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ARRL DX (SSB) Contest
8 March 2023 | by
Another successful event
I think we made a commendable showing this weekend, thanks to
all. Statistics below and log attached.
Thanks to all participants and especially the new guys, Doug and Larry,
who jumped in got their feet wet.
The bands were open although a recent solar storm could have had an impact. Most remarkable was 10m which was wide open worldwide on Sunday morning. The best contact of the event was Namibia, V55Y, by John VE7TI, on Sunday
afternoon 10m. Also Reunion Island FR8TZ off the SE coast of Africa. This is a good way to learn your geography!
A pleasant surprise….
From time to time over the past week, I have seen 3B7M dxpedition spotted on the DX Heat Cluster and most of the time I either did not hear them or they were at or below the noise floor. I knew they were there as the pile-up was alive and well and responding with their call signs hoping to make it into 3B7M log. Yesterday they were spotted on 15m at their usual CW watering hole of 21.005 and as with all dxpedition they were operating split.
Before setting up my radio in split operation I wanted to make sure I could hear 3B7M. As I listened they did top out at S4 at times and that was good enough for me to give them a go. With my radio configured to split operation the next task was to watch my waterfall and see who 3B7M was contacting. With VFO A in my left ear (3B7M) and VFO B in my right ear (the pileup) I paid attention to who 3B7M was calling and then looked at the pile up on the waterfall to see the lonely signal that was coming back to him. The problem here was call signs not even close to the one 3B7M was calling were throwing their calls out again.
It took about 10 mins to figure out where 3B7M was dropping his call, now having said that there are a lot of radios with waterfalls out there now and they too have ferreted out 3B7M's pattern. Now the game is to figure out when we're exactly to drop my call. Most of the time it's just luck that you drop your call at the right time and right place! There are times in the waterfall you see stations running a KW or more signified by a bright red line on the waterfall as well as splatter. During those times I just rest as there is no use jumping in and getting nowhere.
It took about 20 minutes but I did finally hear 3B7M call "VE9KK 5NN". Now call me a bit skeptical but I have had times when I think that was my call or just one close to it? So I never get too excited until I check their online long which most dxpeditions have now and see if I am in it. This morning I checked and there I was in the log.
Finally, I am not sure why but there seems to be a new operating practice when it comes to dxpeditons and that is DQRMing (deliberate QRMing) In the past there have been those who forgot to put their rigs in split and transmit on the dxpetions calling frequency and I have been guilty of that! Also, those by mistake are tuning up their amp on top of the dx station as well. BUT recently I have unfortunately witnessed outright DQRMing. In the case of 3B7M I heard stations sending a series of fast CW dits over top of 3B7M or sending a series of the letter "V". I am almost positive they were intentional as this QRM was only sent when 3B7M was sending out a call sign they were seeking to make contact with. The DQRM was consistently dropped at just the right time each and every time. Fortunately, they grew tired of their childish behavior and moved on to something else.
Mike Weir, VE9KK, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Brunswick, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].
Close to Denver: Green Mountain (W0C/FR-107)
Sometimes you just want a close-in SOTA summit that is easy to access and allows you to get on the air. On the west side of greater Denver, a few summits meet that requirement. One of them is Green Mountain (W0C/FR-107), near the intersection of I-70 and C-470. This would make a good beginner summit or an easy-access summit for visitors to the area. Joyce/K0JJW and I activated this 1-point summit today.
Access is easy and convenient, the trailhead can be found by going west on Alameda Parkway, off C-470, then north on S Rooney Road. There is a large parking lot there and an obvious trailhead with pit toilets. From here we hiked east over C-470 into William Frederick Hayden Park. We followed signs for the Green Mountain Trail, which is basically an unimproved road, to the summit of Green Mountain (see map above). This is not the only option because the park has an extensive trail system to explore. Check out the Lakewood parks map here. Also, you can check the trail conditions here. My mapping app recorded the hike as 1.6 miles (one way) with an elevation gain of 800 feet, not very difficult but still a decent hike. On a cool Saturday afternoon, we met many hikers and mountain bikers on the trail.
This hike starts out with a lot of road noise from C-470 but things soon quiet down as we left the highway behind. On the summit, we could see many higher summits to the west and downtown Denver to the east. We only had a couple of handheld VHF/UHF radios with us and made a bunch of contacts on 2m FM. This is usually the case when you have line-of-sight to the Denver area, with plenty of activity on 146.52 MHz.
This summit is not the best SOTA summit in the state but if you are itching to do a SOTA activation without driving deep into the mountains, this one will work!
73 Bob K0NR
The post Close to Denver: Green Mountain (W0C/FR-107) 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].
Ham College 98
Ham College episode 98 is now available for download.
Extra Class Exam Questions – Part 36
E7F DSP filtering and other operations, software defined radio fundamentals, DSP modulation and demodulation.
George Thomas, W5JDX, is co-host of AmateurLogic.TV, an original amateur radio video program hosted by George Thomas (W5JDX), Tommy Martin (N5ZNO), Peter Berrett (VK3PB), and Emile Diodene (KE5QKR). Contact him at [email protected].
Amateur Radio Weekly – Issue 276
Antenna hidden in holiday lights skirts HOA rules
For this build, a long wire is hidden along with a strand of otherwise plain-looking lights.
Hackaday
Each Bouvet Island QSL cost $38
One of the biggest and most expensive expeditions in recent times was the 3Y0J activation on Bouvet Island.
EI7GL
We’re missing the STEM boat
This is more than an Amateur Radio club can handle.
KB6NU
Former FEMA leaders continue push for AM preservation
Removal of AM radios from cars is “a grave threat to future local, state and federal disaster response and relief efforts.”
Radio World
First EME QSO
Make an EME QSO on 70cm using LEO sat equipment.
Notizbl0g
Atsena Otie Key FL: The island, the pile-ups, the video
The antenna was on (and then, in!) the water.
AE5X
TikTok Hams: RadioPrep
Husband, dad, Ham Radio user + GMRS and emergency communications enthusiast.
TikTok
Inside the world of Australia’s high-altitude balloonists
and why they’re not afraid of a missile.
The Guardian
What in Heaven’s name is a Rybakov Antenna?
I was determined to learn more so I built one.
Ham Radio Outside the Box
Video
Portable digipeater build with a Pi Zero
Let’s build a portable APRS digipeater using a Pi Zero and Digirig soundcard.
KM4ACK
Ham Radio over light wave
Modulated light communications.
Tank Radio
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Amateur Radio Weekly is curated by Cale Mooth K4HCK. Sign up free to receive ham radio's most relevant news, projects, technology and events by e-mail each week at http://www.hamweekly.com.
LHS Episode #498: Dust in the Wind
Hello and welcome to Episode #498 of Linux in the Ham Shack. In this short topics episode, the hosts discuss upcoming opportunities for students to contact the ISS, the Bouvet Island DXpedition, open source at NASA, the Brave browser, the growth of Open Source and much more. Thanks for listening and have a great week.
73 de The LHS Crew
Russ Woodman, K5TUX, co-hosts the Linux in the Ham Shack podcast which is available for download in both MP3 and OGG audio format. Contact him at [email protected].
The March – April 2023 SARC Communicator
Another BIG issue!
'The Communicator' digital periodical of Surrey Amateur Radio Communications is now available for viewing or download.
Read in over 145 countries now, with almost 10,000 downloads for the November-December issue, we bring you 124 pages of Amateur Radio news from the South West corner of Canada and elsewhere. With less fluff and ads than other Amateur Radio publications, you will find Amateur Radio related articles, projects, profiles, news, tips and how-to's for all levels of the hobby.
You can view or download it as a .PDF file:
Previous Communicator issues are at:
https://ve7sar.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Communicator
and a full index is HERE.
As always, thank you to our contributors, and your feedback is always welcome.
The deadline for the next edition is April 15th.
If you have news or events from your club or photos, stories, projects or other items of interest from BC or elsewhere, please contact us at [email protected]
73,
John VE7TI
'The Communicator' Editor
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