said 73 to go off to the club I heard Ian, GJ7DNJ from Jersey, (distance 106 miles) so I decided to call him from the mobile, so I switched the amp on which gives 100 watts out, and gave him a call, and was delighted to receive a 5/9 +60dB report !

From our club location, I switched the amp off and wound the power down to a watt. and still received a 5/3 report, I suspect we had some very nice tropo ducting !

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2-meter_band