Topband WSPR

Tonight I was running WSPR on 160 meter. With my tuned End Fed Wire for 40-20-10m trying on 160 meter. The results are not bad at all. 7 DXCC countries and best DX 854 km with 5 watt. I saw that PE1MPX was running 20 watts (6 db stronger) than me, he was in Northern Ireland only 4 db stronger. I do not know what antenna he was using. So I am very satisfied with my results on 160 meter. Best receiving DX was OH6GKW 1637 km.

This weekend is a very social weekend, a lot of friends and family, so no radio for me. Have a nice weekend.

6 meter opening

Last night there was a nice Es opening on 6 meter. I made a few qso's with CW. On photo OK2KG.

Small HF vertical

Would it be wonderful to have a small HF antenna on your roof or balcony? Yes, but almost every design e.g. EH antenna, or Isotron, Miracle Whip or helical antennas, they perform -10 or -12 dB less than a full dipole. How bad is it? I think in use with digimodes like JT65A and WSPR the software compensate the losses of the antenna. (Ahhh, don't shoot the sheriff) Click on the photo to start the video. More info in English can be found here.

Iceland new DXCC

It took a long time before I get Iceland in my log. I did with WSPR but not with other modes. Last night I gave CQ on 40 meter with PSK31 and TF2MSN came back for me. Finally. That makes my DXCC total 98. I also worked S58X on 40 meter. This morning I gave CQ on 40 meter SSB with 5 watt. And PAØDML Menno from Schildwolde came back for me. He was 59+ very strong. I got a 58 report. After 5 minutes his signal dropped to S0, so we must ended the qso. I worked also ON3LX/P with 5 watt SSB on 40 meter. The end fed wire works pretty well on 40 meter. With PSK31 I work easily 2000 - 3500 km at night. So I am curious what it will do when winter time is at hand.

QSL of the day

I like this one. I made some qso's on 15 meter this morning. It has been a longtime ago I was qrv on 15 meter. With JT65A I come across the same calls over and over again. That's why I switched to PSK to meet new hams.

Ameland island

I will be active from the island of Ameland IOTA EU-Ø38 on August 6 till August 12 with SSB and CW mainly on 20 meter with QRP. My antenna will be an end fed wire for 20 meter, a Miracle Whip, a portable 6 and 20 meter whip. I will not be on air all the time because I have to spend time for the family also. It depends on the weather. When the weather is good I will be on the beach with a good book or portable from the beach with only 2,5 watts. When it’s raining (till now we have 7 weeks of rain) I will play more with the radio. The Ameland Island has a length of 27 km and does have 3488 inhabitants.

Operating frequencies: CW 14060 KHz, 7030 KHz and SSB on 14285 KHz, 7085 KHz.

Noise and QRM

I realised that it is hard to listen for QRP CW stations because of my high noise Floor S8 – S9 on 20 meter. Weak signals are drowning in the noise. When I give CQ on 14060 KHz, it happens that sometimes someone comes back for me, but I can’t make anything out of it because of the noise. Yesterday I tried to make a qso with OM3BA, but HB9DAX came right upon our frequency for calling CQ, he didn’t hear us. That was pretty annoying. That’s why I switch very often to JT65A because the software has no problem with the noise.

Web SDR

Web SDR can be very attractive because of monitoring some bands. The University of Eindhoven has two receivers online with the following bands: 80 m, 40 m, 6 m, 4 m and 2 meter. I can check easily if there is any propagation on e.g. 6 meter. I don’t have to search myself, just in one view I check the waterfall of the web SDR. I compared my antenna and receiver with the receiver and antenna of the University of Eindhoven, using WSPR on 40 meter. A good station to watch is DL6NL which is transmitting on 40 meter with 50 mW. I was using an end fed wire as sloper, and the University of Eindhoven a multiband vertical. Eindhoven received him with -23 dB. I received him with -24 dB. I live 100 km further away than Eindhoven. Conclusion: my receiving capability is OK with the end fed wire for 40 meter.

http://susanne.esrac.ele.tue.nl:8901/
http://lindsey.esrac.ele.tue.nl/

No HF

As you see my end fed wire is caught in a scaffold, so it’s not possible to work on HF this week. I have to paint the top floor outside. Only 6 meters is possible. Yesterday I worked on 6 meter with SSB S56SVP, EA7/G1WUU, 9A2TA and 9A8A.

Argentina on 40 meter

I was early this morning so I put on the rig for 40 meter. I worked LU7KAT with JT65A. A distance of 11.181 km. Also worked KB4KBS Scott from Roswell, GA. That's what I like about 40 meter. At daytime nice local skips into Europe, and DX at night or early morning. It is a 24 hour band.

What is the right frequency for PSK on 40 meter?

I worked IZ2LUU Valter from Varese, Italy on 40 meter with PSK31. It was the only PSK31 station I heard on 40 meter around 13.00 UTC. I heard several times an argue about the band plan. Some CW operators claim the frequency from 7.000 - 7.040 MHz. Most PSK users are qrv between 7.037-7.039 MHz. My latest inquiry in a recent band plan told me that PSK users must go up between 7.040 - 7.050 MHz. But why don't they? Novice license holders must go between 7.050-7.060 MHz with small band digimodes. I seldom hear any PSK activity in that part of the 40 meter band. Does anybody know what beacon it is on 7.039.5?

Aurora seen from space

The picture was taken by one of the crew of space shuttle Atlantis

When land lines are knocked out

Two days ago I worked Sara M6NHA on 40 meter with SSB. I forgot to switch my antenna connector, so I was transmitting over the 6 meter vertical on 40 meter. My report: 59 + 10 db. So why not trying on 20 meter with my 6 meter vertical. With 10 watt SSB I could work SP6FRF.



What would be the lowest possible power to be heard by CN8LI? 80 milliwatt.

TV tower collaps

A high (294 meter) TV tower in Hoogersmilde (Netherlands) has collapsed after a fire. I will not translate the voice in the background. ;-) A few broadcast and TV stations can't transmit for the time being.

New DXCC

On 20 meter I worked a new DXCC Saudi Arabia HZ1BL with SSB. I also worked CQ73O a special call sign from Portugal. And OE3HKL/P. With CW I made a two way QRP QSO with LZ1YW on 14.060 Mhz.

1 watt on 20 meter

Because of great conditions on HF, HI HI... I turn my power to 1 watt WSPR to see where I am reported today on 20 meter.

Conditions are very poor... around 10 hours UTC I only heard 1 SSB station on 20 meter. Is my antenna still working or what?

With JT65A I received several stations even from Asiatic Russia. So my antenna does work. Even with worse conditions, JT65A is usable.

Bert PA1B made a nice diagram for the lowest power possible. Thanks Bert.

Oops

Early this morning I worked IZØMIO with 5 watt JT65A on 20 meter. There was low activity on the band that early. I checked where I was heard. A65BR (United Arab Emirates) and V51WG (Namibia) have spotted me. When I was reading my blog comments I saw that I missed the CQ call of V51WG, aaargh. He didn't came back because propagation was much more less than a hour ago. I read that a geomagnetic storm is expected.

IARU HF World Championship Contest

The IARU HF World Championship Contest is done. I worked several stations, giving some points away. Unfortunately the conditions were rather poor. Of course a lot of many high power stations. Most connections I made with SSB. There are also arguments on the amateur bands. Listen to this example.

Young Ladies Club Station

I do not work young ladies every day. But today I did. I worked DLØYLA Club station 'Young Ladies" Operator DL6SAK Annete (see photo) on 40 meter with SSB. I do not have much time for radio this weekend. I have to do some painting outside. Between the showers. Have a nice weekend.

Sloping sunspot cycle?

Roger G3XBM said “I am more convinced than ever that the peak of cycle 24 has already passed and we are now on the downwards slope.” I don’t think so. It's too early for such a gloomy point of view. When you look at the info about the sunspot cycle than I think the best is yet to come. An active sun can give good propagations but also sometimes geomagnetic disturbances what gives poor conditions or radio black outs on HF. But if Roger is right, then we should pay more attention for the lower bands such as 160 meter, or 80 meter.

2 new DXCC

After a period of poor conditions, I worked hardly stations from outside Europe, I did worked last night two new DXCC with JT65A on 20 meter. CX4CR Mario from Montevideo, Uruguay (see photo) and PY9FP Francisco from Porto Estrela, Brazil. Also worked ZC4MIS Mike (KF6RCP) who is on vacation on Cyprus. He was running 5 watt (FT817) with a Buddistick.

On 40 meter I met Jeroen F/PHØFT with SSB. He was in the near of Marseille, France. We had a nice chat, though a lot of QRM on the frequency.

There was a opening on 10 and 6 meter last night. I worked on 10 meter F8BXQ (SSB) and on 6 meter 9A2EU, 9A3GL and ES1TU with SSB.

History of Ham Radio

I came across this nice video about ham radio.

WSPR decoding

More and more I see stations in the lower part of the WSPR screen (10 and 6 meter) On this photo I couldn't decode this very strong station on 10 meter. How come? Do you have any idea?

I found out with WSPR on 6 meter, that when the carrier is flat then there is Es present, when the sawtooth pattern appear Es is over. I check that with Sherlock 2.2 web site.

Late at night I worked IZØKDF and EA5GKO with ROS on 20 meter.

Nice eQSL cards

Most eQSL cards are boring. But some of us create their own eQSL card. Here are two nice ones I received yesterday.

Broadband Power Line Interference

Power Line Interference can become a serious problem for radio amateurs. KPN (a Dutch provider) makes advertisement for broadband internet via power lines (BPL). Such device produces a lot of noise on HF. If a radio amateur causes such a QRM he will be banned from the air. It is very strange that Internet Providers are allowed to sell such garbage. Kees PE2KM wonders if any DSP from any brand can do something about it. That’s why I publish this video that I I found. I think that only Kenwood TS509S and the Elecraft K3 are able to reduce such Power Line interference.


Latest activities: I worked HA3DX and EA5BY on 6 meter with CW. On 20 m I worked YU1CA with 5 watt SSB late at night, he gave me a 59 report. On 40 meter psk31 SP3AXJ, DL2KXA and DL7XT.

Kenwood TS590S vs FT897D

Simon G7IVJ shows the great performance of the Kenwood TS590S DSP. He is listening on the top band 160 meter with a S9 noise floor. The noise reduction seems to work fine.