If you still have the old Southgate Amateur Radio News URL in your bookmarks. You will now find it redirects you to ARD Amateur Radio Daily.. 

Click on the link above for more detail. 

Steve, G1KQH, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from England. Contact him at [email protected].

In this episode, we join Martin Butler (M1MRB), Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT, Edmund Spicer M0MNG, Ed Durrant DD5LP and Ruth Willet KM4LAO to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin Butler (M6BOY) rounds up the news in brief and in the episode's feature is Types of Coax Connectors.

We would like to thank Nigel Wells (2W0CGM) and our monthly and annual subscription donors for keeping the podcast advert free. To donate, please visit - http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate

• Satellite Returns via Guided Re-Entry
• Pakistan Launches DRM Radio with Transmitter Project
• ARRL and NASA Team Up to Help Teachers
• Landmark PACT for African Amateur Radio Response
• International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend
• GB2RS in Morse code
• When QRP is a Big Deal
• Successful Orbit for CubeSATS Built in the Philippines
• ARRL Files Comments Against “Seriously Flawed” HF Rules Petition

Colin Butler, M6BOY, is the host of the ICQ Podcast, a weekly radio show about Amateur Radio. Contact him at [email protected].

Announcement:

OLIVIA DIGITAL MODE AUGUST 2023 QSO PARTY

Dates: August 11, 12, 13, 14 UTC
These are UTC dates,
starting at 00:00 UTC on first date, and,
ending at 23:59:59 UTC on last date

Our August Olivia QSO Party Weekend is published in QST!

 

On Facebook, the event link is: https://www.facebook.com/events/1332228534167891/

For full information about using Olivia, please visit our Groups dot io Olivia Group:

http://OliviaDigitalMode.org

What is unique about THIS particular QSO party?

Olivia is the digital (HF) protocol developed at the end of 2003 by Pawel Jalocha. This is the 20th Year Anniversary QSO party by the Olivia Digital DXers Club (we’re on Clublog).

Using UTC (GMT), starting at 00:00 UTC, August 11, through 23:59:59 UTC, August 14, 2023 – Olivia on the HF bands. Chat is encouraged, not the number of contacts, but the quality…

We will issue PDF certificates, after you send your ADIF log to NW7US (see QRZ dot com for email address for NW7US).

Those of you interested in the Olivia Digital Mode on HF (Amateur Radio Chat mode), we have a live Discord server for live spotting, etc. Here is the Discord chat: https://discord.gg/yktw8vC3HX

Our email reflector is: http://OliviaDigitalMode.org

ABOUT OLIVIA DIGITAL MODE ON HF

Below are suggested frequencies on which can be found Olivia signals (note: Olivia is a weak-signal mode, NOT a low-power mode). While it is easy to spot a STRONG Olivia signal anywhere on the waterfall, by using these suggested calling frequencies at least once and a while, you will enable us to find your signal when the signal is too weak to hear and too faint to see on the waterfall.

Olivia can do well with weak signals. Yes, our suggested 8 tone with 250 Hz bandwidth results in slow transmissions. But it is one of the better settings when attempting to decode very weak signals. Once you make contact, you can move up or down a bit, away from the calling frequency, and then change to 16/500 to make the conversation go faster. But, on a calling frequency, it is advisable to configure operations in such a way as to increase the likelihood that you will find and decode that weak signal.

In the following list, CENTER is where you place the center of the software’s cursor, and click to select that center frequency on the waterfall. If you use the DIAL frequency from this list, then click 1500 Hz offset up the waterfall (1500 Hz to the RIGHT of the LEFT side of the waterfall, if your waterfall is oriented horizontally with the lowest frequency on the left). This results in the software and transceiver being correctly tuned for the CENTER frequency.

The listing shows CENTER, then DIAL, then the number of tones and the bandwidth.

 CENTER        DIAL         Tones/Bandwidth (Notes)

1.8390 MHz    1.8375 MHz   8/250 (ITU Region 1, etc.; Primary International)
1.8270 MHz    1.8255 MHz   8/250 (ITU Region 2; Secondary)
3.5830 MHz    3.5815 MHz   8/250
7.0400 MHz    7.0385 MHz   8/250 (ITU Region 2, etc., Primary International)
7.0730 MHz    7.0715 MHz   8/250 (Secondary)
10.1430 MHz   10.1415 MHz   8/250
10.1440 MHz   10.1425 MHz  16/1000 (Potential - be mindful of other stations)
14.0730 MHz   14.0715 MHz   8/250
14.1075 MHz   14.1060 MHz  32/1000
18.0990 MHz   18.0975 MHz   8/250
21.0730 MHz   21.0715 MHz   8/250
24.9230 MHz   24.9215 MHz   8/250
28.1230 MHz   28.1215 MHz   8/250

REMEMBER THAT IF YOU USE THE DIAL FREQUENCY (THE SECOND FREQUENCY PER ROW), SET YOUR WATERFALL CENTER AT 1500 Hz)

Join us on Facebook at https://www.Facebook.com/groups/olivia.hf
Join us on Groups.io via http://OliviaDigitalMode.net

ALSO: If your software is able to decode/encode the Reed-Solomon Identification signals (RSID), please turn on both received and transmit RSID. An example is shown in the following video, which demonstrates enabling RSID in a popular software suite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBIacwD9nNM

Please share this everywhere possible, as part of our effort to rekindle the love for our conversational mode, Olivia.

73 de NW7US

..

Visit, subscribe: NW7US Radio Communications and Propagation YouTube Channel

For the Colorado 14er Event, Joyce/K0JJW and I decided to do one activation per day during the four-day event. We focused on 2m and 70 cm FM but also took along handheld radios for 1.25m and 23 cm. Our standard 2m/70cm portable station is a Yaesu FT-90, powered by a Bioenno battery, driving a small handheld Yagi (either a single band 2m or 70cm antenna).

Castle Rock (W0C/SP-112)

On Friday, we activated Castle Rock, a short but challenging climb with plenty of nasty brush to scar your arms and legs. This is a summit that we’ve done before but not in the last few years. It is relatively close to our cabin so we decided to give it a return visit. Frankly, it is a lot of work for only 4 SOTA points, but it definitely gives you the feeling of a real climb. We each made about 14 QSOs, mostly 2m FM, including 2 Summit-to-Summit (S2S) contacts.

Mount Antero (W0C/SR-003)

On Saturday, we returned to Mount Antero at 14,269 feet. I did the first SOTA activation of this summit in 2011 and this latest one is my fifth activation. Dennis/WA2USA, W9 Mountain Goat from Indiana, joined us for this effort. Dennis worked CW on the HF bands while Joyce and I worked VHF/UHF.

We drove the Jeep to 13,800 feet and hiked up from there. This turned out to be the most fun summit of the weekend, because 1) it was a 14er with an excellent radio horizon 2) the weather was perfect 3) we had WA2USA along for the ride and 4) we took our time on the summit and just enjoyed the experience. Overall, I made 28 QSOs, 10 of them S2S. I caught Jon/KM4PEH on South Monarch Ridge on all four bands: 2m, 1.25m, 70cm, and 23 cm. It was a pleasure to work Terry/WB0RBA as he did the first activation of Mount Sopris (W0C/SR-039).

Wander Ridge (W0C/SP-042)

On Sunday, we headed to one of our favorite summits, W0C/SP-042, known as Wander Ridge. See my previous trip report for more detail. This activation starts with a hike on the Continental Divide Trail (and Colorado Trail) from Cottonwood Pass. It really is walking on top of the world.

The weather was sunny and warm but the wind was a bit of a challenge. We made good use of the rock shelter at the summit, sitting in comfort while we made radio contacts. When we stood up to leave, we were almost knocked over by the high winds.

I made 19 QSOs, including 4 S2S. Steve/WB5CTS showed up on 2 meters from Slumgullion Pass, but also had 1.2 GHz gear along, so we made a contact on that band (about 63 miles). I was not expecting 1.2 GHz activity but I did have the Alinco HT, so I used it with just a rubber duck antenna. Hey, it worked!

The Pulverizer (W0C/SP-092)

Finally, on Monday we activated The Pulverizer, near Wilkerson Pass, which is a new summit for us. See my trip report for more info: Activating the Pulverizer.

The first three summits are in San Isabel National Forest and The Pulverizer is in Pike National Forest, so we also submitted our logs as Parks On The Air activations.

We had a great time doing these summits. I enjoyed hearing the other stations having a good time making VHF contacts. It warms my heart when someone makes a VHF contact that they did not think was possible. That is exactly the point…you never know where the signal will go so give it a try and prepare to be surprised!

73 Bob K0NR

The post Four Days of SOTA Fun appeared first on The KØNR Radio Site.

Bob Witte, KØNR, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Colorado, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

There is a SOTA summit next to Wilkerson Pass called The Pulverizer (W0C/SP-092). With such an inviting name, of course, we had to activate it.

According to its Summit Post page, this summit was named by well-known mountaineer and author Gerry Roach. Apparently, this name is an adaptation of the name of a nearby summit, Pulver Mountain. The Pulverizer does not have a trail to the summit and is known for having a lot of downed timber in the way. I found a trip report that said,

Overall, this is the kind of “hike” you only do if you really, really want to get these summits. It’s the kind of hike that you take someone on if you never want them to go with you on a hike ever again. Miserable downfall for pretty much the entire hike.

Having climbed the summit, I think this is an exaggeration but we did encounter plenty of downed timber. Many of our SOTA activations involve off-trail hiking, so we have been conditioned to expect the all-too-common dead trees on the ground.

Wilkerson Pass

Joyce/K0JJW and I followed the route identified by Walt/W0CP that starts at the Wilkerson Pass Visitor Center. (This summit can also be accessed from the east, via County Road 90.) We parked the Jeep on the east end of the parking lot and walked the trail (actually a sidewalk) to the south. At the “trailhead” waypoint, we left the sidewalk and headed south on a trail that quickly faded away.

Most of this area is in the Pike National Forest but there is a large piece of private property as shown on the map. The route to the summit is not critical but you need to avoid the private property, well marked with No Trespassing signs. The northeast corner of the property is shown on the map below as Fence Corner #1 (39.03252, -105.52364). We aimed for that corner, then followed the fence line heading south to Fence Corner #2 (39.02911, -105.52373). After that, you pretty much head to the summit, adjusting your route to avoid the worst sections of downfall.

The hike is 1.5 miles one way, with about 950 feet of elevation gain. There is a bit of up and down so the accumulated elevation gain may be higher than this. It starts out downhill, then flattens out but then provides a steep uphill section at the end. On the return trip, head for Fence Corner #2 and then follow the fence line north.

On the summit, we had good luck with making VHF & UHF radio contacts. This was during the Colorado 14er Event, so we had other summits on the air for S2S contacts. Sitting right above Wilkerson Pass, it has an excellent radio horizon in all directions. Here’s the view from the top, looking east:

Final Impression

So the real question is did we like the summit and will we do it again? We are glad that we did it, kind of a check-the-box item for SOTA activations in the South Park area. This is not our favorite SOTA summit but we might do it again sometime. You might say “We Have Been Pulverized” and we are not in a hurry to do it again.

73 Bob K0NR

The post Activating The Pulverizer (W0C/SP-092) appeared first on The KØNR Radio Site.

Bob Witte, KØNR, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Colorado, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

Attic Sidekick

 

In this final segment of antenna challenges, I want to take a look at some of the successes and failures. One antenna I tried was a screwdriver antenna ( High Sierra Sidekick) mounted in the attic with ground radials but for some reason, I was never able to get a good SWR.

 I then moved it outside at the side of our deck steps as I did not want the condo police to see it. With this setup I needed to setup and take down the antenna each time it was used.  To speed things up I buried the coax to the mounting location and I had a piece of 90-degree conduit attached to the deck step and it would swing out when I wanted to mount the antenna.

Sidekick outside.

The mount I used was called a Jawmount this allow fast install and take down.  I also buried the radials in the ground around the deck and out into the yard. This setup also meant I had to keep the snow cleared on the deck steps and around the antenna mounting position. In the end I wanted to have something more stealth and had better results as well as less trips out doors.

My next idea was the gutter and what I did here was used the center conductor from the coax and the braid was attached to the radials I used for the screwdriver antenna. The Elecraft K3 tuner was able to tune the gutter but I had a lot of noise and issues getting out. So it was back to the ground-mounted screwdriver antenna for now. 

 I also tried just plain old portable operation from home as well but that would be limited to summer time only. I set up on my deck using the Elecraft KX1 with the miracle whip antenna and also a portable mag loop. This was a nice setup with decent results but was limited to summers with nice days. 

Portable deck ops

The next idea I just can't believe I even did but I did and it worked very well. In the townhouse complex we lived in our cars were parked in a common parking lot we had no garage or driveway. Our home backed onto a large green space that connected to this parking lot. The gears in my head started turning..if I could get coax from the back of the house through the field to the car parked in the parking lot I then could put an HF antenna on the car and I would be good to go! Now that I look back I just can't believe I did this but I did. I purchased a large HF mobile multi-band vertical the Valor ProAm AB-5. Now it gets really good...I was able to get free from work 3/4 inch poly pipe. I rolled it out and bury about 60 feet of it in the green space almost to the car. Now that was a lot of work and done in such a way that it did not attract attention....don't ask.....Anyway fed LMR 400 in the pipe that I purchased cheaply at a flea market. The poly pipe was connected to a plastic waterproof box and the LMR 400 was terminated to an SO-239. When I wanted to get on the air I place the antenna on the car via a trunk lip mount and ran some RG8X from the antenna to the box where the LMR was terminated. This worked great for years and I was very fast at putting it up and down.

 Well as they say all good things come to an end...I came home from work one day to find the city decided to put a walking path in the green space and in the process dug up my poly pipe and LMR 400. I am guessing they had no idea what it was. They had already left for the day as I arrived home so it was time to move fast! I pulled out all the LMR 400 coax and removed from the ground about 15 feet of poly pipe that was close to the townhouse. Well, it was good while it lasted but now it was time to start thinking again. 

This was when I came up with the idea of the Alpha Delta in the attic (See part 1 in this series) Well that is it for my restricted antenna adventures and I hope you enjoyed and possibly came away with some ideas. 

Side note: Not sure what is going on with some of the text sizing in the post I tried to fix it and just ended up with more issues. Sorry for the sections of smaller print. 

Mike Weir, VE9KK, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Brunswick, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].

The FT8 mode was first released as part of the WSJT-X software in 2017. This new digital mode was adopted relatively quickly and is now a major force in amateur radio. You’ve probably heard the praises and complaints about it. On the plus side, it enables radio contacts under very poor conditions while detractors say that it is not real ham radio because the computer is making the contact. FT8 is an excellent example of a disruptive technology, impacting daily ham radio operations. This summer, I had two operating experiences (VHF contests) that really drove this point home.

My temporary station setup on the porch for the VHF contest.

ARRL June Contest

In the ARRL June Contest, we had very good sporadic-e propagation on 6 meters (and even 2 meters). I used my IC-7610 for 6 meters and usually had one receiver listening on the SSB calling frequency and the other sitting on the FT8 frequency. My strategy was to operate FT8 while keeping an ear on the SSB portion of the band. If signals were present on SSB, I switched over to that mode. The idea is that the run rate on SSB is inherently faster (and more fun), so it is my preferred way to make contacts. 

There was definitely activity on the SSB portion of the band, but it came and went throughout the contest. There were times that I was able to run on a frequency, calling CQ and having a steady stream of stations to work. Other times, I had to search and pounce, tuning around the band to find a new station to work. The FT8 story was different: most of the time there was consistent activity and new stations to work, but at a slower rate.

The FT8 operators tended to stay on FT8, even when the signals were strong. If they wanted to maximize their score, they probably should have switched over to SSB to make contacts at a faster rate. But they didn’t and that is their choice. (One thing I’ve come to accept is that I don’t control the choices that other radio hams make in terms of operating mode and band.) On 6 meters, I made 428 contacts with 80% of them on FT8. Radio operator decisions affect the types of QSOs made and if I focused only on SSB, I would surely have had more SSB contacts (but how many?)

CQ WW VHF Contest

In July, the CQ Worldwide VHF Contest was even more striking. While I was hoping for a repeat of the band conditions from June, the CQ WW conditions were not very good. However, I did manage to make QSOs using FT8 on 6 meters. The run rate was low and I often struggled to complete the exchange before the band shifted. Again, I listened on 6m SSB and picked up contacts there whenever possible. My QSO total for 6m was 164, with 90% of them via FT8.

After the contest, I heard from contesters that used only analog modes (SSB and CW) who reported that the contest was a complete bust. Even with hours of operating time, some folks only made 10 or 20 QSOs. This clearly tees up the choice: if you don’t want to work digital, you can severely limit your number of contacts. On the other hand, if you use FT8, you can make contacts under weak conditions, but at a slower rate with a computer in the loop.

Like many contesters, I would much rather have a nice run of QSOs on SSB filling up my log. It is just way more fun than sitting there watching the computer screen report the slow progress of FT8. But in the end, we all have the same choice when conditions are poor: actually making contacts using FT8 or sitting there hoping that band conditions improve enough to support SSB.

2 Meter Band

I did make some FT8 contacts on 2 meters, but found only a small number of operators using that mode. I expect that FT8 activity will increase on that band as people figure out they can squeeze out a few more contacts & grids using that mode.

73 Bob K0NR

The post FT8 Dominates VHF Contests appeared first on The KØNR Radio Site.

Bob Witte, KØNR, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Colorado, USA. Contact him at [email protected].