Back to basics, minimalist QRP

I have many great memories of taking part in numerous local QRP contests and events where I normally would use my trusty self built Elecraft K2 transceiver or the tiny commercial HB-1A CW only transceiver.

The K2 is a full blooded super radio and it almost feels like cheating when I use it. The receiver rates amongst the very best of commercial receivers. The transmitter is superb on CW with it silent break-in switch over.

On the other hand using the diminutive HB-1A, powered by a few AA sized batteries, especially when used outdoors, sitting under one or other tree has a certain sense of magic about it. The entire station hardly the size of a paperback and it weighs next to nothing.

I am now thinking of taking this a step further. It might be great fun building simple crystal controlled QRP transmitter and using that instead of the K2 or HB-1A. It will almost like my early days, with separate transmitter and receivers with a manual T/R switch. We are so spoilt now with semi break-in and full blown QSK, that it is hard to imagine that we used to throw a switch to change from receive to transmit and vice versa.

It would be even more fun, if other locals did the same. It would be interesting to see how we deal with being rockbound; we have become very spoilt with our ultra stable and accurate VFO’s.

There was a time when one could call CQ on say 7020 and get a reply from some station on 7030. We actually used that big knob on the receiver. I know it is weird, but true……

 

I now must look for simple reliable circuits I can use. Something like the Tuna Tin or the NS-40

73 de Pierre ZS6A

SOTA Dilemma….

Looking at the frequencies used on SOTA activations and plotting it on a graph clearly shows the popularity of the most common frequencies being used.

Their choice of frequency to use is governed by their location and the prevailing skip. It is thus obvious why in Europe 40m and 2m are so popular. This is followed by the use of 20m and 30m band. The higher bands 15m and 10m are almost never used.

It goes without saying the regular frequencies 40m, 2m, 30m, 40m, 60m and 70 CM are not suitable frequencies we need to be using 10m, 12m or 15m if we wanted to work the International SOTA stations.

No wonder we never hear international SOTA station activity from South Africa.

IMHO if one considers all the aspects, propagation, number of F2 hops, losses, QRP and less than perfect antennas etc. we as South Africans need to use 15m, 12m or 10m to have any chance in working international SOTA stations.

This is a bit of a dilemma, I suppose the North Americans, Asians and the stations in Oceana are in the same predicament?

Click on graph for a more detailed view.

SOTA: number of activations by band

CQ-WPX-CW from the slow lane….Day 1

Just yesterday I saw the published results of the ARRL 10 completion that was held in December 2011. It reminded me how fortunate I was to be able take part in that contest. Conditions were excellent and the contest statistics reveal the same.
 

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.arrl.org%2Ffiles%2Ffile%2FContestResults%2F2011%2F2011-10M-Web-V1_4.pdf&h=ZAQHvqL_NAQGm8OeNcP67mn7bXoAlEiyy6b6c5CS46Vkncg

I was hoping that with this weekend’s CQ-WPX-CW contest would have reasonable condition prevailing, but it does not seem to be the case. I decided I wanted to use 10m only during this contest to boost my 10m log as far as possible, before, dare I say the down turn of the solar cycle commences.

Propagation seems very subdued with low levels of activity on 10m. 

One big highlight was working OM Ivor VR2ZQZ/P (once again). Have a look at QRZ.com and you will understand. This is amateur radio at its best. I admire the spirit and tenacity of these individuals in our hobby.

 73, Pierre ZS6A

VR2ZQZ /P

VR2ZQZ /P QSL card

Decoding melodious whispers on 10m

This past weekend I played with JT65-HF on 10m.

I was once again overwhelmed at how well it works. I was using slightly less than 5 watts and a rotating dipole at 8 metres AGL.

I worked a bunch of European stations with this low power setup. The two contacts that stand out were with IK4UXA, he was using 2 watts and a sloper and the other was with HG9SM, he was using 1 watt and a ground plane antenna.

This is pretty amazing; it is highly unlikely that QSOs could have been possible using CW under the circumstances.

73, Pierre ZS6A

Screen shot of 2X QRP QSO with IK4UXA

Feeding Frenzy on the Magic Band…

I was very fortunate to have been part of another huge 6M TEP opening on 26 April 2012.

It was incredible to see how the normally dead band comes alive with signals, many with signals well over S9

Fortunately for us as South Africans we are still somewhat of a novelty for many Europeans.  For a few hours whilst the 6M band is open we can feel like what is must be like sitting on some rare island facing huge DX  pile ups.

The truth be told.  As much as my CW is my preferred mode, I am not quite ready to be at the wrong end of the pile up.  It sure was exciting and it got the adrenalin flowing.

It is rather frustrating to see the poor operating procedure used by some. 

During the pileup I hear for example a station with a LA prefix. Now I need Norway (LA) so I respond with “LA?” and 10 other prefixes call me. I reply with “ONLY LA LA PSE KN” and 10 other prefixes call…..

Heck, it is difficult not to lose ones cool. I guess it is my own inexperience that allowed this situation to develop? Maybe it is better to sit back and do nothing, hoping that the needed LA would keep on calling me and I should only respond once I have the full call?

I managed to make 161 QSOs (mostly CW), worked 71 Grids and 22 countries. 3 all time new ones including Denmark-OZ.

Have Fun !!

6M TEP 25 April 2012

Swaziland 6M DX Expedition - 3DA0FC

I have just returned from taking part in the DX expedition to Swaziland. I certainly enjoyed the experience and had a lot of fun.  In some respects the event was more successful than anticipated and then again in some other respects, a bit disappointing.

My intention all along was to operate primarily on 6M and I was hoping that conditions would allow for a few QSOs via TEP/F2 propagation. Lance W7GJ had requested a sked via EME. To be quite honest, I was not very optimistic of achieving success. I had heard from various sources that local QRM was a huge problem on 6M and that a QSO via EME was not likely due to this issue.

There were many changes to my plans and preparations for this event. Initially I planned to take along a small 3 element Yagi, the 6M3SS and a lightweight mast. However, after conceding to the EME request, I had no option, but to consider erecting a more substantial antenna with more gain. Daniel ZS6JR from CQ DX African Safaris, was involved with the DX expedition and I approached him to see if he could help. He said that I could use his 7 element M2 - 6M7JHV. This is a big antenna, so I  had to arrange for a more substantial mast. My good friend Hal ZS6WB, kindly loaned me a 3 section mast and tipper base that was strong enough to support this beam.

At the end of the day, I ended up using the 6M7JHV mounted 8m AGL, the transceiver an ICOM-756 Pro 3 and a SPE Expert amplifier 1K-FA running 400 Watts.

At moonset of day 1, Saturday, I worked Lance W7GJ and ironically Mike W6MYC of M2 fame. The following day, Sunday, I worked G8BCG and W1JJ and on Monday I worked K2ZD. The signals were surprisingly strong and the EME QSOs were completed fairly quickly. I worked all the stations I could decode and see on the waterfall.

I had fairly high hopes that we would have a fair chance of TEP openings into Europe, since the timing was near perfect. March and April (equinox) are known as the best months for TEP. However, the solar activity was disappointingly low. We had the briefest of openings on 3 occasions and I only managed to work 18 European stations

The following stations were worked via TEP / F2: EA7KW, EA7DUD, CT1ANO, EA5BM, EA3LL, EA3MS, 5B8AD, 5B4MF, IK0VAQ, IK0FTA, I0WTD, IK0EIE, 9A2AA, IT9HLR, I6BQI and IZ8DWF

During the mornings, I concentrated on Meteor Scatter (MS) and managed to work: ZS6NK, ZS5Y, ZS2ACP, ZS1AGF, ZS6BUN, Z21LV and via Tropo ZS6HA and ZS6JON

For the balance of the time, I used a memory keyer, calling every 30 seconds. I must have made several thousand CQ’s and ended up with a handful of QSOs. I guess looking at the effort versus the result, it hardly seems worthwhile, but I have no regrets. As far as I know, North America has never been worked from Swaziland via EME on 6 metres. I am not sure about the other continents?

I was a little disappointed to learn that LoTW will not be used by 3DA0FC.

73, Pierre ZS6A

3DA0FC Swaziland 6M station

Position, position, position….

The last few days have clearly shown just how important the geomagnetic latitude is with 6m TEP. Yesterday the German amateurs that operated V551V during the CQ-WW-WPX contest from V5 had a field day on 6m. 

I see they worked a few EA8 Canary Is stations and a station KP4 in Puerto Rico including many southern European stations. Unfortunately I only managed to work 4 stations during this opening.

 The line from V5 to South America (LU) was not a QSO, it was due to someone abusing the DX cluster.

The Namibian station is in Omaruru - JG78xo. Amazing what a difference of 500 km north can do? Ok they are also 1200 km west of Johannesburg.

I will be in Cape Town on Thursday and Friday, I suspect we will have a massive opening during that time….

73, Pierre ZS6A

6m activity 26 March 2012