QRT till January 3

I wish all readers and followers of my blog a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Till next year!

For the first time I received a V4 signal on 3583 KHz from ON4MS. I received him well, also G3VCG. The QSO with Guy ON4MS was very difficult, he couldn't copy me well. I was using 35 watts. I think that with PSK31 it would be no problem at all. But I am glad I saw something what was readable.

Solar activity

It is almost 2011 and I begin to think that there will be no real spectacular sun activity as promised for 2011-2012. The solar flux today is 78. No sunspots. Now I begin to think if it's worthwhile to put up a 6 meter antenna. The next peak is in 2022-2023. Then I am 73, hoping to be still around, but... you'll never know for sure. I think that I will give my attention to the lower bands in a few years from now. It sounds a bit gloomy so before Christmas. So I cheer up. I make the best of it. Enjoy the holiday season.

Monaco

I was happy to work Claude 3A2LF from Monaco, a new DXCC for me. I was waiting a long time for Monaco. Now with JT65A I was successful. Gibraltar is still on my wish list now. I also worked YV5MM, but one way or the other, frequencies was slightly changing. I received him, and he received me. Anyway, we will accomplish a complete qso one day.

Australia, a new DXCC

Although my signal is received in Australia with WSPR, still it was no real QSO. But last night I was monitoring 7076 KHz with JT65A, I saw VK6BN on my screen. I called him with 5 watt, but no response. So I tried 10 watt... nope. Then 25 watts (my limit) and yes... he heard me. So Australia is my new DXCC with low power. Now my total is 87 DXCC countries worked. 77 with 5 watt, and 10 with low power.

I installed the new version of V4 last night, but still nothing heard with V4. Yesterday I received only RTTY stations in the V4 segment. I wonder if V4 will beat JT65A. I think JT65A is the best mode for QRP or low power. It is possible to make a QSO with WSPR, but then you must use WSJT7. Use the dial frequency as JT65A and you can make a JT65A like QSO. I know the exchangeable information is restricted, but it is a QSO. Making a sked is necessary.

My spots in 14 minutes JT65A, 12 DXCC in 14 minutes, I think it beats WSPR.

We took a walk in the snow

No radio so far, it was time for taking a walk in the park with the XYL and the kids and our dog. Fresh fallen snow. I made a short video impression. We took a walk to the farm where my daughters horse has a stable.

A lot of snow here

What you see is my antenna wire, all covered with ice and snow. I got a problem on 40 meter, bad SWR. Today we had 30 cm snow. Well, it's winter.

A few issues about JT65-HF

A few issues about JT65-HF.

First and most important is that of time synchronization. You cannot successfully have a JT65 QSO without a close synchronization of your local computer's time value to UTC. Period. End of discussion. I use Dimension 4 for synchronization.

http://www.thinkman.com/dimension4/
http://www.thinkman.com/dimension4/download.htm

The built in time synchronization software with Windows XP (and beyond) is usually not sufficient to maintain a high degree of accuracy. Trusting those methods will likely leave you routinely out of temporal sync and make your enjoyment (and others as well) of JT65 much lessened.

If you do not have internet access your only option is to try to maintain a manual sync by some broadcast time service. If you can get (and maintain) accuracy within +/- 1 second of UTC you should be able to work other stations. The closer to perfect the better. Do not assume your PC's clock is stable. Many have highly inaccurate clocks that gain/lose time at a substantial rate. Considerations for transmitting JT65.

JT65 is indeed an FSK mode in that it transmits distinct single tones from a tone set of 65 values. JT65 is NOT TRANSMITTED using FSK. It uses AFSK and this is a critical distinction. Avoid ALC action if possible with an AFSK signal. Much like any other audio input to an SSB transmitter JT65 can generate a poor signal if over driven.

JT65 is a weak signal mode. Its primary purpose is to facilitate EME (Earth->Moon->Earth) communications. For use on HF you need to re-think your power levels. Often a few milliwatts will do amazing things. Some situations call for much higher power levels, but in day to day HF usage, 10 to 20 watts is probably enough, if not too much.

[Source: Joe – W4CQZ ex W6CQZ]

QSO only with licensed radio amateurs

I was early this morning, and called on 80 and 40 meters with JT65 and PSK31. I made a qso with LX1CW Gilbert from Oberfeulen, Luxembourg on 80 meter with PSK31. (see photo, taken from qrz.com)

After the qso with Gilbert I was called by a 'not licensed amateur' with PSK31 on 80 m. This was his message:

PC4T OF SWL MICHEL I AM SORRY I AM NOT RADIO AMATEUR NOR PIRATE I AM A OPERATOR 11 METERS, MY QRZ IS 14 SIERRA 80, I AM FACINE BY THE CONTACTS AND THE FRIENDSHIP WITH ALL OF aM OF the WHOLE WORLD.

Sorry, but I do not make QSO's with not licensed radio amateurs. I don't know if the Dutch authorities (Agentschap Telecom) allow me to work not licensed hams. So I didn't reply. What would you do?

With JT65 on 80 it was very quiet. Nobody came back for me. When I checked Hamspots.net I saw that I was heard by several stations in the USA. Maybe only reverse beacon stations, or my antenna is not good enough for receiving weak signals from over the pond. Anyway, this proves that JT65 is one of the best modes for DX with low power. With PSK31 I was not heard in the USA this morning.

Click on photo to enlarge.

Old computer

I was happy that I found out that I had an old computer somewhere upstairs. The XYL ask me several times when I will throw away that old stuff. Yeah, yeah, I replied. But now I am glad I didn't. I have that old one up and running. Fldigi and JT65-HF are working again. V4 won't work, and I don't know why. Never mind, I will when I have my new PC back again. Without a computer I suffered from a cold turkey. I know I shouldn't, but the fact is. I worked with JT65 R7BN on 20 meter.

Update: My new computer is repaired! Wow, that was very quick. The power supply is replaced.

Computer crash

I do have a serious computer crash this afternoon. I think it's the power supply. The computer must be repaired, that will take some time. So for the time being I am QRT for digital modes. Only with CW and SSB on air. I made this posting on the laptop of the XYL. So my sked for tonight with V4 on 80 meter is canceled.

QRO not needed

Some people don't understand that for digital modes is QRO not needed. Just with a small bandwidth like JT65 is QRO (90 watts) like DK6CS not necessary. He was 59+40 db strong here. A maximum of 30 watts is OK. But the QRO stations are spoiling the party for the qrp and low power stations. There is enough space for the big guns on HF. Why with JT65 so much power? I have V4 running, but now I have to find out how it works. Nothing heard so far. I think we need for this mode a dial frequency for the amateur bands. I believe we must use FEC. But what is the right procedure for making a QSO or calling CQ?

Still nothing heard

I am afraid it is not going to happen that I will be a member of the Yahoo Group for V4 digital mode. It is now 2 days ago I signed in. So I stick to JT65. This morning I worked DU1GM George from the Philippines again. And F5RBV. On 10 meter I heard R7HF and ZS1EL with CW. Unfortunately I can't work on 10 meter CW because of bad SWR. I can tune my dipole for the RTTY and PSK part of the band. But not for CW and SSB. That's all for today. My granddaughter is having her birthday. So I am off for a party.

The antenna and new QTH of George DU1GM. With this 3 element beam and 25 watts he worked me.

West Coast USA

For the first time in a very long time I worked the West Coast of the USA. With JT65 I worked W7YES Richard from West Linn, Oregon. Also worked KF7CQ Harlen from Meridian, Idaho. (See photo taken from qrz.com) It was already dark and it will be the last QSO's on 20 meter today.

Also heard in Canada (Vancouver) and in the state of California, Nebraska and Arizona (near Mexico border)

Radio Vochtig Neusje

Ik wist niet wat ik hoorde, op 145.500 MHz zat een station plaatjes te draaien genaamd ‘Radio Vochtig Neusje’ alleen de naam al. Daar moet toch lang over zijn nagedacht. De opname is niet zo denderend, want de gain stond te hoog. Maar goed, het geeft toch wel een indruk. Nu is de activiteit op de simplex kanalen uiterst laag, en deze piraat (?) moet gedacht hebben dat er op de 2 meter band ruimte zat is. Nu zijn er twee mogelijkheden, of dit is een piraat, of het is een bevoegd zendamateur, die een beetje is doorgedraaid. Ik ga er vanuit dat het de eerste is. De man beseft niet dat hij zo uitgepeild op de 2 meter band. Een simpel klusje. [Audio File]

I heard a station on 145.500 MHz playing music. The name of the station: wet nose. The audio file is of bad quality because my gain level was too high. Sorry for that. Now is the 2 meter activity very low on the simplex channels. But radio transmissions like this? It must be a pirate which have bought a 2 meter rig somewhere. Or a legal radio amateur who has gone mad. I think it is the first one. It is not difficult to find out what the location of the transmitter is.

Waiting for V4

The MUF this morning was above 21 MHz, so I was tuning on 15 meter band. A lot of East European stations, as expected. I worked with BPSK31 RN6AJ (see photo taken from qrz.com) UT1EI, UR5IFP and RW3TT. On 20 meter I worked with CW RW9FZ. I am waiting for the new digital mode V4. It sounds very promising and nice for qrp work. More info by Julian G4ILO. I have just logged in at Yahoo news group about V4 and I am waiting for approval.

Update 16.00 UTC: still no email, my approval is still pending. I do hope that the mail is not lost in my spambox.

For weak signals is JT65 still the best. Though restricted possibilities for exchanging information, I sure like this mode. In the late afternoon I worked ZS2I John from Heiderand, South Africa. It will be my last qso on 20 meter, because when it's dark there is no propagation on 20 meter at wintertime.

Contest?

I was monitoring the bands this morning. On 20 meter there was a contest going on in CW. I can't find info about it. Very strange to hear a contest on a Wednesday. I did hear on 17 meter: RA3ID and ISØGQX. On 10 meter there was a sporadic E propagation: I heard 4Z5RT with CW. I can't work CW on 10 because of a bad SWR. On 14060 KHz I heard F5ZN, EA3AVQ and IK5SRB. I saw that Bas PE4BAS was active with WSPR on 10 meter.

With a 0,5 watt I made a qso with IZ7DMT (JT65) on 20 meter.

PAØNVY

Yesterday I saw that PAØNVY was featured listed on www.qrz.com. I was surprised, I didn't met him since 1978 or so. Nanko was licensed in 1975 and I was licensed in 1976 and we lived in the same town of IJmuiden. He was an enthusiastic CW operator and he learned me how to use an electronic keyer, which I still have. (ETM-2b) He also was stopped for years and is back now on air. I hope to meet him again one day.

Doing some PSK31 this afternoon: on 15 meter RA4ADF and RA3VHO. On 17 meter RX1CL and EU8CV.

X-mas mood

As you can see, my blog is already in X-mas mood. Still 18 days to go for Christmas eve. This morning I let WSPR run on 80 meter with 5 watt. Again a nice result into the USA this morning. Best DX NØBQV Kevin from the state of Missouri and AEØP Brian from the state of South Dakota.

On 14060 KHz I worked several 2 way qrp qso's with R9AAB (3600km) RX3DHR and UA1CEX.

QRP 20 meter

I was monitoring 14060 KHz and I heard EA5BHB, HB9DAX, UA4CDW and UA3BX. I worked EU6DA Alex from Belarus both with 5 watt.

Tonight I worked on 80 meter with JT65A LA5TFA, YO4AUL and 9A8W with 25 watts.

Special Station

No hectic activity here. Only one CW QSO with EN22ØFI on 20 meter. On www.qrz.com you can read a nice historic review.

Corsica | South Africa

This morning I worked a new DXCC TK5JJ Jean Jacques from Corsica. I was looking for 2,5 years to work Corsica. With JT65 on 20 meter I was lucky this morning. I also worked R7BN. On 80 meter I worked SA3AZK with BPSK63.

It is still snowing this morning. The temperature at 9.00 AM UTC was minus 7 degrees centigrade.

Suddenly is there a short opening on 15 meter. 17 meter was almost dead. I tried to call (CW) a station from the Bahama's but he couldn't complete my call sign, to much of a hurry, to much qsb, so I gave up. This afternoon I worked for the first time South Africa, ZS2CR Colette from Port Elisabeth with BPSK31 on 15 meter.

Long-delay radio echoes

During the geomagnetic storm of Nov. 27th, a brief but intense G2-class event, amateur radio operator Peter Brogl of Fürth, Germany, experienced a strange phenomenon. Forty-six seconds after he transmitted his call sign at 7 MHz, he received an echo of his own transmission. "At first, I thought someone was playing tricks on me," says Brogl, "but I changed frequency, re-keyed my call sign (DK6NP), and got another echo." This went on for more than an hour, enough time for Brogl to make several recordings. First reported in 1927 by Norwegian civil engineer Jørgen Hals, long-delay radio echoes are rare and poorly understood. Unusual propagation conditions linked to solar storms is one of many possible explanations. Radio operators, if you experienced any similar phenomena on Nov. 27th between 1800 UT and 19:30 UT, please report your observations to Peter Brogl for correlation. [Source: Spaceweather.com]

Explanation: Long Delay Echoes
Sound sample of Long Delay Echoes from DK6NP.

For the first time I worked Japan. I was reported before with WSPR, but no real qso. Now with JT65 I worked JHØIXE with 25 watt on 14076KHz. He was running 30 watts into a 3 element beam. Other JT65 qso's today: OK2PDH, and EA3GJA.

I was heard by PD5DP, TK5JJ, VK4BDJ, PE2RDH, F6DKQ, ON4LBN, M3THN and LY2BCE (last one I was running 1 watt)