Every year we go out and get branded clothing for the dx’pedition.  This year we changed supplier to RebelScum Workshop after one of our group recommended them to us and the decision was a very good one it turned out.  Not only was the price cheaper than the competition but the quality was fantastic and the detail much more.

The detail is the colour shading in out logo which was missing from our previous supplier, but RebelScum Workshop was able to provide. See the semi-circles around our groups name in the first images is solid yet in the RebelScum Workshop version below has shading.

As a guide these are prices we paid, this was in volume (26 items in total) and include the logo on the left breast and name + callsign on the right;

Here is Gavin M1BXF showing the 510M Russell HydraPlus 2000 Waterproof Jacket.

Something we also done new this year, which our previous supplier couldn’t manage was vinyl printing on the back of the clothing which allowed additional callsigns or logos, here is another example of what RebelScum Workshop could do, for an additional £1.50!

If you are after items of clothing for a group you are in then give Martin at RebelScum Workshop a shout on info@rebelscumworkshop.co.uk – they do a lot more than just embroidered clothing…

Just done a HEYWHATSTHAT plot of the Mull 2013 site, it looks good: http://www.heywhatsthat.com/?view=ATC92334

It shows that from North to South looks reasonably clear, much better for VHF than last year where Microwave Hill was in the way!

I have now completed the assembly and initial bench test of the 2 x Harris 144MHz SSPA, and it’s looking good. Just needs a little interfacing work by Gav plus a couple of fan guards and a good testing before it gets the go ahead to be included in the trip. Here’s a couple of pictures of the assembled Amplifier.

Does full legal limit for 12 Watts in on 144MHz.

Nice……

As well as terrestrial operation, we plan to run a JT65B digital EME station using a single 17 element yagi and full legal limit on 144MHz. Sked co ordination will be via http://www.chris.org/cgi-bin/jt65emeA 

I’ve run the dates of the trip through Moonsked and attached is a rough (hourly) table of when the moon is below 20 degrees at our site on Mull during the DXpedition. 

This will give us the best “ground gain” so the best time to try and work us. If the plan to put elevation on the Yagi is successful we may be active outside these windows but may not be quite as strong.

John

I have now completed the G3XBM Transverter. (see picture)

It produces around 10-15 Watts on 472kHz driven from and FT817 on 80m. The 817 has been checked out on WSPR receive, so I need to find out what other digimodes I need to prepare. The switching PA design means that we are limited to modes that don’t need a linear transverter so I understand that JT9 is getting popular as a QSO mode as well as CW. I need to start thinking about an antenna and an ATU.

John G4BAO

Head of Wildcard DXpedition Operations  🙂

On our returned trip to the Isle of Mull this year, we plan to operate through the current active amateur radio satellites (Full list pending). The setup we plan to use is simple yet effective consisting of the following:

• Yaesu FT-817
• Arrow Antennas – Arrow II 146/437-10 Portable Satellite Yagi
• HamSatDroid – Tracking
• Digital Recorder

This lightweight setup allows flexibility in operating locations, but most of all its reliable and known to work on previous portable trips. The Yaesu FT-817 allows us to operate in semi-duplex mode which means we can’t hear ourselves on the downlink, so we plan to operate on the central part of the transponders if its an SSB satellite so we should be easy to find.

We are however planning on experimenting with using a Funcube Dongle Pro Plus as an additional receiver which might help us work full duplex better, but is weather dependant.

If you’re not familiar with the superb Arrow Antennas Arrow II 146/437-10 – then it is a 3 Elements for 2 Meters crossed with 7 Elements for 70 cm yagi which is easy to hold in your hand and manually track the satellite as it passes over the horizon, they also have an option for split booms and a built in duplexer this is the version we will be using.

You can see the Arrow antenna and how it will be used with the Yaesu FT-817 in a video of Mark M0MJH and me Pete 2E0SQL on YouTube

For tracking passes its likely that we shall be using the fantastic HamSatDroid designed for Android devices, and possibly SatPC32 for general monitoring and timing passes.

We’ve been already asked about skeds with stations in North America and we’ll do our best to get on some westerly passes but its highly dependant on the surrounding area. If you’d like to work us we will try and announce passes we are on via the @G3PYE twitter account if we have access to the internet.

Planned Satellite Operations

• SO-50 (FM)
• VO-52 (SSB)
• FO-29 (SSB)
• AO-7 (SSB Only in U/V mode)

So at the end of February we had out first meeting about this years dx’pedition.  All went well and I thought I’d post a few notes about where we are;

• • 472kHz is progressing – TX is transverted from 80m on an FT-817 with RX direct with FT-817; With noted from other stations we are making a 472KHz BPF.
  • We plan to modify the Camb-Hams trailer to allow us to take 2x SCAM12 masts giving more options for beams on HF.

• • The outcome of this is we will have a 15m mono-bander.

• We are constructing an elevation system for Flossie’s mast so we can be more active on EME, however the moon conditions are not best that week.

There are 2 contests we plan to be active in while in IO76. I’ve already sought out the help of a Card Writing Service to send out invitations to everyone.

• • Sunday 12th May – 70MHz CW
  • Tuesday 14th – 70cm UKAC, we might go to a better location for this contest.

We plan, when a band is not running or overnight, to run WSPR beacons so we can;

• • See when spots start to appear on the spotting network and thus know a band might be opening.
  • Allows us to see the propagation and antenna patterns to allow tweaking of our operation vs band schedule
  • WSPR beacons will also be run on VHF, that is 6m, 4m and 2m when they are not active also.

More items where discussed but these are the main points which will impact on how we have QSO’s and might help you best work us.