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.

12,000km+ opening on the 40 MHz band from California to Australia - 28th Dec 2022

Following on from the report of a 12,000km+ opening from South Africa to the United States, here is another report of remarkable opening on the 40 MHz band from California to Australia.

On the 28th of December 2022, Hilary VK2AZ in Sydney, Australia managed to get two decodes of the WSPR signal from Chris, WM2XCC in California on the 40 MHz (8m) band. The distance was 12,156 kms.

2022-12-28 01:36   WM2XCC   40.681491   -22   0   DM13ji   50   VK2AZ   QF56if   12156   242   2 
2022-12-28 01:28   WM2XCC   40.681492   -22   0   DM13ji   50   VK2AZ   QF56if   12156   242   2

Screenshot from VK2AZ

WM2XCC is the experimental callsign allocated by the FCC to Chris, N3IZN. For his experimental 8m WSPR transmissions, he was using 50-watts to a half-wave vertical.

VK2AZ in Sydney was using a horizontal half-wave dipole in a very noisy suburban location.

Analysis... At 01:30 UTC, the sun would have been over the centre of the Pacific Ocean so it's probably no great surprise that it happened at this time as the level of ionization would have been at maximum. With the solar flux now reaching 150-160, F2 trans-equatorial (north-south) paths up as high as 50 MHz are being reported recently.

In the last few weeks, there have been paths on the 50 MHz band from Australia & New Zealand to the western half of the United States. As 40 MHz is a lower band, it was likely that the path was open as well recently but this is the first time that an 8m signal across the Pacific has been reported.

In terms of propagation and potential paths, the 40 MHz band will never be as good as the 28 MHz band but it should always be better than 50 MHz. The reason it isn't obvious is just a lack of activity and reports.

Link...
1) For more info on the 8m band, visit my 40 MHz page. 

Opening on the 40 MHz band from the Caribbean to Europe - 27th Dec 2022

In a previous post a few days ago, I gave details about how Martin, PJ4MM on Bonaire in the Caribbean had received permission for the 40 MHz and 70 MHz bands. With the Solar Flux up around the 150 mark, it looks as if the F2 MUF (maximum usuable frequency) for some paths is well above 30 MHz and into the low-VHF region.

The map above shows the paths on 40 MHz from Bonaire and the list below shows extracts of the 8m FT8 log from the PSKReporter website.

The furthest signal to the east was to S50B in Slovenia (8435 kms), the furthest to the west was to WM2XCC in California (5485 kms).

Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
PJ4MM PJ4RF 8m FT8 10 km 17:14:41
PJ4BZL PJ4MM 8m FT8 12 km 17:33:26
PJ4MM PJ4BZL 8m FT8 12 km 17:32:41
WM2XEJ PJ4MM 8m FT8 2803 km 16:07:59
PJ4MM KC0IYT 8m FT8 3370 km 17:25:14
PJ4MM VE3MMQ 8m FT8 3709 km 17:16:41
PJ4MM VE1PZ 8m FT8 3765 km 16:26:44
PJ4MM KA9CFD 8m FT8 3846 km 17:14:44
PJ4MM VA2CY 8m FT8 3873 km 17:14:44
PJ4MM WM2XAN 8m FT8 3906 km 17:28:41
PJ4MM N8PUM 8m FT8 4229 km 17:14:44
WM2XCC PJ4MM 8m FT8 5485 km 19:44:44
PJ4MM EA8BFK 8m FT8 5896 km 16:22:00
PJ4MM EA8/DF4UE 8m FT8 5896 km 14:20:29
PJ4MM G9PUV 8m FT8 7438 km 14:01:59
PJ4MM ON7EQ 8m FT8 7748 km 13:49:27
PJ4MM NL8992 8m FT8 7899 km 13:40:29
PJ4MM DL5WP 8m FT8 8022 km 13:47:29
PJ4MM DK8NE 8m FT8 8136 km 13:38:28
PJ4MM S50B 8m FT8 8435 km 13:45:26

Additional report from PA3GHQ... "I received 9 times CQ from PJ9MM with Elad FDM DUO SDR, HM dipole in the attic & JTDX from 13:45 x 13:51 UTC. Signals from -9 tot -24 dB. ‘73 Kees PA3GHQ/ SWL BDXC CAS4147 Gorinchem The Netherlands"

Link...
1) For more info on the 8m band, visit my 40 MHz page. 

Big opening on the 40 MHz band - 7th Dec 2022

Wednesday 7th December 2022: With the Solar Flux up at 148, the F2 MUF is now extending well above 30 MHz and into the low VHF spectrum. The map above shows some of the FT8 activity on the experimental 40 MHz band on the 7th of December.

The stations in South Africa (ZS), Slovenia (S5), Croatia (9A) and Ireland (EI) are radio amateurs who have permission to use this band. The stations in the USA, Canada and the UK are using experimental licences for transmitting.

I have a full list of the stations decoded at the end of this post. I'm not sure about a few of the transmitting callsigns as there may have been some mistakes and the wrong band was reported.

Martin, PJ4MM on the island of Bonaire in the Caribbean sends the following report...

 Just copied multiple stations from EU on 8M:

G9PUV JO00 ft8 +20  S9 on meter)
EI2IP IO52 ft8 +22  S9 on meter
EI4GNB IO63 ft8 +12
S50B JN65 ft8 -6
S59F JN65 ft8 -1
9A5CW JN65 ft8 -8

The G and EI stations were loud enough for SSB. Opening started ~1530Z and lasted until 1629Z

Last Monday (5th Dec) copied:   144230  6  0.1  798 ~  CQ WM2XEJ EM83  (ft8). Opening lasted ~30min
And on Sunday 20221204 (wspr):
2022 -23  0.11  40.6814841  WM2XCC DM13 33
2040 -13 -0.15  40.6814851  WM2XCC DM13 47
2102 -27  0.15  40.6814844  WM2XCC DM13 33
RX: IC7300, Antenna modified 6m 4el with increased element length

Link: My 40 MHz page

Full log of activity is shown below...

Reception reports for the ZS6WAB beacon on 40 MHz - Q1 2022

With the recent increase in sunspot numbers and the improvement on the HF bands, there has been a lot of interest in the ZS6WAB beacon on 40.675 MHz. This beacon which usually sends a message in CW is now seen as a valuable early warning system for potential openings on the 50 MHz band between Europe and South Africa.

In the first quarter of 2022, a total of 52 stations uploaded reception reports to the DX Summit DX cluster and a map of these are shown above. Outside of Europe, there are two to note. 

a) TT8SN in Chad at about 4,300kms was most likely one F2 layer hop.

b) There was a spot on the cluster  from W3PQS in the USA but unless I hear otherwise, I think it's a mistake (not counted as part of the 52). I sent W3PQS an email but got no reply. 

Europe... This is the map for Europe in more detail...

As might be expected, the majority of the stations that heard the 40 MHz signal of ZS6WAB are located in the southern half of Europe. 

As for propagation modes, it's likely TEP was involved with some F2 layer reaching as high as 40 MHz as well on this North-South path.

It was interesting to see that the signal from South Africa managed to reach OH5ZA in Finland as well, a distance of almost 9,500kms.

Top Spotters... This is a list of the top spotters on the DX cluster broken down into the number of days they heard and reported the ZS6WAB beacon on 40 MHz. 

It's interesting to note that both DK2EA and F4CXO reported hearing the 40 MHz ZS6WAB beacon on 22 days in Q1 of 2022.

Caveat... I used the DX spots from the DX Summit cluster to compile the data for this post. It's possible there were other spots which were not on this platform but other sources of information are incomplete. I do think however it gives a reasonably accurate picture of who heard the South African beacon on the 40 MHz band.

In Conclusion... First off, it's great to see so many stations in Europe active and listening on the 40 MHz band! 

I think the reception reports of this 40 MHz beacon shows just how valuable an allocation between 28 MHz and 50 MHz can be, especially for beacons. 

It would be nice if more countries allowed one off experimental 40 MHz beacons as advocated by the IARU even if an amateur radio allocation is unlikely.

New 40 MHz beacon WM2XCS now operational from New Jersey

George, N2CG has one of the seven experimental 40 MHz permits in the USA and was given the callsign WM2XCS. He has just announced that he now has an operational 40 MHz beacon from his location in New Jersey.

George writes..." I am happy to announce that on January 26, 2022 at 1900 UTC WM2XCS beacon began operating on 40.685 MHz CW mode at 10 Watts output into a SIRIO 8m 5/8 wave vertical
antenna.  

The WM2XCS CW beacon on 40.685 MHz sends the following message at 12 WPM: "VVV DE WM2XCS BCN WM2XCS BCN FN20WV NNJ 5 seconds dash AR" that takes about 50 seconds to send.  This message is followed by a 60 seconds delay and then the sequence repeats.  My transmitter frequency tolerance is +/- 0.5 ppm.

For now, I operate the beacon about 10-11 hours a day beginning around 8 AM EST (1300 UTC) to 7 PM EST (0000 UTC).  Signal reports and/or spotting reception reports of my 8m beacon will be most welcomed.

I encourage all when hearing my beacon to spot your report on the DXMAPS website ( www.dxmaps.com ) that indicates 40 MHz band reports.

73, George  WM2XCS/N2CG"

Analysis... This beacon should be widely heard once the Sporadic-E season begins in the second half of April. The map above shows the typical range for Sporadic-E signals on the 40 MHz band while most of the openings should be around the 1200-1800km mark.

This in effect means that stations in Wisconsin, Illinois, Tennessee, Georgia and the north of Florida are the most likely to hear it during the Summer months.

There will be openings in the range of 2000-2300kms but these will be weaker.

During the months of May, June & July, there should be more multi-hop Sporadic-E openings. This should allow openings from New Jersey to California and from New Jersey to Europe.

The fact the beacon is CW only and doesn't have a digital component like FT8, PI4 or WSPR means the conditions will really need to be good.

What will be really interesting to see if the rising solar flux levels result in an opening via the F2 layer? Will the MUF reach the 40 MHz band?

Certainly, F2 layer propagation from New Jersey to California and Europe on 40 MHz at the peak of the upcoming sunspot cycle will be possible.

It would also be very interesting to see if anyone in South America is able to hear this beacon.

Listening for the WM2XCS beacon... For the 40 MHz band to open, the 28 MHz band below it will almost certainly be open as well.

I have compiled a short list of 28 MHz beacons which are in the general area of WM2XCS...

K3CX/B 28.2025 FN20CI 
WN2A/AK2F 28.2085 FN20OU 
K3FX/B 28.2160 FN20XE
N3TVV/B 28.2320 FN20DU
N2MH/B 28.2325 FN20UT
WA3MCK/B 28.2400 FN21BF
KG2GL/B 28.2460 FN20WT
KA3JOE/B 28.2495 FN20MD
KB2RSK/B 28.2685 FN22QW
WA3NFV/B 28.2700 FN20IH

If you can hear any of those beacons on 28 MHz then that would be a good time to look for the WM2XCS beacon on 40.685 MHz.

Link...
1) For more information on the 8m band, check out my 40 MHz page.

South African 40 MHz beacon heard in Rome, Italy - 16th Jan 2022

16th January 2022: Emilio, IK0OKY reports that there was a nice opening on the 40 MHz band on the 16th of January when several amateur radio stations in & near Rome reported reception of the ZS6WAB/B beacon in South Africa.

Emilio writes..." Today, there was a 40 MHz opening from Rome area towards South Africa ZS. The ZS6WAB beacon on 40.675 MHz was heard in JN61 square from 11.15 UTC until 12.30 UTC.

The beacon was heard first from IK0FTA Sergio and then also from some other locals (IW0FFK Marco , IK0SMG Pino and myself).

I received it up to 559 on a cubical quad fractal antenna for 6m. Unfortunately no 6m QSO took place during the period that the beacon was in."

Grazie Emilio.

DX-Cluster spots...

Date & time Spotter QRG Mode DX km Prop. Comments
2022-01-16 12:28:24 IK0OKY (JN61ES) 40.675 CW ZS6WAB/B (KG46RC) 7508 JN61ES<TEP>KG46RC 319 now 
2022-01-16 12:06:59 IK0OKY (JN61ES) 40.675 CW ZS6WAB/B (KG46RC) 7508 JN61ES<TEP>KG46RC still in 
2022-01-16 11:48:38 IK0OKY (JN61ES) 40.675 CW ZS6WAB/B (KG46RC) 7508 JN61ES<TEP>KG46RC 559
2022-01-16 11:16:44 IK0FTA (JN61GV) 40.675 CW ZS6WAB/B (KG46RB) 7522 599 in jn61

Propagation: The solar flux on the day was 116 with an A index of 22 and a K index of 2-3. Considering that the beacon and the stations in Rome are equidistant from the geomagnetic equator, I presume the primary mode of propagation was TEP - Trans-Equatorial Propagation. It's probably no accident that the opening was just after local noon.

Early warming... This report I think shows the real value of the 40 MHz band as an early warning system. There is a huge gap between 28 MHz and 50 MHz bands and the 10m band will be open many many times without the propagation ever reaching 6m.

The 40 MHz band helps bridge this gap and this will become even more important as the solar flux begins to rise and the MUF goes above the 28 MHz band and into the low-VHF spectrum.

On this occasion, there was no opening on the 50 MHz band but that won't always be the case. In the future, there will be times when the reception of a 40 MHz beacon will alert VHF operators to get ready on 50 MHz and to have their beams pointing in the right direction.

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

First contact between Slovenia and South Africa on the new 40 MHz band - 17th Oct 2021

Sunday 17th October 2021: A little bit of radio history was made today when there was a successful two way contact between S50B in Slovenia and ZS6WAB in South Africa on the new 40 MHz band.

Not only was this the first contact between Slovenia and South Africa but it was also the first contact between Europe and Africa on the new 8-metre band.

Borut, S50B reports that he worked Willem, ZS6WAB on 40.680 MHz using the FT8 digital mode...

As can be seen, the signal was quite weak at -8dB and -10dB which suggests that a contact on CW might have been possible but unlikely on SSB.

S50B writes... "I'd like to announce the first 8m, 40mhz, FT8 qso between AF-EU and South Africa and Slovenia. Mny tnx to ZS6WAB.....Juupii 🙂 73 de Borut s50b"

The key point about this contact is that it shows the 40 MHz path between Europe and South Africa is possible and in future, CW and SSB contacts may follow.

Distance: The contact was in the region of 7925kms which means by default, it also sets a new distance record for the new 40 MHz band.

Propagation Mode: If this contact was on 50 MHz, I'd probably be saying it was TEP - Trans-Equatorial Propagation. At the moment, we're getting modest East-West openings at 28 MHz further north in Europe. It stands to reason that openings from the south of Europe on paths to the South must extend well up into the low VHF region above 30 MHz.

Does the F2 MUF to the south extend up as far as 40 MHz? I really don't believe anyone can say with 100% certainty that this opening was only F2 layer or it was only TEP. The solar flux today was just 78 which isn't all that high.

Equipment: Subject to confirmation, I think S50B was using 100 watts from an ICOM IC-7100 into a 4-element Yagi as shown above. 

ZS6WAB uses an old ICOM IC-706 for the 8m CW beacon with a 5-element YU7EF designed Yagi so I presume that is what was used.

Antenna stack at ZS6WAB with the 40 MHz Yagi at the top

Hopefully, this contact will encourage more experiments on the 40 MHz band. There is a number of new 40 MHz experimental stations in the USA and an 8m contact contact between South Africa and North America would be really interesting.

As always, if you want more information on the new 8m band then check out the links in my 40 MHz page.

South African 8-metre beacon on 40.675 MHz heard in Greece - 6th October 2021

In a report by email, Leonidas SV2DCD in Greece informs me that he heard the ZS6WAB 8-metre beacon in South Africa on 40.675 MHz.

"Hi there John. TEP is back again on 8m band. Today me and SV8CS had copy from ZS6WAB/B 40.675mhz with peak around 16:50z best copy 539 qsb

Here is a video of my copy ZS6WAB/B @ SV2DCD via TEP 6/10/2021 16:40z 40.675mhz "

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. Leonidas was using an 8-element Yagi for 50 MHz to listen to the beacon on 8m.

I also understand that the South African 40 MHz beacon has been heard in the south of Portugal in the last few days as well.

SV2DCD also reported hearing the same 40 MHz beacon in April of 2021. See previous post HERE

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

The Experimental Station WA2XMN on 42.8 MHz

In 1933, frequency modulation or FM radio was invented by Edwin H. Armstrong in the USA to reduce the static and interference associated with AM transmissions.

In June of 1936, Armstrong established the experimental station WA2XMN at Alpine, New Jersey and began experimental FM transmissions with a 40kW power level in the 42 to 44 MHz band.

After the second world war, the FCC moved the FM band up to 88 to 108 MHz and this is the one we are familiar with today.

To commemorates the pioneering broadcasts of the world's first FM radio station, WA2XMN occasionally broadcasts on a frequency of 42.8 MHz. This was one of the frequencies used by Armstrong's station on the original FM broadcast band.

The station broadcasts with a power of 250 watts from the same Armstrong Tower in Alpine, New Jersey. When it does broadcast, the FM signals have been heard by radio enthusiasts within a 160km / 100 radius.

The QSL card at the top of the post was sent out for a transmission in April of 2018.

I'm not sure when the last broadcast was but it would be interesting to hear of any future transmissions.

Links...
1) WA2XMN website with reception reports
2) Email archive about test transmissions

New 40 MHz propagation beacon in the West of Ireland - EI1CAH

17th May 2021: There is now a new 8-metre propagation beacon in the west of Ireland using the callsign EI1CAH and it is operating on 40.016 MHz. The locator square is IO53CK.

This new beacon is designed to compliment the existing EI1KNH beacon which is situated near the east coast of Ireland. While EI1KNH has a superb take off the East, it is blocked by mountains to the West. By contrast, the new EI1CAH beacon has a good take off to the West and is poor to the East.

The EI1CAH beacon runs PI4 every second minute as well as CW. Its power is approximately 25 watts and the antenna is a horizontal dipole running roughly NW/SE.

The beacon keepers are using a QRPLabs Ultimate 3 (previously used on EI0SIX) to generate the 40 MHz signal and it has a matching internal QRPLabs 6m low pass filter which was modified to cut in closer to the 8-metre band.

They are using a NXP MRF101 based power amplifier to generate the required output power.

Analysis: This new 8-metre beacon is an excellent addition to the European suite of 40 MHz beacons and will be very useful in exploring Sporadic-E and F2 propagation paths across the Atlantic.

Site Profile: The graphic below shows the elevation profile for the EI1CAH beacon site.

There are some serious hills to the East which will block off a lot of low angle propagation paths. A typical Sporadic-E signal may be down around 5 degrees which as the image shows will be blocked by the local hills.

This is the likely maximum range due to one hop Sporadic-E...

As you can see, under short skip Sp-E conditions, reception of this beacon may be possible in say the SE of England, Belgium, Netherlands, N France and the fast west of Germany. As the antenna is running NW-SE, the signal towards Spain will be poor.

What is key however is the low elevation to the West ...towards South America, the Caribbean and North America.

Under multi-hop Sporadic conditions, this 8-metre beacon will be heard across the Atlantic and the most likely people to hear it are those out around the 4000km mark in Nova Scotia and Maine. There is also the potential that it will be heard anywhere in the eastern half of the USA.

Likewise, it will reach the Caribbean at times and will certainly make it down to Brazil and Argentina.

Solar Maximum: Around the time of the Solar Maximum, there should be some East-West openings and this 8-metre beacon could be heard anywhere in the Americas.

Value of a 40 MHz beacon: The real value of this beacon is that there is a huge 20 MHz gap between the 28 MHz and 50 MHz bands. As the maximum usable frequency (MUF) for Sporadic-E and F2 propagation rises, it can be very difficult to know where exactly or how high it is.

By having a beacon at 40 MHz, it will allow serious 50 MHz stations to monitor the rising MUF and be ready for any potential 6-metre opening. 

I think this beacon will be of real value as we get close to solar maximum and North American stations are checking for a 6-metre opening to Europe.

Thanks to Tim, EI4GNB and Tony, EI7BMB in getting this beacon up and running.

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

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 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

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

Special permission for VK6R in Australia to operate on 35 MHz & 41 MHz back around 1989

In this post, we'll go back more than 30 years to the years 1988 to 1990 which was around the time of the peak of solar cycle 22. In an issue of RadCom (journal of the RSGB) back in 1988, it carried this interesting news item...

"Graham Rogers, VK6RO, (Western Australia) has been granted an experimental licence by the Department of Communications to transmit on the spot frequencies 35.810 MHz and 4l.750 MHz for the purpose of propagation checks, particularly to ascertain the MUF (Maximum Usable Frequency) between 30 and 50MHz during the coming peak of Cycle 22. 

FM will be transmitted, probably using a six element log- periodic Yagi covering 30 to 54MHz. with an cirp of about 83waits. Proposed callsign is VK6R. Graham will look on 28885 and 28385kHz for stations to stand by for his spot frequency transmissions. He is currently looking for a suitable transmitter."

It's worth remembering that this was a time when most people didn't have the Internet or even email. To let people know of any upcoming activity or experiments, you had to hope that people actually read about it in some amateur radio magazine.

Results... I asked Graham, VK6RO about this experiment and he said that he had managed to get a loan of a commercial low-band VHF FM radio for the tests. As for the tests, he did manage to get a report from a radio amateur in Japan on 35.810 MHz that was pre-arranged. The distance for the North-South path was in the region of 7000-8000 kms.

Graham reports that the biggest problem was the lack of activity on 28.885 MHz even though it was supposed to have been the 50-MHz liaison and crossband frequency at the time. Again, remember that there were no DX-clusters at this time.

Another problem that Graham notes was that most radios weren't able to receive between 30 MHz and 50 MHz back then.

Comment... While the tests met with limited success, the 35 MHz and 41 MHz signals would most likely have been heard in Europe near  the peak of the sunspot cycle. The problem as already noted was that most radio amateurs probably weren't even aware of the tests at the time.

It's interesting though that the licensing authority in Australia at the time was willing to grant a temporary license for these frequencies. Could it happen again for say 40 MHz? 

Maybe in the 40 MHz ISM band from 40.660 MHz to 40.700 MHz?

Would other licensing authorities around the world be willing to grant similar temporary licenses for the upcoming solar cycle 25?

Link...

1) For more information on the 40 MHz band, see a list of previous posts on this page on the blog... https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/p/40-mhz.html

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

SMC Transportable Log Periodic HF VHF Antenna 30-88MHz

Whenever I come across suitable antennas for the low VHF bands, I try to keep a record of them here. I spotted this Log-Periodic beam recently on eBay...

This antenna is described as a 250w Transportable Log Periodic HF VHF Antenna 30-88MHz and it was sold in the past by SMC in Southampton, England.

As the photo shows above, it was probably destined for the military market.

Tactical, Anodised Green. SMC Part Number - TLP3088.

The specs above say it was 4m from the rear to front element and the gain was in the region of 6dBd. I suspect it was probably a bit less at around 5dBd but it would still be a fine antenna for anyone  monitoring the low VHF spectrum from 30 to 88 MHz.

Keep an eye on the second hand market.

Link... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/143924931851?ViewItem=&item=143924931851

4-Element Yagi for 40 MHz (8-metres) by YU7EF

Thanks to Dragan, 9A6W for sending on this YU7EF design for a 4-element Yagi antenna for the new 40 MHz (8-metre) band.

The design with dimensions is shown below.

The calculated gain in free space is about 6.2dBd and has a front to back ratio in excess of 20dB.

New Irish 40 MHz beacon now operational - May 2020

Back in early 2018, the 40 MHz (8-metre) band was allocated to radio amateurs in Ireland (EI) on a secondary non-interference basis. Now we have news that the very first beacon on 40 MHz in Ireland is operational!

The new beacon is operational since the 9th of May 2020 and has the call EI1KNH. It is on 40.013 MHz and runs 20 watts into a vertical half-wave antenna.

The new 8-metre beacon is co-sited with some of the existing Irish beacons - EI0SIX on 50 MHz, EI1KNH on 60 MHz and EI4RF on 70 MHz. The elevated site has a locator of IO63VE and is located about 20 kms to the south of Dublin.

The photo above shows the vertical folded dipole for the 60 MHz beacon and the vertical half-wave for the 40 MHz beacon. This is a converted CB antenna which was reduced in length to a half-wave for the 8-metre band.

The 40 MHz beacon transmits on the digital PI4 mode and CW. Details below...

PI4 + CW + Carrier 00111 (1st, 2nd & 3rd Minute of every 5 minutes) Synchronised Beacon Project (SBP)

The RF for the beacon is generated by an RFZero module running about 20 milliwatts (+13dBm).

The output of the RFZero is then fed into a Chinese 'mini PA' unit. This boosts the power from 2 milliwatts to 500 milliwatts.

Chinese 'mini PA'

Inside the 'mini PA'

The 0.5 watt signal from the mini-PA is then fed into the main power amplifier...

The main amp is a MRF101AN which is fed from a 42 volt switch mode power supply. While the 101 NXP chip is meant to run at 50v by design, they are running it at 42v as the available PSU offers that at  50 amps.  Tim comments that running it at 42v should extend its life and ensure that it can run almost undamaged into any load should the antenna break or the filter fail etc.

Close up of the PA module

This is then fed into a homebrew band pass filter for 40 MHz...

40 MHz Band Pass Filter under test

The 20 watt output then goes to a vertical half wave about 5 metres above ground level.

Expected Range???..... What range might be expected from a beacon on 40 MHz? Considering it a weak signal mode, a tropo range of somewhere in the range of 200 kms might be expected. Perhaps up to 300 kms during times of high pressure.

It's important to note however that the Dublin and Wicklow mountains which are just to the west will attenuate the signals in that direction. Even though the beacon site is roughly 300 metres above sea level, the mountains to the west are at least 300 meres higher.

The path across to the west coast of Wales and the UK is much better. A good guide would be the other beacons on 50 MHz and 70 MHz. If you can hear those then there is a reasonable chance of hearing the 40 MHz beacon.

Sporadic-E Range... It's certain that the 40 MHz beacon will be heard in Europe during the Sporadic-E season from late April to mid-August. The beacon has a very good view to the east with no obstructions on the horizon so it should be very strong in Europe.

The map below shows the approximate limit of one hop Sporadic-E. It's likely that stations in the Baltic states, Poland, Hungary, Austria, Italy and the south of Spain should be able to hear it on a regular basis.

When conditions are really good, stations in France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway should be able to hear it.

Shorter skip than that might be a problem though. If it's is exceptional then the skip might shorten to say the east coast of the UK.

North America???.... There is a possibility that the beacon could be heard in North America via multi-hop Sporadic-E. It just needs someone over there to make the effort. The beacon however has some 600m high mountains just to the west which may well cut off any signals in that direction.

Reports... Reception reports should be sent to Tim EI4GNB. Look up EI1KNH on https://www.qrz.com/

Thanks to the hard work of Tim EI4GNB and Tony EI7BMB, there is now a second beacon on 40 MHz operational in Europe.

Thanks to Tim EI4GNB for all of the information and photos about the beacon.

Links...

1) EI1KNH 40 MHz beacon page on QRZ.COM

2) My 40 MHz page with lots of info and links