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29dec2011_2300

Aurora 29 December 2011

By On · Leave a Comment · In Amateur Radio, The Arctic

After a short period of decent conditions on Top Band, we now have a slight Aurora.    At present the Aurora Index is 4 on a scale of 10.

I came across  software called SvalTrack II, which gives a very nice graphical view of present Aurora conditions.

 

The representation of the Auroral Oval clearly shows how badly TF is affected from the slightest Auroral activity.

For a full explanation of the effects of the Aurora, please click on the menu item “JA-TF 160″ above.

I might add that this low Auroral level does not create visible Aurora at my location, but I´m certainly hoping for this to happen, I might still get some nice Aurora photos.

 

 

 

 

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ZD8X

Arctic QSLing

By On · Leave a Comment · In Amateur Radio

Today I mailed the last of the direct QSL requests received this year.   It is nice to have a clean slate at the end of the year.

The post man delivered three nice Top Band QSL cards today.

This morning had the best conditions on Top Band experienced this season.   The band was open to JA, OC, NA, the Carribbean and EU simultaneously.   Especially good signals from the US and VE.   Interesting QSOs were with KV4FZ, KH2/N2NL, JA8ISU, VE1ZZ, FM5CD to name a few.

The Arctic King

QRP – Never Again !

By On · Leave a Comment · In Amateur Radio, The Arctic

The Stew Perry Top Band Distance Challenge 2011 is over.

My raw Score was 81 QSOs giving 469 points , multiplied by 3 for a  claimed  QRP score of 1407 points.

Due to health issues, I decided to take part in the Stew Perry with a casual
QRP effort.

5 thunderous watts from my K3 into 700 meters of coax going to the Arctic King,
complemented with 8 Beverages and 30dB of preamplification.

The Arctic King

The Arctic King

Conditions seemed poor, despite promising conditions in the days leading up to the
contest, band was very noisy, not a signal anywhere stronger than a 579 during
the entire period.

Despite bombarding some of the stronger stations with my massive signal, I had
to give up on many of them…not even  a ? in return.   Some stations seemed to
have their keyers on without any break for listening, impossible to even send
my call sideways – perhaps they had actually fallen asleep  on their keyboard – I almost succumbed
myself at 0300 AM.

Other stations would answer on the first call.   Seems that there is some lack of
respect for the Top Band.

Top Band is all about reception, not only transmit power.  This is why I like
the Stew Perry event, it rewards those able to make the longest DX contacts.

Highlight of the event was being called by Jack, VE1ZZ.

Listen to our QSO:

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I just received this email from Jeff, K1ZM who was operating QRP – 5W only from his super station in Prince Edward Island.

you worked me also Thor with my MASSIVE 5w signal.

Happy Holidays from Prince Edward Island in Maritime Canada.

I heard you MANY TIMES and called off and on when I heard you – eventually
I managed to get your attention.

http://www.vy2zm.com

73 JEFF  VY2ZM

Listen to our QSO at the end of this audio recording of a small run I had in a fit of optimism.

The first QSO in the recording is with EI7BA, followed by OE1TKW, GM4ZUK, VY2ZM and GM4AFF.

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Real Radio at it´s finest !

If my calculations are correct, this QSO was worth 84 points!  (7 basic points x3 x4=84points – a record perhaps?), a distance of 3186 km.

Heard KH7X and ST2AR and several JA stations.

I look forward to taking part in the next event – this time with HIGH Power.

QRP – Never Again…

I think I may have a chance for winning a plaque in

the following categories.

Top Score – QRP Single-Op
Longest distance QSO with QRP transmitter
Aurora Borealis Award
Golden Log
TBD by the BARC Log Checkers (Greatest Optimist?, Strongest QRP Signal… :- ) )

 

Read the reports on the 3830 Score Rumors list.

 

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Stew Perry 2010 plaque

Stew Perry Top Band Distance Challenge

By On · Leave a Comment · In Amateur Radio

The Stew Perry Top Band Distance Challenge  will be held this weekend.

If conditions are good, I may enter the contest QRP (5 W), since I am not able to take part seriously due to health reasons.

The rules are written in a manner which favors low power stations and more points are given for each QSO for both parties.

Today, I received my plaque for last year´s event, where I qualified for three plaques:

1: Aurora Borealis Award - Top Score, > 60 Deg N Geomagnetic Latitude

2: Top Score, Europe

3: Longest QSO, High Power

The rules state :   Only one plaque can be won by any station for a specific contest. BARC will make decisions about which plaque you will win in cases where you qualify for more than one.

As a former sports competitor, I think that a station should be able to collect more than one award, personally – receiving an award for first place in any event, knowing that I was in second place would not give me much satisfaction.

 

 

I am of course very pleased that I won the plaque for Longest QSO ( even though I had to sponsor the award myself…) – the most prestigious award in the contest in my humble view :-) – this event is all about distance.

TF4M and ZL4AS worked a 17,774 km path for the longest QSO.   Cliff, ZL4AS lives in the very south east of the South Island of New Zealand, looking at a Great Circle Map, his location appears to be the furthest possible on the planet from TF4M – an amazing DX Contact.

The other plaques were therefore given to the runners up as decided by the BARC committee.

I look forward to taking part in the best event in Amateur Radio with my thundering 5 W signal emanating from the Arctic King!

YOU WILL HEAR ME !

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The Arctic King

See the King.

By On · 1 Comment · In Amateur Radio, The Arctic

This photo of the Arctic King designed by TF3DX was taken during a blizzard last winter.   The Arctic King 160 Meter antenna is 27 meters tall and the pole weighs upwards of 3 tonnes.   Each insulator is approximately 70 cm long and weighs around 30 kilos.   The antenna wires themselves are CopperWeld with a breaking strength of nearly two tonnes.  The pole is set 2.5 meters into solid rock and guyed approximately every 120°.   One of the guy wire attachments is submerged on high tide, since the antenna is right on the edge of Salt Water.

It took two years to design, gather materials and build the antenna which is fed by 700 meters of 1-5/8″ Hardline Coax.

This cable has a total calculated 0.6dB loss at 160 meters and is rated at 315 kW.

The radiation resistance of a top loaded short vertical is 12 ohms – The Arctic King measures  14 ohms, which makes the antenna 85% efficient.   This efficiency is thanks to the great conductivity of the Salt Water adjacent to the antenna.

The Arctic King

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TF4M - The View

Arctic Ecstasy – First Ever QSO DU/TF !!

By On · 2 Comments · In Amateur Radio

I have been monitoring the 160 Meter band closely in preparation for the Stew Perry Long Distance Challenge, and conditions have been steadily improving.

A Historic First Ever QSO between the Philippines and Iceland took place on 160 Meters.

The Arctic King showed his power yet again.

Listen to my QSO with Hiro,  DU1/JJ5GMJ on 160 Meters.

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This was followed by a nice pile up, where the band was open to North America, Japan and Europe at the same time.

My country totals now stand at 174 Countries Worked – 168 Countries Confirmed on Top Band.

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Arctic Frustration

By On · Leave a Comment · In Amateur Radio, The Arctic

Conditions on 160 Meters are rather frustrating these days.

My receive ability on 160 Meters outperforms my transmit ability by a large margin, i.e. I can hear more than I can work even though I have the ability to run high power when needed.

I have been trying to work  DU1IST for a long time and I am now hearing him with workable signals, but not even a “?” in return to my calls.

Such a QSO would be a historic first ever between the Philippines and Iceland on 160 Meters.

The reason DU1IST can not hear me, is most likely because of a higher noise level in the Philippines.

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Last night I worked DU1IST easily on 30 Meters:

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I hope conditions  improve, this season may be the last opportunity we have in my life time.

 

Alexey, TF/VE2XAA and TF4X

Alexey, VE2XAA – Silent Key (SK)

By On · Leave a Comment · In Amateur Radio, Visitors at TF4M

Alexey, VE2XAA became a Silent Key on August 21, 2011 from a heart attack, only a few weeks after his visit to Otradalur, where he operated TF4X in the IARU Contest 2011.

From Hávamál :

Cattle die, and kinsmen die,
And so one dies one’s self;
But a noble name will never die,
If good renown one gets.

It was a pleasure to meet Alexey and we already talked about his next visit to Otradalur.

VE2XAA de TF4M SK ——————————-

Outside of the contest,  Alexey operated from my station using the call sign TF/VE2XAA.

TF VE2XAA
TF VE2XAA 1

Our last QSO was on the 14th of May, 2011 on 20m CW.

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Here is an album of photos I took of Alexey during his visit.

VE2XAA @ TF4X
VE2XAA @ TF4X

Alexey, VE2XAA piloted TF4X in the IARU HF Contest 2011.

63 Photos

During his stay, Alexey suggested some improvements to my engineering  - I have already begun to implement some of his suggestions.

Alexey had prepared to work the contest on SSB and had recorded his contest exchanges into the voice keyer of the radio.   However, he decided to do a CW only effort.  The recording was discovered by chance recently.

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I believe Alexey was very pleased with his visit.   He wrote in my station Guest Book:

…unic place in the planet, unic landscape with real Elves and unic antenna farm. ….In 10-20 years one more forest will cover the place where it was never before.   And on top of the trees the Arctic King with Arctic Quinne will rule their Otradalur Kingdome!

The result of the contest IARU 2011:

total: 1876 QSO, 770400 points,  beside contest 2200 QSO.  Total for 3 days ~ 4000 QSO.

Main station impression:   usually you do not hear the stations calling you.  This problem does not exist in Otradalur farm.   You hear even 160 m band with full daylight days in July!  ”White nights” – is not a problem for Arctic King!

73! Alexey, VE2XAA

Most of Alexey´s TF4X operation was recorded as follows:

VE2XAA@TF4X recording 01

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VE2XAA@TF4X recording 02

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VE2XAA@TF4X recording 03

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VE2XAA@TF4X recording 04

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VE2XAA@TF4X recording 05

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VE2XAA@TF4X recording 06

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VE2XAA@TF4X recording 07

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VE2XAA@TF4X recording 08

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VE2XAA@TF4X recording 09

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VE2XAA@TF4X recording 10

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VE2XAA@TF4X recording 11

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VE2XAA@TF4X recording 12

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VE2XAA@TF4X recording 13

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VE2XAA@TF4X recording 14

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VE2XAA@TF4X recording 15

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Top Band conditions improving

By On · Leave a Comment · In Amateur Radio

 Yesterday – 9th of December, I heard BU2AQ, in Taipei, Taiwan on 160M.

Despite numerous attempts, I was not able to raise him to give him a quick report, – we have worked twice before on Top Band.

Listen to his contact with SP3DOI 

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Upon checking my records, I found that I have never received a QSL card from BU2AQ, although I have worked and confirmed another station from Taiwan – BU2AI.

My cards for both contacts with BU2AQ will be posted on Monday.

This bodes well for the winter DX season, I am still missing several Asian countries – including China…

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