Back on the air at last

Some six months after my loading box caught fire and damaged my house and conservatory, the insurers have finished most of the repairs. I have re-erected the mast at the house end and reinstalled my inverted-L Marconi, so am back on the air again.

The main difference is that the inverted-L is now fed at the far end of the garden, rather than at the house end. This has the advantage that the vertical section and most of the antenna is further from the interference generators (plasma TVs, switch-mode PSUs, low energy lghts etc) in the houses next door to mine. It has two disadvantages: firstly it has to be fed by coax and ATU adjustments need a trip up the garden; secondly the vertical section is much closer to a tree which will absorb some of the signal (though that effect will be much less in the winter).

My new ATU hut. Far left is the antenna wire. Inside the hut is (left to right) the loading coil wound on a pedal bin; the grey metal box is an ex-Decca station variometer; above it is a Russian WW2 antenna current meter; on the right is the toroidal transformer, with a spare coil/variometer at the back. On the far right you can see the plastic pipe through which the coax cable is run (I have not finished filling in the trench). 

March 136kHz Activity

Sat/Sun 30/31 March: Received Opera32 beacons from:
SV8CS between 1907 and 0323UTC at a distance of 2260km and
UA4WPF at 0106UTC, 3420km.

Wed/Thu 27/28 March: Received an Opera32 beacon from:
SV8CS at 2141UTC, 2260km.

Wed/Thu 20/21 March: Received Opera32 beacons from:
RN3AGC at 2113, 2151 and 2230UTC, 2483km and
UA4WPF at 235, 3420km.

Tue/Wed 19/20 March: Received Opera32 beacons from:
PA0OCD, DF2JP, G8HUH and RN3AGC (2104UTC, 2483km).

Mon/Tue 18/19 March: Received Opera32 beacons from:
RN3AGC at 2116 and 2157UTC, 2483km and
UA4WPF at 2242 and 0108, 3420km.

Sun/Mon 17/18 March: Received an Opera32 beacon from:
SV8CS between 2016 and 0500UTC, 2260km.

Sat/Sun 16/17 March: Received Opera32 beacons from:
SV8CS between 2049 and 0345UTC, 2260km and
RN3AGC at 0030UTC, 2483km.

Thu/Fri 14/15 March: Received an Opera32 beacon from:
SV8CS between 1823 and 0309UTC, 2260km.

Wed/Thu 13/14 March: Received Opera32 beacons from:
SV8CS at 2136UTC, 2260km and
RN3AGC at 2227 and 2304UTC, 2483km

Sun/Mon 10/11 March: Received QRSS60 overnight from WD2XGJ, WD2XES and VO1NA.

Sat 09 March: Received WSPR15 from DK7FC.

Thu/Fri 7/8 March: Received Opera32 beacons from:
RN3AGC and RN7T

Wed/Thu 6/7 March: Received Opera32 beacons from:
SV8CS and UA4WPF.

Tue/Wed 5/6 March:  Received Opera32 beacons from:
SV8CS and UA4WPF.

Sat/Sun 2/3 March: Received Opera32 beacons from:
SV8CS and RN3AGC.

Fri/Sat 1/2 March: Received Opera32 beacons from:
SV8CS and RN3AGC.

Thu/Fri 28 February - 1 March: Received Opera32 beacons from:
SV8CS (0135-0454UTC) and UA4WPF (0018UTC).

Many 2000+km paths on 136kHz

During the night of Thu/Fri 21-22 February LF conditions were good throughout the northern hemisphere. The following refers to the reception of Opera32 beacons on the 136kHz band.

DX stations received by me:
UA4WPF (3420km) between 2106 and 0341UTC
RN3AGC (2483km) at 2142
UW8SM (1782km) between 2316 and 0451UTC
SV8CS (2260km) between 0146 and 0506UTC

Paths recorded over 2000m (best DX in brackets): 

UA4WPF was received by G3XDV, UA0SNV-1, UA0AET-1, DL-SWL/RX2, YO/4X4RF, PA3FNY, GW0EZY and G0TKN (3574km).

DF2JP was received by TF3HZ (2194km).

RN3AGC was received by G3XDV (2483km) and PA3FNY.

RA3TTS was received by UA0AET-1 (2850km)

WD2XNS was received by VE4XC (2058km)

SV8CS was received by G3XDV, GW0EZY (2488km), RX3DHR and PA3FNY.

VE7BDQ was received by KL1X (2147km)

UW8SM was received by GW0EZY (2009km)

US to UK Again on 136kHz Op32

Conditions on the 136kHz band have been very good for the past few days, culminating in some transatlantic DX. My Opera32 receiving produced the following overnight results.

Wed/Thu 20-21 February: RN3AGC between 1714 and 2303UTC peaking -30dB signal/noise; UW8SM 1749 to 0400UTC peak -32dB; UA4WPF 1919 to 2218UTC peak -35dB; RA3YO at 2000UTC -40dB, SV8CS 2154 to 0433UTC -32dB and WD2XNS at 0307UTC, -33dB and 0340UTC -36dB. This latter was at a distance of 5414km which is an Opera32 mode record for me.

Tue/Wed 19-20 February: UA4WPF (3420km) between 2009 and 0206UTC, RN3AGC, RN3AUS and SV8CS.

Mon/Tue 18-19 February: SV8CS between 1813 and 0412UTC, RN3AGC 2034 to 2239UTC and UA4WPF 2121 to 0103UTC.

Mid-Feb 136kHz Receiving

After another short break in activity caused by family illness, I am able to monitor 136kHz again.

Sun/Mon 17-18 February: Decoded Opera32 beacons overnight from UA4WPF (3422km), RN3AGC and a new station SV8CS (2261km) who was received at 2244, 0024, 0204, 0344 and 0523UTC, peaking -33dB S/N.

Sat/Sun 16-17 February: Decoded Opera32 beacons overnight from UA4WPF (7 decodes between 1933 and 0204UTC) peaking -35dB S/N and RN3AGC at 2119UTC.

Fri/Sat 15-16 February: Decoded Opera32 beacons overnight from RN3AGC and RN3AUS.

Transmit Capability

Following my fire last November, my transmitting antenna has been down. I have been waiting for the repair work to be done by my insurers. Tomorrow some of the repairs will be carried out, and I hope it will all be finished within a few weeks so I can re-erect my main mast. Meantime, I have a lash-up receve antenna which works quite well.

The new transmit antenna will be similar to the old one but it will be fed from the end remote from the house. Not only will this reduce the possibilty of another fire, but it should reduce the amount of electrical noise picked up from my house and those of my neighbours. It will be much more difficult to engineer, and will involve a plastic shed for the remote loading and tuning coils.

January Catch-up

Updating this blog - and for much of the time, LF receiving - has taken a back seat as I have had the flu for a few days. Here is a brief summary of recent activity (note that I am still not able to transmit on LF/MF).

Sat 26 January: A very good QRSS3 signal from EW6GB today on 137.7kHz (picture below). Overnight, I received QRSS60 from WD2XGJ. Also logged DF2JP and RN3AGC on Opera32.

Huge signal from EW6GB, with G3XBM's "earth stake antenna" signal at the top

Thu 24 January: On 136kHz Opera32 I received RA3YO and RN3AGC.

Wed 23 January: On 136kHz Opera32 I received RN3AGC.

Mon 21 January: Monitored 472kHz WSPR mode and logged: G3XBM/1, G3ZJO, PA0A, G4KPX, DG3LV, PA3FNY, PA2RF, DK6NI, G4HJW/1, PA3EGO, G1SLE, PA0O, SM2BHZ and M1GEO.

Sun 20 January: Re-tuned the antenna to 472kHz and received:
WSPR from G4KPX, G4HJW/1, G1SLE, M1GEO, G0VQH, PA3ABK, PA2RF, G3XBM, DG3LV.
Opera4 from DJ8ES, G4WGT, G0NBD, PA3BHT and DD2UJ (977km from me).
Opera8 from G0NBD.

Sat 19 January: Monitoring the 136kHz band produced daytime QRSS3 from G3XIZ and Opera32 from 1933 to 2311UTC from UA4WPF peaking -30dB S/N.

136kHz Op32 DX 15-18 January

Fri 18 January: 136kHz: Opera32: RN3AGC and UA4WPF.

Thu 17 January: 136kHz Opera 32: UA4WPF between 1954 and 2147UTC; RN3AGC between 2135 and 2240UTC.

Tue 15 January: 136kHz Opera32 mode: UW8SM received between 0254 and 0440UTC; DF6NM received at 2035UTC.

USA Night on 136kHz

Last night, there was much beacon activity around 137.777kHz. The picture taken at 0300 shows (from the top):

WD2XNS in CT using QRSS60 (visible 0115-0530UTC) in locator FN31LS 5424km from me.
WD2XFJ in MA using QRSS60 (visible 0115-0745UTC) in locator FN42HI 5275km from me.
WD2XES in MA using DFCW60 (visible 0200-0345UTC) in locator FN42CH 5305km from me.
UW8SM in the Ukraine using DFCW60 - his "SM" is on the same frequency as "XES" at 0310.
WD2XKO in NC using QRSS60 (visible 0130-0445UTC) in locator EM95TG 6380km from me.

The bottom scale shows the time. The frequency scale on the right is in Hertz relative to 137.777kHz.
Click on the image to enlarge it.

Note that the US calls on 136kHz and 472kHz are run by amateurs operating under special experimental licences as the US. They cannot use their own callsigns as the US does not currently have an amateur allocation on these bands.

UW8SM on 136kHz

I logged several transmissions from UW8SM, when he was using Opera32 yesterday evening and then QRSS60 overnight.

472kHz WSPR DX

Last night from about 2000 to 0800UTC there was much activity on 472kHz WSPR (set your receiver to 474.2kHz USB). 25 stations in 7 countries (DL, F, G, GW, LA, PA and W) were decoded, including two experimental US stations:
WE6XGR in NY (loc FN12LP) at 5622km with 26 decodes between 2146 and 0140UTC, peaking a massive -11db S/N.
WG2XJM in PA (loc EN91WR) at 5882km with a single decode at 0734, S/N -27dB.

136kHz Op32

All of the 136kHz Opera32 activity yesterday evening seemed to come from the East. I received UW8SM, a new station for this mode, who was decoded at 1925 and 2019UTC with a signal/noise ratio of -38 and -37dB respectively. Andy is in the Ukraine, 1782km from me. Also received UA4WPF at 3240km.

472kHz Bandplanning

It is far too early to devise a formal band plan for the 472kHz band. However, it is useful to know what frequencies are commonly used. Look on the following frequencies for these modes:

CW - Often around 472.5kHz, though can be heard all over the band.
WSJTX - Set dial to 474.1kHz USB (for signals around 475.6kHz)
WSPR - Set dial to 474.2kHz USB (for signals between 475.6 and 475.8kHz).
QRSS - Around 476.175kHz. Also around 478.900kHz.
Opera - Set dial to 477.0 kHz USB (for signals between 478.5 and 478.8kHz).

More 472kHz Activity

Another busy weekend with 28 different stations received from six countries (5 DL, 1 HB, 12 G, 8 PA, 1 SM and 1 YO), using three modes.

Sun/Mon 6-7 January: Heard CW from G3XIZ, G3YXM (599), G7NKS and SM6BHZ (569). Also WSPR beacons from DG3LU, DL3DNR, G3XBM, G3XIZ, G3ZJO, G4HJW, G4WGT, G7NKS, G8IMR, PA0A, PA0AM, PA0O, PA3ABK and PA3EGO. QRSS3 from HB9ASB, QRSS10 from DF2JP, DL2HRE, PA3CPM, PA3FNY and YO2IS.

Sat 5 January: Heard CW from and G3DXZ (569), G3KEV (579) and M0FMT (579). Also received WSPR beacons from DF2JP, DL3DNR, DL3ZID, G3ZJO, G8HUH, G8IMR, PA0A and PA2RF.

472kHz in the New Year

High activity levels continue into the New Year on the new (for the UK) 472kHz band. 20 different stations in 7 countries (DL, F, G, GI, PA, LA, OK) on three modes in two days!

Fri 4 January: CW from GI3PDN (559), G3XIZ (599) and M0FMT (579). QRSS10 from PA3CPM and WSPR overnight from DF8OU, F4DTL, G3XBM, G4HJW, G7NKS, G8HUH, G8IMR, LA4ANA (my best receive DX so far on this band at 1102km), PA0A, PA0O, PA2RF and PA3ABK.

Thu 3 January: Heard CW from DK5QG (549), OK2BVG (539) and DK7FC (539). Also Opera4 from PA3BHT.

472kHz Op4

Stations received using Opera4 mode on the 477kHz band yesterday evening were: G0NBD, G4WGT, G8HUH,  PA0A, PA3BHT and PA3FNY.
Note that Opera4 should be received whilst tuned to 477kHz USB (in an SSB bandwidth); the actual transmissions are between 478.6 and 478.8kHz. The software is free from the link above.

New Year, New UK Band

1 January 2013 heralded the end of the old experimental 500kHz band in the UK (though a few countries still have this allocation), and the start of the new band at 472-479kHz. Several countries have access to this band and more will follow this year. In the UK, it is necessary to have a Full Licence and to obtain a Notice of Variation (see this Ofcom page for details) before transmitting.

On New Year's Day there was much activity, mostly from Germans who have had the 472kHz band for several months, but also from UK stations who had migrated from 500kHz.

I received 472kHz CW from DF5QG (539), DJ5BV (539), DJ8WX (539), G0JXM (579), G3KEV (559), G3XIZ (599) and HB9ASB (569).
Also Opera4 from DG8RW, DJ5BV, G0NBD, G4WGT, PA3BHT and SM6BHZ (1011km and peaking an amazing +6dB S/N).