Practical Wireless November 2023

This issue completes my first ten years (!) as editor of PW, my first issue having been December 2013. The time seems to have flown by although, for the life of me, I’m at a loss to know how I’ve managed to fill 120 editorials! I do hope I haven’t bored all of you, the readers, to death. What has happened in the hobby in those ten years? The licensing system has been updated in various ways and, thanks to COVID, you can now qualify for a licence without the practical aspects, a development which many would regard as a step backwards, but there you are. There have been many new radios coming available, particularly software defined radios (SDR), both those you control from your PC (such as the Flex…

bhi have dramatically reduced the price of their NCH noise cancelling headphones(ANC). Theyarenowonly£29.95including VAT (were £39.95). The bhi NCH active noise cancelling headphones (ANC) reduce the effect of external ambient background noise enabling you to have a moreenjoyable listening experience. The over-ear style NCH headphones also give good passive audio isolation from external noise. They are an excellent choice for those wanting to reduce aircraft cabin noise, air conditioning noise, train noise, ambient background noise and similar types of continuous environmental noise so that they can enjoy a much improved listening experience. They are especially good to use on a train or aeroplane whilst listening to audio or watching a video. The adjustable headband and soft over-ear pads make sure that the headphones are a comfortable fit. The NCH headphones…

United Kingdom is delighted to have been awarded the hosting rights for the 10th WRTC taking place in July 2026. Every four years, much like the Olympic Games, the World Radio Sport Team Championship, known as WRTC, relocates itself to a new host nation. WRTC is a radio contest event, designed to provide a platform for high-achieving amateur radio contesters to compete on a level playing field in the same geographic region using identical antennas, output power and other operating conditions. Each team will have had to qualify over a significant period of time by participating and scoring extremely well in a collection of HF radio contests from October 2023 to March 2025. In July 2026, 50 qualifying teams comprising 100 operators, will come to the UK from all over…

SUMMER SOTA FEVER: I think it’s fair to say that I along with many others in the world of amateur radio really enjoy leaving the confines of our home shack to get out and operate portable. It adds a new dimension to our hobby and often gives us the tangible benefit of a very low noise floor in comparison to the increasingly polluted home environment. There are several schemes that encourage us to do just this, including POTA, HEMA etc. This article focuses on one of the more popular schemes, which is of course SOTA or Summits on the Air and the second annual GW SOTA party and Hog Roast held in Mid-Wales, which took place on Saturday 8 July. There are a number of SOTA events that take place…

13 to 15 October RSGB 2023 CONVENTION: Kents Hill Park Conference Centre, Milton Keynes. Lectures, Buildathon, discussion forums, special interest groups, etc. Overnight accommodation. (BA CR CS FP L LB RF RSGB SIG) https://rsgb.org/main/rsgb-2023-convention 15 October HORNSEA ARC RALLY: Driffield Showground, YO25 9DW. Organiser: Les, 2E0LBJ. Tel: 01377 252 393 e-mail: lbjpinkney1@hotmail.co.uk 15 October DARTMOOR AUTUMN RADIO RALLY: Yelverton War Memorial Hall, Meavy Lane, Yelverton, Devon, PL20 6AL Doors open 10am, Admission £2.50, Free Parking (FP). Contact Roger 07854 088882 e-mail: 2e0rph@gmail.com 22 October GALASHIELS RADIO RALLY: Volunteer Hall, St Johns Street, Galashiels, TD1 3JX. Doors open at 11 am. (BB | CR | TS). Contact: Jim Keddie, GDARS Secretary mail@gm7lun.co.uk 4 November CARMARTHEN SURPLUS EQUIPMENT SALE: Cwmduad Community Hall, which is on the A484 just north of Carmarthen, SA33…

Practical Wireless Rating A big step forward, excellent. Yaesu’s much anticipated dual-band System Fusion, C4FM and FM transceiver arrived with me recently. As someone who still owns earlier models, I’ve been eager to find out just what more enhancements and benefits can be packed into a mobile radio …apart from SSB and CW, that is. If you’ve read previous reviews, you’ll be aware that Yaesu has been developing not only the technical capabilities of their radios but also in a big way the customer/user interface. The early FTM-100D was conventional in appearance with C4FM capability. Radically different, the two-part FTM-400D was designed for remote mounting only, either in a vehicle or on a desk with limited space. The large touchscreen being easy to see and use. On the downside, despite…