RF pollution from Solar Panels

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Dutch national amateur / ham radio group VERON are highlighting the issue of RF Pollution from Solar Panels installed within residential homes.

Electrical systems such as solar panel installations must comply with EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) standards. That means that there is a limit to the electromagnetic fields (EMF) that an electrical system, such as the combination solar panel and inverter including cabling, may emit. 

The report, commissioned in 2014 covering 14 European Countries highlighted that in the majority of cases, emissions exceed local limits

Full story (Google English) - http://tinyurl.com/VERON-Solar-Panel-Pollution

VERON - http://tinyurl.com/NetherlandsVERON

UK Advanced Distance Learning Course

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For most people, distance learning is not as good as face-to-face training but these courses are ideal for anyone who cannot make it to traditional classroom events

The Bath-based distance learning team will be running an Advanced amateur radio course from early July to December.

Weekly work packages are sent out to students who complete the studying at home and submit answers to revision questions and exercises via the internet.

Some video tutorials and demonstrations are included in the course material and links to other useful resources are also provided.

To enrol contact Steve Hartley, G0FUW - https://twitter.com/G0FUW

First UK Amateur Radio Contact on 241 GHz

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The first UK amateur radio contact on the 241 GHz (1.2mm) band took place on Friday 19th February 2016 at 15:00 GMT 

“I was transmitting on 241.01 GHz, Chris was on a nominal 241.02 though it was 1.3 MHz low on 241.0187 GHz. We used separate TX & RX. All TXs were derived from Elcom synths. Chris’s LO also, though I was using 16.0385 as LO (x15) into a Tektronix mixer. Chris used a 1mm dia. hole in the block on RX with cut-off around 175GHz, I used a piece of WR-03 - 173GHz cut-off.”
— Roger G8CUB

The contact was made between Roger G8CUB/P and Chris G0FDZ/P in locator square JO01EP. The distance was 30 metres and the CW signals were 559 and 589. 

With signal to spare both ways an attempt was evaluated to increase the distance to over 50m but with deteriorating weather likely, a decision was taken to limit to 30m as antenna alignment was taking a very long time to achieve. 

UK Microwave Group - http://www.microwavers.org/