Full UK license test? Passed!

One of the Sheep is helping
with the calculations.

Well, that was easy. I had some mistakes but went way better than I was expecting. Last two weeks I only managed to have a couple of hours doing mock exams and almost no time to read the books to refresh on theory. 9 mistakes out of 58 - worse than I would normally expect but...

Last two weeks in average I had less than 6h sleep every day, and worked through the rest. I'm physically knackered and when I booked the exam I was thinking 'this is almost a week after the go-live, things would have had calmed down by then'... Ooh no.

Now it's time to take the FT-818 out for fun. 

2E0!

Well well, finally we managed to beat Ofcom's IT issues and I got issued with my 2E0 license.

This Sunday I hope to pass the full test - then I'll add another license to my list! So far I had a TA2, M1, M3 and now this 2E0! Next will be an M0. Unfortunately my current callsigns are all used, so I can't apply for that now. I can't see them in the list of the issued/reserved calls but the system wouldn't give it to me. I wonder why. Oh well...

M7!

 Great, We've got an M7 in the house!

FT-847 troubles.

I've been recommissioning my FT-847 and only on SSB I'm getting bad audio results. Usually I'm told it's hard to understand. I'm running QRP level powers, and I've tried with and without the PS. Ferrite beads at every single cable to prevent RF leak back into the rig, 2.5W transmit power so I'm sure PA stage isn't being hard-worked. I've also tried different mics, just in case - nope.

I've tried to check the transmission at home - the radio frontend is easily overloaded with two of the radios so close so I tried from a short distance instead using the FT-818 but the results were inconclusive due to my wife being a brand new amateur so she wasn't really up to the reports / handling of the radio to ensure a steady voice was coming.

As far as I can tell it's happening on all bands, I've tried multiple 20m contacts, and yesterday did the same on 6m - same kind of results. Trying it out with the 2M all-mode mobile radio (Standard C5800) showed a different kind of horrible audio, but then that radio too has been sitting unused for 5y and it's from the 80s so that might be even in a worse state!

FM and CW works just fine - clear audio, no funnies, no chirping. I haven't tried AM yet.

I've checked every single option on the radio and the calibration menus with no success.

Good news all around

 It's getting interesting. As you might remember

I hold a full UK M1 license (reciprocal)

I also hold a UK M3 license.

Now I'll get an 2E license (exam sorted out yesterday, nice pass mark)

I've booked my full UK exam for end of January.

My wife also passed her Foundation License exam yesterday, and now she's sitting next to me programming her brand new FT-65E. 

Success!!!

 

What a neat set up!

Alright, first contact on the FT-818 and it's an 59! OM3TWM from Slovenia was coming S9+ and responding to loads of M7 and M3s so I thought I'd have a chance with 6W QRP so gave him a call and he returned. Very nice.

Also got the C5800 out which was nice, I could hear a couple of FM contacts but no one came back to my calls. I'm still suspicious of this radio's sideband operation. I need to try some more contacts and get reports...

Also somehow the UV-5R looks very handsome with my 20+y old FT-23R antenna!