Round-the-World Cyclist OZ1AA Returns

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Round-the-world cyclist Thomas Andersen, OZ1AA/K9DXX, has completed his around the world trip, returning to his home country of Denmark and completing the trip in the capital Copenhagen.

The journey, started by Anderson in 2010, has seen over 36,000 miles covered upon his bicycle, christened with the call sign OZ1BIKE.

“It has been a great ride through Europe, from the dry Mediterranean coast of Spain to the green countryside of central France all the way up here to the northern latitudes, where the days are getting shorter and colder,” the 33-year-old telecommunications engineer said.

Andersen said that while he was visiting radio amateurs in Barcelona, Spain, and got on the air as EA3/OZ1AA from the station of EA3ALZ. “A couple of days ago I also visited the ‘DX Hotel’ in Holzminden, Germany, run by Carsten Dauer, DM9EE. We had a great time there enjoying great food and I even got on the bands as DL/OZ1AA as well,” he recounted.

Andersen said his bicycle adventure also stemmed from a desire to attempt something that he was not entirely sure he could finish, but it’s been an opportunity to combine his favorite activities — cycling and ham radio.

42 Years in Space for AO-7

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The venerable AO-7 Amateur Radio satellite is approaching 42 years in space, making the the satellite the oldest ham radio satellite still in operation, is now switching between Mode A and Mode B on a daily basis, after coming up in Mode A on September 30.

“That suggests that the satellite is now in constant sunlight and receiving enough power from the solar cells for the 24-hour timer to stay on throughout its entire orbit. Expect daily mode switches between Mode A and Mode B to occur for the next three months or so. As AO-7’s orbit precesses and the periods of constant sunlight become fewer and fewer, there will be less of an opportunity to use Mode A on a yearly basis, so enjoy it while it lasts!”
— AMSAT-NA Secretary Paul Stoetzer, N8HM

In Mode A, earthbound amateurs transmit on 2 meters and receive on 10 meters. Stoetzer said the type of 10 meter antenna isn’t fussy. “Try whatever you can,” he said. When continuously illuminated, AO-7’s mode will alternate between Modes A and B (70 centimeters up/2 meters down) every 24 hours.

15 November 2016, will mark 42 years since AO-7 was launched into space from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. AO-7 was the second so-called “Phase 2” Amateur Radio satellite that AMSAT-NA constructed and launched into low-Earth orbit. It remained in operation until a short circuit occurred in a battery in 1981. More than 20 years later, however, AO-7 unexpectedly returned to life, its 2 meter beacon showing up on 145.9775 MHz.

AMSAT describes the Mode A/B spacecraft as “semi-operational” and dependent upon its solar panels for a reliable power source; AO-7 works only as long as its solar panels are illuminated by sunlight. Satellite experts speculate that AO-7’s resurrection occurred when the short circuit in the battery opened up for some reason, allowing the solar cells to power the spacecraft. When the satellite goes into eclipse, it powers down.

Since the satellite came back to life, terrestrial users have enjoyed numerous contacts via AO-7. Last February Dave Swanson, KG5CCI, of Arkansas achieved a distance milestone on AO-7 using Mode B to work Eduardo Erlemann, PY2RN (GG66lw), in Brazil — 8030.895 kilometers — which Swanson said was “way beyond the theoretical range AO-7” and a feat that “the math said shouldn’t be possible.”

AO-7 has beacons on 29.502 MHz (used in conjunction with Mode A) and, nominally, on 145.972 MHz (used in conjunction with Mode B and Mode C — low power Mode B). The 435.100 MHz beacon has an intermittent problem, switching between 400 mW and 10 mW. 

AMSAT - http://www.amsat.org

New Icom IC-7300 HF/50/70MHz Transceiver Firmware Update

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Icom Inc. has published a new firmware update (Ver.1.14) for the IC-7300 on their global website. This new firmware has been designed to provide several improvements for IC-7300 radio owners.

Improvements Found in IC-7300 Firmware Update (Ver.1.14) 

  • Spurious signals in the fixed mode spectrum scope screen have been reduced. 
  • Flickering of the spectrum scope screen has been reduced. 
  • Accuracy of the spectrum scope in CW mode has been improved. 
  • Frequency response near the edges of the spectrum scope has been improved.

Other resolved issues

  • “CI-V USB - REMOTE Transceiver Address” setting problem has been corrected. 
  • Unnecessary OVF indication at the end of a transmission has been corrected.

Download Latest Firmware - http://www.icom.co.jp/world/support/download/firm