The King

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

Tagged with: 160M • audio • Beverage • FIRST! • The King

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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Tagged with: 160M • audio • Nikon D300 • The King

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

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

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

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.

Tagged with: 160M • audio • FIRST! • The King

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.

Tagged with: 160M • antennas • The King

CQ WorldWide DX Contest 2009 – CW

On November 30, 2009, in Amateur Radio, by TF4M

2009 CQWW CW Contest: 0000 UTC, November 28 through 2359 UTC, November 29.

Three operators arrived from Reykjavik to operate the contest. Yngvi – TF3Y, Kiddi – TF3KX and Oddur – TF3OO along with a Gourmet Chef who had planned the feast for weeks.

Conditions were rather poor, not a single sun spot during the weekend made conditions on HF rather poor and in addition there was some Auroral activity affecting the lower bands.

Despite this 4525 contacts were made in 48 hours of operation.

You may listen to the activity from TF4X:

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The menu was fantastic. On Friday we had Tom Ka soup with Halibut followed by real-Vanilla ice cream and cake, on Saturday the menu was pigeon breast, Elk meat with carrots boiled in orange juice and Sunday we had icelandic mountain lamb fille, with baby tomatoes braised in olive oil and maple syrup garnished with fresh Timian.

The Arctic King awed us with the performance – 1270 QSOs were made on Top Band and was only matched by 20M where 1306 QSOs were made using an array of Rhombic antennas.

We used Win-Test contest logging software which performed flawlessly on 5 computers during the entire contest.

We used a feature of the software called Targets Tracking, which showed us real-time graphs on the screen of our progress compared to last year´s effort. Right from the beginning things were going much better than last year and this was very inspiring throughout the 48 hours.

This graph shows the over-all difference on an hourly basis compared to the effort of 2008.

This graph shows the hourly over-all rates compared to 2008. 2008 in grey, 2009 in violet.

This picture shows the zones worked on all bands.

The Icelandic record in the Multi/Single Category was set by TF3IRA in 1980 at the height of the Sun Spot Cycle.

That record stood at 2,169,760 points. They made 3004 QSOs and they worked 85 zones and 231 countries to accomplish this.

We beat the 29 year old record handsomely as can be seen in the summary.

It is interesting to note that Yngvi, TF3Y and Kiddi, TF3KX were operators when both records were set.

Highlights of the operation was working a Pile-up of JA stations on 160 meters – this is the first time in history that JA/TF QSOs are made on Top Band during this contest.

KH6 (Hawaii) was worked on 80 meters for the fourth time in TF history that I am aware of. Prior to this, only Boggi – TF3TF (SK), Yngvi – TF3Y and Gudmi-TF3SG have worked Hawaii on 80 meters.

It was interesting to note some extremely strong poor signals that obliterated parts of the bands along with some strong EU stations that seemed to be completely deaf. It took me 46 minutes of constant calling to raise one of these stations on the low bands. It is absolutely necessary to have separate receive antennas for the low bands (160/80) to be able to operate there with any kind of efficiency.

A very successful weekend is behind us and a what a good omen of things to come.

Our SoapBox comment to 3830 was as follows:

Comments:

This was the first CQ WW with TF4X being active. TF4X is a
special call issued to the TF4M station. The latest addition, the
phenomenal Arctic King 160m antenna took us by surprise. Almost as
many QSO’s on 160 as on 20. Numerous new Beverages and zero noise
level on RX. The strength of the station is displayed by low band
performance. First time JA pileup for us from TF on 160m in CQ WW.
Propagation was relatively good as we had little Aurora and definitely
better on the Saturday. According to the raw score the 29 year old M/S
record from TF was broken by 1.1 million points.

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