Tag: news

next stop: Monteverde

I have been rather quiet with the updates on this blog.

This is now to confirm my trip to Cape Verde to the D4C station tomorrow morning, with multiple purposes:

  • Taking care of the VHF section of D4C/B installation with the help of EA8FF Marc. I will carry a 5/8 vertical antenna so that evevtually the 50.436 MHz beacon will TX in omnidirectional
  • oing some WARC QSO prior to the contest
  • Hoping for good 2m conditions and running some nice Tropo QSOs
  • Running the ARRL 10m contest: see article here: http://d4c.cc/?p=13108

<

p class=”text_exposed_show”>We’re looking forward to contacting your station, even with a simple vertical antenna!

73, Andrea HB9DUR

Results CQ WPX SSB 2017 from HB9CA

The HB9CA station was powered by HB9CAT & HB9DUR during the WPX SSB contest

Congratulations to HB9EYP for the nice result:

https://hb9dur.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/results.jpg
https://hb9dur.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/results.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

Realtime band conditions website

Originally posted on Coastal Ham Radio:
The purpose of this experimental Web site is to provide 24-7-365 actual (REALTIME) band condition information to CW QRPp, QRPe and CW/SSB for Contesters interested in increasing their scores. It can also be of benefit to other Radio Amateurs to determine band conditions for Nets and casual QSO’s. This…

http://www.bandconditions.com

Posted on September 8, 2017 by ve7hamradio

The purpose of this experimental Web site is to provide 24-7-365 actual (REALTIME) band condition information to CW QRPp, QRPe and CW/SSB for Contesters interested in increasing their scores.

It can also be of benefit to other Radio Amateurs to determine band conditions for Nets and casual QSO’s.
This information is NOT based on any software predictions or any kind of satellite based readings. It is based on a new Ionospheric sounding method called “HF Ionospheric Interferometry” which operates very similarly to the PolSAR system used by NASA.

Also, check out the VOACAP predication Web page at: http://www.voacap.com/prediction.html

Coastal Ham Radio

The purpose of this experimental Web site is to provide 24-7-365 actual
(REALTIME) band condition information to CW QRPp, QRPe and CW/SSB for Contesters interested in increasing their scores.

View original post 71 more words

FT-8, the new HF/6m digital mode, introduction for beginners

Coastal Ham Radio

Here is a new digital mode that comes to you from the makers of JT-9 and JT-65.. Called FT-8 (Franke-Taylor design, 8FSK modulation)

A weak signal mode that is not as sensitive to JT-65/9 but definitely something that will work when voice and CW will not. This is an introduction to someone who has never heard of it, or never has used JT-65 before. It may not be for everyone, but everyone should try it.

View original post 21 more words

Visiting HAMVENTION Dayton & CTU

This year I am lucky enough to be able to attend to the following events:

  1. Contest University, Dayton

 

    2. Dayton HAMVENTION 2017

1.Contest University  will be held on Thursday May 18, 2017, from 7:00am to 5:00pm, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Dayton, Ohio the day before the Dayton Hamvention officially opens.  See the program

CTU 2017 Topics:

  • It’s a Fun Game – Let’s Operate The Right Way – W5ZN
  • How to Improve your Transmitting Antennas for Low Solar Activity – W3LPL
  • Introduction to Introduction to Contesting – NØAX
  • CW and RTTY Skimmer and the Reverse Beacon Network – N6TV
  • Optimizing 6 Meter Contest Scores Utilizing JT Digital Modes – W5ZN
  • Easy to Build Low Band Receiving Antennas for Small and Large Lots – W3LPL
  • A Deep Dive Into Stacking Yagis – W8WWV
  • Grounding and Bonding for the Little Pistol and Medium Gun – NØAX
  • RTTY Contesting, A to Z – WØYK
  • How to Adapt your DX Contest Strategies for Low Solar Activity – W3LPL
  • Little Pistols, Bigger Scores – K2YWE
  • The Advantages of Waterfall Displays for Contesting and DXing – N6TV
  • Advanced Topics in RTTY Contesting – WØYK
  • Contesting is Amateur Radio’s Shining Star – ALL – 10 minutes – K3LR
  • The Wonderful World of Space Weather – Dr. Tamitha Skov
  • Antennas and Propagation – W3LPL
  • Contest Shack Design Ideas – NØAX
  • Waterfalls, Recordings and Reverse Beacon Network – N6TV
  • Antenna/Tower Reliability – W3YQ
  • Small Stations With Big Ideas – K2YWE
  • Receiving Antenna Ideas – W3LPL
  • RTTY Contesting Discussion – WØYK
  • Disruptive Technologies, How they Change our Hobby – NCØB

2.Dayton HAMVENTION will be held May 19, 20 and 21, 2017 at the Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center.

The show is moving from HARA arena in Trotwood, Ohio. The new location, Greene County Fair & Exposition Center in Xenia, Ohio, is about 20 miles south-east of HARA.

I will represent D4C Monteverde Contest Team (Cape Verde, Africa) under the booth of its technical partner Momobeam. Booth number 1801-1802

You can book your QSL and I will handover them to you at the booth. More info.

I’m looking forward to your visit.

73, Andrea HB9DUR

My “new” Helvetia contest

Major changes in the Helvetia contest this year being now International (any-to-any).

As I was supporting these changes in the rules, I took then immediately the challenge to operate outside of HB9, although not in one of the best DX location (south on Milan) due to the closeness to HB9 (propagation skip).

Second purpose was to finally enjoy on the air several weekends of station maintenance @IO2X.

I really mad a good and relaxed experience in the SO2R-mode with two keyboards outside major contests.

Conditions Key band was 40m followed by 20m. Amazingly good on 15m Sunday morning 09:00 to 10:30 but unfortunately no activity on SSB (CW skimmers were reporting good signal strength from EU to Asia and Pacific. Just 25 QSO, mostly with HB9. Highligts were to be called by H44MS, 4S7LF or by BI4WOP with 100W and a vertical antenna being his first QSO-ever outside of Asia.I was expecting more on 80m

HB9 Several canton missed, so I suppose there was a lack of activity as well. The snowfalls just before the contest (yes, we had a dry winter and snow on the contest weekend…..) may have prevented some portable operation to be on. Anyway, in general, I strongly support a widespread activity of all Cantons, even for a limited time during the contest (say 3 to 4 hrs) in order to keep up the attractiveness of the event.

Rules I personally see a potential of “shaping” the rules that may fit more stations to increase DX participation. I hope the organizers will take it into consideration (just to mention one: Low power category).

Scores I am persuaded that this new form will bring more participants, just think that top scorer DX-stations were working 150 to max 200 QSO in the whole contest just being obliged to work HB9 stn only. From the declared I can now see that i.e LZ2HA went from 193 Q to 400+ QSO and YO9HP summarized 743 QSO in the Mixed category

Call: IQ2CJ
Operator: HB9DUR
Class: SO SSB HP
QTH: IO2X
Operating Time (hrs): 16
Location: Southern Europe
Radios: SO2R

Summary:   Compare Scores
Band CW Qs Ph Qs Dig Qs Mults
160: 20 17
80: 64 39
40: 331 68
20: 223 59
15: 25 22
10: 4 5
Total: 0 667 0 210 Total Score 437,430

summary

A big thanks goes to Luca IK2NCJ for his support and to all stations for the contacts.

73, HB9DUR Andrea

DXLog.net version for Helveta contest available.

Hi everyone

DXLog.net version 2.3.12 is available. Just couple of fixes included this
time.
Ver 2.3.12

  • Helevetia contest – new rules added. (TNX HB9CAT, HB9DUR, IK2NCJ)

  • DXCluster line parser – fixed when longer callsign is spotter which

causing non fixed data structure. (TNX RM2D, DJ1YFK)

73,

Chris – 9A5K