Amateur Radio accounts for just 17% of ICOM's business

ICOM is well known as one of the key manufacturers of high quality transceivers for the amateur radio market. In May of 2023, they released a document titled 'Medium Term Business Plan 2026' which outlined the company's plans for the financial year March 2024 to March 2026.

As the graphic above shows, ICOM are involved in several radio and communication sectors but I think most people would be surprised to learn that amateur radio only accounts for 17% of ICOM's business.

In terms of future plans and growth for the future, they had this for the section about amateur radio...

It's a bit like saying something without actually saying anything. It's well known that the amateur radio community is getting older and it's not a growth market. As long as ICOM can make money selling equipment to radio amateurs, they'll stay in the market.

The original document is pretty bland and if you want to read it, you can find it HERE

Inter UK contacts on 14 MHz possible as skip distance shortens to 500kms - Nov 2023

Most weeks, I skip through the news bulletin from the RSGB and I found this item of interest.

RSGB News... "Propquest shows that the F2-layer critical frequency is still maxing out at more than 12MHz around noon. The F2-layer critical frequency is the highest at which radio waves are returned back to Earth when sent directly up into the ionosphere.

This gives us a maximum usable frequency, or MUF, over a 3,000km path of more than 40MHz. Interestingly, it also gives us an MUF over a 500km path of more than 14.7MHz. So, look out for long-distance inter-G signals around noon, or thereabouts, on the 20m band. 

The 30m band remains a pretty solid inter-G band from late morning to mid-afternoon."

On the face of it, it should come as no great surprise. If a signal can go straight up (90 deg) to the F2 layer of the ionosphere and come back down at 12-MHz then a skip distance of about 500kms on 14-Mhz sounds about right.

The diagram above shows the path of the signals. The 14-MHz signal will eventually reach a low enough angle... i.e. the critical angle so that it can return to point B.

Back in February of 2017, I was working some Spanish special event stations during what was then the minimum of the sunspot cycle. The shortest path back then on 14 MHz then was around 1500kms.

Now in November 2023, we're near the peak of the sunspot cycle with a higher solar flux and the skip distance on 14 MHz has reduced to about 500kms at midday. This 'short skip' distance on 14 MHz should apply to other stations as well in say North America or Europe if they're located below say 60 deg latitude.

From my perspective here on the south coast of Ireland, the whole of the UK is generally within my skip distance on the higher HF bands. On bands like 14-MHz, it's normal to hear stations from say Germany but not the UK.

There are times during the summer Sporadic-E season when short paths are possible but usually not in November.

28 MHz... The shorter skip distances also applies to the higher bands. The minimum distance now on the 28 MHz (10m) band should be around the 1500km mark, maybe a little less.

4,200km opening at 88 MHz between Africa and Brazil - Nov 2023

George, PU7MAN  on his FM DX Brasil Twitter account reports a 4,200km opening recently on the FM Band 2 between Africa and Brazil.

The station in question was the 8-Kilowatt transmitter of Radio Cote D'Ivoire near the capital Abidijan on 88.0 MHz. According to the FM DX Brasil account, the signal was heard at a remote receiving station at Nova Russas in the state of Ceará in the NE of Brazil.

The equipment used for the reception was an Airspy Mini SDR receiver with a 3-element Yagi for the FM band.

The signal was heard at 23:30 UTC. The Twitter post was on the 15th of November 2023 so it was perhaps at the same time as the reception?

Propagation Mode???... Nova Russas is located about 200kms or so from the Atlantic Ocean and isn't on the coast. I suspect it wasn't a form of tropo ducting as this is an area of low pressure systems at the equator and the distance was over 4000kms.

The propagation mode wasn't TEP (Trans-Equatorial Propagation) as the path ran almost parallel to the Geomagnetic Equator (E-W) and not across it (N-S).

There are some remarkable reception reports across South America on the FM band and some people attribute these to Spread-F. Was it that?

There is an audio clip embedded in this Twitter post...

RTI - 88.0 - Abidjan /COTE D'IVOIRE AFRICA
Airspy Mini
Yagi 3 elems / Remote Location / Nova Russas/Ce/ Brazil
23:30 UTC pic.twitter.com/flPUtKLHmc

— FM DX Brasil (@FMDXBrasil) November 15, 2023

At his home location in Sorbal, PU7MAN recorded this audio clip on the 14th of November 2023 after 23:00 UTC using a Kenwood BT3012u radio withe a Triax FM8s antenna...

Link...

1) For more examples of long range reception reports on the FM band, see my 88-108 MHz page.

A new PC and a move to the LOG4OM logging programme - Nov 2023

After putting it off for several years, I finally bought a new PC! It wasn't so much the cost of changing but I just kept putting it off with the thought of all the hassle of setting up a new PC and the transferring all of the files and programmes. However, it got to a stage where the old PC was getting so slow that I had to change it and now that I have, it's super fast compared to the old one.

One of the long term things on my 'to do' list was to update my logging programme. I said that I'd do it when I got a new PC instead of putting yet more software on the old PC. It didn't help that I was off the radio for several years and I didn't have any interest in doing it but now that I have a new PC, that has changed.

I used to use the VQLog logging programme for all of my contacts before but I hadn't used it in many years and it was installed on an even earlier PC. 

VQLog... VQLog is quite an old logging programme as can be seen from the image above but it looks as if it is still being updated. It's obvious most people have moved onto other programmes but I thought it might be easier to relearn how to use VQLog than to start with a completely new logging programme.

I went to the DXMaps website and I downloaded the most up to date version... VQLog 3.1 - 717

During the stall, it was initially stopped by my anti-virus software. After allowing access, I eventually got this message...

When I checked the FAQ section on the website, I read the following...

When installing the program I get the following error "C:\WINDOWS\ST6UNST.EXE C:\WINDOWS\  the file could not be installed"
This is a rare error that seems to be related to a missing or corrupted cabinet.dll file. (That should normally be located in C:\Windows\System32).  You have to restore the original cabinet.dll file. You can also download it

If I got this message on my old PC then this might seem valid but my PC is only 3-weeks old! If I'm getting this message then anyone else with a new PC trying to install it is probably getting it as well.

My conclusion is that the problem lies with VQlog and not on my side.

One of the major factors in any logging programme is the amount of time it takes you to input data and keep it up to date. The cost of the programme is really a secondary factor. Getting error messages trying to install a programme on a new PC doesn't inspire confidence and I decided it was time to move on to another logging programme.

LOG4OM... There seems to be plenty of logging programmes out there but which one to choose?

My criteria were...

1) Must be popular so that it has a large user base

2) Must be current

I had heard of the LOG4OM logging programme before but it didn't really stand out compared to the rest. Sometimes it's the small little things that push you in a certain direction. I had watched a video presentation by South Dublin Radio Club about the LOG4OM programme and the participants seemed happy with it.

I checked the LOG4OM forum and there were plenty of current messages which meant a lot of people are currently using it. So I downloaded it and installed it without any error messages or the like. It was a very easy process unlike VQLog.

Like any new programme, there is a steep learning curve but I'm now a week into using it and getting used to it.

I should also note that LOG4OM is a free programme which is a plus but as I've mentioned already, it wouldn't be the primary factor for me.

LOTW... Now that I have restarted with a new logging programme, I decided to check my Logbook of the World (LOTW) account on the ARRL website.

My last upload was way back in January of 2009! I have 22,448 QSO's up there with 4,053 QSL records.

From what I can see, it's possible to download all of the confirmed QSO's as an ADIF file from the LOTW site but not all of the QSO's that you uploaded originally. I did this and imported the 4,053 records into my LOG4OM programme.

In conclusion... The plan now is to start inputting QSOs manually from my paper logs from Jan 2009 onwards to the present day into LOG4OM... about 2,500 contacts. When I finish, I plan to upload these and I will then  have all of my 25,000 or so contacts up on the LOTW website.

GB3MCB 40 MHz & 60 MHz beacons off air due to storm damage

Peter, G8BCG reports that the GB3MCB beacons on 40.050MHz & 60.300MHz are off air due to recent storm damage.

This beacon in Cornwall in the far south-west of England was the only 8m & 5m beacon in the UK. Both were running 5-watts into an omnidirectional "turnstile" antenna.

As we are currently near the peak of the sunspot cycle, it will hopefully be repaired soon.

Video: Talk on End Fed Antennas for the HF bands ...by MM0OPX

As part of the RSGB Tonight at 8 video series, Colin, MM0OPX gave an entry-level talk on End Fed Half Wave antennas for the HF bands.

This is more of an overview of this type of antenna rather than a step by step guide on how to build one. 

It might be of interest to those who like to build their own antennas or someone who likes operating portable.

See the video below...

Skewed path on the 24 MHz band between Europe and the Pacific - Nov 2023

I found this item in the most recent GB2RB news bulletin from the RSGB of interest... "Phil, GU0SUP reports working Jan, E51JAN on the North Cook Islands on 12m FT8 Fox and Hound mode at around 1630UTC. He said that, as it was almost dark, he didn't expect to hear anything, but had a good copy on him at 190 degrees, so gave him a call. He came straight back.

Phil said that this was a big surprise, and he is not sure how it worked. It was quite a skewed path, with pretty much no copy on the real headings, short or long path."

The map above roughly shows the various paths for this 24 MHz (12m) band contact. From GU0SUP's location on the island of Guernsey, the short path goes up over Greenland. The long path would go in the opposite direction (148 deg) and down over Africa.

The reported path of 190 degrees takes the signal down into the Atlantic region between South America and Africa.

Commentary... The QRZ page for GU0SUP says that he is using a TGM Communications MQ26 mini-beam which would have a very broad beamwidth. We can't know for certain if the actual path was 190 deg or not. 

All we can take from the report is that it wasn't short path or long path but was skewed in roughly a south-westerly direction.

The image above is one I made before for an opening on the 50 MHz band between Europe and the South Pacific with a skewed path. Post HERE

This most recent report for the 24 MHz may well be the same? Did the signals get trapped in the Trans-Equatorial Propagation (TEP) region and allow the skewed path westwards from Europe to the Pacific?

Skewed paths should be even more common and pronounced at a lower frequency like 24 MHz as compared to 50 MHz.

I suspect that the TEP region has a huge impact on signals that most of us don't appreciate. On the HF bands, so many people are using omni-directional antennas or beams with a very low beamwidth that skewed paths are not obvious unless they are at almost right angles to the short and long paths.

Food for thought... How many people on the HF bands are looking for DX-peditions or DX stations on the textbook short or long paths when they should be thinking outside the box and looking for skewed paths?

Backscatter on 28 MHz - 2nd Nov 2023

For well over 12-months, I have had my radio tuned to the WSPR frequency of 28.1246 MHz on the 10m band and I feed the decoded signals up to the WSPRnet website.

While I can see the WSPR signals clearly on the waterfall display, I can also see the very slow morse QRSS signals as well just a few hundred Hz below.

The image above shows the QRSS signals I could see on the 2nd of November 2023 and the locations of the stations are shown in the map at the start of the post.

The screenshot above shows a good capture of AE0V in the USA at about a distance of 6000kms. Ned, AE0V reports using a solar powered transmitter with no battery storage running 100mW into a 1/4 lamba stainless whip about 8m above the ground.

The signals from the USA and Canada are easily explained as they are via F2 layer propagation. The signals I find unusual are the ones from the England which are in the region of 500 to 650kms.

The trace from the 0.2-watt signals of G0PKT and G0MBA are there nearly all the time when the band is open. It's not F2 propagation in the usual sense as it's too close and it's not Sporadic-E.

I believe that it's backscatter just like what the military use for their over the horizon radar systems (OTHR). 

In this case, the 28 MHz band is open with F2 layer propagation and the signals from G0PKT & G0MBA are being reflected back towards my location from some distant point.

As an example of how consistent these signals are, I have decoded the WSPR signal of G0PKT about 1,000 times in the last 3-weeks. And that's a signal that's supposed to be in my 'skip zone' where it's supposed to be hard to reach.

There's nothing new about this, it's just that in this modern age of weak signal modes and waterfall displays, we can now see these very weak signals more clearly. 

If you're using FT8 on the higher HF bands and you see lots of reports from stations that about 200-600kms away then F2 backscatter is probably the reason.

Tracking the AF6IM Pico-Balloon on 28 MHz from the USA to China - Oct 2023

For the last 12-months or so, I have been being monitoring the WSPR beacon frequency of 28.1246 MHz nearly every day and uploading the reception reports to the WSPRNet site.

I noticed recently an unusual signal out in the Mid-Atlantic.. AF6IM. I thought at first it was a bogus WSPR report but then I noticed that I had heard the signal several times and it was moving!

After some checking, I discovered that the signal was actually from a Pico-Balloon with a 13-milliwatt WSPR transmitter underneath it. It was launched by Mark, AF6IM in California at the end of Sept 2023 and it has been slowly drifting eastwards since. At the time of writing on the 26th of October, it is over China.

The map above shows my reception reports of the 13mW beacon. It only operates for a few hours every day as it is solar powered and has no battery. That's why the signal is shown as small batches of signal locations in a row.

The pictured is further complicated by the fact that Mark actually had two 28 MHz Pico-Balloons in the air over the last few weeks.

The design of the WSPR transmitter is shown above and you can find more information about it HERE

The antenna for this 28-MHz transmitter is a very thin wire which is 2.54 metres long which is a quarter wave on 10m.

This photo by AF6IM shows the pico-balloon at launch. As the balloon gains altitude and the pressure reduces, the size of the balloon will get larger.

The solar cells are not shown.

Even though the original balloon looks very small, it's still able to keep a very small payload aloft at a high altitude. The chart above shows the launch of the balloon and floating along at an altitude of about 12,500m or 40,000ft. This is well into the Jet Stream and this is what is now carrying it  around the world.

The temperatures at this altitude are well below zero as can be seen in this image above. One obvious advantage in not carrying a battery other than additional weight is that there are no problems with a battery trying to survive at these low temperatures.

In conclusion... There have been plenty of other pico-balloons operating on lower frequencies in the past like on 14 MHz but I really don't have much interest in those bands. This is the first time I recall seeing one operating on 28 MHz.

What I find fascinating is that I have heard the little 13-milliwatt 28 MHz transmitter over 450 times over the last few weeks while it was hanging below a little balloon up in the Jet-Stream.

If you want to track it, you can follow it HERE

6,100km TEP opening on the 144 MHz band from Uruguay to the Caribbean - 21st Oct 2023

As we head towards the end of October 2023, there have been reports of some TEP (Trans-Equatorial Propagation) openings in South America on the 144 MHz band.

Carlos, CX5CBA in Montevideo, Uruguay writes... "As of the 21st of October 2023, there have been TEP openings every night for two weeks between South America and the Caribbean.

I have been able to make several contacts on 144 MHz on SSB and Q65 with a 4.7m long Yagi antenna and 50W. The stations worked are:

SSB: HI8D, HI8AN, HI8GSP, NP4BM
Q65: HI8D, HI3I, HI8T, NP4BM, PJ4GR."

The map above shows the path of one of these contacts between CX5CBA and HI8D. Note that the Geomagnetic Equator is almost equidistant from both stations and the path is at right angles to the Geomagnetic Equator as well. This is pretty much the ideal path for a TEP opening at 144 MHz.

The other stations NP4BM (Puerto Rico) and PJ4GR (Bonaire) are also located in the western part of the Caribbean. This follows the typical pattern for TEP openings in South America at 144 MHz... i.e. stations in Uruguay and Argentina work the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Bonaire whereas stations in the south of Brazil usually work the eastern part of the Caribbean - Martinique, Guadeloupe, etc.

This is a log extract from CX5CBA...

It shows several contacts made on SSB which means the signals must have been reasonably strong.

You'll notice the one CW contact on the 50 MHz band to V31XX in Belize. With lower frequencies like 50 MHz, signals that are not as close to right angles can propagate.

This screenshot from Carlos shows that some on the contacts were made with the Q65 mode.

This screenshot shows the callsigns, signals and time. Note the time... about midnight UTC which is about 9pm local time in Uruguay.

Comment... Thanks for Carlos for the report and images. While these TEP openings at 144 MHz are pretty common, we should still remember that we are looking at contacts that are over 6,000 kms in length.

It's also a reminder that the TEP season is in full swing in South America and it's time to check out 50 MHz, 88-108 MHz and 144 MHz.

It would also be very interesting to see some stations doing TEP experiments on the 432 MHz (70cms) band.

Link... For more examples of long distance 144 MHz contacts, see my 144 MHz page.

27,300km Long path opening on the 50 MHz band from Italy to Hawaii - 16th Oct 2023

Now that we have reached October and at this stage in the solar cycle, the 50 MHz band is starting to open up with some remarkable paths. This is especially true for stations in the south of Europe.

Riccardo, IZ5BRW in Italy reports a very interesting long path opening on the 50 MHz band on the 16th of October 2023 to Hawaii, a path of about 27,300kms.

IZ5BRW writes... "The opening occurred mainly on Monday 16th Oct. (09 to 11 UTC +/-) and on Tuesday 17th. (8 to 10:30 UTC +/-).

I only worked KH6HI on Monday 16th. There were also other friends able to work the KH6 stations here in Zone 5 – Tuscany.

Tuesday was stronger even though I was not at home to work KH6. My friend Steve IK5MEJ worked 3 different stations on Tuesday 17th., KH6HI – KH6WI – NH6Y.

Anyway, all qsos made in FT8 and Long Path, which is more or less 170° from my qth JN53OP. My setup is FT-5000 + 7L Yagi EF0607X home made + 500W.

It’s a 27,000Km+ path and for me, KH6 was a new one on 6m as well as a new grid and new WAZ!

Albert, KH6HI has already confirmed the qso on LOTW."

Thanks to Riccardo for the report.

Comment & Analysis... As can be seen from the screenshot above, the contact was made with FT8 and the signals were in the region of -9 to -13dB. This is just about audible to the human ear and it would be difficult to have a CW QSO at this signal level. Obviously, those signal levels are not a problem with FT8.

No doubt there were others who made similar long path contacts like this on the day but this one is a good example of what the opening was like and that others should be looking for this path as well. Note the time and beam heading.

As for the mode of propagation, it was probably multi-hop or chordal hop F2-layer.

Sunset in Hawaii was about 18:00 local time or 10:00 UTC. It's no great surprise that the opening was about 30 mins after sunset and the F2 layer would have tilted at this stage to the west of Hawaii. This allows propagation of higher frequency signals and at a lower angle.

The takeaway message from this is to look at the sunset for a region you're interested in working and try beaming long path to see if an opening is possible. 

Links... 1) See my 50 MHz page for examples of other long distance openings on the 6m band.

Madeira HF beacon CS3B destroyed in wildfire - Oct 2023

The radio beacon CS3B on the Portuguese island of Madeira was destroyed in a wildfire on the 12th of October 2023. The image above shows the destroyed radio and what the original ICOM 7200 would have look like. This new radio was only installed in September of 2023

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

The location of CS3B is shown above off the north-west coast of Africa and it was an ideal location for testing radio propagation on the HF bands to Europe and to North America.

The amount of fire damage to the site was quite extensive as the building housing the beacon was destroyed as well as the antenna as can be seen below.

It's very likely that any traps on the antenna will have been damaged as well by the heat and I suspect the whole antenna will need to be replaced.

The chart above from the Reverse Beacon Network (RBN) site shows the beacon operating on the 12th of October 2023 until it stopped suddenly around 15:00 UTC.

As can be seen from the chart above, the last reception reports were for 14:57 UTC.

Considering the extensive damage to the beacon and building, this HF beacon is likely to be off air for some time.

Link... IARU International Beacon Project

Opening on the 40 MHz band from Ireland to Australia - Oct 2023

I noticed in the last few days that there has been a path open on the 40 MHz (8m) band from Europe to Western Australia in the morning hours.

Here are the WSPR spots from the Irish beacon EI1KNH which is just south of Dublin.

 y-m-d txCall txGrid rxCall rxGrid MHz W SNR drift km
2023-10-18 09:44 EI1KNH IO63ve VK6JR OF76mi 40.014505 20 -29 0 14969

2023-10-16 09:44 EI1KNH IO63ve VK6JR OF76mi 40.014511 20 -21 0 14969
2023-10-16 09:34 EI1KNH IO63ve VK6JR OF76mi 40.01451 20 -21 0 14969
2023-10-16 09:14 EI1KNH IO63ve VK6JR OF76mi 40.01451 20 -20 0 14969
2023-10-16 08:54 EI1KNH IO63ve VK6JR OF76mi 40.01451 20 -26 0 14969

2023-10-15 10:34 EI1KNH IO63ve VK6JR OF76mi 40.014509 20 -33 0 14969

2023-10-09 11:34 EI1KNH IO63ve VK6JR OF76mi 40.014499 20 -29 0 14969
2023-10-09 11:14 EI1KNH IO63ve VK6JR OF76mi 40.014498 20 -22 0 14969
2023-10-09 10:54 EI1KNH IO63ve VK6JR OF76mi 40.014498 20 -23 0 14969
2023-10-09 10:44 EI1KNH IO63ve VK6JR OF76mi 40.014499 20 -25 0 14969

2023-10-08 10:44 EI1KNH IO63ve VK6JR OF76mi 40.014498 20 -24 0 14969

EI1KNH transmits four times every hour using the WSPR mode and the power is about 20-watts into a vertical half-wave antenna. The receiving station was Wayne, VK6JR to the south of Perth in Western Australia. The distance was 14,969kms.

The signals are very weak and they are in the range of -20dB to -33dB. This would mean that they are inaudible to the human ear.

The path seems to have been open on five days from the 8th to the 18th of October 2023. The times range from 08:54 to 11:34 UTC.

Sunset in Perth is about 10:30UTC so it's likely there was some enhancement due to some tilting of the ionosphere. With the solar flux at about 140, the propagation mode may have been multi-hop F2 layer with perhaps some chordal hop as well.

Greece to Australia on 40 MHz... VK6JR also heard the WSPR beacon of Costas, SV1DH in Greece.

y-m-d txCall txGrid rxCall rxGrid MHz W SNR drift km
2023-10-09 08:02 SV1DH KM18 VK6JR OF76mi 40.681494 10 -24 -2 12412
2023-10-09 07:38 SV1DH KM18 VK6JR OF76mi 40.681492 0.01 -28 -1 12412
2023-10-09 07:30 SV1DH KM18 VK6JR OF76mi 40.681492 0.01 -25 -2 12412
2023-10-09 07:26 SV1DH KM18 VK6JR OF76mi 40.681492 0.01 -23 -2 12412
2023-10-09 07:16 SV1DH KM18 VK6JR OF76mi 40.68149 0.01 -21 -1 12412
2023-10-09 07:10 SV1DH KM18 VK6JR OF76mi 40.681491 0.01 -19 -3 12412
2023-10-09 06:58 SV1DH KM18 VK6JR OF76mi 40.681491 0.01 -22 -1 12412

According to the data above, SV1DH was using around 0.01 watts or 10-milliwatts for the majority of his transmissions! The last one was at 10-watts. The distance was 12,412kms. 

In general, the path from the south-east of Europe to Australia is easier as the path is shorter and the signals stay closer to the equator.

In summary... We have seen plenty of other openings on the 40 MHz band between Europe and Australia over the last 12-months. I have details of these in previous posts which are linked from my 40 MHz page.

It's very likely that we will see more openings like this over the next few months. Serious 50 MHz operators should take note of these 40 MHz openings as they suggest that an opening on the 6m band may be possible.

Upcoming 145 MHz Activity Period in the UK & Ireland - Sat 30th Sept 2023

145 Alive Event... On Saturday 30th Sept 2023, there will be an activity period on the 145 MHz band in the UK & Ireland and it will run from 3pm to 5pm local time.

This isn't a contest, it's just an activity period where people will be just testing out what kind of range they can get on 2m FM. There should be a mix of stations on the air, some operating from home and some from high ground.

David, EI3IXB sends on the following... 145 Alive - The 145 Alive event is coming to Ireland for the first time on Saturday 30th September from 13:00-15:00 local me on 2m FM.

The idea is to promote the use of VHF in a short friendly event, it is also being run in the UK at the same time which should add to the fun! We plan to set up a network of Control staions on high ground around the country & callers to the staions will then be passed on to the next control staion, if there is one within range. We now need clubs & volunteers to help set up a chain of staions around the country.

Please contact David  EI3IXB,email ei3ixb AT gmail DOT com if you can help.

Limerick 2m repeater EI2REG back on air

The Limerick repeater on 145.725 MHz is one of the oldest FM repeaters in Ireland and originally came on air back in the 1980's. It went off air back in 2018 when there were access issues with the site on Tountinna to the north-east of Limerick City.

It is now back on air from a new site which is 40kms to the south-west of Limerick city.

Info from Limerick Clare Radio Club... "The  Limerick Clare Radio Club 2m Repeater back on Air After a five year silence, the Limerick Clare Radio Club 2 metre repeater returned to air on Thursday June 2nd. The new site is located at Rooskagh East near Ardagh in West Limerick and the club is extremely to Ray Elgy EI3DQB for allowing the club to relocate the repeater to his QTH. ComReg have issued the callsign EI2REG for the new location. The frequency remains the same as it was for Tountinna. The Repeater Channel is R5. Transmission is on 145.725 MHz and it receives on 145.125 MHz. Modes are FM and C4FM. Reception reports would be appreciated by the club and can be sent to ei4lrcclub @ gmail DOT com"

The new repeater is on an elevated site which should give good local coverage of County Limerick. It is however badly screened by local hills to the west and south. Hills and mountains about 60kms away screen it from much of the rest of Ireland.

This repeater is 85kms from my elevated location near Cork City and when I listened, it was very weak and buried in the noise.

It's possible that this repeater may be heard in the western part of the UK under lift conditions but it's likely that conditions would need to be very good as opposed to a slight enhancement.

Belgium to get 40 MHz allocation

It looks as if radio amateurs in Belgium are about to get a small allocation on the 40 MHz (8m) band.

Update 21st May: This information was released by the UBA on Sunday 21st May 2023...

"After more than a year of "silent diplomacy", on 21 April UBA submitted a proposal to BIPT to gain access to a small band segment around 40 MHz in Belgium.:

The UBA proposes to grant the radio amateur service access to the frequency range 40.660 – 40.690 MHz under the following conditions:

On a secondary basis
For holders of a class A operating certificate (HAREC licence)
A power limit of 5 W ERP
A bandwidth limit of 3 kHz
On individual basis, after prior approval from BIPT
It is mandatory to keep a logbook in which all transmissions are noted

These last 2 measures allow BIPT to act quickly and adequately in the event of interference reports from other services.

At the annual UBA meeting, the chairman of the BIPT Council indicated that BIPT is in favor of our proposal. We therefore expect BIPT to hold a consultation on this shortly.

The period of this consultation is at least 1 month. Only at the end of it BIPT can,  provided that the consultation proceeds favorably for us, publish a decision granting us access this band segment.
So it will probably take a few months before we are actually allowed to transmit on the 8 meter band.
Until then, any amateur radio activity from Belgium around 40 MHz is illegal! "

Analysis... This is an important development as Belgium now joins Ireland (EI), Slovenia (S5) and South Africa (ZS) with official amateur radio allocations on the 40 MHz band. 

A lot of licencing authorities will just look at their spectrum allocations and flatly refuse any amateur radio operation at 40 MHz because there is no allocation for amateur radio there. However if other countries grant limited access then it sets a precedent. It sets a case for radio amateurs in other countries to approach their relevant licencing body to grant some access.

As for the proposed allocation in Belgium, the 30 KHz wide band is inside the ISM band of 40.660 to 40.700 MHz. It's highly likely that the dominant mode will be FT8 on 40.680 MHz. Even with just 5-watts, the 8m signals from Belgium are likely to be heard all over the world next Winter as we're close to the maximum of the current solar cycle.

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

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.

EI9KP to carry out Low-Band VHF Propagation Tests on Sat 13th & Sun 14th May 2023

Back in January, February and Arpil 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

Apr 2023 results HERE

On Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th May 2023, EI9KP will be carrying out more propagation tests but this time on three frequencies on 32 MHz, 34 MHz & 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... "Six weeks on from the last test, I will be repeating my experiment over the weekend of 13/14th May 2023, from 0800UTC till 2200UTC om both days.

Propagation may be diverse and include diffracted groundwave, tropospheric scatter, ionospheric scatter, sporadic-E and F2 layer.  The Solar Flux forecast is 160 and Kp index 2.

For this test there are three time slots:

TS    Frequency  USB dial (kHz)
[00]  32013         32012.200
[01]  34013         34012.200
[02]  36013         36012.200

Each 1-minute sequence is 2*FT8, 2*CW and a short carrier.  The beacon power is 1W.  The antenna is a vertical dipole consisting of a 33MHz feeder dipole and a 36MHz coupled dipole."

Coverage Area: Considering that the tests will be done in mid-May, the main propagation mode will likely be Sporadic-E. This should allow the signals to be heard at the 1000-2000km range in Europe. e.g. Germany, Spain, N Italy, S France & the Nordic countries.

F2 propagation may be more difficult although a key target would be the SE of the USA. The lower 32 MHz frequency is likely to be more successful than say 36 MHz for F2 layer propagation.

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.

ZS6WAB 40 MHz beacon heard in Western Australia - 5th April 2023

Over the last few months, there have been plenty of long distance propagation paths reported on the 40 MHz band but nearly all involve at least one station in the northern hemisphere. In this post, we'll look at a recent East-West path in the southern hemisphere.

5th April 2023: Short wave listener Tony Mann in Perth, Australia reported reception of the ZS6WAB beacon in South Africa on 40.675 MHz. The distance was about 8320kms.

Tony Mann writes... "To my surprise the South African 8m beacon on 40.675 MHz, ZS6WAB, made an appearance here for over 2 hours after 0615 UTC. I am amazed it was detectable, and for so long here.

The receiver is an Icom IC-R75 with audio via usb mode. The beacon was first heard around 0615 UTC on a north facing 6m broadband dipole at 5m agl. When I rotated the dipole around to face east-west the signal was much stronger.  

The signal was audible for over an hour, peaked again 0645-0655 UTC and was visible on Spectrum Lab past 0800 UTC. The decoded morse revealed the callsign ZS6WAB and grid locator KG46RB. The great circle distance is 8320 km (5200 miles)."

Tony posted this video on his YouTube channel...

In response to this reception report, Willem ZS6WAB reports... "All my beacons from 40.675mhz /50.025mhz /70.025mhz /144.400mhz is beaming to Australia for the last month now. Ure report is the very first report since my antenna are turned to VK land."

I think there was a report of a VK8 station in the north of Australia hearing this beacon in the last 12-months but it wasn't really documented or reported on.

Analysis... While this opening was ongoing, Tony Mann took a screenshot from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology website which shows the predicted F2 layer critical frequency. This is the frequency that is returned from the F2 layer in the ionosphere when a signal is sent straight up.

The actual maximum usable frequency (MUF) is roughly three times the critical frequency i.e. a signal at perhaps an elevation of about 5 degrees above the horizon. The map suggests a MUF of maybe 3 x 11 MHz / 12 MHz = 33-36 MHz. It's not exact but it suggests that a path in the low VHF spectrum (30-40 MHz) might be possible.

The second thing to note from the graphic above is that conditions in the ionosphere are now better in the southern hemisphere now that we have passed the equinox. 

If we consider how many good east-west paths there were in the northern hemisphere in January to March then there should be similar east-west paths on the 40 MHz over the next few months from South Africa to Australia and South America and from Australia to South America.

It really is just a case of getting more people transmitting and listening.

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

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.