JARTS - doesn't time fly

Well,

It's the JARTS RTTY test once again and the bands are full of RTTY signals.

Propagation contitions are very poor, but there are plenty of signals about.

I've been using the IC-7610 today and it's a superb RTTY radio:

The internal decoding capability is also excellent:

Here is the 40M band early on the Saturday evening - CW and RTTY everywhere!

Here's a map of my log:

Local conditions.

It's JARTS Time!

Well,

Been fiddling today in the JARTS RTTY contest, conditions seem very good and there is still another 24+ hours to go, I thought I would have a look at my log.

I use this log analysis program here:

http://tools.adventureradio.de/analyzer/

So here is today's log as a map:

I was very pleased to work 6Y3M in Jamaica on 40M this morning, that's an all time new one for me. That's another good example of the performance of the Windom I made back here:

http://g0mgx.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/so-who-is-caroline-ah-carolina-windom.html

I'm going to get some shut eye now and then play some more tomorrow.

Good start though, egh?

** UPDATE **

Here's the map at close of play on day 2:

Most notable addition on day 2 was XV5HS in Vietnam for another all time new one.

Good, egh?

Really, Build Three?

Well

Been fiddling some more with the PSU I made for the FT1000MP I acquired back here:

http://g0mgx.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/another-one-really.html

I've been using some halogen bulbs as test loads for the 13.8V PSU (they are 38W so at 13.8V that's a current pull of 38/13.8 or 2 3/4 Amps. As the FT1000 requires about 2 3/4 Amps for the 13.8V line that seemed just perfect to me!

I wasn't happy with the voltage drop I was seeing in the 723 based regulator under load, I also was far from impressed with the fact that I managed to destroy 2 of these 723 regulator IC's during my testing, I suspect some very suspect ebay sold components!

I've remade the regulator board using a L200C regulator I found in my component stock, it's quite a nifty device with similar current protection as the 723. Here's the new board:

Stuck in the same box I put the first one:

I had a very quick play in the RTTY Makrothen contest today, I only worked about 35 stations - mainly as a set up and config test for the JARTS test next weekend which I will be participating in. Here's the obligatory log as a map:

Young Florrie Cat hasn't been helping much:

Fun though, egh?