Some of my Favourites and some software.

I intend to add to this from time to time so keep an eye out if you are interested

Last Edited 20 March, 2004

Ham Radio Deluxe (HRD) http://hb9drv.ham-radio.ch/ 

This is a free Program.  Nearly every rig with CAT is supported. It is in development, but very usable. The final touches are being added.

It is a comprehensive rig control program incorporating a super PSK31 application with a mapping facility. For the SWL it has an ILG database included. For satellite operators there is a tracking program with doppler shift compensation. When finished rigs like the FT847 should be fully supported. HRD can be "Bridged" to the DXLab http://www.qsl.net/dxlab/ suite. This program does not have too much documentation in the way of Help files, but is easy to find it's features by playing with it. The F8 button and right click help a lot. Look at Documentation and the Forum available on the site.

 

Chirpview http://www.dcs.lancs.ac.uk/~senior/chirpview.html  Chirpsounder monitoring. (I use the "Public Beta" version.)

I have been playing with "Chirpview", a program that records signals from chirpsounders. These use transmitters that smoothly move frequency according to an accurately defined schedule. Everyone must have heard them as they swish past a frequency, a typical one starts at 2MHz and moves up at the rate of 100KHz per second to 20MHz or more. A receiver synchronised to the transmitter records signals from the transmitter. They are often used to determine the best frequency to use over a particular path, or maybe just for research.

If, starting at the correct second, a receiver is stepped at the rate of 100KHz per second the sounder can be followed and Chirpview" will record the strength of pulses received, an ionogram can be plotted.

My initial thought was to use HRD's direct entry feature, "highlight" the 100KHz digit and press the "up" arrow each second. (One of the many frequency control features of HRD)
However, I thought of the risk of RSI or, more likely, boredom and came up with a solution.
I opened up an old keyboard and connected the contacts of a reed relay across the "up" key contacts, actuated the relay from the "one pulse per second" signal from the GPS used to synchronise "Chirpview".

Ionogram of propagation between Preston, Lancs and Cowes at 0845 on 19 March. Horizontal axis is frequency MHz. Propagation present between 3MHz to 8MHz. Vertical is propagation delay in mS, this is not accurate, the technique introduces an error.

 DXLab http://www.qsl.net/dxlab/ suite. Another free Amateur Radio program.  Logging, Dx spots, Propagation, Winwarbler, QSL info, Rotator control, links with HRD. 

This is a large collection or programs, needs a modern computer preferably with Windows XP (does not work with my W98SE)

 

Check the DX as it is happening!

http://oh2aq.kolumbus.com/dxs/oldlook.html? DX Summit.

http://www.eham.net/DX/spots?cookietest=1

Many more are around, would be interested to know of good ones. 

http://www.qsl.net/wd4ngb/telnet.htm  Easy to use Telnet DX spots.

Propagation.

http://dx.qsl.net/propagation/ This page gives an interesting collection of data.

http://www.dcs.lancs.ac.uk/iono/aurorawatch/  It gives warnings of major auroral events. In particular aurora monitoring is aimed to prevent power line surges in Northern areas, induced by the earth's magnetic field.

 

HF - Propagation Predictions from the United Kingdom RSGB style propagation forecast, like all a guide, it gives an idea of where to look.

V-UHF Tropospheric Ducting Forecast

RSGB News And the links for more information. Some pages restricted to members only, -you need your membership number.

dxbands.com  - The Amateur Radio Portal on the Web - Home Page

 

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/pics/sfanim.html Keep an eye on the source of static on the lower frequencies. This site tracks the size and progress of thunderstorms.

http://www.ee.umist.ac.uk/mcee/downloads/lmap.html http://www.ee.umist.ac.uk/mcee/downloads/lmap.html UK Lightning

http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/eurobli.htm Europe Lightning with previous history These are not updated when there is nothing to report.

 

Local Weather

http://www.iwcp.co.uk  Click top right

 

http://www.onlineweather.com/v4/uk/city/Southampton.html

http://www.onlineweather.com/v4/uk/city/Portsmouth.html

http://www.meto.govt.uk/datafiles/RIPMS.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/ Tailor to your local area. Satellite/Rain radar

http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/meteosat/D2.JPG Lots of recent satellite pictures. NC segment covers Europe ..NOT BEING UPDATED.

Dundee Satellite Receiving Station As is becoming more frequent you need to register your interest -free. lots of recent pictures.

http://www.uni-koeln.de/math-nat-fak/geomet/meteo/winfos/euisoTTPPWW.gif

 

Cloud Forecast

Europe Satellite Image

Rainfall Chart

UK Surface Plots Weather locally, and radar/satellite derived maps.

 

AMATEUR PAGES.

http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/kama/hamlinks.htm Clubs and Amateurs in the UK

http://www.qsl.net/ QSL.NET Worldwide listings

Electronic QSL card sites. Has anyone sent you one via these?

http://www.qslcards.com/qslcard/

http://www.eqsl.org/qslcard/InBox.cfm

OTHER CLUBS

http://www.qsl.net/g3iw/  The club at Cowes, based at the Isle of Wight Community Club Park Road, Cowes

These two are setting up lists of Clubs

Crawley Amateur Radio Club at: http://www.carc.org.uk Interesting site lots on it, Technical inc. ATV, Help eg. connecting PC to radio, DX, lots more.

Sutton Coldfield Radio Society   http://www.g3rsc.fsnet.co.uk/homepage.htm

The RSGB site has a list of affiliated societies, G7KPF  has had a list for a long time G7KPF UK Quick Links - Menu

http://www.needlesradio.org.uk/  This site is not active now.

 

Component information

Semiconductor Datasheets on the Web - Root page Links to many manufacturer's sites. 

  javítás, szerviz, szervizkönyv és kapcsolási rajz    2003-01-27   1710     lots of pages

I've got quite a lot more email me

Try a search engine eg www.google.co.uk 



 

SWL.

http://www.ilgradio.com/ilgradio.htm Superb reference for the shortwave listener. Register, but no cost or obligation. Follow the links to the GNPDB and DAO software for a nice program for display of the database .

http://www.anarc.org/naswa/swlguide/ Programme listings, save pages before leaving your browser.

http://www.intervalsignals.net/ - identify that mystery station! Audio clips from shortwave, includes long-gone tuning signals.

http://www.heavens-above.com/ Spot visual satellites/space junk/iridium flares/shuttle (when it's up). Times/frequencies for amateur satellites but for more detailed information see amsat sites, eg

link dead- Amsat USA

Other AMSAT Organizations

Software

http://www.qsl.net/mmhamsoft/ SSTV Free programme now being used by many. Also RTTY etc.

http://www.fourmilab.ch/homeplanet/homeplanet.html Download software, a map of the heavens, identify stars/satellite tracker best free one I have found. http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/Ephemerides/Comets/SoftwareComets.html update the comet data, track recently found objects.

Maps

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/ Detailed street maps, search postcode, OS grid ref., phone code, name.

http://www.viamichelin.com/viamichelin/gbr/dyn/controller/HomePage  UK/Europe maps route planner etc.

File Management

http://personal-pages.ps.ic.ac.uk/~umeca74/  2xExplorer RR-t . This is a Windows-Explorer type file manager. I have for a long time been looking for a substitute for the old DOSS XTree Gold, this is one that suits me. Free!

Check your web pages and Favourites and PC for virus/worms.

http://p.duby.free.fr/chkweb.htm Checkweb . Seems to stick when checking large numbers of links.

If you have a page like this, this program checks all the links, automatically and quickly.

OR:- http://home.snafu.de/tilman/xenulink.html this is a nice link checker!

To check all your favourites try this, Internet Explorer- File- Import/Export- Next- Export Favourites- Next- Next- Select or note destination- Next- Finish. This saves all favourites in a .htm file. Check this. Xenu checked nearly 300 of my favourites in a few minutes!

http://www.siteowner.com/badlinks.cfm?LID=229 Enter your URL here and it checks your links.

http://www.zonelabs.com Use this to help protect your computer from attack. A "firewall" application. Free to non commercial users. Essential for always-on-line connections

Home of Gibson Research Corporation Anti-Hacking site. Shields Up, tests your security, (Try it before and after installing above)

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/ Worried about a virus? This is one of several sites to offer an on-line scan. Once the scan is started you may safely disconnect. If you have lots of files it can take a long time.

http://www1.my-etrust.com/index.cfm Computer Associates, said to be the second largest software company offers a download of anti virus program. Not free but not expensive. Updates available nearly every day.  www.grisoft.com another

I've lost the URLs, search Google for Script Sentry, stops script files in emails etc from running. And http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~ehowes/resource.htm ie-spyad, blocks accidental access to sites that are known to slip spyware, scripts, marketing and advertisements into visitor's PCs. There is a conflict, if  Script Sentry is installed spyad will not install, so install spyad first. (It will need to be uninstalled to update spyad)

 

 

KNOW BETTER PAGES? g4zfq@wight365.net PLEASE TELL ME!