Lincoln Short Wave Club

22/11/2025

Saturday morning down at the shack

Some members only seem to be happy when they are taking things apart to see what's inside them

02/11/2025

For those who don't understand how the Grey line works. It is a very handy DX Tool.

Grey line: the twilight window for HF DX

Around sunrise and sunset, HF behaves differently. The lower D-layer, which normally absorbs your signal in daylight, fades quickly; the higher F-layer, which bends signals back to Earth, stays charged a little longer. With the “sponge” gone and the “mirror” still up, signals travel farther with less loss. If both ends of a path sit near the grey line at the same time, ranges that are closed for most of the day can open.

When to try

Roughly 20–40 minutes either side of local sunrise/sunset.

Strongest around the equinoxes when day and night change quickly.

Bands

Most noticeable on 160/80/40 metres.

30–20 m often good; 17–10 m join in when solar activity (MUF) is high.

How to work it

Check your and target sunrise/sunset for overlap.

Start short-path, then test long-path.

Use CW/FT8 to probe; watch PSKReporter or the Reverse Beacon Network for live feedback.

Keep noise down: proper feedpoint choke, clip-on ferrites, tidy patch leads.

Log times and bearings—grey line windows repeat.

Share your best grey-line contact tonight (band, mode, distance) and tag us.

https://www.moonrakeronline.com

23/10/2025

Repairs were completed last night on the clubs FT-1000MP MK5 Giving it a new display backlight after the original failed.

Last night Graham, M1DHV and Roger G3PVU completed some much needed repairs on the FT-1000MP MK5. For a short time now the radio has been without a display light rendering it unusable. Over 2 Wedne…

19/10/2025

Maybe of interest to some members

☄️ Propagation Watch | Get Ready for the Orionids!

Look up! The famous Orionid meteor shower is active and building towards its peak next week. For radio amateurs, this isn't just a stunning visual show—it's one of the best VHF propagation events of the year.

As debris from Halley's Comet burns up in the E-layer, it creates brief, intense trails of ionized gas. These "mirrors" can reflect VHF signals hundreds of miles, far beyond the normal line-of-sight.

📦 Event Details:

What: Orionid Meteor Shower

Peak Activity: Night of Tuesday, Oct 21st – Wednesday, Oct 22nd

Radio Mode: Meteor Scatter (MSK144 is the king here)

Prime Bands: 6m (50MHz), 4m (70MHz), and 2m (144MHz)

Bonus: Conditions are perfect! The Moon will be a waning crescent, meaning dark skies and a quiet ionosphere, helping you pull in those weak, fast pings.

💡 About Meteor Scatter

This is a fast-paced mode! You aren't listening for voices, but for very short, high-speed digital "pings" using software like WSJT-X (in MSK144 mode). A full contact can be completed in under 60 seconds.

🧠 Pro Tip: To make contacts, point your VHF Yagi antennas horizontally towards your target DX area, not at the radiant in the sky. The most likely reflection point is mid-way between you and the station you're trying to work.

This is the perfect excuse to get your VHF station in order. Check your Yagis, test your preamps, and get ready for some fast-paced DX!

https://www.moonrakeronline.com

01/10/2025

Adif map of the contacts over the weekend red are phone and blue are digital

01/10/2025

The team was surprised when a very weak USA station came back to our CQ call GB0LWR on 40m

30/09/2025

This weekend for Railways on the air, we managed to make 500 contacts over the weekend, mainly on 40m SSB. The operators for the weekend were M5SJM M1DHV M7DEU M7OKV and we had the pleasure of having Barry attend G4DBS and he is the chairman of the British Railways Amateur Radio Society

Below is a short YouTube clip of the steam train entering the station.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

28/09/2025

We had plenty of members come to support the station yesterday GB0LWR

27/09/2025

We are on 7.176 MHz

26/09/2025

We are operating on 14.187 MHz

18/09/2025

The club held a talk on Wednesday evening featuring representatives from the Lincolnshire Wolds Railway.

This week, we held a talk about the Lincolnshire Wolds Railway at Ludborough. The club will be at Ludborough for Railways on the Air at the end of September, using the call sign GB0LWR. This will b…

17/09/2025