JT1CO worked on Top Band

On December 9, 2009, in Amateur Radio, by TF4M

When I turned on my radio today, JT1CO in ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia was booming on 160 meters.

As I waited for the amplifier to warm up, I recorded his signals and he was worked easily for a new country and Zone 23.

I now believe it may be possible to get WAZ (Worked All Zones) from TF on 160 meters.

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It is quite likely that this is the first time Mongolia is worked on Top Band from Iceland.

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FIRST !! Top Band QSO with Hawaii from Iceland.

On December 9, 2009, in Amateur Radio, by TF4M

The night of 09 December was spectacular.   I began the operation with the thought of working on my WAS (Worked All States) award for 160 and as the terminator moved across the US, stations from the western part of the US became audible.

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After a small break, I decided to continue and see if I could get a West Coast US station in the log so I continued on the band.

I think I probably worked all 50 states during this session, I was called by many W6 and W7 stations and several KL7 stations were also logged.

The highlight of the session was being called by KH7C in Hawaii, followed later by KH7XS and KH6AT.

These are the first QSOs in history between Hawaii and Iceland on Top Band and I was really not expecting this to be possible, but the Arctic King and my large Beverage antennas, coupled with a zero-noise location made this possible.

It is also entirely likely that the West Coast USA QSOs made last night are the first in history from TF.

Note:  N6ND informs me that some stations in California have worked TF3CW in January 2008.

Note:  TF3SG informs me that he worked CA and BC on 160m SSB last January.

I have uploaded the log to LOTW.

I recorded the entire session:

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What an incredible pleasure !

The QSO with KH7C:

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The QSO with KH7XS:

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The QSO with KH6AT:

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All my audio files may be downloaded from my web site.

Cluster spots showed the excitement.

N5GH            1822.0 TF4M         GOOD SIGNAL IN MS TONIGHT!         0535 09 Dec   Iceland
W6UQZ-@         1821.9 TF4M         call corr – thumbs!                0535 09 Dec   Iceland
N5GH            1822.0 TX4M         GOOD SIGNAL IN MS TONIGHT!         0535 09 Dec   Not Found
W6UQZ-@         1821.9 TF4A         Grt ears!  TNX new one!            0531 09 Dec   Iceland
K6SRZ           1822.0 TF4M         tnx #121 top band                  0514 09 Dec   Iceland
K7LAY-@         1822.0 TF4M         3 hrs paid off                     0451 09 Dec   Iceland
WO1N            1821.9 TF4M         Good Ears…                       0432 09 Dec   Iceland
K5WK            1821.9 TF4M         going strong                       0411 09 Dec   Iceland
NL7Y-@          1822.0 TF4M         S9 in AK – Amazing                 0341 09 Dec   Iceland
K4SV            1822.0 TF4M         Nice sig QRM by caller SPLIT?      0333 09 Dec   Iceland
W2WC-@          1821.3 TF4M                                            0329 09 Dec   Iceland
W2TN            1822.0 TF4M         Great sigs                         0324 09 Dec   Iceland
WM3O            1822.0 TF4M         tnx for qrming me                  0308 09 Dec   Iceland
KS9W            1822.0 TF4M                                            0258 09 Dec   Iceland
N7RT            1820.5 TF4M         New #222 on 160                    0208 09 Dec   Iceland
W0BKR           1820.4 TF4M         (UP AND DWN)                       0202 09 Dec   Iceland
W0FLS           1820.5 TF4M         just darn loud                     0147 09 Dec   Iceland
W1YIF           1820.5 TF4M         Tnx new one!!!!                    0140 09 Dec   Iceland
W0SEI-@         1820.0 TF4M         HUGE SIG…..TNX                   0136 09 Dec   Iceland
W4QN            1820.5 TF4M                                            0131 09 Dec   Iceland
W4SVO           1820.4 TF4M                                            0118 09 Dec   Iceland
N6ND            1820.5 TF4M         QSX 1820.67 Tnx new one on 160     0118 09 Dec   Iceland
K9US            1820.7 TF4M         very stong tonight                 0052 09 Dec   Iceland
K0PY            1820.5 TF4M                                            0044 09 Dec   Iceland
ZS1REC-@        1820.5 TF4M         Thanks new one!                    0024 09 Dec   Iceland
HI3TEJ-@        1820.5 TF4M         Tnxs fer new one                   0017 09 Dec   Iceland
ZS1REC          1820.5 TF4M                                            0002 09 Dec   Iceland
K0HA            1820.5 TF4M         .                                  2344 08 Dec   Iceland

N5GH            1822.0 TF4M         GOOD SIGNAL IN MS TONIGHT!         0535 09 Dec   Iceland

W6UQZ-@         1821.9 TF4M         call corr – thumbs!                0535 09 Dec   Iceland

N5GH            1822.0 TX4M         GOOD SIGNAL IN MS TONIGHT!         0535 09 Dec   Not Found

W6UQZ-@         1821.9 TF4A         Grt ears!  TNX new one!            0531 09 Dec   Iceland

K6SRZ           1822.0 TF4M         tnx #121 top band                  0514 09 Dec   Iceland

K7LAY-@         1822.0 TF4M         3 hrs paid off                     0451 09 Dec   Iceland

WO1N            1821.9 TF4M         Good Ears…                       0432 09 Dec   Iceland

K5WK            1821.9 TF4M         going strong                       0411 09 Dec   Iceland

NL7Y-@          1822.0 TF4M         S9 in AK – Amazing 0341 09 Dec   Iceland

K4SV            1822.0 TF4M         Nice sig QRM by caller SPLIT?      0333 09 Dec   Iceland

W2WC-@          1821.3 TF4M                                            0329 09 Dec   Iceland

W2TN            1822.0 TF4M         Great sigs                         0324 09 Dec   Iceland

WM3O            1822.0 TF4M         tnx for qrming me                  0308 09 Dec   Iceland

KS9W            1822.0 TF4M                                            0258 09 Dec   Iceland

N7RT            1820.5 TF4M         New #222 on 160                    0208 09 Dec   Iceland

W0BKR           1820.4 TF4M         (UP AND DWN)                       0202 09 Dec   Iceland

W0FLS           1820.5 TF4M         just darn loud                     0147 09 Dec   Iceland

W1YIF           1820.5 TF4M         Tnx new one!!!!                    0140 09 Dec   Iceland

W0SEI-@         1820.0 TF4M         HUGE SIG…..TNX                   0136 09 Dec   Iceland

W4QN            1820.5 TF4M                                            0131 09 Dec   Iceland

W4SVO           1820.4 TF4M                                            0118 09 Dec   Iceland

N6ND            1820.5 TF4M         QSX 1820.67 Tnx new one on 160     0118 09 Dec   Iceland

K9US            1820.7 TF4M         very stong tonight                 0052 09 Dec   Iceland

K0PY            1820.5 TF4M                                            0044 09 Dec   Iceland

ZS1REC-@        1820.5 TF4M         Thanks new one!                    0024 09 Dec   Iceland

HI3TEJ-@        1820.5 TF4M         Tnxs fer new one                   0017 09 Dec   Iceland

ZS1REC          1820.5 TF4M                                            0002 09 Dec   Iceland

K0HA            1820.5 TF4M         .                                  2344 08 Dec   Iceland

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Arctic light

On December 8, 2009, in Amateur Radio, by TF4M

At this time of year my location has only a few hours of twilight.

I worked EY8MM in Tajikistan, who had good signals today.

Noise levels are so low now that I use the Arctic King in both transmit and receive.

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FIRST !! ZL to TF and FK to TF contacts on Top Band.

On December 7, 2009, in Amateur Radio, by TF4M

This morning I got up early and checked 160 meters for activity.

I immediately heard ZL3IX at his sunset and worked him for a first QSO between TF and New Zealand on Top Band.

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The picture is taken from DX Atlas by VE3NEA and shows the Gray Line at the time of our QSO.

ZL3IX QSO TF4M

ZL3IX QSO TF4M

I then  called CQ and was answered by ZL3NW and later KL7HBK and FK8CP for another first QSO between New Caledonia and TF.

ZL3NW QSO TF4M

ZL3NW QSO TF4M

And a little bit later the Gray Line was enhancing signals into New Caledonia.

FK8CP QSO TF4M

FK8CP QSO TF4M

W8JI also called me with a strong signal and I was pleased to learn that he has heard about the Arctic King :-)

This audio file contains all these QSOs.:

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I believe that band conditions were rather poor, signals were weak and some of these QSOs were extremely difficult.

I made a few recordings of other stations :

KL7J:                                                 

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JT1CO :                                            

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KL7HBK:                                        

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The Mongolian station had good signals but I was unable to raise him.

What a wonderful morning and an omen of things to come.

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The Arctic King

On December 2, 2009, in Amateur Radio, by TF4M

The Arctic King is  a relatively  simple structure, but there are some aspects of the design that are not immediately obvious.

An inverted L antenna mirrors another inverted L antenna working against elevated radials, positioned right on the edge of salt water for more than 180° of the horizon.

At present the vertical wires going to each inverted L are tied together in the feed point box. This makes the antenna work as a T antenna against elevated radials.

In this mode – i.e. vertical wires working in Common Mode (CM), the antenna is fully resonant around 1838 kHz – a little bit high on purpose – ball park resonance was adjusted roughly by adjusting the length of the elevated radials and fine tuning of the resonance was done with a  coil connected to the center point of the elevated radials inside the feed point box and one terminal of the UNUN transformer.

There are no tuning devices in the box, i.e. the resonance adjustment of the antenna is entirely separate from the matching to the feeder.

At resonance the feeder matching is accomplished with an UNUN 4:1 i.e. 50:12.5 ohms, and the UNUN additionally provides the DC path for the entire structure to a buried ground system.

I mention somewhere on my web site that initial testing comparing this antenna with my old tx antenna for 160 meters showed a 15 dB increase in signals, but I have now done some more testing and in the salt water direction the difference is in the region of  30-40 dB.

The primary purpose of the Arctic King is being a vertically polarized antenna, but by separating the two vertical wires inside the feed point box, the antenna can be fed in Differential Mode (DM) as a low dipole antenna – again resonant on the frequency of choice at 160 meters.

This would create a high angle of radiation, useful for local contacts like EU.

When the time comes to accomplish this, resonance will be determined – my measurements indicate 1770 kHz in DM and the resonance will be shifted with a capacitor connected between the two vertical wires inside the feed point box.

If the resonant frequency is high in DM, a coil will be installed instead between the vertical wires to adjust resonance, and the resulting R will then be matched to the feeder.

(note that in CM, these resonance adjustment components will ´disappear´ in CM, since they are effectively shorted out )

The interesting thing that was discovered during modelling was that once the elevated radials were raised to around 4 meters above ground, the dimensions of the top loading wires became non-critical.

This fact made it possible to calculate first the dimensions for the DM (dipole),then use those dimensions for the CM (vertical T ) and then adjust the CM antenna (the vertical) for resonance by adjusting the lengths of the elevated radials without affecting the resonance of the dipole.

I installed 8 conductors + shield from the shack into the feed point box to control relays and make measurements.

Current will be measured on each vertical wire and on each elevated radial and the balance will be adjusted as necessary.

In addition, the vertical will also be made to work on 80 meters in both CM and DM.

On 80 meters the feed point will be at a very high impedances, this is the reason for the separation of wires from the wooden structure and the large insulators.

The Arctic King is a unique antenna professionally designed by Villi, TF3DX and I am certain that in due time, he will publish a paper detailing the Arctic King design.

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