For a long ago I was WSPR-ing again, but now with my FT450 and 5 watts and the dipole. Wow, I never had so much reporting stations in one cycle. I had two new US states: KE7A from Texas and KB4RG from Georgia. Now I have 11 US states with WSPR. Also on 40 meter: VK4YEH 16190 km and ZL2RX 18.490 km.
Oh no, snow again. I am really fed up with all that mess. Please let it be spring! I need warmer temperatures, sunshine, and flowers.
Just a little fun with photoshop. I put a new shack photo on QRZ.com. Yesterday I worked Adam M6RDP with our daily sked on 7185 KHz. One hour before I heard a VK3 station working with 53 here. Also worked GMØHTT Alan from Orkney Islands, a 2xQRP QSO. (10W); DL/OD5LN Naim from Garmich, Germany, DJ3HJ Rudi from Breisach, Germany. I wish you all a nice weekend. 73 Paul
Does anyone know what this is? Last night I was working with JT65A, to try out the new JT65A-HF on 80 meter. I worked F1LFT Herve from Plouha, France. The software works fine. Suddenly this signal (see photo) came on frequency, right upon the JT65A frequency 3576 KHz with a broad bandwidth. With SSB I worked OK2BQX Karel from Albrechtice, Czech Republic on 80 meter with 10 watt. I always have the idea that low power is useless on 80 meter. But I change my mind on that. New band to explore with QRP.
This morning I had my daily sked with Adam, M6RDP. Today signals were quite good. I was just running 10 watts. Also worked MM3XXW Martyn from Edinburgh, Scotland. Both 10 watts. It is possible. I have been in Edinburgh in the early nineties. It is a wonderful place to be. Yesterday, I got the new series of connectors, so I have connected the Automatic MFJ925 tuner to my FT450. Now I can work on the whole 80 meter band. Only the CW part I can't get the SWR better than 2:1 that is 10% power loss. But from 3570 KHz up to 3800 KHz it is below 1,5:1 so I won't complain. I placed also a coaxial switch, now I can switch between the dipole and the (future) HF vertical. With the coming PACC contest I can work on 40 and 80 meter. I will join for a few hours.
There is a new version of JT65-HF by W6CQZ. [download the new version 103] New is upload to PSKReporter. Unfortunately, The RB network will QRT. You can find more information on the web site of W6CQZ. /// This morning I had a QRP QSO with SP1PEA on 40 meter SSB. I get a 59 + 10 db report.
My daughter Anna with Lily, our new puppy. The puppy is lovely but she kept me from relax working with the rig. She never leaves my side. And because she is still unclean, I have to remove surprises she left for me. Tonight she slept well, and alone in the living without howling. So it's already getting better. /// This morning I had a nice QSO with Adam M6RDP. Signals up to S9. /// The weather: it's cold and at the moment it is minus 9 C. They expect more snow tomorrow. :-( /// Hamcall .net exceeded their limit, so is off line. QRP QSO's on 40 meter: IK3GER (CW) - G4UDO (CW) - OK1WF (CW). PSK31 QSO'S on 40 meter: DL3HXX - RX4CD - RN4HEP - SP8LXE - US5QGL.
Here you see the snow on the 80 meter coil of my dipole. If we are lucky then the snow melt away after Wednesday. (hopefully) /// This morning I had OUR daily sked with Adam M6RDP. He was 59 a long time. But suddenly the QSB came up. His signal dropped into the noise. Other QSO's today on 40 meter: DM5ØFOR (CW) - W5TZC (CW) Arkansas - OE3JBS (SSB) - GSØADX (SSB) - IK2WAS (PSK31).
We went for our soccer team AZ at the Ajax Stadium in Amsterdam. But AZ lost the game with 1-0. It's a pity but we enjoyed the game and being there is fun. (My son and me) QSO's today on 40 meter: S51AB (PSK31) - HB9DOD (PSK31) - HA2010S (CW) - ISØHQJ (CW)
Again we have snow. It's snowing all night and temperature is below zero. I know that rain could influence the SWR, but now the resonance frequency of the dipole is 50 KHz lower in the 80 meter band, with snow on the wires. Have anyone experiences with this phenomenon?
I just had some time for a few QSO's. On photo RA3DUO which I worked on 40 meter CW with 10 watt QRP, distance 2164 km. Boris from Korolev, Russia. Also worked YU5AF on 40 meter CW, it was a special event station 40 years anniversary from the YT-YU CW club. Also worked MMØDRG/M he was working from the Braehead Moss National Nature Reserve. There was a big pile up for him. I just called one time with 10 watts SSB and he copy me. OK, the new dipole works.
I put up the dipole as an inverted V, the half wavelength for 40 meter works fine. I compare it with my Miracle Whip + 10 meter wire (horizontal) and the difference is overall approximately 12 db. Polarization could be a factor. It should work on 80 meter as well, but I don't get it resonant for 80 meter. Maybe a not well soldered connection with the 80 meter coil. Now is 80 meter no high priority band. I am no ragchewing radio amateur. I don't mind because I like 40 meter more. This antenna is temporarily, because in the future I will experiment with EH antenna for the lower bands. Though the antenna is controversial, I do like the concept. This dipole can handle 1,2 KW, which I will never use. My license allow me to work with 400 watts on HF. But this is still too much. The weather forecast favorable, the frost period will be short, so I hope I can put up the vertical soon. Yesterday I worked with SSB on 40 meter: DL6AN (10W), DK2MH (50W), and 4L2DL (100W) Georgia was on a very quiet 40 meter band, and I tried first 10 watts but nope, then I tried 100 watts and yes, he heard me. That was a new DXCC for me. Unfortunately no QRP, hi. My preference will be with QRP.
UPDATE: I got the dipole resonant in the 80 meter band. The resonance frequency was far beyond the 80 meter band. I shortened the wire of the 80 meter part and I was successful. It is for 80 meter an antenna with a very narrow bandwidth. Between 3700-3710 KHz I do have a SWR of 1,2:1 Between 3690 and 3700 KHz SWR 1,5:1 and also between 3710 and 3720 KHz. On 40 meter the SWR is 1:1 between 7025 - 7145 KHz. Perfect so to say.
This morning I had a sked with Adam M6RDP. A could receive him with good signals between 57 and 59. Sometimes QSB, but most of the time it was OK. After the sked with Adam I worked MØIME Martin also from Torquay, UK (just like Adam) with CW on 40 meter.
More sun activity would be fine, but this is too much. Though sunspot number today is Ø, behind the visible side of the sun there are super flares. The Sun has awaken, five M-class flares have been detected in the last 24 hours. The largest one was an M2.3 flare with peak at 13:41 UT on January 19. They are all coming from NOAA AR 11041 (old 11039, Catania 37). More M flares are likely. Geomagnetic activity is quiet but can turn to unsettled levels. Isolated active levels are possible, due to the arrival of the fast solar wind from a coronal hole. HF blackouts are possible, maybe tomorrow. Now the weather here is a little bit better without snow, the forecast says winter will be back next week. Temperatures will drop dramatically and we will have minus 4 at day time. So I took advantage and made preparations for the 80-40 meter dipole to raise. I hope to finish the job tomorrow, when nothing goes wrong, but when I don't hear nothing... it could be a HF blackout. Wish me luck.
Astrophotographers capturing the recent annular solar eclipse on January 15, 2010 got an added bonus: upon closer inspection, they found sunspot 1040 also showed up on their images, too. [Source: Universe Today] The Sun comes awake for a long period of inactivity. Finally we face new possibilities to work with low power and good propagations. I think that this summer we can work on 15-10 and 6 meters. You can check propagations with Ham Cap 1.7 and it is freeware. You can find an example on the web site of Infotechcomms. Created by GØKYA. //// I am a early riser so I checked 80 meter at 5 o'clock. I heard F5RRS Damien from Saint-Pierre-en-Faucigny, France, calling CQ. I called him and he did hear me. We made a QSO with CW. The last few days I am very lucky on 80 meters. Considering my poor 80 meter antenna and qrp 5 watt, then it is not bad at all.
Tonight I worked HF12HAITI on 80 meter with CW. From their QRZ.com web site: The tragic news about Haiti reached every part of the globe. We all have seen the terrifying destruction reports on TV, heard on the radio, read on the Internet. It is evident that this country needs an immediate assistance. We are appealing to amateur radio operators all over the world for their support. The special event stations (3Z12HAITI and HF12HAITI) are intended to draw attention of the amateur radio community in Poland and abroad to the urgent needs of this country. Check out http://helptohaiti.eu that contains aid organizations (i.e. UNICEF, Red Cross) bank account numbers. Every donation counts, no matter how small. This QSO with HF12HAITI was my QSO number 1000 since I started in August 2008 after many years of QRT. That makes this QSO very special.
Tonight I was listening on 80 meter. I heard with CW W1MK, but he didn't hear me. With PSK125 I worked on 80 meter OK1WCF Martin from Trutnov, Czech Republic and OK1JIR Jiri from Varnsdorf, Czech Republic with BPSK31. It's funny that I can work with the Miracle Whip and 10 meter wire such a distance on 80 meter.
Conditions are a bit poor, I could hear Adam M6RDP on 40 meter but very difficult. In the peak 53. I had a high noise level and QSB. A half an hour later I worked LA4UOA/P Torgeir from Mandal, Norway which was tuning up a bridge as an antenna. (On photo his shack) He was running 100 watt, and used an Icom tuner. I never heard something like that before. But in principle we can tune anything what radiates. With CW I workedUT1HXNick from Poltava, Ukraine on 20 meter this afternoon.
The pressure was high, my daughter wanted a new dog so much since a few years ago our two dogs died within three months. My son and YL wanted also a dog companion. Three against one. I couldn't hold the pressure so now we have a new dog. On photo the new puppy with my daughter. Aren't they lovely? (Click on photo too enlarge).
We came home this evening very late and I thought, maybe I can work some stations. The HA contest is going on. On an abandoned 40 meter I heard CT2JGD, and yes, he did hear me! Then I switched to 80 meter, it was very crowded there. I tried to call UA3MIF from Rybinsk, and he also came back for me. That's for me a new DXCC for 80 meter with my 5 watts SSB. Distance 2200 km / 1370 miles. I am very happy. I also worked SK7OA from Skurup, Sweden on 40 meter.
Here is my FT-450, temporarily with the magnetic loop (indoors). The loop isn't good enough, reception is far below the wire outside. So I wait for the vertical to set up when frost is gone and temperatures are above plus 6 C. It is a bit a messy place. Wires all over the place. But that is me.
Friday, January 15, 2010
This morning conditions were not that good for speaking with AdamM6RDP. For a short while his signal came up to 58. But most of the time it went down into the noise. A half hour later I worked EA3DTD Toni from Deltebre near Barcelona Spain on 40 meter (ssb) signal report was 55. In the early morning I worked IV3PTU Franco from Ronchi Dei Legionare, Italy on 40 meter (CW) and OK1HAS Ludi from Milevsko, Czech Republic (CW).
In the early morning I worked IKØFNH Giuseppe from Roma, Italy on 40 meter (CW), at 10 o'clock UTC I tuned in on 7185 KHz for our new QRP net on 40 meter. There is an active QRP frequency for CW at 7030 KHz. But for SSB there is not really something available. 7090 KHz should be a calling frequency for SSB but the frequency is always occupied by QRO stations or there is no QRP activity. First I did hear Adam M6RDP on frequency. Not that loud as Tuesday but most of the time I could copy his signal very well. A few minutes later Julian G4ILO joined us. I was happy to work Julian because we have contact via Internet, but not on air. He was with 50 watt and his Magnetic Loop in the peak 59+ but unfortunately we all had a strong QSB on the signals. /// I made this film this morning, a Mavis in the front garden. It's a bit too bright because of the snow. I had to consider this next time. /// Tonight I worked YO3YX from Bucuresti, Romania on 40 meter (PSK63)
The tendency is up. So that's is very promising for the next future. Today the Solar Index was 93, never been so high since a few years. I think we can sit outside this summer and enjoy fantastic openings on 10 meter. This morning I worked G6YEK Des from Bristol (ssb) and G3XXR Roger from Leeds (CW), this afternoon I worked YO3FRI Tina (YL) from Bucharest, Romania (CW).
Sometimes we must be patient for good things to come. This morning I was busy with my computer and suddenly I heard M6RDP Adam calling on 7185 KHz and very strong (59) of course I was very surprised to hear him so loud. Unfortunately, the signal was going up and down (QSB) but we could make a normal, and very pleasant QSO. We tried last summer, but signals were too weak for making a good qso. I was very happy that we were successful now. We mentioned a QRP net for every weekday around 7185 KHz. That would be nice and other people can join us to see if it's possible to work each other, from 10 till 11 o'clock UTC. This morning I also worked (ssb) on 40 meter DM3ML Eike from Dresden, we spoke Dutch, because Eike speaks very good Dutch. It was a very nice QSO. And I was working OK1AQW Zdenek from Zamberka, Czech Republic. We worked before in 2008, December 12, also on 40 meter. (with my previous call sign PA9B) On 20 meter I worked YT4ØE with CW this afternoon.
Monday, January 11, 2010
I had a nice CW qso this morning with GØGKH Dave from near Bath, UK on 40 meter. Later I had a qso with F5RCK Bob from Rennes, France. Also with CW. Tomorrow morning I am QRV on 40 meter CW 7030 KHz and SSB 7185 KHz and and perhaps on 20 meter 14.060 KHz if conditions are good.
Last night I worked OE5OHO Oliver from Linz, Austria on 40 meter. With CW, I was using 2,5 watt. We had worked before on November 29th 2009. I was WSPR-ing on 160 meter with no results. I did hear only SM6BHZ (also on 500 KHz) and G4BOO and G8JNJ. The winter is still going on. Snow and windy at the moment. Yesterday I fell with my bike because it was very slippery. I can almost skate on the roads. Today my son has a indoor soccer tournament, so no radio today. Have a nice Sunday.
Today again it was hard to make a QSO, I tried 40 and 20 meter, but they didn't hear me at all. Finally on 20 meter I came across RA3FO Nick from Dmitrov, Russia on PSK31. We had worked before. Meanwhile, I made a plan for another antenna, which I will put up next summer, a trap wire dipole for 40 and 80 meters. It's an ECO antenna. An Italian manufacturer. It's only 20 meters long and this is an ideal length for my garden.
If I can't work on HF, because of poor, poor conditions, I will do something else. For instance: changing the look of my blog. So I was playing around with the template. The header is typical Dutch: windmills and sheep's. You can find such windmills in Noord-Holland, the province where I live. What do you think of it? With transferring the widgets, I lost the links of my fellow qrp friends. I will put them back.
Update: the old header of the wonderful FT817 is back. I think this will fit better with the template.
I tried and tried, but it was hard to make a qso. Maybe it's the ice on my wire or poor conditions. Finally on 40 meter DG8PD Jurgen from Chemnitz, Germany heard me with PSK31. He had a lot of QRM, in the second part of the qso I couldn't take him either. So that's all for today. I turn off the rig and go for reading a book. 73 Paul
There was a lot of activity on 40 meter this morning. I worked with SSB SP6JOE Joe from Roztoka, Poland. I worked him before on December 29th 2008 under my previous call sign PA9B. Most of the time I was listening to several group QSO's. I heard F5VGT Jean from Bor et Bar, France. I think it's a Dutchman, because he speaks fluently Dutch. He was in QSO with Loek PFØIS. It seems to be that they are every day QRV on 7195 KHz. Another group I listen to was with MØSTF and MØXAP in QSO with DJØOK and DJ2XB. I seldom break in while a group is in QSO. I can't hear a lot of stations in the net. But others came in with S9+
Working with JT65A is going better. There was a lot of activity on 20 meter at 14.076 KHz. I made a QSO with RA3ALW. When I turned off the rig a France station came back for me. Sorry, too late. At first I thought he didn't hear me. But I realize afterwards that decoding take some time.
With PSK31 I worked AN5CRM, a special event station from Spain.
It has been 12 days ago I made a QSO. It was a kind kind of cold turkey. Now I am happy to back on air again. We had holidays and had a lovely time with friends in the east of the Netherlands near the German border. Today I put the rig on and worked EA7HEG Sebastian from Huelva, Spain with CW on 20 meter. Also worked YO3JR Andy from Bucharest, Romania with CW on 20 meter. Both with 5 watt QRP. I wish all my radio friends a good 2010, hopefully we can worked each other this year, that would be nice. Today we had snow again so winter is still linger on here. No good weather to put up the vertical. I compared my indoor magnetic loop + FT450 and the Miracle Whip with the 10 meter outside wire and FT817, but the wire outperformed the loop with 12 db. I was listening to GS2MP on 40 meter. But with the Magn Loop I could hardly hear the opposite stations. With the wire I could hear the opposite stations very good. That's all for today, 73 Paul
For a long ago I was WSPR-ing again, but now with my FT450 and 5 watts and the dipole. Wow, I never had so much reporting stations in one cycle. I had two new US states: KE7A from Texas and KB4RG from Georgia. Now I have 11 US states with WSPR. Also on 40 meter: VK4YEH 16190 km and ZL2RX 18.490 km.
Oh no, snow again. I am really fed up with all that mess. Please let it be spring! I need warmer temperatures, sunshine, and flowers.
Just a little fun with photoshop. I put a new shack photo on QRZ.com. Yesterday I worked Adam M6RDP with our daily sked on 7185 KHz. One hour before I heard a VK3 station working with 53 here. Also worked GMØHTT Alan from Orkney Islands, a 2xQRP QSO. (10W); DL/OD5LN Naim from Garmich, Germany, DJ3HJ Rudi from Breisach, Germany. I wish you all a nice weekend. 73 Paul
