Hi Luke - I sent all documentation by EMS courier to the ARRL office when I was in Yangon last month - the courier company confirmed that it was signed for.  But now I understand that the ARRL office say that they did not receive anything....

So I am going to resend everything via Col (DX-World) and see if it is received OK.  I've just been too busy to copy and courier this, (the last courier cost almost $30...)

Simon

As from June 17th, I will start a new job as Principal of the international school in Luang Prabang (LP), north Laos.  I'm applying for a ham licence and I think this will be the first time that LP will have a ham station.

I'll update all when I receive the licence.

Simon

I have been lucky to acquire a PSK-10 rig (to compliment my PSK-20 and PSK-40).  The rig was sold as in good operating order. 

When I connected up the rig, all looked OK on receive, but no signals were present, even though I tested over the course of several days.  I then transmitted into a dummy load and checked for a signal using a 10 meter SSB rig.  I was surprised to pick up a clean PSK signal on 28.129 MHZ, not 28.120 MHz.  There was no signal found on 28.120 MHZ, which is the stated operating frequency for this rig.  i'm not sure if the rig is receiving on 28.129 MHz, but if so, that might explain the lack of PSK signals, since they are normally found around 28.120 MHz.

Can someone more knowedgable than me please confirm that the correct/popular frequency for PSK on 10 meters is 28.120 MHz?

Any ideas how to check this rig to understand why it's apparently operating on 28.129 MHz?  (I will email Dave at SWL if no-one has suggestions on this forum)

Thanks

Simon

Dave, thanks for your reply, but with the need to compile from source code, I think I'll pass on using LOTW

Simon

My laptop runs Puppy Linux and I use fldigi for my PSK QSOs.  I previously obtained a certificate from the ARRL for uploading to LOTW from a Windows OS computer.

Now I want to install the certificate on my Puppy Linux OS laptop.

Has anyone done this?  What's the step-by-step procedure?

Thanks

Simon

I put up a simple 20 meter band wire dipole at my Phuket Island location (on a small hill, about 2km from the west coast), and have been very pleased with the results.

Now I'd like to have a go at constructing an OCF dipole with coaxial feeder, (I have some practical issues in using balanced line).

I need some advice about the line length that I should use and the feeder point location on those lines for operating without an ATU.  (I think non-ATU operation should be possible except on 30 meters?).

I have a good 4:1 current balun that I used to use with a Zero-Five vertical antenna.

My location allows me a center support height of about 43 feet (that's my old Zero-Five antenna), and the distance from that center support to my property boundary is about 47 feet in both directions.  I can add supports to raise the dipole end-points to increase the inverted V angle.

So, what dimensions should I use for the above scenario?

Your advice is much appreciated.

@W7XG, I hadn't thought about that - you're quite correct - the 'pull' on the wires at the apex will be minimal.  That means that I can firmly attach the mast extension above the rotator...

Simon

Is this mechanically possible?  This is the configuration:

I have a 12 meter, self-supporting tower that I want to use to support an inverted V, Ultralite Senior antenna.  In order to increase the support height, I propose to add another 10 meters to the mast height using the aluminium tubes from a defunct 43 foot Zero-Five antenna. I'll also add some guys to the 12-meter tower.

That's all fine, I think.  But I also want to mount a rotatable, 6-meter band beam atop the 12-meter tower....

Is there a mechanical solution which would allow me to rotate the beam and not rotate the zero-five tubes above the beam? (since rotating them will cause the wire antenna to break)

Simon

I live in Burma (Myanmar) and have been working on getting a new XZ ham licence for 2 years.  I especially like to use PSK mode (usually from my QTH on Phuket Island, Thailand).  I have several of the PSK rigs from Dave Benson.

Ken was selling a rare PSK-10 rig and I wanted it!  My problem was living in Burma, with no international banking system, no Paypal access etc to pay Ken.  thanks to the goodwill of another US ham (who I will cite in a separate post), I was able to purchase Ken's rig and get it shipped to me.

Ken was patient and understanding of my payment/shipping problems throughout, and packed the little rig so that it would survive the postal systems.

I really appreciate the extra mile that Ken went to, so that I could purchase this rig.

Simon
HS0ZIB
G6JFY
XZ1K

Unfortunately, that's the same status for me - living and working in Myanmar for the past 18 months, and also trying to get an XZ licence for Yangon ...

Unless I have a sudden stroke of luck with the authorities here, I'll probably move on to a new job in Laos in the next 6 months - and XW activation

Simon

If it's XZ, then I'll be very happy.  But the guy who would issue the ham licences, (The Minister of Telecoms & IT) only took up his post a few weeks ago after the previous guy was placed under house arrest.

Also, as of today, ethnic fighting has broken out in Yangon itself.  I'm at work (school) and I live in that area of the city, so I need to be careful walking home later...

Simon

Well...sometimes..and somewhere... 

It was 100 degrees yesterday - haven't seen rain for months.  But when it does rain, it pours

Dangerous?  Now if you're talking about the crazy taxi drivers in Yangon, then I fully agree.  Of course, there is ethnic conflict on both western and eastern borders

Simon

Yes, I think Jonathan also states it correctly, which is why I am glad that there are others such as Paul and the Intrepid DX Group who are also trying to activate XZ. Good luck to them.


Well, that's exactly why I originally travelled to Myanmar!  I'm not living here by some coincidence   I originally travelled every few weeks from my home in Thailand to south Myanmar and was able to briefly operate as XZ1K.  But a longer stay in the country requires an employment visa and paying job.  So I had to move up to Yangon and find a job whilst I continued my efforts to obtain a new licence (licence issue is the responsibility of each state in Myanmar).

Finally, I have NEVER requested or sought financial support for this project.  I fund these efforts myself.  But I would appreciate 'moral' support from national radio organisations which could help to persuade the issuer of the XZ licence (the minister of telecoms & IT), of the good support for my efforts.

Simon

I wasn't aware that there was a QSL bureau in Myanmar...
Why should I use LOTW when the vast majority of my contacts are in Asia and also do not use LOTW?
$5 for an online verification is entirely in line with other DX stations - nothing new there.  And you could always just send 1 IRC to my Thai mailing address for the QSL, (just like the Japanese hams who QSOd me as XZ1K did).

Anyway, this is all off-topic on this thread.

Simon

This is off-topic on this thread, but I'll quickly comment back.


1 - I still hold the XZ1K call for operation from Tanintharyi State (southern Myanmar).  But unless I physically return to that region, (not planned), I cannot copy the licence paper from the military commander who has possession of it.

2 - If I manage to obtain an XZ licence for Yangon, my operation will be lowish power and low key - no large antennas, no high power.  I don't think some of you realise how 'sensitive' the operation of a radio transceiver by a foreigner is over here.  This country has internal armed conflict on both west and east sides.

3 - I'm sure that after I've done all the hard work to obtain a licence, everyone man and his dog will come out of the woodwork and praise me and offer to help.  That was made very clear to me by the almost total lack of support from your national radio clubs when I asked for a letter of support for my XZ licence request - (and I asked the ARRL, RSGB and more than 50 other national radio clubs on three separate occasions - the response was deafening).

So, with that sort of attitude from the radio clubs, are you hardly surprised that ham radio operation is now way down on my list of 'things to do' in Myanmar? Higher up the list is my charitable work for schools, my interest in learning Myanmar language, my wish to improve my ability to play the Lao Khaen musical instrument, my work to manage my Phuket hotels etc etc.

I feel sorry for those hams who have given me support so far, namely many Japanese radio hams and Stan KH6CG, and if I ever see this fabled XZ licence for Yangon, then I'll be sure to set up skeds with those guys.  But my QSOs will be made on the basis of 'search and pounce' and having a nice ragchew, not running thousands of QSOs a day just to give someone a new DXCC.

If that doesn't make you feel happy, can I politely suggest that you say goodbye to your wife and kids, (just like I did 9 months ago), pack your suitcase, find a paid job in Myanmar, and start doing your own hard work to get an XZ licence.

Simon