QRP NEWS Feb. Issue

JA QRP CLUB distributed QRP NEWS February. Top of the news, amazingly an interview Mr.Takada of Mizuho is placed. History of Mizuho Corporation and his attitude in QRP is presented. As an overseas QRPer, UA1AV/QRP is introduced in this issue. Domestic QRP meetings and award program by the club is reported too.

QRP-WARC/18 Award

Mention about QRP-WARC/18 Award, 100 QRP QSOs in 17m band is awarded at free of charge for overseas application. The rule is simple, If you send a log filled with 100 QSOs less than 5W and SAE(self addressed envelope). You will receive A4-letter sized printed award. This award is started 1992 by QRP Technical Group which developed FUJIYAMA transceiver dedicated to 18MHz band. Design of the award is impressive with Mt.Fuji drawing. Currently awarding program is maintained by JL1KRA. Use qrz.com to find his mailing address. Under this low sunspots condx, achieve 100 QSOs with QRP gear is your efforts.

Circuit House SSB Generator

There are several personal based QRP vendor activity in Japan. 'Circuit House' is one of them and they are providing good SSB transceiver components. CG-90A is popular SSB generator among Japanese builders. Though it need several modifications to adjust individual preference, 5700JPY is reasonable as SSB generator. Adding 6m or 2m transverter and QRP amplifier, You can configure a SSB mono-band transceiver. Chassis will be prepared by builders.

FCZ QRP 50MHz AM transmitter

One of the kit example with FCZ coils. Favorite of Japanese QRPers is 6m AM QRP. In dense population and novice license without code, 6m phone had been an entry point for beginners. Making SSB is rather difficult and MIZUHO already provided PICO MX series. Naturally many built AM transmitter for their practice. This is 10mW AM transmitter designed by JH1FCZ. Now the FCZ transferred kitting operation and this #009 transmitter kit is provided by Calibration and it cost 3500JPY.

FCZ coil

FCZ coils are popular among Japanese QRPers. Oversea builders quote TOKO mono-band coils often, but these are less common in market. FCZ Lab. prepares all ham band frequency coil in 3 different sizes (5,7,10mm). VXO and other special purpose coil are exist. Detailed specifications are open to public. These are benefit to reproduce homebrew unit by others. The only weakness of the FCZ coil is its price due to their high quality. Each coil cost only 270JPY. When the number of coil increased, they are dominant in your budget. There is no relation between FCZ lab.

Marutsu 7MHz receiver kit seminer

Marutsu announces that they will hold 7MHz DC receiver kit seminer on 31st January. The seminar started from theory and simulation in morning session. Then the kit will be completed in afternoon. Rgular rental price of Marutsu's making space is 2000JPY. Thus the seminer fee 8500JPY including the RX kit seems bargain. Unfrotunately, 14 sheets are already booked. This kit appears first time. We hope they will sell this kit in the shop at reasonable price as a companion of the 7MHz transmitter kit.

CQ ham radio February 2010 issue

135kHz band first ever DX contact and QRP-TX article are reported in February issue. JA QRP club members are participating this magazine as writers. CQ ham radio is the only remaining amateur radio dedicated magazine in Japan. Index shows other homebrew articles 2-transistor radio, VX-3 USB and GP antennas cable are included. Each issue cost 890JPY.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Some rest again. This animation is originated from million seller novel. In its story, Haruhi Suzumiya started 'Team-SOS' and she is looking for alien and person of time travel. Unusual things are happen frequently in her school. The quality of animation and space time related story beyond universe difficult to understand attract several QRPers.

IC-R6 coming soon

IC-R6, the successor of high sensitivity ICOM IC-R5 will be at shop in the end of January. May be some QRPer will not have interest to this kind of scanner. Actually this is very useful tool to find out QRP signals. Especially at 50MHz, we are spending time to find out AM QRP signals. But high speed scanning capability enables search between 50.4 to 50.7 MHz without any effort. It will find out weak 50MHz AM signal rapidly. You can use solder iron or you can read books during the receiver doing his task.

Marconi's DC-TRX

CQ ham radio Ferbuary 2010 shows how to make the Maconi-Japan Basic 7. The radio is unique in its appearance. Large knobs and Italian like colored chassis are looks new as a Japnese radio. Full QSK 1.5W power is enough for domestic QSO. It has a sidetone and the built in Speaker. But VXO coverage is only 20kHz. Thus the radio is CW band only. 15,900JPY is good price with punched chassis. For those who never experienced QSO by DC receiver, he should experience technique.