Geomagnetic storm

I did hear only 7 SSB stations on 20 meter. A lot of noise is present. Today we celebrate the queens birthday, so we went for the Oranjebal in our village. That means dancing and drinking and making a lot of fun. Thank God for no propagation today. ;-)

Watch a video of the festivities in our village this morning. I made this photos and video when kids are selling all kind of rubbish on this day. Main colour is orange. (Orange (Oranje) is the family name of our queen)

New DXCC: Indonesia with JT65

In memory of Yuri Gagarin, first man in space, I worked special station R1961G from Smolensk, Russia on 20 meter with PSK31. Also worked SP9FT Wieslaw from Poland on 20 meter PSK31.

In the late afternoon I worked YB8EXL Yani from South Sulawesi, Indonesia. A new DXCC for me, number 93 with 5 watt JT65 on 20 meter. A distance of 12.115 km.

Cyprus

On photo David 5B4AHY from Cyprus, I worked him on 10 meter SSB. On 20 SSB I worked EA6QY Paco from the Balearic islands. With JT65 I worked LY3E Valdas from Lithuania.

Excellent?

This is the eQSL card of EA7IPP which I received in my mail box, most of the time is an eQSL standard QSL card. But sometimes someone has an own design. This one is very hot. My Easter weekend was very warm without any radio activity. My mother-in-law was having her birthday, yesterday. First Easter we had friends over for a boat trip and watching the bulb fields, and later on we went for the beach. This morning I turned on my rig, but it was very quiet on 40 meter, and on 20 meter also. With JT65 I received Hawaii and Australia. Propagation forecast for below 10Mhz: Excellent. Hum... really no signal on 40 meter.

Happy Easter

I believe the world would be a more peaceful place if we were all amateur radio operators.

Read more

Router problems are over

Bas, PE4BAS sent me ferrite clamps, for eliminating RFI with my internet router. On 10 meter I could not work more than 15 watts. I placed the ferrite clamps on the power line of the router, and tested with 100 watts without any problem. Thanks Bas! On photo my Falcon 250B half size, and I worked VK4BDJ David from Black River on 20 meter with JT65 with this antenna. Not bad, I think. My report was -21 db. Easter weekend is busy with all kind of social activities. My radio activity will be low this weekend. Have a nice Easter weekend!

This is the shack of SV2HWR which I worked on 20 meter with CW last night. Later on I worked EA7/GØOOD Tim from Spain with CW. Conditions this morning not that good. On 20 meter I heard only two CW stations. No activity on QRP frequency. In the early afternoon I worked EA3ACD Jordi from Banyoles, Spain with PSK31. On 15 meter I came across N4AU Bobby from Wetumpka, Alabama, USA with JT65.

Summertime

With this QSL card of Z36T and the weather here, it feels like summer. I worked Al Z36T on 20 meter with SSB. It was very quiet on the 20 meter band. A few minutes later I worked Victor RA9LL/P with CW. I used my Falcon 250B for those QSO's. The dipole is down.

Yesterday I tried JT65A and PSK31 with the half sized Falcon 250B on 30 meter and 15 meter. I am not sure if the efficiency is good, I doubt it. Maybe I work super QRP. ;-)

In the afternoon I worked EA7HAZ Manuel from Cordoba, Spain with JT65 on 20 meter. I was heard by K1KA, K1HTV, WD3K, R6AJ, RV6HFA, ISØBNC, OH8SWL and PE1ODO.

Dipole removed

Because of a renovation of the garden the inverted V dipole for 80 and 40 meter is going down. I did place my short vertical for HF again, so I can work on 10 and 6 meter. And of course my end fed for 20 meter is still in the air. Maybe in October I will place another antenna for the lower bands.

The half Falcon 250B antenna for the higher bands. The efficiency of the antenna is not great, but I managed to work on the CW part of the 6 meter band. Good enough for the summer months.

My end fed wire for 20 meter can be tuned for 17 and 30 meter as well. So I can be active on enough HF bands.

QRP activities

So far not too much activities on HF. Only I worked 5.10 UTC SV4FFU with JT65A on 20 meter and 5 watt. This afternoon I worked LZØ2WFF with CW on 20 meter. Also YL2GN and LZ2RS/QRPP Rumi, he was running 200 mW. He was 559 here. And F5UKL/QRP Andre from Pau, France. All with 5 watt and dipole.

A nice Sunday morning

This morning I made a QSO with EA5KB/P from a lighthouse on 20 meter with 5 watt SSB. Also a QSO on 40 meter with OK1APB Lubos from Praha, Czech Republic. I was running 2 watt SSB, and Lubos 500 watt. We had a nice chat.

Yesterday I worked on 10 meter SSB 4Z1UF and 4X6FX.

I discovered a new voice repeater on 2 meter PI3YMD. I think it will be IJmuiden, a town where I lived for many years. I will keep an eye on this repeater, see if I can work some old chaps from the seventies.

The weather is great today. So I pull out the plug for awhile. And go outside.

10 meter WSPR

Yesterday I was enjoying the good weather here. So I let the set doing his work, tuned on 10 meter band with WSPR. I checked 'unique calls' so a call appears only once on my list. VK again on 10 meter with 5 watt. Last night I heard a lot of activity on 20 meter QRP. I heard: USØIW, HB9DAX, HA7UL and EA2EA. But the kids were watching TV here, and I was tired so fell a sleep on the couch.

Results for 30 meter WSPR with 5 watt.

Familiar call

Today I came across a familiar call sign, UA6JD, Vlad from Vladikavkaz, Russia. I have had several email contacts with Vlad about the design of the QRZ.com page. He was very helpful to change the look of my qrz.com page. I met UA6JD today on 15 meter with JT65A. Always nice to meet someone I already know. Just like fellow bloggers. I also worked RX3AIS Mikhail from Moscow on 15 meter JT65A.

Post-Geomagnetic storm conditions

Today's conditions were poor. Not much on HF. I saw some weak signals on 10 meter PSK. Tonight I monitored several CW bands: 20 meter: ON5ZO, N4AF, EA8OM, SM6CUK, YT2ISM, E7/9A1AA and IZ8RLH. 17 meter: EC8APQ. 30 meter: YO8SS, LA9LE, IK2RZQ, IV3VUU, UA3APU/P, and LA7QIA. 40 meter: SM3BDU, IZ8RLH, DL/KL1A, F5LMJ, 9A2GA, UA1CE and F6AQH.

1 watt enough for VK

This morning I was reported by VK2DX with 1 watt WSPR on 40 meter. Also in the USA.

I like SSB too

As you know, I like SSB sometimes. Between August 2008 and 2010 I worked 80 DXCC only with 5 watt SSB. As EA5BP wrote on a QRP forum: 'Since I have my FT-817 I am working SSB and CW and I don't find any difference!' That is my experience too. The stations I work with CW QRP on 20 meter, I work those DXCC also with 5 watt SSB. Only JT65A makes a lot of difference. Even PSK31 is not much better than SSB. Anyway, I worked G8VGU Tim (see photo) from Tenterden, UK with only 2 watts SSB on 40 meter. He was running 150-200 watt PEP. 'Unbelievable' that's what Tim said. Also worked with 5 watt on 20 meter 9A8DX Darko from Croatia, 'booming signal for QRP' he said. I like that kind of remarks. Yesterday I worked with SSB on 20 meter: 9A3AGS, LZ5WF and IZØOWO.

Tornado disaster plan

Part of a tornado disaster plan always involves ham radio operators, which are volunteers who track storms and report back what they see to other amateur radio operators stationed at the National Weather Service in Fort Worth. But, it may soon be much harder for them to do just that. [Read More]

In the Netherlands we don't have such weather conditions. Tornado's are frightening, but also fascinating.

On 10 meter I worked ES3BR with BPSK31.

Old Mill

This mill is in city centre of Alkmaar, a city near by. I like that mill now it's working. So I made a short video. Paul MØPCZ wrote on Facebook: “Just worked VK on 20m, getting pretty boring now... ;-)" That is a good statement. I just gives expression of boringness when working QRO and work many times the longest distance possible, yes indeed, it will become boring. Of course Paul’s statement is indented to be funny in a way, I really understand. But it is so true. I feel the same when doing 5 watt WSPR and been reported every time in VK and ZL. Eventually the thrill is gone. When turn down the power output, things are thrilling again, when I see that with the same power as an internet router, working more than 25.000 miles per watt. I jump up from my chair when I see I have been reported in Moscow. Get the picture?

WSPR with 50 mW on 20 meter this morning. Best so far RV3APM from KO86RT, that is 26.495 MPW.
With 5 watt JT65A on 20 meter I worked IZØUUR from Italy.

2 Digit Milliwatting

If I can't go QRO (read 5 watt) on 40 meter than is QRPpp the best thing to do. Tonight my best DX with 50 milliwatt WSPR is LA9JO in Bardufoss, Norway, locator JP99ii, that's 24.426 MPW (miles per watt) Even my power meter gives no visible bar on my FT817 with attenuator. It is really fun to work with minimal power. The weather was great today, and it will stay this weekend.

Other DX with 50 milliwatt on 40 meter. Total of 8 DXCC tonight with 50 mW. Saturday morning I found out I used the wrong antenna. Instead of my 40 meter dipole, the end fed for 20 meter was connected.

My WSPR list on 30 meter this morning with 5 watt.

QRP 0n 40 meter

My internet router is very sensitive for RF. When I transmit with 5 watts or more than the internet is disconnected. So I am working with 2 watts on 40 meter, which gives no problems. I worked on 40 meter with CW: IP2XX a special event station, I like the Marconi QSL card.  His CW speed was 36 wpm. But all I have to sent was call + 5nn and TU. So no problem. With JT65A I worked G3IOI and DL2TE. The moment I pulled the plug from the set, I received a VK2  station on 40 meter.

China

I was monitoring 20 meter with JT65A , no possibility to transmit. The XYL had a meeting with colleagues here at home. So only reverse beacon activity. At 9.13 UTC I saw 3J1ZRI on my screen. China for the first time on my screen. PSK reporter gave the right locator. Not with JT65-HF, there was the locator somewhere in sea. Today 10 meter was open again. It seems that the sporadic E season started early this year. Also the MUF was 27 MHz. I worked on 10 meter with BPSK31 UA6RD, I heard  PY2DNR, PY2II, UN1L and ZS6GRL.  On 15 meter with CW K8CW from Ohio, USA. On 20 meter I worked with JT65A  OM7OM.

WSPR 30 meter

Last night I did some WSPR-ing on 30 meter. I can't tune my 80 - 40 meter dipole for 30 meters. So I use my Hy End Fed for 20 meter. For transmitting 5 watts no problem. See results above. But for reception the Hy End Fed antenna is not good for 30 meter. That was something I already knew. With WSPR you can check how well the antenna performs. The MUF was last night 15 MHz. So propagation at night is doing well. VK and JA were both in the night zone. (grey zone)  This morning on 40 meter WSPR, best DX W3GXT (6109 km) and on 20 meter: VK5ZAG (15.926 km)  For the necessary CW training I made the following CW QSO's on 20 meter: RG5ØK, UY6IM and 4O8A.

Wonderful weather

The weather is great today. About 20 C. Time for WSPR on 10 meter. Sporadic E is present. So far reported from VK2KRR and Chagos Islands VQ9JD, the last one a new DXCC for me.

Update: 10 meter was completely open. With WSPR I was also reported by Asiatic Russia UA9CUA and OH6GKW. With SSB I heard YB4IR Indonesia, A45XR Oman, and 4Z1AB, 5B4AIF and many more.
On 17 meter I worked with CW US5XDT and LZ2BRE.
On 20 meter I worked RK9LWA/P with CW. ES7GM with SSB. I heard JW/F8DVD with good signals here, but too many stations were calling him. QRP on 14060 KHz I worked EA2LU with 2 watt CW and OH7UM. I heard W1SOC calling ARCI contest.

Here you see results of 12 minutes calling on 20 meter with JT65A. I don't hear any other signals on 20 meter, only 2 RTTY stations but no CW. So JT65A is a really good mode. They hear me in the USA.