EI7GL....A diary of amateur radio activity: October 2024

Thursday, October 31, 2024

Trans-Atlantic opening on the 50 MHz band - 31st Oct 2024

Now that we're at or near the peak of the sunspot cycle, there are plenty of reports on the 50 MHz (6m) amateur radio band. While north-side openings are reasonably common, it's the east-west openings from more northerly latitudes that are more difficult.

One of the key indicators of very good conditions on the 50 MHz band is an opening across the North Atlantic from Europe to North America. On the 31st of October 2024, there was one such opening as can be seen above.

The map shows the 50 MHz paths on FT8 from EI3KD on the south coast of Ireland but I'm sure there were plenty of other similar paths for stations in the UK and Ireland.

It's interesting to see the footprint of the signals in the USA dropping off around the 6,000km mark which would suggest perhaps 2 x 3000km hops.

The key takeaway message is that now is the time to get on the 50 MHz band and make the most of the good openings. There should be plenty of openings on the 6m band over the next few months.

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

40 MHz reception report from Bill Smith, W1-7897 for May to August 2024

Thanks to short wave listener Bill Smith, W1-7897 for sending on his 40 MHz reception report for May to August of 2024.

Bill who is located near Douglas in Massachusetts in the United States is using a Yaesu FT-847 as a receiver on the 40 MHz (8m) band with a 5-element beam for the 50 MHz band about 6m above ground level.

The period in question covers the summer Sporadic-E season and it's a good example of just how hard to hear any relevant signals if there is no-one in range.

At first sight, the north-eastern part of the USA might seem like a good location for Sporadic-E and it is on bands like 50 MHz / 6m. On the 40 MHz band however, nearly all of the amateur radio or experimental stations are located well outside the 1-hop Sporadic-E range of about 2300kms.

During the four months of May, June, July & August, the pickings were slim with just two stations heard in the Caribbean which may have been double hop Sporadic-E.

40 MHz reception report from Bill Smith, W1-7897 for May to August 2024:

1st May 2024: PJ4MM in Bonaire (FK52) brief CQ 19:36 to 19:37 UTC -16dB in strength. No Reply.

3rd June 2024: ZF1EJ (EK99) logged 12:37 and 12:39 UTC calling CQ from the Cayman Islands. No answer. Signal Strength -17 dB on 40.680 MHz FT8.

15th June 2024: PJ4MM (FK52) logged at 20:50 UTC one CQ Call with no answer; Signal strength -16dB on 40.680 MHz FT8.

18th June 2024: PJ4MM (FK52) called CQ from 16:47 until 17:03 UTC. No answers. Signal Strength ranged from -19dB to -7dB on 40.680 MHz FT8.

RX: FT-847. Bill Smith, SWL W1-7897 Douglas, MA (FN42DA).

Thanks for the report Bill!

For more information on the 40 MHz band, go to https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/p/40-mhz.html

Thursday, October 24, 2024

Opening on the 40 MHz band between N Australia and NW Europe - 23rd Oct 2024

A week ago on the 16th of Oct 2024, I reported on how there was an opening on the 40 MHz (8m) band from the north of Australia to the south of Europe. Conditions are gradually improving and on the 23rd of October, there was a similar opening but this time, it was from the north of Australia to the north-west of Europe. I have included a log of reports at the bottom of this post.

The map above shows the FT8 reports from PSK Reporter and the frequency is use was 40.680 MHz, the main centre of activity for all modes on the 8m band.

Mark, VK8MS in Australia was operating under the terms of the LIPD (Low Interference Potential Devices) Class Licence. LIPD allows Australian citizens to operate on several bands in the low VHF spectrum with the need for a licence if the power output is below certain levels.

For the frequency range of 40.660 to 41.000 MHz (340 kHz), a maximum of 1-watt ERP can be used.

I have more details about the Australian LIPD licence in this previous post... https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/2024/01/low-vhf-band-lipd-licence-in-australia.html

In general, the further the path moves away from the equator, the more difficult the path. It's one thing for VHF signals from Australia to reach the south of Europe but when path opens to places like the UK and Ireland then it's worth taking note.

The key takeaway from this post is that conditions on the 40 MHz band are improving and if the maximum usable frequency is reaching as high as 40 MHz then there is a chance that an opening on the 50 MHz band isn't too far behind.

Link... For more information on the 8m band, see my 40 MHz page.

Log for VK8MS on PSK Reporter...

Tuesday, October 22, 2024

A mystery QRSS signal on 28 MHz from North America - 21st Oct 2024

Over the last few days, there has been a mysterious QRSS signal on 28.1246 MHz USB which is also the WSPR frequency on the 10m band. I was seeing it during the afternoon and evening so I guessed it was probably from North America.

It was usually very weak and I was usually only getting fragments of the QRSS signal. I tried to make sense of the dots and dashes but I couldn't be sure if I was actually get real dots and dashes or was it just part of the signal that was missing.

The screen capture above is one of the better ones from the 20th of October. The QRSS signal at the bottom is from AE0V but who was at the top? It didn't seem to make any sense.

On the 21st of October, I got two reasonable screen captures. I then posted these to https://groups.io/g/qrssknights to see if anyone could help. This forum is the main source for all up to date information regarding QRSS signals.

Thanks to Halldór, TF3HZ in Iceland, he was able to solve the mystery! He posted the following...

Finally with this information, all the pieces fitted into place. These are my screen grabs from the 21st of October with the signal shown.

The mystery signal is from KC2CHK in the state of New York and his locator / grid square is FN13WD.

With most QRSS signals, a dash is represented by a long dash and a dot is represented by a short dash.

KC2CHK is using the same length of short dash for both dots and dashes except that the real dashes are at the top of the QRSS waveform whereas the dots are at the bottom.

In the example above, you can see it starts with 'Up - Down - Up' which is 'dash dot dash' which is the letter K.

Some letters can be particularly confusing especially when the signals are weak. An example is the letter H. When the signals are very weak, it looks like one very long dash. But on closer inspection, you can see that it's actually four short dashes on the lower part of the waveform i.e. four short dots which is the letter H.

Mystery solved, thanks Halldór!

WSPR... I checked the WSPR ROCKS website and sure enough, I had actually heard KC2CHK sixty-nine times over the space of three days (19th, 20th & 21st of Oct 2024) on 10m. His power is listed at just 0.2 watts and is likely alternating between WSPR and QRSS signals for his transmissions.

The strongest WSPR signal is -18dB which means in reality means that it's inaudible to the human ear. If the QRSS signal wasn't shown by software on a screen then I wouldn't have known it existed.

Propagation... The distance of the path from my location on the south coast of Ireland to KC2CHK in New York is about 5000kms which suggested to me that it was F2 layer double hop.

The map above from VOACAP seems to support this as you can see the skip zone in the middle of the Atlantic and the second F2 hop covering parts of western Europe.

Equipment... Frederick, KC2CHK reports that he was using a QRP-Labs Ultimate3S for the transmitter which is running about 200-milliwatts into a half wave dipole about 5.5m above ground level. It was only built in October of 2024 so this is a new QRSS signal on the band. The antenna is oriented east west which means the best radiation is probably in the north south directions.

QRP Labs Ultimate 3S units for 50 MHz & 28 MHz at KC2CHK

Frederick also confirms that he is running DFCW instead of FSKCW just to speed up the transmission, as it can go out in much less time than FSKCW.

In summary... That brings the QRSS tally so far for 2024 up to 26-callsigns & 11 DXCC.

1) 8th Jan 2024: VE1VDM - DXCC #1

2) 10th Jan 2024: VA1VM

3) 15th Jan 2024: G0MBA - DXCC #2

4) 15th Jan 2024: G0PKT

5) 15th Jan 2024: AE0V - DXCC #3

6) 16th Jan 2024: RD4HU - DXCC #4

7) 16th Jan 2024: W1BW

8) 17th Jan 2024: OH5KUY - DXCC #5

9) 18th Jan 2024: TF3HZ - DXCC #6

10) 6th Feb 2024: VA3RYV

11) 16th Feb 2024: IK2JET - DXCC #7

12) 16th Feb 2024: N8NJ

13) 21st Feb 2024: PY3FF - DXCC #8

14) 26th Feb 2024: VE6NGK

15) 27th Feb 2024: NM5ER

16) 28th Feb 2024: VK4BAP - DXCC #9

17) 2nd Mar 2024: WA1EDJ

18) 5th Mar 2024: FR1GZ/B - DXCC #10

19) 30th Apr 2024: IK1WVQ

20) 8th May 2024: IW0HK/B

21) 14th May 2024: IZ1KXQ/B

22) 3rd Jun 2024: M0GBZ

23) 3rd Jun 2024: G0FTD

24) 17th Oct 2024: AA7US

25) 19th Oct 2024: DJ5CW - DXCC #11

26) 21st Oct 2024: KC2CHK

Sunday, October 20, 2024

2024 10m QRSS Challenge: - DJ5CW in Germany - 19th Oct

As part of a challenge for 2024, I've decided to see how many QRSS signals I could capture on the 28 MHz band during the year. On the 19th of October, I heard / saw the QRSS signal of DJ5CW in Germany.

QRSS is a mode where a morse code signal is sent very slowly over the space of several minutes allowing very weak signals to be displayed on a waterfall display.

The story behind this reception report started at 10:23 UTC when I got an email from Fabian, DJ5CW to say that he was doing QRSS tests on 28 MHz until 14:00 UTC and if I wanted to try and capture his signal.

The thing about QRSS is that it is a 'visual mode' and I use the SpectrumLab software to capture the waterfall display in 10-minute periods. This means that if I'm not checking the screen on a regular basis then it can be easy to miss a signal.

I checked for the QRSS signal from DJ5CW and there was nothing on the screen. I did notice however that I was hearing WSPR signals from Germany so I suspected that there was some Sporadic-E propagation about.

I sent Fabian an email an email at 10:41 UTC to say that I would look for his signal. Needless to say, as soon as I sent the email, his signal appeared! 😂

At 10:52 UTC, I got a good capture of the QRSS signals on the waterfall and these are shown above.

As noted already, I believe the signal from DJ5CW was via Sporadic-E and as can be seen, it's a nice clean display.

I think the signals from G0PKT and G0MBA near London are via F2 layer backscatter and there is a certain amount of fuzz on these signals. I see these two signals every day and they are almost ever present as long as there is some sort of decent F2 propagation on the 10m band.

G0MBA and G0PKT are about 650kms from my location and are usually a bit too close for Sporadic-E. DJ5CW at just under 1500kms is just about perfect for Sporadic-E when it appears on the band.

Equipment... For this reception report, I was using a simple CB half-wave vertical about 4m above ground level. DJ5CW was using an Elecraft K2 transceiver which is keyed by an Arduino microcontroller. The power output was 1-watt into a 13m long vertical antenna on a fiberglass mast looking out of a skylight window of his 4th floor flat in central Munich

LCWO... As you might guess from the callsign, Fabian is a big fan of CW / morse code. He is the owner of the Learn CW Online website... https://lcwo.net/

In summary... That brings the QRSS tally so far for 2024 up to 25-callsigns & 11 DXCC.

1) 8th Jan 2024: VE1VDM - DXCC #1
2) 10th Jan 2024: VA1VM
3) 15th Jan 2024: G0MBA - DXCC #2
4) 15th Jan 2024: G0PKT
5) 15th Jan 2024: AE0V - DXCC #3
6) 16th Jan 2024: RD4HU - DXCC #4
7) 16th Jan 2024: W1BW
8) 17th Jan 2024: OH5KUY - DXCC #5
9) 18th Jan 2024: TF3HZ - DXCC #6
10) 6th Feb 2024: VA3RYV
11) 16th Feb 2024: IK2JET - DXCC #7
12) 16th Feb 2024: N8NJ
13) 21st Feb 2024: PY3FF - DXCC #8
14) 26th Feb 2024: VE6NGK
15) 27th Feb 2024: NM5ER
16) 28th Feb 2024: VK4BAP - DXCC #9
17) 2nd Mar 2024: WA1EDJ
18) 5th Mar 2024: FR1GZ/B - DXCC #10
19) 30th Apr 2024: IK1WVQ
20) 8th May 2024: IW0HK/B
21) 14th May 2024: IZ1KXQ/B
22) 3rd Jun 2024: M0GBZ
23) 3rd Jun 2024: G0FTD
24) 17th Oct 2024: AA7US
25) 19th Oct 2024: DJ5CW - DXCC #11

Saturday, October 19, 2024

VIDEO: Solar Cycle 25 - predictions V reality ...by Steve Nichols, G0YKA

At the recent RSGB Convention, there were a number of presentations given on the live stream. On the stream for Sunday 13th October 2024, Steve Nichols, G0YKA gave a presentation titled 'Solar Cycle 25 - predictions V reality'.

In the presentation, G0YKA looks at what the predictions for the peak of solar cycle 25 were, what the peak is actually turning out to be like and what the near future might hold.

The live stream for Sunday 13th Oct is embedded below. Use the controls to move forward to 5:31:52 for the start of the presentation.

The talk is about 45-minutes in length and ends at 6:16:35.

See video below, just press the red play button...

Friday, October 18, 2024

2024 10m QRSS Challenge: - AA7US in Arizona - 17th Oct

As part of a challenge for 2024, I've decided to see how many QRSS signals I could capture on the 28 MHz band during the year. On the 17th of October, I heard AA7US in Arizona during an F2 layer opening during the afternoon.

The QRSS signal can be seen at the top of the graphic above. I also heard AE0V who I had heard earlier this year.

QRSS is a mode where a morse code signal is sent very slowly over the space of several minutes allowing very weak signals to be displayed on a waterfall display.

G0MBA and G0PKT were probably via F2 layer backscatter to the west.

The path from my location on the south coast of Ireland to AA7US in Arizona is just over 8000kms which was probably 2-3 F2 layer hops.

John, AA7US was using 1.5-watts from a QRPGuys AFP-FSK Digital Transceiver III kit into a horizontal Hamstick dipole mounted about 5 metres above ground on a mast on the back of an RV.

In summary... That brings the QRSS tally so far for 2024 up to 24-callsigns & 10 DXCC.

Thursday, October 17, 2024

Opening on the 40 MHz band between Australia and Europe - 16th Oct 2024

It was interesting to see that there was a good opening on the 40 MHz (8m) band on the 16th of Oct 2024 from the north of Australia to Europe.

The map above shows the FT8 reports from PSK Reporter and the frequency is use was 40.680 MHz, the main centre of activity for all modes on the 8m band.

For the frequency range of 40.660 to 41.000 MHz (340 kHz), a maximum of 1-watt ERP can be used.

I have more details about the Australian LIPD licence in this previous post... https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/2024/01/low-vhf-band-lipd-licence-in-australia.html

I have included a log of reports below...

Some of these are reception reports by the stations in Europe but FT8 reports were exchanged with EA7KBX in Spain who was running 25-watts to a 4-element beam.

I believe EA3ERE who was running 10-watts also exchanged FT8 reports with VK8MS.

In conclusion... This is a nice example of some long distance paths which are now possible at the peak of the solar cycle on the 40 MHz band. There will be many times where the maximum usable frequency will support 40 MHz propagation but 50 MHz is a little too high. Sometimes, these 40 MHz openings can give advanced warning of potential openings on 6m.

Over the next few months, we should see plenty of long distance paths like this on the 8m band.

If you want to try and you have a suitable radio, just tune to 40.680 MHz USB and set up FT8 on your computer. Leave your radio on that frequency during daylight hours and see what you can hear.

Link... For more information on the 8m band, see my 40 MHz page.

Wednesday, October 16, 2024

L-Match antenna coupler for the low VHF bands - 40 MHz to 70 MHz

Peter, VK3YE has just released a video on his YouTube channel about a very simple L-match antenna coupler for the 50 MHz band.

As Peter marks in the intro to the video... "Most HF antenna couplers have too much minimum inductance and capacitance to work up to 50 MHz. Here's one that uses just two parts. "

In the video, Peter uses a ferrite core but you could also try an air spaced inductor to get the required 0.5uH.

According to the calculator on the M0UKD website, an 11-turn coil with a diameter of 10mm and 20mm in length will give an inductance of 0.49 uH. Website HERE

This type of simple L-match will also work on the other low VHF bands. For 40 MHz, try an extra 2-3 turns and a little bit more capacitance. For higher bands like 70 MHz, try a few less turns and lower capacitance. The key is to experiment.

Many people use non-resonant antennas when they are trying to listen to the low VHF bands like 40 MHz, 50 MHz or 70 MHz. A lot of short wave listeners and radio amateurs may have antennas for the HF and short wave bands but may not have anything for listening above 30 MHz.

A simple L-match antenna coupler like this is an interesting way to get a better antenna match and improve reception.

See the video below from VK3YE...

Thursday, October 10, 2024

Video: Factors Affecting F-layer Propagation at 50 MHz - Roger Harrison, VK2ZRH

On the 9th of October 2024, Roger Harrison VK2ZRH have a presentation titled 'Factors Affecting F-layer Propagation at 50 MHz as Solay Cycle 25 peaks' to the Madison DX Club.

In the video, Roger looks at the current sunspot cycle and the potential for some F2 layer and Trans-Equatorial Propagation (TEP) paths.

The presentation is about 25 minutes in length and is shown below...

Link... See my 50 MHz page for other presentations and posts about some long distance paths on 50 MHz.

Friday, October 4, 2024

Madeira HF beacon CS3B back on air after forest fire

Back in October of 2023, I had a post on the blog about how the HF radio beacon CS3B on the Portuguese island of Madeira was destroyed in a forest wildfire on the 12th of October 2023... See HERE

After a 9-month break, the beacon returned to service on the 3rd of July 2024. The photo above shows the new ICOM IC-7200 which replaces the old one which was destroyed in the fire.

CS3B is part of the International Beacon Project which is a series of HF beacons operating on 14.100, 18.110, 21.150, 24.930 & 28.200 MHz.

New antenna

On the 4th of October, I had a listen and I could hear the beacon on all five frequencies from 20m to 10m in the space of 75-seconds. It's easy enough to try. All you need to do is set the VFO on each band to the frequencies above and the once the sequence starts, you start on 20m and go up a band every 15 seconds.

The sequence for the beacon can be found here.. https://www.ncdxf.org/beacon/

The beacon is about 2230kms from my location which is ideal for one F2-layer hop from the ionosphere. The fact we're at sunspot maximum and it's a north-south path, F2 layer propagation even on 28 MHz will support these shorter skip distances.

If you want to check the path to your location then use this site and mess about with the values... https://soundbytes.asia/proppy/p2p

Tuesday, October 1, 2024

FT8 activity nights on the VHF/UHF bands - Q4 2024

There are FT8 activity nights on the VHF & UHF bands every Wednesday evening in Europe for the 4th quarter of 2024.

The European activity evening which uses both FT8 and FT4 rotates through the 2m, 70cm, and 23cm bands each week. Activity is from 17:00 to 21:00 UTC.

This might be an opportunity not only to try FT8 on the higher bands but also just to have a listen and feed the reception reports up the the PSKReporter website.

Further details available at www.ft8activity.eu

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