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Rhombic vs Log Periodic at 30M – Shootout

By TF4M On April 18, 2009 · 2 Comments · In Amateur Radio

During my Arctic Diamonds presentation on the CCF/OHDXF Ferry Cruise in January, – Tonno, ES5TV asked me whether I had any ”normal” antennas to compare my rhombics with.

My answer was a tongue-in-cheek reply to the effect that since I had unlimited space at my disposal, I wasn´t interested in limited space antennas.

A fellow Rhombic owner who indeed has such a comparison antenna sent me the following audio files which demonstrate the difference between the reception of ”normal ” antennas and Rhombics.

The first audio file is of TL0A an Amateur Radio Station located in the Central African Republic, recorded using a huge Log Periodic at 30 meters height.

Most Radio Amateurs would kill to have such an antenna !

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The second recording is made 3 minutes later, from the same location, but this time using a Rhombic antenna to receive TL0A.

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A visual comparison of the two files says more than a thousand words:

TL0A on LP antenna

TL0A received with a Rhombic

My Rhombic colleague commented as follows:

”… you will hear what a 30 meter high 6.5 dB gain antenna sounds like with a very wide radiation pattern. It is ideal to pick up all the noise and electrical storms in the equatorial noise zone.

The other recording is 3 minutes later, with a Rhombic with 20 dB gain, 10 meters high, low take off angle- and a beam width of just 10 degrees. It is not so much that the signal is that much stronger, it is that the noise is that much less. Note the ease with which it is possible to pick up and follow S1 stations that are very weak.

A Rhombic is not just about the gain, it is much more about the noise which you Dont Get…”

I rest my case.

Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite

Harris RF-350K/RT-1446/URC

By TF4M On April 18, 2009 · 4 Comments · In Amateur Radio

I recently acquired a full instruction manual for the Harris RF-350K transceivers.

An ADDENDUM inside the front cover of the manual drew my attention and closer examination revealed instructions on how to program the transceiver for half-duplex operation.

Harris RF-350K

The inability to work stations in SPLIT mode during a pile up, has been one of the greatest drawbacks to using these fine radios on a regular basis, so it was with some excitement that I rushed to test one of my radios to see if this addendum applied to them – yes it works perfectly!

The procedure is as follows:

Programming is exactly as presently described in your manual for simplex operation. For half-duplex channels, install the receive frequency and other instructions exactly as described for simplex programming, but before pressing 2ND and LOAD (to store), continue by pressing 2ND and FREQ. This action will cause the XMIT indicator to blink and the FREQ indicator to illuminate. Enter the desired frequency and then push 2ND and LOAD to store channel data. Continue for channels 00 through 99.

To monitor the transmit frequency of a half-duplex programmed channel before transmitting, press 2ND and FREQ while in normal receive mode. The display will change to indicate the transmit frequency, and the receiver will simultanously switch over to operate on the transmit frequency. Press 2ND and FREQ to “toggle” back to normal operation. The XMIT indicator will stop flashing and the receiver will again operate on the receive frequency.

There are at least two versions of the EPROM program for the radio’s Control Board microprocessor. The version may be determined by examining the labels on the three EPROM chips after lowering the front panel. The EPROMs are 28 pin DIPs located in the upper right corner.

Note that this feature does not work with version 601F EPROMs, but works well with version 604M EPROMs.

Harris Radio

Ken, KO6NO makes remote adapter boards for the RF-350K which work very well. Ken can also provide version 604M EPROMs.

K7RDG has Harris manuals and remote control software for the RF-350K on his website.

Harris RF-350K radios

Harris 1KW transceiver awaiting installation

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CCF/OHDXF Ferry Cruise January 2009

By TF4M On February 9, 2009 · Leave a Comment · In Amateur Radio

Yngvi, TF3Y and myself decided to attend the Contest Club Finland annual conference held on the ferry between Helsinki and Stockholm.

I presented my Rhombic station as “Arctic Diamonds” and was very well received.

You may download my presentation here.

At the end of the presentation I played an audio file of my QSO with HL3IUA on 160m and I understood that some attendees thought the file had to be fake!

I assure you it is authentic, reception at TF4M really IS like this – absolutely noise free.

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After returning to Helsinki Martti, OH2BH showed us his stations and antennas, and then we had dinner with him, Ranko, 4O3A and Juha, OH8NC where many fantastic ideas were discussed.

We had an absolutely marvellous time, I do not hesitate to say that this was the highlight of my Amateur Radio life until now.

We both look forward to the next one.

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Aurora!

By TF4M On November 25, 2008 · Leave a Comment · In Amateur Radio

Conditions on 160M have been great lately. I have worked dozens of stations in Japan, VK6VZ and NL7Z are in the log as well.
Today, 25th November it all ended. The Aurora is back and has covered the polar regions.
I worked JW5NM in Svalbard – you may listen to the QSO below. Notice the auroral sound of his transmissions.

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160M 4. November 2008

By TF4M On November 5, 2008 · Leave a Comment · In Amateur Radio

It rained today so I spent the day on the radio instead of outside doing antenna work.

BV1EK was heard with good signals most of the day, but did not hear my calls.

JA7OEM had an amazingly strong and steady signal for hours. We had a short QSO

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I recorded his CQ call for about 45 minutes.

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Later this evening I called CQ and logged the following DX stations :

RW0LT, JA7EVP, JA9RRH, JL2ONQ and JH2SON.

Thanks to EU stations who stood by while I worked the DX.

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The soundfile may be downloaded in .wma format here .

160M 3. November 2008

By TF4M On November 4, 2008 · Leave a Comment · In Amateur Radio

Spectacular conditions continued on 160M with the following DX stations going into the log.

JA7OEM, JH1GNU, UA9BA, JA1BK, RU9MX, JR2KDN, JH5FXP, JA7FUJ, JE6IGP, JA3EMU, JA4LKB, JH4AAG, JA9KRO, JA3CJO, JA7EVP, JA2CXF, JH4CES, 7J4AAL, JR7VHZ, JE2OVG and UA9MA.

It was a great pleasure to QSO my good friends Kan, JA1BK and Yuichi, JR2KDN (second QSO !), who have both visited my station, first in Dili, East Timor when I held 4W6MM and 4W3DX and again in this QTH in Iceland.

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160M 2. November 2008

By TF4M On November 2, 2008 · 1 Comment · In Amateur Radio

Another fantastic opening to Japan occurred last night. I worked the following 19 stations from JA.
JH0ZHQ, JQ2VVH, JJ2LPV, JE7RJS, JA7FUJ, JA4FUJ, JA4CUU, JA1ANR, JR2KDN, JF1FSR, JI1FXS, JA2FBY, 7K4DHB, JA1HSF, JI1NJC, JA3CSZ, JA1GV, JA2TBS, JH7NTJ and JH7PFD.
It was a special pleasure to work my friends Yuichi, JR2KDN and Yasu, JI1NJC who visited me here in Otradalur.
1948 UTC to 2047 UTC

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2047 UTC to 2115 UTC

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You may download the event in .wma format 1948Z-2047Z and 2047Z-2115Z

New Zealand heard on 160m for the first time in Iceland

By TF4M On October 30, 2008 · Leave a Comment · In Amateur Radio

On the afternoon of 28. October around 1700 UTC I heard ZL3IX on Top Band.

This is the first time in history that a station from New Zealand is heard in Iceland on 160 meters.

I called him a couple of times and it seems that he was alerted to my presence and he called a few times QRZ TF but did not hear me and then he disappeared.

This was incredibly exciting and raises hopes that a contact may be possible in the future.

I recorded the event:

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160M 24 October 2008 – Incredible conditions

By TF4M On October 24, 2008 · 1 Comment · In Amateur Radio

I have been hearing VK9DWX in Willis Island near Australia, with fairly good signals for several afternoons. I have called and called and it appears that the DXpedition had severe receiving problems with S9 Plus noise.
This afternoon, they were stronger than ever, a real 589 signal and I dropped my call three times and to my big surprise they came right back to me.
Unfortunately, I had not started recording at the time I worked VK9DWX, but I went on to call CQ and made 58 QSOs with JA that night.
You may listen to the recordings of the entire event.

Recording starts at approximately 18:12Z.
The following DX stations are recorded in this file:
JA7OEM, UA9KAA, RW0CR, JK1OPL, JA1MRM, JH2UVL, JA7AKQ, JA1UQP, JH1HDT, JM2RUV, JG3IWL, JE1SSE, JA4LXY, JA7BXS, JA1EOD, JA0GJJ and JA1SYY

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This recording is from 19:21Z to 20:21Z and contains QSOs with the following DX stations:

JA7KY, JA4CQS, JH1TWT, JR3GWZ, JA1CNM, JA3FYC, JA7KY, JF2KOZ, JA0RUG, JA7FUJ, UA0SR, JA2XYO, JQ2VVH, UA0BA, JR3VXR, JA2EPW, JH7PFD, JK1GKG, JA0DBQ, JR1IJV, JA6HUG, JE7JDL, JF3KON, JR6EZE, JA6BZI, JH6WMJ, JH1CHA, JR3IIR, JA3PIS, JA0MVW, 7N2KRX, JH1NYM and JF1EGO

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The last recording is from 20:21Z to 2119Z and contains the following DX QSOs.:
JA1DOF, JA3TJA, JA8FKO, JH4ADV, JA8BKM, JA3ONB, JA1FNA, JA0ED, JH3VNC, RV0AR, JA7AKH, JW7QIA, RW9WA, EY8MM and JH4IFF.

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This afternoon was one of the highest points in my life. Can this get even better?

I believe so, when the BIG TX vertical is built near the sea, and the 9 new Beverage directions are connected it will be even better. What a pleasure!
I received a recording made by JA3FYC of our QSO. He was running only 100 Watts.

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160M 10. Oct. 2008

By TF4M On October 11, 2008 · Leave a Comment · In Amateur Radio

I heard VK3LZ with reasonable signals for a while but not well enough for a QSO.

Seven JA stations made it into the log:

JN4MIV, JQ2VVH, JA7ZP, JA7QVI, JQ3DUE, JH2RMU and JA8ISU.

JJ2LPV, JH0INP, JA9KRO and JE7JDL were heard and responded to, but did not make it into the log.

This is a recording of the whole session.

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JA7QVI sent me a recording of our QSO – it is interesting to compare the recordings made in Japan and Iceland.

This is the QSO as recorded in Japan

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This is the QSO recorded in Iceland.

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This is a recording of the QSO with JA8ISU

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It seems quite clear that my reception is of world class quality, but transmit side needs improvement.