Guest Post: 40 MHz band on 7th & 8th May 2021 ...by F1EIT

Thanks to José, F1EIT for the following information which forms the basis of this post.

Friday May 7th was surely a great day for the S55ZMS beacon with the first 40 MHz spots but also

for 8m Sporadic-E activity that increased on the 8th .

Joan EA3ERE put the first spots (PI4) for EI1KNH on the 23rd of April but I heard nothing on CW.

On the 7th of May, Michel, F6HTJ heard the EI1KNH beacon on CW but I still heard nothing!

Finally today the 8th of May, both Michel and myself heard the EI1KNH beacon on CW and we also were able to hear the S55ZMS beacon in Slovenia at the same time.

I have a lot of QRM in the 40 MHz ISM band (Industrial, Scientific, Medical) and sometimes also on the beacon frequency.

I am still using my 50MHz Hentenna with an ICOM 575A. I am also working on a 40MHz wire halo based on the G3XBM (10m) design and am also looking at building a YU7EF 4-element Yagi.

José, F1EIT

Info from DXMaps website...

Date & time Spotter QRG Mode DX km Prop. Comments SFI A K E.MUF

2021-05-08 14:43:17 F1EIT (JN03SJ) 40.670 CW S55ZMS (JN86CR) 1207 JN03SJ<ES>JN86CR CW 519 growing

2021-05-08 16:27:52 EI7GL (IO51TU) 40.670 CW S55ZMS/B (JN86CR) 1860 IO51TU<ES>JN86CR 

2021-05-08 16:13:15 G7PUV (JO00AT) 40.670 CW S55ZMS/B (JN86CR) 1265 JO00AU<ES>JN86CR Beacon 579

2021-05-08 14:41:02 F6HTJ (JN12KQ) 40.670 CW S55ZMS/B (JN86CR) 1143 JN86cr<ES>JN12kq 8m beacon

2021-05-07 18:10:43 F5JRX (JN26AC) 40.670 CW S55ZMS (JN86CR)934 JN26AC<>JN86CR 529 on BIGWHEEL 

2021-05-07 17:34:48 F4CXO (JN26PP) 40.670 CW S55ZMS (JN86CR) 831 JN26PP<ES>JN86CR HRD 559 

2021-05-07 14:15:01 F1EIT (JN03SJ) 40.670 CW S55ZMS (JN86CR) 1207 JN03SJ<ES>JN86CR BCN CW+PI4 

2021-05-07 14:46:10 F6HTJ (JN12KQ) 40.670 CW S55ZMS/B (JN86CR) 1143 JN86cr<ES>JN12kq 8m beacon 

Date & time Spotter QRG Mode DX km Prop. Comments SFI A K E.MUF

2021-05-08 14:32:37 F1EIT (JN03SJ) 40.013 EI1KNH (IO63VE) 1228 JN03SJ<ES>IO63VE CW529rising 

2021-05-08 14:59:02 OE3FVU (JN78VE) 40.013 CW EI1KNH/B (IO63VE) 1638 59 - 51 with heavy QSB 

2021-05-08 14:51:27 S57RW (JN65UM) 40.013 CW EI1KNH/B (IO63VE) 1666 559 in jn65um 

2021-05-08 14:31:54 F6HTJ (JN12KQ) 40.013 CW EI1KNH/B (IO63VE) 1346 IO63ve<ES>JN12kq 8m beacon 

2021-05-08 14:12:36 F4CXO (JN26PP) 40.013 CW EI1KNH/B (IO63VE) 1095 JN26PP<ES>IO63VE HRD 539 QSB 

2021-05-08 13:55:44 IW4BET (JN54QL) 40.013 CW EI1KNH/B (IO63VE) 1602 579 io63ve<es>jn54ql 

2021-05-08 11:11:52 S50B (JN65XU) 40.013 CW EI1KNH/B (IO63VE) 1659 

2021-05-07 15:42:38 IZ0CBD (JN61FP) 40.013 EI1KNH (IO63VE) 1891 JN61FP<>IO63VE 558 very clear 

2021-05-07 18:23:22 IK0OKY (JN61ES) 40.013 CW EI1KNH/B (IO63VE) 1876 JN61ES<ES>IO63VE 559 hrd 

2021-05-07 15:45:20 9A3TN (JN85UH) 40.013 CW EI1KNH/B (IO63VE) 1931 JN85UH<AUE>IO63 

2021-05-07 15:12:43 F6HTJ (JN12KQ) 40.013 CW EI1KNH/B (IO63VE) 1346 IO63ve<ES>JN12kq 8m beacon 

2021-04-23 13:42:28 EA3ERE (JN11CX) 40.012 PI4 EI1KNH (IO63VE) 1394 JN11<ES>IO63 PI4 -9 dB 1396 km 

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

S55ZMS 40 MHz beacon heard in France - 7th May 2021

Jeff, F0FYF in the south-east of France reports hearing the new S55ZMS 8-metre beacon in Slovenia on 40.670 MHz on Friday the 7th of May 2021.

F0FYF wrote... "recycling is good .. an old 4-element antenna for Swiss TV, somewhat retouched for 40 Mhz with its reception amplifier and the beacon #S55ZMS is received intermittently #hamradio#radioamateur" (via Google translate) (Radio = Yaesu FT-897)

The beacon transmits in CW and PI4 and some of the decodes by Jeff are shown below...

The distance was in the region of 775kms which suggests that the propagation mode was short hop Sporadic-E.

In terms of short hop Sporadic-E, the 40 MHz band is worse than 28 MHz but better than 50 MHz. Under exceptional conditions, anything down to 500kms might be expected at 40 MHz.

Since this new 40 MHz beacon moved to its final location at the end of April 2021, it has been now been heard in Ireland, Portugal and France.

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

Guest Post: Experimental reception of the OZ7IGY 40 MHz beacon via meteor scatter ...by S57RW

Andrej, S57RW in Slovenia left the following comment on the blog today under an old post. Rather than leaving it there largely unnoticed, I am putting it up as a short guest post.

* * *

Wednesday 5th May 2021:  Today I tried to listen to beacons on the 8m band and around 09:30 UTC, I got two bursts from OZ7IGY in Denmark. 

Both had a duration of about 10-seconds. First, I got a part of the PI4 transmission but that was not long enough to decode. After 2-3 minutes, I got a second burst and copied part of locator and final carrier.

This one was quite strong about S5 to S7 and had a typical burst and after burst. Don't know if that is the right term but it sounded like typical strong MS burst. 

It may be worth listening in the morning when there are more meteors around :) 

RIG was IC-7300 and a dipole for 8m abt. 4m high N/S direction. 73 Andrej - S57RW!

* * *

As the map shows above, S57RW is about 1200kms from the OZ7IGY beacon in Denmark, an ideal distance for meteor scatter on the 40 MHz band.

Note that the Eta Aquariids meteor shower peaks on the 6th of May.

S55ZMS 8m beacon heard in Ireland - 2nd May 2021

A few days ago, I had a post up about the new S55ZMS 8-metre beacon in Slovenia on 40.670 MHz and how it was on-air now from its new location on the 30th of April 2021. Post HERE

Just two days later on the 2nd of May, Tim EI4GNB near Dublin reports hearing it.

The signal was down at -9dB and buried in the noise but it still made it through. The distance was around 1745 kms which is pretty normal for one-hop Sporadic-E.

S51FB in Slovenia also reports hearing it on the 1st of May but that would have been via tropo.

S51FB 40670 S55ZMS 08:31 01 May 21 beacon Slovenia

If you hear this or any of the other 40 MHz beacons then be sure to spot it via the DXMaps website.

For a list of beacons on the 8-metre band then check out my 40 MHz page.

New 8m beacon from Slovenia on 40.670 MHz

Update - 30th Apr 2021: The S55ZMS beacon has now been moved to its final destination and is on air with a full 7 watts to a Halo antenna.

Frequency: 40.670 MHz 

Call: S55ZMS 

Locator:JN86CR 

QTH: Dolina 

Height ASL: 320m 

Antenna: Halo 

Polarization: Horizontal

Pwr: 7.00 W 

Modes: PI4 + CW 

Beacon Ops: S53M & S51FB

Status: Active

Beacon website: https://slovhf.net/svetilniki/

Updated: 30.04.2021

Antenna is about 3m above metal roof, abt 7m above ground.

Update - 16th Feb 2021: The S55ZMS beacon is currently under test. The power output is 4-watts into a multi-band dipole. The plan is to eventually increase this to 10 watts and to move the beacon to the S53M contest location which is situated on top of a hill. A proper 40-MHz dipole is planned for the site but its exact location on the site and its orientation hasn't been finalised.

* * *

More good news for the new 8-metre amateur radio band! A new beacon in Slovenia is now operational on 40.670 MHz.

The callsign of the beacon is S55ZMS and it has an output power of 7 watts into a dipole. The transmissions are in both CW and on PI4, a digital mode designed for beacons.

The beacon is located near Bakovci in the far eastern part of Slovenia near the border with Hungary and its locator is JN86BO.

The licensing authorities first gave permission for 8m beacons in Slovenia back in June of 1998 but not  much happened at the time. This new beacon in the 40 MHz ISM band (Industrial, Scientific & Medical) is now the third operational 8m beacon in Europe joining OZ7IGY in Denmark and EI1KNH in Ireland.

The map above shows the location of the 8m beacon in Slovenia and the distances from it. It's very likely that it will be heard around Europe during the Summer months by Sporadic-E propagation. The range is likely to be in the region of 800 to 2100 kms.

The fact that the new beacon from Slovenia is also further south than the beacons in Ireland and Denmark is also significant. As we move further into solar cycle 25 and the flux rises, there will be times when 40 MHz signals will be heard much further away in places like North & South America, Africa and Asia.

It's also highly likely that the 40 MHz signal from Slovenia will be heard in South Africa through a combination of Trans-Equatorial Propagation (TEP) and Sporadic-E (Sp-E).

For more information on the 40 MHz band, visit this page on the blog... https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/p/40-mhz.html

S50B in Slovenia looking for South African stations on 40 MHz

Borut, S50B in Slovenia informs me in an email message that he now has a 4-element Yagi (YU7EF design) for the 40 MHz (8m) band.

During Sporadic-E openings in the Summer, S50B should have a good signal in the region of 1000 to 2200 kms around Europe. As the map shows, Borut should have a very good signal into the UK and Ireland.

S50B is especially interested in trying to make contact with stations in South Africa on the new 40 MHz band. He can be contacted via his QRZ page.

The South African ZS6WAB beacon on 40.475 MHz has already been heard by several stations in the south of Europe. See previous post.

As the map shows, the ZS6WAB is about 4000kms from the Geomagnetic Equator. Slovenia (S5) or Croatia (9A) seems to be around the same distance to the North so TEP (Trans-Equatorial Propagation) contacts should be possible.

40 MHz is also a band where there are even more Sporadic-E openings than 50 MHz (6m) so multi-hop Sp-E is also a possibility.

It's only a matter of time before we see the first contact between Europe and South Africa on the new 8-metre amateur band.

Link...
1) For more information on the new 8-metre band, visit my 40 MHz page

More reception reports of the South African 40 MHz beacon in Europe - Apr 2021

Following on from my previous post about the South African 8-metre ZS6WAB beacon on 40.675 MHz being heard by SV2DCD in Greece, there are now three more reports!

IZ0BCD: Francesco, IZ0CBD in Rome, Italy report reception of the 8m ZS6WAB beacon on the 20th of April 2021.

Video...

Francesco was using a Kenwood TS2000 and a 6-element Yagi for 50 MHz and the distance was around 7500kms.

9H1TX: David, 9H1TX on the island of Malta heard the 8m beacon on the 19th of April using a 7-element Yagi for 50 MHz.

Video...

SV8CS: Spiros, SV8CS heard the South African 8m beacon also on the 19th of April 2021 using a 7-element Yagi  by I0JXX.

Video clip at this link... https://raag.org/to-zs6wab-akoystike-sti-zakyntho/

Propagation Mode: As outlined in a previous post, the mode of propagation was TEP (Trans-Equatorial Propagation). As shown in the map above, both the beacon and the receiving stations are equidistant from the Geomagnetic Equator.

Links...

1) For more information on the 8-metre band, visit my 40 MHz page.

* * *

Addendum:

1st Update - 22nd Apr 2021: Info from Paulo,  CT2IWW

CT7ASY: Eduardo, CT7ASY near Lisbon heard the ZS6WAB 8m beacon on the 20th of April.

CT7ASY... " My name is Eduardo Arraia and I´m an amateur radio operator licensed as CT7ASY, in Portugal, locator IM58gv.

Whilst monitoring the 8 meter band this afternoon, I came across the ZS6WAB beacon. As you can see by the attached image, I received the following message, decoded on CWSkimmer, at about 15:41 UTC, this afternoon, on 40.674MHz: TAR de ZS6WAB DE ZS6WAB DE ZS6WAB BCN LOC K R4

I am monitoring the band with an Icom IC7300 and a Sirio GPA 40-70 ground plane vertical antenna.

Until a couple of years ago, the 40MHz band was used, in Portugal, by the fire services in a country wide repeater network.

Since all emergency and police services moved to the new TETRA UHF network, this portion of spectrum was freed up and we can monitor some beacons, from Europe. South Africa is a first, though.

Cheers and 73, Eduardo, CT7ASY"

South African 8-metre beacon on 40.675 MHz heard in Greece - 19th April 2021

Following on from the report last month of the ZS6WAB 8-metre beacon being heard in Portugal, we now have news that the beacon on 40.675 MHz has been heard in the north of Greece by SV2DCD!

In a report by email, Leonidas SV2DCD informs me that he first heard the beacon on the 19th of April 2021 at 14:00 UTC and it peaked around 15:40 UTC. Leonidas was using an 8-element Yagi for 50 MHz to listen to the beacon on 8m.

You can see a video of the reception below...

As outlined in the video title, Leonidas feels that the propagation mode was TEP (Trans-Equatorial Propagation). I have shown the Geomagnetic Equator in the map above and it seems to be roughly equidistant from both stations.

The distance was approximately 7,220 kms.

Now that we have concrete evidence of the 8m South African beacon being heard in Europe, hopefully others will try to have a listen and report it.

Analysis... This new 40 MHz beacon could prove very useful for serious 6-metre operators in Europe checking to see if there is a propagation path to South Africa. There is quite a jump from say 28 MHz to 50 MHz where as if the band is open at 40 MHz then 50 MHz may not be far behind.

Links...

1) My previous post about the ZS6WAB beacon

2) My 40 MHz page

South African 8-metre beacon on 40.675 MHz heard in Portugal - 14th March 2021

 

Back in February, I had a post up about the ZS6WAB 8-metre beacon in South Africa transmitting on 40.675 MHz.

On the 14th of March 2021, someone in the Algarve in the south of Portugal claims to have heard it.

The 48-second recording which is in WMA format can be downloaded HERE

I fed the audio into the Spectrum Lab software programme and a screen grab of part of the signal is shown above.

The full morse signal reads... DE ZS6WAB DE ZS6WAB DE ZS6WAB BCN LOC KG46RB ...followed by a steady carrier.

The signal was heard by an experienced TV-DXer in the south of Portugal.

The distance works out as approximately 7,800kms.

As of the propagation mode??? ....F2? Multi-hop Sporadic-E? Trans-Equatorial propagation (TEP)? 

There are spots on the DX-Cluster for ZS stations on 28 MHz being heard in southern European countries.

"I started to received this in March during the afternoon.. At times it can be very strong, enough to copy the signal using a 20cm piece of wire as an aerial. There's often not much other activity in the 30-40MHz range when it's being received. Never heard it before 12.30 or after 16.30 gmt. On some days it can briefly appear just for a few minutes only. Hugh. "

Link...
1) My 40 MHz page... https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/p/40-mhz.html

South African activity on the 40 MHz (8m) band in 2015

In April of 2015, radio amateurs in South Africa were allocated a 10 kHz wide sliver of spectrum in the new 40 MHz (8-metre) band. The allocation goes from 40.475 MHz to 40.685 MHz which is in the middle of the 40 MHz ISM (Industrial, Scientific & Medical) band. They were also allowed a very generous output power level of 26dBW or 400 watts.

Tropo... On the 16th of August 2015, Ian Roberts, ZS6BTE, and Willem Badenhorst, ZS6WAB made the first ZS to ZS contact on the 40 MHz band over a distance of around 285 kms. 

FIRST ZS TO ZS CONTACT ON 8 Meters ( 40 MHz )

“In his telephone conversation Willem Badenhorst, ZS6WAB, informed us about the first-ever ZS to ZS contact on 40,675 MHz. It was made on Sunday 16 August 2015 between Ian Roberts, ZS6BTE, at Johannesburg and Willem at Polokwame using FSK441 and covering 288 km. ZS6WAB is equipped with a 3 element Yagi and 100 Watts. They are both looking for other ZS contacts.“

ZS6BTE was using 100 watts from an ICOM IC-746 into a 3-element Yagi on a 6m pole. It is believed that the propagation mode was troposcatter.

An attempt was made to make a contact on SSB but this was unsuccessful.

 *****

Meteor Scatter... On the 6th of September 2015, Andre Botes, ZS2ACP, in Port Elizabeth worked Willem Badenhorst, ZS6WAB, at Polokwane on 40.682 MHz FSK441 via meteor scatter.

The distance for the meteor scatter contact was 1184 kms.

* * *

Back in 2015, South Africa was the first country to allow radio amateurs to communicate on the 40 MHz band. While there was permission for beacons in the UK, Denmark and Slovenia, there was no permission for individuals to transmit.

In 2018, radio amateurs in Ireland were given permission to transmit on 40 MHz and this has sparked a lot of new interest in the band in Europe.

Hopefully in the years ahead as the sunspot numbers improve, successful contacts will be made between Europe and South Africa.

Links...
1) ZS6BTE website

Log-Periodic Antenna from the Netherlands for 27 MHz to 100 MHz

GB Antennes is a company in the Netherlands that sells a wide range of antennas including a log-periodic antenna for the low VHF band. The model pictured above is the GB Log-Per 9elm TX 27-100MHz Custom made Antenna.

Specs...

Frequency: TX 27-100MHz
Frequency: RX 24-140MHz
Connection: 50-52 Ohm coax cable
Power: 1.5kw PEP
Gain: 5.5dbd- 7.8dBi
F / B: 15-20 dbd
Maximum SWR: 1.6: 1
Wind load: 125kph
Turning circle: 2.75m
Elements: 9
Boom: 2 x 4.65m
Boom in 3 pieces total 6 pieces
Boom connectors: 4 x
Elements: 20-16mm
Boom diameter: 30mm
Insulator pieces PVC: 7x
Pole mounting Isolator piece tree PVC: 1x
Pole mounting: 2 x 52mm pipe clamps
Mounting bolts: stainless steel
Element clamps: stainless steel
Shipping box: 1x 1.60mx0.30x0.30cm
Weight: 19kg with packaging 22kg

It seems to be a pretty rugged antenna with elements ranging from 16mm to 20mm. The antenna also weighs 19kgs!

The photo above shows where the coax cable attaches to the two parallel bars used for feeding the log periodic.

The photo above shows the choke balun that goes to the feed point. The coax is an unbalanced feeder whereas the log periodic has a balanced feed point.

This antenna should have the performance of a 3-element Yagi over most of the low VHF spectrum but that performance over tens of MHz comes at a cost. This antenna currently retails at €675.

More info on the GB Antennes website... https://www.gbantennes.com/nl/gb-log-per-antennes/253-gb-log-per-9elm-27-100mhz.html

Thanks to Rob, PE9PE for the above link.

For more information on the 8m band, visit my 40 MHz page... https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/p/40-mhz.html

South African ZS6WAB beacon on 40.675 MHz

While most of the activity and interest in the new 8-metre amateur radio band is in Europe, it's worth remembering that since 2015, there has been a small 10 kHz allocation in South Africa which goes from 40.675 to 40.685 MHz.

Willem, ZS6WAB in South Africa operates a number of beacons on several VHF bands including one on 40.675 MHz. An old ICOM IC-706 is used for the CW beacon and the antenna is a 5-element YU7EF designed Yagi.

The 8m antenna is at the top of this stack

The map below shows the location of ZS6WAB in the NE corner of South Africa in the locator square KG46RB.

Considering that the ZS6WAB beacon in located in the NE of South Africa, it should easily be heard in the SW of the country via Sporadic-E propagation.

Outside of South Africa, it's a long way to any other potential activity area. The best path is probably via Trans-Equatorial Propagation (TEP) to Europe. Even though it's in the region of 8000 kms, the beacon will almost certainly be heard in Europe and it's just a case of getting people to listen and report it.

There is also potential multi-hop Sporadic-E paths to Western Australia and South America but again, it's a case of someone being interested enough to listen.

At the peak of the upcoming sunspot cycle, the 40 MHz beacon may well be heard quite easily on multiple continents including North America.

Even though this beacon has been operational for some time, there have been no reports of it on the DX Cluster outside of South Africa as of February 2021. Hopefully this post might encourage a few more people to have a listen.

***

The ZS6WAB beacon is also operational on 28.205 MHz, 50.025 MHz, 70.025 MHz, 144.400 MHz and 432.446 MHz.

For more information on the 8m band, visit my 40 MHz page... https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/p/40-mhz.html

2020 Report for the 40-MHz EI1KNH beacon

Back at the start of January of this year, I had a post up about how often the Danish OZ7IGY beacon on 40 MHz was reported back in 2020. In this post, we'll look at the EI1KNH beacon in Ireland which transmits on 40.013 MHz and how many times it was spotted on the DX Cluster in 2020.

A total of 26 stations spotted the EI1KNH beacon on 40 MHz during 2020 and the number of spots per individual were... 9A6W (13), CT1DDN (2), CT1HMN (1), CT2IWW (1), DG0JPM (1), DK7UK (6), DM2TT (1), DM6HK (1), EA1FBU (1), EA2US (1), EA3ERE (24), EI3GYB (6), EI7BMB (1), EI7GL (2), F1EIT (7), F4FRQ (2), F6HTJ (4), OE3EMC (6), OH3BCX (1), OH3NE (1), ON4TA (3), OZ1BNN (1), PE1ITR (2), S5/M0MPM (1), SP5XMU (1), SP7VVB (1).

As the map shows above, most were in the region of 800 to 2000kms from the beacon which is a typical distance for Sporadic-E signals at 40 MHz during the Summer season.

The EI1KNH 40 MHz beacon which is just to the south of Dublin first became operational in May of 2020.

DX Cluster... If you do hear the beacon then make sure to report it on dx-clusters like DXSummit or DXMaps as some of the other clusters ignore spots for 40 MHz as they assume they're a mistake.

More information about the EI1KNH beacon can be found here... https://www.qrz.com/db/EI1KNH/

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

Addendum...

Video clip from Tom, SP5XMU in Poland showing reception of the EI1KNH beacon...

Yugoslav ELTING 8000 radio for 40 MHz

If I come across any radio that will operate on the 40 MHz band, I like to keep a record of it here on the blog. One such radio is the ELTING 8000 which was a 1980's vintage radio that was built in Yugoslavia. It was also manufactured by RIZ.

This low-band VHF radio used FM modulation and had a maximum of ten crystal-controlled operating channels.

In the example shown above which is the base version, it is set up for simplex operation on 40.775 MHz, 41.220 MHz, 41.775 MHz and 42.200 MHz. The specified range of the radios was from 40.7 MHz to 42.4 MHz.

This is an internal view of the radio. The mains power supply can be seen quite clearly on the right. You can also make out the crystals just left of centre.

This is the view from the other side and as you can see, there is a second PCB.

The frequency chart below shows how the crystal frequencies were selected...

The transmit frequency is a 12th multiple of a crystal operating at about 3.5 MHz. Possibly something like X3 first, select the third harmonic and then multiply that by 4.

For this radio to operate on say 40.680 MHz (which is the centre of the 40 MHz ISM band - Industrial, Scientific, Medical), a crystal of 3.390 MHz is required for transmit.

To receive on 40.680 MHz, then a 51.380 MHz crystal is required (receive frequency plus 10.7 MHz IF).

There were several versions of the 8000 series... 1) 8000F for fixed operation, 2) 8000M for mobile and 3) 8000P for portable.

The RF output power of each one was 10 watts. There was also a hand portable version called the 8000/1.5P with a 1.5 watt output.

Some of these radios are available on the second hand market and might be a way to get going on just one select frequency on the 40 MHz band.

Links...
1) Crowave Blog

40 MHz page has now over 10,000 pageviews

 

At the end of January 2021, the 40 MHz page on the site passed the 10,000 pageview mark.

Back in 2018, Irish radio amateurs gained access to a large part of the low VHF spectrum between 30 MHz and 50 MHz. As I went looking for information on anything to do with 40 MHz operations, I found it scattered across the net with no real central source.

In 2018, I started collecting information about low band VHF signals and equipment and in the summer of 2018, I put the 40 MHz page up on the site. This was a place where I could put links to all of the relevant posts that I had put up on the site. It also meant that anyone new starting off could go there and get all of the relevant information in one spot rather than trying to find it on the net.

As the stats above show, the page got a steady stream of traffic in 2018 and 2019 but really took off in 2020 with the increased level of interest in the band.

Link to the 40 MHz page... https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/p/40-mhz.html

40 MHz contacts now accepted on the eQSL platform

 

Tim, EI4GNB reports that the eQSL website is now accepting 40 MHz (8m) contacts on their platform.

Many radio amateur use this site to confirm contacts that were made on the radio and is an alternative for many to the traditional physical QSL card.

Tim also notes that while eQSL are handling 8m QSOs now, a lot of the various logging software programmes still have to catch up as they still don't recognize 8m as a valid amateur band.

First contact between Croatia (9A) and Slovenia (S5) on 40 MHz - 26th Jan 2021

The very first contact between Croatia and neighbouring Slovenia on the new 40 MHz (8m) amateur band took place on the 26th of January 2021. This comes just two weeks after the very first 40 MHz contact between Croatia (9A) and Ireland (EI).

Using the FT8 digital mode, Patrik 9A5CW completed a successful QSO with Ivo, S59F over an hilly 70km path.

The screenshot above from S59F shows the FT8 contact with the signal from 9A5CW being in the region of -7dB to -8dB. This suggests that while the signal levels were too weak for say a SSB voice contact, a marginal CW or a solid FT8 contact was possible.

The contact took place on 40.680 MHz which is in the centre of the 40 MHz ISM band (Industrial, Scientific, Medical).

Patrik 9A5CW said that he was using an ICOM IC-706 Mk2 running 10 watts into an inverted L vertical antenna for the 60 metre band (5 MHz). S59F was using an ICOM IC-7300 and a HF vertical with very good vswr on 40MHz.

9A5CW also conducted tests over a 70km path with S50B using the JT9 digital mode. While S50B heard a -22dB signal, there was no contact in this case.

Links...

1) 40 MHz page on this blog

Update on the 40 MHz OZ7IGY beacon in Denmark - Jan 2021

Thanks to Ivan OZ7IS for the following update on the Danish OZ7IGY beacon on 40 MHz (8m).

Since the start back in 2007 the OZ7IGY 40 MHz beacon has been running on yearly experimental licenses based on reasoned applications. It has been increasingly difficult to come up with new good reasons every year. As a result it was off air in-between licenses. 

The last five months of 2020 it was off-air! As all 12 OZ7IGY beacons together represent an operating cost of approx. 2500 € every year the 40 MHz beacon was occasionally switched off for economic reasons. After all OZ7IGY beacons switched to the “Next Generation” platform a new problem arose: The 40 MHz beacon interfered with the microwave beacons and was therefore switched off for several periods. 

The good news is that due to changes in the regulations we have now been granted a permanent license until the end of 2035. On January 2, the beacon on 40,071 was back on air! In addition, we have solved our interference problems and found a sponsor to cover the license fee for the 40 MHz beacon. So if no other problems arise the 40 MHz beacon of OZ7IGY has now become reliable 24/7/365! 

On behalf of the OZ7IGY-team - Vy 73 de OZ7IS, Ivan.

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For more information on the OZ7IGY beacons or if you would make a financial donation to them then visit their website... http://www.oz7igy.dk/

For more information on the 8m band, see the 40 MHz page... https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/p/40-mhz.html

Various antennas for the suite of OZ7IGY beacons

2020 Report for the 40-MHz OZ7IGY beacon

In this post, we'll look at the OZ7IGY beacon in Denmark which transmits on 40.071 MHz and how many times it was spotted on the DX Cluster in 2020.

A total of 16 stations spotted the OZ7IGY beacon on 40 MHz during 2020 and the number of spots per individual was... 9A2SB (1), 9A6W (9), DK7UK (2), EA3ERE (13), EI3GYB (10), EI4GNB (1), EI4KP (13), EI7GL (44), EI7HBB (13), F1EIT (13), F6HTJ (4), G0LUJ (5), G7CNF (1), IK0OKY (7), ON4TA (1) & OZ1BNN (9).

As the map shows above, most were in the region of 800 to 1200kms from the beacon which is a typical distance for Sporadic-E signals at 40 MHz during the Summer season.

It's interesting to look back through the years and see just how stations spotted the OZ7IGY beacon each year.

The OZ7IGY beacon first became operational on 40 MHz back in 2007 and a total of 44 individual  stations spotted it on the DX cluster that year. It was probably widely reported in the amateur radio press at the time as it was a beacon for a new band and quite a few people would have been curious to see if they could hear it.

Over the next few years, the only other signal on the band was the GB3RAL beacon which was operational from 2007 to 2014. There were also times when OZ7IGY was non-operational. The lack of any other developments in countries in Europe in getting access to the band didn't help with the level of interest in the new 8-metre band. 

This finally changed in 2018 when radio amateurs in Ireland got access to the 8m band and that kicked off some renewed interest across Europe.

In 2020, 16 individual stations reported the OZ7IGY beacon on the DX Cluster, the same as 2019. The main difference was that only one OZ (Denmark) station was putting up spots in 2020 compared to six in 2019.

As for the number of individual spots for OZ7IGY on the DX cluster, this is the distribution since it started...

The number of spots for 2019 and 2020 suggests that the few who are listening on the band now are more active in contrast to 2007.

Curious Fact... As of the end of 2020, there are a total of about 500 spots for the OZ7IGY beacon since it first became operational on 40 MHz in 2007. Out of all of the spots, there isn't one from outside Europe. There are no double hop Sporadic-E reports. There must have been plenty of times when the 40 MHz signal was audible in North America and South Africa.

DX Cluster... If you do hear the beacon then make sure to report it on dx-clusters like DXSummit or DXMaps as some of the other clusters ignore spots for 40 MHz as they assume they're a mistake.

More information about the OZ7IGY beacon can be found here... http://www.oz7igy.dk/

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

First contact between Ireland and Croatia on 40 MHz - 12th Jan 2021

During an extensive Sporadic-E opening on the 12th of January 2021, Tim EI4GNB near Dublin, Ireland completed a successful FT8 contact with Dragan 9A6W in Croatia, the first EI-9A contact on the new 8-metre band.

The FT8 contact was completed on 40.680 MHz which is in the middle of the 40 MHz ISM band (Industrial, Scientific, Medical).

As the screenshots above from 9A6W, the signals were quite weak.

The screenshot below shows how EI4GNB was not only hearing 9A6W in Croatia on 40 MHz but also S59F and S50B.

This is a map of the contacts for EI4GNB from PSK Reporter...

The contact between EI4GNB and 9A6W was in the region of 1,974 kms which is a standard distance for single hop Sporadic-E.

40 MHz activity... It was also great to see that a number of stations were listening on the 40 MHz band today. These are the stations that heard S59F on 40.680 MHz on the 12th of January 2021...

Stations hearing S59F on 40 MHz - 12th Jan 2021

Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
S50B 8m FT8 27 km 18:26:59
SR4DON 8m FT8 994 km 16:13:15
SQ4INP 8m FT8 997 km 16:12:59
EA3ERE 8m FT8 1015 km 13:29:29
G7PUV 8m FT8 1139 km 18:37:30
G4EFE 8m FT8 1236 km 17:00:56
EI4GNB 8m FT8 1628 km 18:29:29
EI7BMB 8m FT8 1648 km 13:16:29
EI9JA 8m FT8 1860 km 15:16:29

Links...

1) For more information on the 40 MHz (8m) band, visit my 40 MHz page on the site.