Results of the 32 MHz propagation tests by EI9KP - 27th Jan 2024

Phil, EI9KP is located in the north-west of Ireland and he carried out a propagation experiment on 32.013 MHz on Saturday 27th January 2024 from 09:00 to 17:00 UTC. He was running 5-watts into a vertical dipole and used FT8 and CW to ID.

And yes, before anyone asks, that's not a mistake. Radio amateurs in Ireland have permission to use 32 MHz.

Report from Phil, EI9KP... "I had my Low VHF antennas bent and broken in storm 'Isha' and am in the process of rebuilding.  A few days ago I resurrected my Low VHF Test Dipole.  Since there are now no coupled dipoles the test dipole was resonant on 31.600MHz.  I measured an SWR of 1.5 on 32.013MHz, it looked like a good opportunity to reconnect the beacon for a day.

I have received the following reception reports (PSKReporter, email, EI7GL blog):"

Europe... These are the stations in Europe that heard the signal...

Gintas, LY2YR in Lithuania (KO24OS) at 2188kms was probably F2 layer

Ari, OH5FI/OH5KUY in Finland (KP41DB) logged several FT8 signals and gave this report...

Fine copy at KP41db. 
Max: 240127_105300 22 -0.5 243 DE EI9KP IO54. 
Min: 240127_142815 -14 -0.3 242 DE EI9KP IO54
73 / OH5KUY

At 2316kms, the propagation mode was likely F2 again.

Costas, SV1XV in Athens, Greece (KM18UA) at 3045kms reports the following... "I can also receive EI9KP beacon on 32013.0 kHz CW, RST 559, giving loc IO54MB. Time 15:18 UTC, loc KM18." and " I can receive EI9KP beacon on 32013.2 kHz FT8, peaking at -11 dB. Time 15:10 UTC, loc KM18."

Alex, SV8QG in Greece (KM39GC) at 3133kms logged some FT8 signals from 10:52-11:01 UTC. Alex sent on the following decodes...

QRG 32,O12 USB REC IC-7200 ANT 4L@10m QTH KM39GC

105215 -2 -0.3 1201 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
105300 1 -0.5 1200 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
105315 -7 -0.3 1201 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
105400 -1 -0.5 1200 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
105415 -3 -0.4 1200 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
105500 -2 -0.5 1201 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
105515 -7 -0.4 1200 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
105600 -1 -0.5 1200 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
105615 4 -0.4 1201 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
105700 3 -0.5 1200 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
105715 5 -0.4 1200 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
105800 -7 -0.5 1200 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
105815 -8 -0.3 1201 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
105900 -1 -0.5 1200 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
105915 4 -0.4 1200 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
110000 -1 -0.5 1200 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
110015 -9 -0.4 1200 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
110100 -4 -0.5 1200 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
110115 5 -0.4 1200 ~ DE EI9KP IO54

Phil, EI9KP continues... "The morning signals received in OH were extremely strong e.g. +22dB SNR, as was the report from Greece."

The signals to Greece at about 3000kms were almost F2 layer as well. As we look at western Europe, we move into the F2 skip zone.

Hugh, HC02 is a short wave listener in the south of Portugal in IM67BB (1892kms). Hugh writes... "Receiving the beacon - 16 to - 18dB in Portugal IM67 from an easterly direction at 0920 so must be backscatter."

 

EI9KP writes.. "Many thanks to Hugh for an all day reception report which I have represented in a graph above.  Scatter throughout the day with signals -15/-20 dB SNR with a 10 minute peak at around 12:28 UTC."

Paul, G7PUV / G9PUV in the south-east of England (JO00AU - 706kms) writes... "Two decodes here, both likely to be backscatter while I was beaming East.

----- 27.01.24 10:32:30 UTC ---------------

103215 -20 0.4 1140 ~ DE EI9KP IO54

----- 27.01.24 10:45:29 UTC ---------------

104515 -19 0.4 1140 ~ DE EI9KP IO54 "

EI7GL... This is my own report. I used an old HF radio tuned to 32.0124 MHz on USB with a vertical half-wave for 28 MHz. The distance from EI9KP to my location on the south coast of Ireland is 248kms.

The signal was very weak and the screenshot above is going from right to left.

At the bottom around 600 Hz, you can see the trace from the CW signal. I couldn't actually hear this by ear but I could see it on screen for most of the time. I didn't get that many FT8 decodes but the weak FT8 signal can be seen above around 800 Hz.

These are my FT8 decodes from the 8-hour period that I was monitoring the frequency...

090915 -20 -1.7  804 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

131115 -18 -2.1  813 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

133515 -20 -2.1  814 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

140615 -19 -2.2  815 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

161000 -20 -2.6  818 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

161100 -19 -2.6  818 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

165315 -18 -2.5  819 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

165515 -18 -2.5  819 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

165615 -18 -2.5  819 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

165715 -16 -2.5  819 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

165815 -15 -2.5  819 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

165915 -14 -2.5  819 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

170015 -16 -2.5  819 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

170115 -16 -2.5  819 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

170215 -16 -2.5  819 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

170315 -15 -2.5  819 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

170415 -15 -2.6  819 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

170515 -16 -2.6  819 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

170615 -16 -2.6  819 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

As for the propagation mode? At 248kms, it's hard to say. I'm close enough that the signal may have been direct but F2 backscatter can't be ruled out. I'd need to do the test at night to be sure if it was direct or not.

Whatever the propagation mode, I came to the conclusion that I'd need about a 10dB improvement in the signal for me to hear it properly.

North America... These are the reports from the USA and Canada...

Bernard, VA2CY in Quebec, Canada (FN46LW - 4321kms) reported reception at 13:57, 15:01 and 17:02 UTC. EI9KP writes... "Bernard VA2CY is using a 80-meter dipole oriented SW-NE. On 32 MHz this makes an antenna pattern having lobes off the ends."

Andrew, K8EL in Ohio (EN91EB - 5383kms) sends on the following screenshot...

Larry, VO1FOG in Newfoundland, Canada (GN37IN - 3146 kms) reports that the beacon was in from 1230 till switch-off at 1707 UTC.

Larry also took a nice video of the reception...

As heard here in GN37in at circa 0900 local... pic.twitter.com/axxTC2naVI

— VO1FOG (@VO1FOG) January 27, 2024

K8EL in Ohio EN91EB

EI9KP concludes... "It is worth noting that stations VA2CY and K8EL and on the same line viewed from IO54MB. Last reception reports from Europe were at 1520 (Greece) and 1707 (Canada)."

In conclusion... It's nice to see that one experimental transmission on an odd frequency in the low-band VHF region generated so much interest. It's unlikely we'll see any amateur radio activity from other countries at 32 MHz but that doesn't mean people can't experiment and try to listen.

No doubt Phil will be carrying out more experiments on 32 MHz in the future and we'll try and get the word out a few days earlier for the next one.

Link... I have the results of some previous 34 MHz propagation tests up on my 40 MHz page.

Notice: 32 MHz propagation tests - Sat 27th Jan 2024

Phil, EI9KP is located in the north-west of Ireland and he reports that he will be conducting propagation experiments on 32.013 MHz on Saturday 27th January 2024 from 09:00 to 17:00 UTC.

And yes, before anyone asks, that's not a mistake. Radio amateurs in Ireland have permission to use 32 MHz.

He will be running 5-watts into a vertical dipole and will use FT8 and CW to ID.

Reception reports are welcome.

Results of the Low Band VHF Propagation Tests - Sat 13th & Sun 14th May 2023

Over the last few months, Phil EI9KP in the west of Ireland has been carrying out some low-band VHF propagation tests. On the 13th & 14th of May 2023, he had a beacon action at 32 MHz, 34 MHz and 36 MHz.

This is his report...

Local reports: EI3GYB Michael in IO53OT (30kms) reports receiving the beacon on all three frequencies, signal strength from 5/1 to 5/3 for the CW component.  He was using an ICOM IC-7200 and a horizontal V antenna.

EI3IX Joe in IO53IU (40kms) reports receiving the beacon on all three frequencies.  He was using an Icom IC-7300 and an Antron-99 antenna. 

Both would be "over the hills" from my QTH, via diffracted ground wave.

Sporadic-E reports from Europe: SWL Hugh HC02 in IM67BB (1900kms), south Portugal, on all three frequencies, with FT8 SNR from -2dB to -20dB.  A total of 95 spots over a period of 3 hours and 22 minutes. He was using an AOR AR 8000 and a 2.4m sided square loop coupled into a tunable FET preamp.

PA3GHQ Kees in JO21LT (965kms), the Netherlands, on 32Mhz with FT8 SNR from -14dB to -19dB.  He was using an Elad FDM DUO SDR and a home made dipole.  A total of 8 spots over a period of 57 minutes.  Likely via Sporadic-E.

Both are for 13/05/2023.  No EU reports were received for 14/05/2023.

Results of the Low-Band VHF Propagation tests by EI9KP - 1st & 2nd April 2023

In a previous post, I outlined how Phil, EI9KP was carrying out propagation tests on 32 MHz to 36 MHz on the 1st & 2nd of April 2023.

Phil, EI9KP send on the following report... "I ran the time slot beacon test 32...36 MHz over the weekend of 1-2 April 2023, unfortunately few reports.  

F2 propagation favoured a north/south path, mainly a zone across north Africa (simulation).  SFI (Solar Flux Index) was in a trough at 125 and MUF over Ireland was very low at 25MHz, touching 28MHz by late afternoon.

I have N3IZN in California and K9MY in Illinois reporting they were listening but nothing heard. 

Michael EI3GYB reported on your blog that he could receive the beacon on all frequencies, from his QTH it would have been a diffracted ground wave.

The beacon software, hardware, dipole and band pass filter all performed without any problem.

I am planning a repeat test in about 4 to 6 weeks, hoping for higher SFE and perhaps sporadic-E."

*****

Michael, EI3GYB is located about 30kms to the south-east of EI9KP and sends on the following report... "I monitored the beacon on both days during several hours of the days at my QTH in locator io53ot.

I used two transceivers- an ICOM IC-7200 and a YAESU FT857D. Both TRX had Windom antennas for reception.

I copied the signals on all 5 frequencies with both TRX. The signals on the Yaesu were a bit weaker than on the ICOM. The signal meter showed no bar on the Yaesu- while on the ICOM I had at least one bar, sometimes two.

33,34,35 and 36 MHz all had the same signal strengths- I'll give it a 51 on the Yaesu and a 52 on the ICOM. The signal on 32 MHz was weaker- on both TRX. I'll give it a 31 on the Yaesu and a 41 on the ICOM.

There was a noticeable fading on all 5 frequencies. Slow QSB, not too deep though."

Larry, VO1FOG in Newfoundland reports listening on both days on CW and hearing nothing. Over the last few days, I have heard the WSPR signal on 28 MHz from VE1VDM in Nova Scotia many times but this was often after 19:00 UTC. Perhaps the test beacon at 32-36 MHz was turned off a little early for the path to North America?

Paul, MI3LDO in the north-west of Ireland reports that the last decent trans-Atlantic opening at 34 MHz in his location was back on the 21st of March so perhaps the test was a little too late in the season for good east-west F2 layer propagation.

Analysis... As we're now in April, F2 layer propagation in the northern hemisphere is getting noticeably worse as we head towards the Summer. While there was plenty of propagation on 28 MHz over the weekend, it did seem to struggle to get up into the low band VHF region especially on east-west paths.

It seems like the test period was a bit late for F2 propagation and too early for the summer Sporadic-E season. Hopefully that will have changed for the next test in May when there should be plenty of Sporadic-E to Europe.

It was interesting to note that EI3GYB was getting slow fading over a short 30km path.

EI9KP to carry out Low-Band VHF Propagation Tests on Sat 1st & Sun 2nd Apr 2023

Back in January and February of 2023, Phil EI9KP carried out some propagation tests on the 34 MHz band. These tests are possible because the radio amateurs in Ireland are allowed to use a large part of the low band VHF spectrum.

Jan 2023 results HERE

Feb 2023 results HERE

On Saturday 1st & Sunday 2nd April 2023, EI9KP will be carrying out more propagation tests but this time on five frequencies from 32 MHz to  36 MHz. 

His supervised 1-watt beacon will operate from 08:00 UTC to 19:00 UTC on both days. The purpose of these tests is to investigate F2 layer propagation at this point in the solar cycle. There is a possibility of some Sporadic-E propagation as well.

EI9KP writes... "The test beacon is now a time slot beacon and can run a different frequency for each time slot, from 32MHz to 36MHz. There are 5 time slots available, being minutes [00], [01], [02], [03] and [04].  Each time slot will have the sequence: 2*FT8, 2*CW followed by a short carrier.  The time slots repeat at 5, 10, 15, etc., minutes.

The time slots and frequencies are:

TS     Frequency   USB dial (kHz)
[00]  32013         32012.200
[01]  33013         33012.200
[02]  34013         34012.200
[03]  35013         35012.200
[04]  36013         36012.200

The CW and carrier should appear at 800Hz on the waterfall and the FT8 signal a little higher.  The beacon frequency is synchronised to GPS and should have an accuracy of 1Hz or better.  The antenna is a dipole in vertical polarisation, beacon power is still 1W."

Coverage Area: Considering that the tests will be done at the very start of April, there should be some F2-layer propagation still about. If my 28 MHz WSPR reception reports are anything to go by then a key target will be the eastern half of the USA.

The key difference between this test and the previous ones is of course the lower frequency of 32 MHz. Not only is that more likely to be propagated by the F2 layer in the ionosphere but it's also likely that a lot of people may be listening with antennas designed for the 28 MHz (10m) band and they might perform better at 32 MHz as opposed to 34 MHz.

As noted earlier, the Sporadic-E season in the northern hemisphere should be starting in April and there is a possibility of some Sp-E to Europe during the tests.

Antenna: The antenna that Phil is using is shown on the left.

The element on the right is a half-wave dipole for 33 MHz with an adjustable capacity hat.

The element on the left is a dipole is parasitic dipole for 36 MHz which is coupled by its proximity to the main 33 MHz dipole. The purpose of this element is to extend the VSWR bandwidth of the antenna so that it can cover from 32 MHz to 36 MHz.

The antenna is mounted on a fibreglass mast.

The coax feed is probably a little bit too close and may distort the radiation pattern somewhat but Phil reports that the VSWR is acceptable at 1.6 and below.

Reports: Reports to EI9KP on QRZ or you can leave a comment here.

Results of the 34 MHz Propagation Tests - Sat 25th & Sun 26th Feb 2023

On Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th of February 2023, Phil EI9KP conducted some propagation tests on the 9m band in the low-VHF part of the spectrum. He operated a supervised beacon on 34.013 MHz for most of the daylight hours running 1-watt into a vertical dipole with capacitive loading.

This was the second weekend of tests on the 34 MHz band and the results of the January 2023 tests can be seen HERE

EI9KP reports... "I have collated the below information from my 34MHz beacon test on 25/26 February 2023.  The beacon 1W transmitter and the dipole in vertical polarisation worked without technical problems.

On Saturday, I got a few reception reports from the USA.  On Sunday, propagation conditions were generally poor with maximum usable frequency (MUF) reaching only 26 MHz by late afternoon, and I received no reception reports. There was an absence of tropo over Ireland and the UK and no Sporadic-E was reported.

Also, there were no reception reports from the east, conditions were not right. It was positive that HAMs and SWLs were listening out, I have a few new names in the log."

Report: As compiled by Phil with a few additions from myself ...

Saturday 25th February 2023: SF-index: 164  A-index: 6  Kp-index: 2

Absence of tropo conditions over EI/GB/Europe.
Beacon on at 0712, beacon off at 1843.
 
13:47 UTC. Reception report from SWL W1-7897 Bill in Douglas, MA, USA. He was using a 5 element beam for the 50 MHz band and a Yaesu FT-847 transceiver.
 
17:30 UTC. SWL David in Indian River City, FL, USA. He was using an Airspy R2 with a non-resonant OmniX airband antenna on the side of Rohn tower 14 metres above ground level.
 
17:31 UTC. K5YT Ed in Texas, USA, reported that he received the FT8 at -17dB SNR but could not hear the CW part.  He was using a 2 el. tribander Hygain TH2-MK3 and an Icom IC-7300.
 

Edward Johnson, K5YT writes... "I copied EI9KP on 02/25/2023 for 4 decodes using a Hygain TH2-MK3 @ 100’ and a IC7300 de K5YT EM22"

The following were listening but nothing received:

DJ0MEW Bert in Germany - JN68IE. He was using an ICOM IC-7300 and an OCF dipole 40m long.

EI8DJ Don south of Cork city on the south coast of Ireland - IO51UT.

EI7GL - Just to add I live a few kms from EI8DJ and I also heard nothing via tropo or F2 backscatter. EI9KP is about 250kms from my location.

Franz van Velzen, OE3FVU in Austria writes... "I am monitoring here (since 7.30 UTC) with 3 receivers and antennas: IC7300 with tuned SteppIr; IC-R8600 with 3 ele 6m beam and FT-847 with Gap Titan plus Tuner. Not ideal, but perhaps I copy on one of them. All report to PSK reporter: with OE3FVU/3, OE3FVU/RX and OE3FVU respectively. At this moment (08:35 UTC) no signal has been received yet."

Kees Smit in the Netherlands writes... "I am also monitoring with 3 radio’s. Elad FDM DUO SDR with HM dipole for 40 Mhz. 8 mtr. in the attic. Yaesu FT991A with Hyendfed short version 15,6 mtr. for 10/20/40 & 80 mtr. Directional west. Kenwood TS690SAT with Wellbrook ALA1530 LNP in the garden below sea level. 2 fake decoded and nothing else at the moment but still waiting on a signal."

Sunday 26th February 2023: SF-index: 152  A-index: 10  Kp-index: 3

Absence of tropo conditions over EI/GB/Europe.
Beacon on at 0730, beacon off at 1814. No reception reports.
All morning a 'wedge' in the MUF over Ireland, England to France.  Low MUF at 18-21MHz. 

The following were listening but nothing received: 

DB6LL Ham in JO43VP (near Hamburg), he was using a Yaesu FTDX101MP and a non-resonant 5/8 lambda vertical antenna for 10 metres. Decoding was on JTDX.

K5YT Ed in TX, USA.

Analysis: In contrast to the January tests, conditions for the February 2023 tests were very much subdued. The was a large aurora later on the evening of the 26th of February which shows how disturbed conditions were. 

Most of the stations listening in Europe were well inside the F2-layer skip zone and it's possible that a repeat of the test during the summer Sporadic-E season would yield much better results. 

The path to the stations in the USA was likely due to two or more hops off the F2 layer in the ionosphere.

Link: For more information tests on the 34 MHz (9m) band, check out my 40 MHz page.

EI9KP to carry out 34 MHz Propagation Tests on Sat 25th & Sun 26th Feb 2023

On the 21st & 22nd of January 2023, Phil EI9KP carried out some propagation tests on the 34 MHz band - Results HERE

Now one month later, EI9KP will be carrying out test transmissions on the 34 MHz band (9m) band on Saturday the 25th & Sunday the 26th of February 2023. The beacon will operate from sunrise (07:34 UTC) to sunset (18:04 UTC) on both days. The purpose of these tests is to investigate F2 layer propagation.

EI9KP will be transmitting on 34.013 MHz. The sequence of the beacon will be 2 x FT8, 2 x CW ID & Locator, short carrier.  The 2 x CW part is to help SWL's who do not use digital modes and also help during QSB cycles.

The beacon will be GPS disciplined with an output power of 1-watt. The antenna last time was a horizontal dipole with capacity hat loading. This time, he will be using vertical polarisation with the antenna on an insulated mast and should have a clean omni-directional pattern. 

To listen for this beacon, try 34.013 MHz CW or 34.0122 MHz USB.

Predicted Coverage Areas...

The map above shows the predicted coverage area at 12:00 UTC for a 1-watt FT8 transmitter operating at 30 MHz. It's not quite 34 MHz but it's close.

It clearly shows the first F2 hop going from Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece... to the far south of Italy and perhaps the far south of Spain and Portugal. The path to the Canary Islands looks particularly good.

It's possible the second F2 payer hop might reach parts of the Caribbean and the SE of the USA.

The image above shows the likely coverage area at 17:00 UTC. It seems good in the SE of the USA and during the January tests, the signal was heard in Florida and Texas. 

Reports to EI9KP on QRZ or you can leave a comment here.

Note that it may be possible for stations in western Europe to hear the signal via backscatter. Leave your radio on 34.0122 MHz USB and see if you can get a decode of the FT8 signal.

Results of the 34 MHz Propagation Tests - Sat 21st & Sun 22nd Jan 2023

On Saturday the 21st and Sunday the 22nd of January 2023, Phil EI9KP conducted some propagation tests on the 9m band in the low-VHF part of the spectrum. He operated a supervised beacon on 34.013 MHz for most of the daylight hours running 1-watt into a horizontal dipole with capacitive loading.

This is a report on who heard his signal over the two days.

Phil, EI9KP writes... "This 34MHz beacon experiment got people interested in listening and I am pleased to have received the reception reports below.  Also I'd like to express my thanks to Paul Logan in Co Fermanagh for twittering his followers.

Two reception reports from EI, two from Europe and to my delight a few from the USA. 

YO9FTR in Romania at 2795km received the signals on both days.  He suggested that start earlier on Day 2, in fact propagation was waiting when I switched on and he decoded the first 15 seconds of the beacon's FT8 sequence.

N2OTO in Florida is near enough twice the distance than VO1FOG in Newfoundland, on the same great circle line.

 K5YT at 6864km / 4265 miles was the greatest distance. Edward, K5YT in Texas was using a Hygain TH2-MK3 tribander @ 30m (100’) as a receive antenna.

FT8 signal received by K5YT in Texas

The USA reports suggest F2 propagation, but how many hops to FL or TX?  What about the one from CT?

YO9FTR made a long observation of the signal/SNR. This wasn't pre-arranged, however, I am thankful for the data and realised there was some pattern in it.  The resulting graph shows signal/SNR over several hours, really a nice observation of propagation.

So, I enjoyed the experiment, there's always something new to learn.

 73, Phil EI9KP"

 ~~

The map at the top of the post shows the stations in the USA that heard EI9KP on the 9m band. The map below shows the stations in Europe.

EI9KP's report... Information about reception reports collated from email, 8m Groups.io, VHFSKIP groups.io, Ei7GL blog.

21.01.2023

Beacon 34.013MHz 1W Dipole active from 10:05 till 17:15 UTC

Reception reports:

YO9FTR in the east of Romania, locator KN35XG, from 10:51 till 10:57 UTC, SNR -15 to +14 dB

N2OTO in locator EL96WI, Florida, from 13:12 till 13:19 UTC, SNR -16 to -13 dB

W1IG in locator FN31LN, Connecticut in the USA at 16:08 UTC

N4EF in locator EL98HP, Florida in the USA at 16:10 UTC using an ICOM IC-7610 with a dipole in the attic.

HB9TMC in Switzerland in locator JN46LJ, from 16:53 till 17:01 UTC

EI3GYB in locator IO53OT, over several hours during the afternoon 

Spots from PSK Reporter...
21st Jan
Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
EI9KP N4EF 9m FT8 6350 km 16:10:14
EI9KP W1IG 9m FT8 4805 km 16:08:14
EI9KP HB9TMC 9m FT8 1526 km 16:53:26
EI9KP N2OTO 9m FT8 6457 km 13:12:15

22.01.2023

Beacon 34.013MHz 1W Dipole active from 08:43 till 17:15 UTC

Reception reports:

YO9FTR in the east of Romania, locator KN35XG, from 08:43 till 11:42 UTC, SNR -21 to +14 dB

K5YT in locator EM22NV, Texas, from 15:03  till 15:11 UTC, SNR from -18 to -7 dB.

N4EF in locator EL98HP, Florida in the USA using an ICOM IC-7610 with a dipole in the attic. FT8 reports from 14:48 to 15:13 UTC and also reports hearing the CW a few times at strength 329.

EI5IN in locator IO63HM, at 15:01 UTC, SNR -21 dB

Spots from PSK Reporter...
22nd Jan 

Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
EI9KP EI5IN 9m FT8 120 km 15:04:29
EI9KP K5YT 9m FT8 6855 km 15:49:14

If I missed any reports then let me know.

Analysis... It should be noted that the reports above are from a beacon running just 1-watt which is pretty amazing. It just goes to show how far a signal can travel via F2 layer propagation with relatively low attenuation.

Let's have a look at a propagation map.

The map above shows the predicted coverage for a 1-watt operating at 30 MHz. It's not quite 34 MHz but it's close. The solar flux was just around 200-210 for the test.

YO9FTR... For most of the daylight hours, Romania is in the ideal spot for F2 layer propagation and reception of the beacon. The reception chart from YO9FTR further up this post shows reception of the 34 MHz signal from 08:43 to 11:41 UTC.

In the 'old days' when listening just by ear, it would have appeared that the signal was in and out, missing for long periods and then strong for a while. With a weak signal mode like FT8, we can see that the signal was actually there all of the time for three hours. The software was able to decode the FT8  signal when it was buried in the noise.

HB9TMC... It's hard to know for sure what propagation mode was responsible for the reception of the beacon signal in Switzerland. It's seems a bit too close for F2 layer. Was it Sporadic-E? Backscatter? Paul, MI3LDO heard French roads control traffic on 35/36 MHz on Saturday afternoon and thinks it was almost certainly Sporadic-E.

USA... Florida seems to be in the perfect spot for reception. It's the most southerly path and it's in the right area for the second F2 hop. Texas would seem to be at the edge of the footprint.

Overall an interesting test and a very successful one considering the relatively small number of people that would have known about the transmissions. It's also worth noting that very few people have antennas for 34 MHz and most are listening on antennas tuned for other bands.

Ireland is the only country in the world as far as I know where radio amateurs can transmit at 34 MHz (9m band). It lies pretty much half way between the 10m band (28 MHz) and the experimental 8m band at 40 MHz.

For more information about other 34 MHz tests, I'll keep the posts on my 40 MHz page HERE

EI9KP to carry out 34 MHz Propagation Tests on Sat 21st & Sun 22nd Jan 2023

Phil, EI9KP has announced that he will be carrying out test transmissions on the 34 MHz band (9m) band on Saturday the 21st & Sunday the 22nd of January 2023. The beacon will operate from 11:00 until 17:15 UTC on both days. The purpose of these tests is to investigate F2 layer propagation.

EI9KP will be transmitting on 34.013 MHz. The sequence of the beacon will be 2 x FT8, 2 x CW ID & Locator, short carrier.  The 2 x CW part is to help SWL's who do not use digital modes and also help during QSB cycles.

The beacon will be GPS disciplined with an output power of 1-watt. The antenna is a horizontal dipole with capacity hat loading.

To listen for this beacon, try 34.013 MHz CW or 34.0122 MHz USB.

Predicted Coverage Areas...

The map above shows the predicted coverage area for a 1-watt FT8 transmitter operating at 30 MHz. It's not quite 34 MHz but it's close.

It clearly shows the first F2 hop going from Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece... to the far south of Italy and perhaps the far south of Spain and Portugal. The path to the Canary Islands looks particularly good.

To the west, the first F2 hop includes Newfoundland and the recent tests confirm this. Phil writes... "Larry VO1FOG reports receiving the beacon at 12:42UTC (his email time stamp) and all the way through till sunset, which for my QTH was 16:48UTC.  F2 layer propagation.  He reports that the signal was particularly strong about half an hour before sunset, to disappear all together at sunset. He reported a similar signal peak yesterday, just before sunset."

It's possible the second F2 payer hop might reach parts of the Caribbean and the SE of the USA.

Sunset for his Phil's location is at 16:54UTC on Sat 21/01 and 16:56UTC on Sun 22/01.

Reports to EI9KP on QRZ or you can leave a comment here.

Note that it may be possible for stations in western Europe to hear the signal via backscatter. Leave your radio on 34.0122 MHz USB and see if you can get a decode of the FT8 signal.

Trans-Atlantic opening at 34 MHz - 16th Jan 2023

Radio amateurs in Ireland have permission to use large portions of the low-VHF spectrum for experiments and Phil, EI9KP has been carrying out tests at 34 MHz which is the 9-metre band.

Phil conducted some tests during the Quadrantids meteor shower at the start of January 2023 and the results can be seen HERE.

With the rise in solar flux to over 230 and the rise in the maximum usable frequency (MUF) into the low-VHF spectrum, Phil conducted some tests on the 16th of January 2023 and his 1-watt beacon was heard across the North Atlantic in Newfoundland!

EI9KP writes... " I am delighted that the 1W beacon was received at 13:27UTC by VO1FOG in Newfoundland, Canada, a distance of 3145km/1995mi.  A first report from across the Atlantic, likely F2 propagation.  Thank you Larry for the report and sound clip.

Given high SFI next few days and possibility of F2 type propagation I will turn on the beacon again tomorrow Tuesday 17/01/2023 from 11:00 till 17:00 UTC. "

EI9KP's 1-watt beacon on 34.013 MHz is based on a RF Zero board with GPS stabilisation. The beacon is self contained in a die cast aluminium box with a 2x16 char. LCD display and a few status LEDs. The sequence was 3 x FT8 transmissions, then a CW ID and then a carrier.

The beacon antenna is also an experiment in that it is a shortened (capacitive hat) dipole with sliding end tubes that can adjust for frequencies from 32MHz to 60MHz.

More info in this previous post.

Update 17th Jan: VO1FOG also heard the test signal from EI9KP on the 17th of January 2023. The audio recording below shows the CW and FT8 signal.

EI9KP/b on 34.013 received today and yesterday. Tx pwr is 1 watt. pic.twitter.com/Wc1FWw1qn5

— VO1FOG (@VO1FOG) January 17, 2023

Results of the 34 MHz Propagation Tests - 4th Jan 2023

On the 4th of January 2022, Phil EI9KP carried out a series of test transmissions on the 34 MHz band. This coincided with the peak of the Quadrantids meteor shower. See previous post.

The map on the left shows the reception reports.

Phil writes... "The following reception reports have been received by email:
 
Stations that were listening but "nothing received":
EI8DJ IO51UT
EI9JA IO53GT
SWL F-10255 Stephane IN87NP
 
Stations who sent me a report:
M0TXN Kev IO83ML 02:32 FT8 -17dB
EI7GL John IO51TU 01:02 FT8 -10dB
PB8DX Flo JO21DU 08:20 FT8 -16dB
SWL EA7-3173 Juan IM76GC 11:40 FT8 -19dB
SWL PA-11605 Jan JO22NU 01:13 FT8 -12dB
SWL WESSEXSDR Martin IO80QR 13:12 FT8 -8dB"

It's likely that the close in reports (<1000kms) were probably due to meteor scatter and not Sporadic-E although at the peak of the shower, it might not be possible to tell the two propagation modes apart.

I managed to get one successful FT8 decode but it was only one over the space of 12-hours. If the propagation mode was tropo or aircraft scatter then I'd expect a lot more decodes. I think I probably caught a large meteor burst at 01:02 UTC.

There were no F2 propagation reports but the 34 MHz signal will almost certainly cross the Atlantic when the conditions are good. 

EI9KP's 1-watt beacon on 34.013 MHz is based on a RF Zero board with GPS stabilisation. The beacon is self contained in a die cast aluminium box with a 2x16 char. LCD display and a few status LEDs. The sequence was 3 x FT8 transmissions, then a CW ID and then a carrier.

The beacon antenna is also an experiment in that it is a shortened (capacitive hat) dipole with sliding end tubes that can adjust for frequencies from 32MHz to 60MHz.

Other Tests... Phil reports... "I have been testing on 34MHz on and off during 2022. On 12/06/2022, I  had a 2-way QSO (FT8) with EI4GNB Tim in IO63 and on 2-4/12/2022, I was testing 34MHz propagation with LY2YR, but no reception his side.

On New Year's Day listener Paul Logan in Lisnaskey, Co. Fermanagh received the beacon signal at 12:03 and with a Delta Airlines jet passing over the signal, the beacon signal jumped suddenly from 0dB to +11dB for one over.  He heard it fluttering up.  So a groundwave (note: Cuilcagh sits prominently in the path) plus aircraft scatter?

Upcoming propagation tests at 34 MHz - 4th Jan 2023

Phil, EI9KP in the west of Ireland will be conducting some propagation tests on the 34 MHz (9m) band on Wednesday the 4th of January 2022. This coincides with the peak of the Quadrantids meteor shower which is expected to peak around 03:00 to 04:00 UTC on the 4th.

EI9KP will be using a supervised 1-watt beacon on 34.013 MHz into a horizontal dipole with capacitive end loading. The beacon sequence is three x FT8 (15s) transmissions, then a CW ID (callsign + locator) and then a 4-second carrier which completes the 1 minute period. The cycle then repeats.

Before anyone asks, yes... it's 34 MHz and not a mistake. Radio amateurs in Ireland were given permission to carry out experiments in most of the low-VHF spectrum back in April of 2018. See previous post HERE

Times & Frequencies... a) The beacon for the propagation tests will run from 00:01 UTC  to 17:00 UTC on the 4th of January 2023.

b) The frequency in use will be 34.013 MHz. Set your radio to 34.0122 MHz USB and the tone of the CW signal should be 800 Hz. The FT8 signals will probably be a bit higher.

If you're within say 1000kms of EI9KP then leave your radio on FT8 overnight and see if you get any decodes. I know MSK144 would be a better mode for meteor scatter but it's not part of the software that Phil is using. This is also a basic experiment, a lot more people are geared up and familiar with FT8 than MSK144.

Any listeners close in... say under 200kms may hear the signal by ground wave, tropo or via aircraft scatter. 200-1000kms should be ok for meteor scatter.

From 09:00 to 17:00, F2 propagation should come into play and there is a possibility the signal may be heard in Europe or North America. And of course, you can never rule out the possibility of Sporadic-E popping up.

If you're interested then have a listen and be sure to send your reports to Phil, EI9KP on QRZ. You can leave them as a comment here if you wish.

First contact on the 40 MHz band between Ireland and South Africa - 21st April 2022

A little bit of radio history was made on the 21st of April 2022 with the very first contact ever between Ireland (EI) and South Africa (ZS) on the 40 MHz band.

Phil, EI9KP in the west of Ireland managed to complete two way contacts with Jan, ZS6OB in South Africa on 40.680 MHz using the FT8 and FT4 modes, a distance of about 9,570 kms.

EI9KP writes... "For me a first band "opening" to South Africa, logged ZS6OB from 1044z till 1420z.  To my delight we managed a 2-way contact on 40.680MHz using FT8 and FT4 modes."

EI9KP was using 25-watts from an ICOM IC-7300 to a home brew 2-element Yagi for the 8m band. ZS6OB was using in the region of 30-50 watts.

2-el Yagi for the 40 MHz band used by EI9KP

Phil continues..."I could see ZS6OB making many a contact to S5 Slovenia.  At a certain moment the PSKReporter 8m map was lit up by 20 monitoring stations. For the first time I logged ZS6WAB/B on 40.675MHz CW."

This is the map showing the stations in Europe that heard ZS6OB...

It's worth noting that the 40 MHz band can act as an early warning for potential openings on the higher 50 MHz and is being used by serious 6m operators for that purpose.

Here are the FT8 reports for ZS6OB from the PSK Reporter site...

Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
ZS6OB S58P 8m FT8 8116 km 14:48:56
ZS6OB EA3ERE 8m FT8 8000 km 14:47:44
ZS6OB S59F 8m FT8 8104 km 14:47:44
S57A ZS6OB 8m FT8 8115 km 14:43:26
ZS6OB G7PUV/A 8m FT8 8956 km 14:42:45
ZS6OB S50B 8m FT8 8098 km 14:41:43
S50B ZS6OB 8m FT8 8098 km 14:41:26
S52O ZS6OB 8m FT8 8123 km 14:33:27
ZS6OB S57TW 8m FT8 8106 km 14:27:11
ZS6OB S52O 8m FT8 8123 km 14:25:14
ZS6OB ON5QRP 8m FT8 8687 km 14:19:42
ZS6OB HC02 8m FT8 7949 km 14:14:44
ZS6OB EI9KP 8m FT8 9573 km 14:04:44
ZS6OB G0CHE 8m FT4 8979 km 13:29:28
ZS6OB G4FTC 8m FT4 9037 km 13:28:43
G9PUV ZS6OB 8m FT4 8964 km 13:23:06
ZS6OB G9PUV 8m FT4 8964 km 13:22:59
ZS6OB G4IFX 8m FT8 9019 km 13:20:58
ZS6OB PA11605 8m FT8 9030 km 13:17:27
S58P ZS6OB 8m FT8 8116 km 13:06:44
S59F ZS6OB 8m FT8 8104 km 12:26:41
ZS6OB OK1NP 8m FT8 8534 km 12:19:59
9A2Y ZS6OB 8m FT8 7767 km 12:16:12
ZS6OB NL8992 8m FT8 8960 km 12:15:29
ZS6OB G7PUV 8m FT8 8964 km 12:15:29
ZS6OB IW4EGP 8m FT8 7933 km 12:15:29
ZS6OB DK2EA 8m FT8 8613 km 12:15:26
EI9KP ZS6OB 8m FT8 9573 km 12:13:12
F4FRQ ZS6OB 8m FT4 8451 km 12:07:06
ZS6OB F4FRQ 8m FT4 8451 km 12:01:44
ZS6OB PA5M 8m FT8 8940 km 11:59:26
ON5QRP ZS6OB 8m FT8 8687 km 11:55:12
ZS6OB G0LFF 8m FT8 8981 km 11:42:29
ZS6OB G4APB 8m FT8 9022 km 11:40:27
ZS6OB M0NYW 8m FT8 9427 km 11:37:57
ZS6OB G0DJA 8m FT8 9241 km 11:33:26
ZS6OB SM7FJE 8m FT8 9184 km 11:24:29
ZS6OB ON4IQ 8m FT8 8838 km 11:19:29

Just to note that Paul, G7PUV in the SE of England also heard ZS6OB. ZS6OB also heard the FT8 transmissions from G9PUV which is the call used by G7PUV for his experimental transmissions under his 40 MHz Innovation and Trial license.

ZS6WAB was also operating his beacon on 40.675 MHz and was reported in Europe.

Here are the 40 MHz DX-Cluster spots from the day...

EI9KP 40013.0 EI1KNH 15:46 21 Apr IO54MB<>IO63VE WSPR -24dB Ireland
EA3ERE 40680.0 ZS6OB 14:27 21 Apr <TEP> FT8 cq usa South Africa
ON5QRP-@ 48600.0 ZS6OB 14:23 21 Apr -21 db - RX South Africa
S50B 40680.0 ZS6OB 14:16 21 Apr CQ USA South Africa
EA3ERE 40680.0 ZS6OB 13:23 21 Apr <TEP> FT8 -7 South Africa
EA3ERE 40675.0 ZS6WAB/B 13:22 21 Apr JN11CX<>KG46 CW 539 South Africa
ON4PS-@ 40680.0 ZS6OB 12:23 21 Apr -06 from KG44 (ft8) South Africa
ON5QRP-@ 40680.0 EI9JA 12:20 21 Apr -17db - RX Ireland
ON5QRP-@ 40680.0 ZS6OB 12:17 21 Apr RX -07db -FT8 South Africa
ON5QRP-@ 40680.0 EI9KP 12:14 21 Apr RX +10db Ireland
F4FRQ 40680.0 ZS6OB 12:13 21 Apr JN37KQ<>KG44DE ft4 +02 South Africa
F4CXO 40675.0 ZS6WAB/B 12:11 21 Apr JN26PP<>KG46RB CW 579 in FT 81 South Africa
F4FRQ 40675.0 ZS6WAB/B 12:04 21 Apr JN37KQ<>KG46RB CW 529 South Africa
ON5QRP-@ 40675.0 ZS6WAB/B 12:03 21 Apr 55 - RX South Africa
F4CXO 40675.0 ZS6WAB/B 11:51 21 Apr JN26PP<>KG46RB 539 QSB South Africa
EI9KP 40675.0 ZS6WAB/B 11:50 21 Apr IO54MB<ES>KG46RB CW 539 South Africa
ON5QRP-@ 40680.0 ZS6OB 11:36 21 Apr RX +13db South Africa
IW4EGP 40680.0 ZS6OB 11:32 21 Apr FT8 -10 CCC ZS6* South Africa
EI9KP 40680.0 ZS6OB 10:48 21 Apr IO54MB<ES>KG44DE FT8 -6dB South Africa

EI9KP 40680.0 G3XBM 10:33 21 Apr IO54MB<>JO02DG FT8 -18dB England
EI9KP 40680.0 S59F 09:28 21 Apr IO54MB<ES>JN65UU FT8 -16dB Slovenia

Propagation Mode: With the increasing solar activity, I suspect a combination of TEP and F2 layer propagation was responsible for these 40 MHz openings.

Link...

1) As always, plenty of info on my 40 MHz page.

12,600km opening from Europe to the Falkland Islands on the 40 MHz band - 10th April 2022

This really is an amazing reception report. Read on...

On Sunday the 10th of April 2022, Phil EI9KP was carrying out some experiments on the new 40 MHz band. 

From 09:00 to 12:00 UTC, he tried transmitting on WSPR on 40.680 MHz with the hope that some stations in England might hear the signal but to no avail.

In the afternoon, EI9KP switched to FT8 and managed to successfully decode the FT8 signal from the EI1KNH beacon near Dublin on 40.013 MHz.

After that, EI9KP sent a sequence of FT8 transmissions on 40.680 MHz. Little did he realise at the time that his VHF 40 MHz signal would reach the Falkland Islands off South America, a distance of roughly 12,600kms!

Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
EI9KP VP8ADR/40 8m FT8 12602 km 14:33:14
EI1KNH EI9KP 8m FT8 210 km 14:27:11

At 14:33 UTC, Bob VP8ADR successfully decoded the FT8 signal from EI9KP using just a fan dipole resonant for 40m, 20m & 10m.

What makes it even more remarkable was that VP8ADR was only having a quick listen to the 40 MHz band after an email from Paul, G7PUV (G9PUV) informed him about his 40MHz transmission from England using his Innovation & Research licence.

It really was just good luck that Bob was listening at the same time as Phil was transmitting and the band was open at the same time.

When I first heard about this reception report, I thought surely someone has made a mistake. Someone had the wrong band setting on their software or something else. But no, both EI9KP and VP8ADR have confirmed to me that they were transmitting and receiving on the 40 MHz band.

For the record, Phil EI9KP was using 20 watts from an ICOM IC-7300 fed into a home made 40 MHz band pass filter and the antenna was a delta-loop for 40 MHz.

Analysis... My first reaction is just WOW! Who would have thought a low band VHF signal at 40 MHz would get from Europe to the Falklands in April?

Unlike other openings at 50 MHz, I suspect that this time there may have been no Sporadic-E involved. I think it's a case of F2 and possibly TEP signals extending above 30 MHz on North-South paths and actually reaching the 40 MHz band.

My first question is what other paths are open at 40 MHz that we're not even aware of? 

One thing is for sure. If a FT8 signal at 40 MHz from Europe can reach the Falkland Islands then one from the USA certainly will. It might be time for some of those US stations with experimental 40 MHz calls to send some FT8 signals to the south.

Experiments continue on the 40 MHz band in the west of Ireland

Back in early 2018, the 40 MHz (8-metre) band was allocated to radio amateurs in Ireland (EI) on a secondary non-interference basis. Since then, interest in experimenting on the band has increased and there are now a number of EI stations carrying out tests.

The latest EI station on the band is Stefan, EI4KU in Co.Clare in the west of Ireland. Stefan has kindly forwarded on some details and photos of his latest tests.

Equipment... Stefan has built a small 1-watt beacon running on 40.013 MHz and is carrying out propagation tests. The photo below shows the home made beacon and the associated antenna tuning unit (ATU).

The beacon is using a crystal running at about 13 MHz and this is modulated by a varactor diode (FSK - Frequency Shift Keying). This is then tripled up to 40.013 MHz and is then buffered and amplified. The output transistor is a 2SC1970 running in Class-C with one watt after the low pass filter.

The signal is then fed into a home made Z-match ATU as shown below.

Unusually, 100-Ohm balanced coax cable is used on the output. This however provides a very good match to the antenna which is a single quad loop which would have an impedance of about 100 ohms.

The photo above shows the quad loop. The sides are about 2 metres each and it is shown being fed at the bottom so it is horizontally polarised.

This photo below shows the view to the north from Stefan's location so it looks as if he is in a good spot for VHF.

Stefan is currently in the process of building a transverter for the band. If anyone would like to carry out some tests on the 40 MHz, EI4KU can be contacted via QRZ.

Tests... In November of 2019, Stefan carried out some tests with Phil EI9KP and Michael EI3GYB in Co.Mayo with the equipment shown above and both heard the CW beacon.

EI4KP (IO52OW), EI9KP (IO54MB) & EI3GYB (IO53OT)

The distances covered were about 125 kms for EI9KP and 100 kms for EI3GYB.

The waterfall display below shows the slow cw signal as received by EI9KP in Mayo.

Interestingly, the signal over the 125 km path wasn't always steady. This second screenshot from EI9KP shows some multi-path distortion on the signal.

In an email, Phil EI9KP described it like this..."Screenshot attached showing reception of the beacon signal showing diffracted signal (wavey pattern). The signal diffraction is actually audible on the long carrier and it sounds like a wave building."

Phil also reports that he was using a horizontally polarised 2 element Yagi beam 5m above ground level for reception of the signal and it was RST 519.

EI3GYB... Michael, EI3GYB also reports that he heard Stefan's beacon from a distance of about 100 kms. Interestingly, Michael reports that there was a very slow fading on the band at times with the signal going from nothing up to 519. Most of the time, it was around 319 when the band was stable.

This mix of steady and fading signals would seem to concur with some of the reception reports that EI9KP experienced.

Michael doesn't have a dedicated antenna for the 8 metre band but instead was switching between a Sandpiper Moxon for 2/4/6 in horizontal position and a Windom antenna for 160 to 6 metres. According to Michael..."The Moxon was the best, although I had a period where I received nothing via the Moxon, but a 5/1 signal on the Windom."

It seems like that the 6m part of the Sandpiper Moxon was probably acting as a shortened dipole on 40 MHz so the gain would be somewhat reduced.

Michael also reports having several contacts with Phil, EI9KP on SSB who is 25 kms distant.

Thanks to Phil, EI9KP and Michael, EI3GYB for their reception reports... de EI7GL