AmateurRadio.com

With the temperature in the shack finally down to a more comfortable level I decided to get ready for the winter season and set up my medium/long wave outfit. The PA0RDT mini-whip was put in the mast, the Jackson Harbor Press long wave converter installed and all cables checked. I have been DXing NDBs on and off since my teenage years, and Steve’s (VE7SL) inviting announcement about the CLE186 made for a good excuse to check the whole setup with some NDB DXing.

Of course, there were a couple of snags. When I hooked up the mini-whip I remembered why I didn’t really like the original version: too much signal coming in resulting in some overloading and intermodulation products; LORAN C could be heard all over the place. Last year I made the alternative version of off PA0NHC’s hand, which performed much better. Alas, it fell a few storeys down from the balcony, which is not good for the health of electronics. I will have to build a new one these days. But after reviewing all the documentation on these whips I had my “duh” moment: I hadn’t filtered the coax and my ground connection was in the shack, not outside. Half a pound of ferrite clamps later and things sounded a lot better, although not perfect.

The other snag was the receiver. Originally I wanted to use my KX3 to free up my IC-7200. With both the mini-whip and the 12 meter vertical connected to the long wave converter reception was very disappointing. The IC-7200 did do a lot better, although not as good as what I remembered from using my TS-440S. The IC-7200 also did a good job without the converter, so I used both configurations.

But when Saturday came I was ready to do some serious listening and check out which NDBs could be heard. CLE186 focused on 350 to 369.9 kHz, but only a few stations were heard there. I found that conditions weren’t that great. Here is my entry:

0800 357.0 LU TWN Keelung S3
0802 362.0 HL TWN Houlong S5
0834 363.0 LA ? ? S4 1x ID then 7 sec pause
1139 369.0 ZF CHN Helou S3

I checked the whole long wave band and found plenty of other signals and I compared with my log of last year. Couple of new unidentified stations and two heard for the first time, the others being regulars. Our powerhouse NDB AP on 250 kHz was strong on Saturday, but off air on Sunday. I also heard TEST being keyed on 290 kHz instead of the regular BM from Makong, so I suspect there are some changes going on in the Taiwanese beacon scene.

Lots of fun and my focus for the coming weeks is clear: get better reception by building an improved mini-whip and improve my filtering. Who knows, maybe this season I will be able to receive some Japanese NDBs or radio amateurs on 2200 meters.

Hans "Fong" van den Boogert, BX2ABT, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Taiwan. Contact him at [email protected].

For the last few weeks, the IC-740 which was sitting quietly under the bench had been niggling at me. I had no HF rig on the operating bench, other than the FT-847 which gets used on VHF mostly. I’d taken the FT1000MP off the bench a while ago and didn’t feel that excited about using it. In fact, I’d thought about selling it – though haven’t really thought that through yet.

But the IC-740. There was an appeal to getting it out and going again. It was my HF rig when I first got on the air back in 1983. I knew it worked ok as I’d had a handful of contacts on it a few months back. Chasing DX, no, that wasn’t really wanted to do. Perhaps some CW – just run of the mill stuff – there have been times when I’ve found working around the UK on 7MHz CW good fun. Maybe something like that?

Finding a few minutes this afternoon, I hooked it up – plugged an aerial and a paddle in. It puts out the 85W or so that it always did. Tuned around 28MHz and quickly made a few QSOs across Europe, Asia, Africa and North America (not great conditions, but good). I listened to my old pal G3TXF doling out the QSOs as ZD9XF. Although it would be lovely to work Nigel, I don’t really feel the need to play pileups.

So maybe you’ll even hear me and the old IC740 (31 years old) around 7030 playing low power. Who knows! It’s nice to be reunited with my old friend!

Tim Kirby, G4VXE, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Oxfordshire, England. Contact him at [email protected].

For the last few weeks, the IC-740 which was sitting quietly under the bench had been niggling at me. I had no HF rig on the operating bench, other than the FT-847 which gets used on VHF mostly. I’d taken the FT1000MP off the bench a while ago and didn’t feel that excited about using it. In fact, I’d thought about selling it – though haven’t really thought that through yet.

But the IC-740. There was an appeal to getting it out and going again. It was my HF rig when I first got on the air back in 1983. I knew it worked ok as I’d had a handful of contacts on it a few months back. Chasing DX, no, that wasn’t really wanted to do. Perhaps some CW – just run of the mill stuff – there have been times when I’ve found working around the UK on 7MHz CW good fun. Maybe something like that?

Finding a few minutes this afternoon, I hooked it up – plugged an aerial and a paddle in. It puts out the 85W or so that it always did. Tuned around 28MHz and quickly made a few QSOs across Europe, Asia, Africa and North America (not great conditions, but good). I listened to my old pal G3TXF doling out the QSOs as ZD9XF. Although it would be lovely to work Nigel, I don’t really feel the need to play pileups.

So maybe you’ll even hear me and the old IC740 (31 years old) around 7030 playing low power. Who knows! It’s nice to be reunited with my old friend!

Tim Kirby, G4VXE, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Oxfordshire, England. Contact him at [email protected].

The Mini-Whip at University of Twente's (Netherlands) Remote Receiver

I think many hams believe that they need big antennas and lots of space to operate on 630m or even to listen on the band. I can assure you that big antennas are definitely not needed to listen or for that matter, even to transmit effectively.

You might be surprised at just how well you can hear on 630m using one of your low band antennas, such as an 80m or 40m dipole. Best results will be had with the coaxial feed's shield lifted from ground and connected to the center pin. This, in effect, allows your dipole to act as a top-loaded 'T', with the coaxial feedline now acting as the vertical element and the dipole section as a capacitive tophat. With a few ground radials, such an antenna can even be used for transmitting, if suitably resonated, but that's another topic altogether. Even untuned, this system will allow you to receive suitably on 630m providing your location is not inundated with high noise levels. High noise levels can often be overcome by using loops, either resonated or broadband. Loops can be very effective at nulling noise, particularly if it is coming from one direction, and vastly improving LF receive-capabilities.

Another popular solution and one that can be quite effective at lowering noise levels and improving overall signal-to-noise is the use of a short active (amplified) whip antenna. One very popular and proven design is that of Roeloff Bakker, PAØRDT. His simple-to-build active whip has been employed around the world and is being used by many LF'rs for dependable reception on the NDB band as well as on 630m. Roeloff himself operates from a noisy urban area yet manages to hear amazingly well on LF and MF with this simple antenna. Unlike a much larger wire antenna or large loop, the small active whip can be easily positioned in the quietest part of your backyard or rooftop. Often just moving such an antenna a few feet one way or the other can make a huge change in the noise level if you are operating from a typical city or suburb location....the PAØRDT whip may be all that you really need for long-term, reliable LF reception.

Courtesy: PAØRDT

Common practice is to mount the PCB inside a small weather-sealed PVC pipe and erect it atop a mast, after taking the time to "sniff-out" the quietest location for its placement.

Courtesy: http://www.leeszuba.com/projects/

With very few parts needed, the whip can be built for just a few dollars...even less with a good junkbox and the needed transistors.

Courtesy: http://www.leeszuba.com/

You can read Roeloff's own information on construction of the active whip here, with additional information here.

I even see the parts and PCB available on e-bay. As well, Roeloff himself, can provide finished units ready to mount in the air.

Courtesy: http://countingradios.blogspot.ca/2014_01_01_archive.html

There are plenty of informative Mini Whip articles and construction stories on the web should you wish to learn more:

• Fundamentals of the Mini Whip  by PA3FWM

• A Compact Active Wide-Band Receiving Antenna  by G3GRO

•  PAØRDT Mini Whip - Commercial & Homebrew Versions Tested  by GØKYA

• The PAØRDT Mini Whip  by DL1DBC 

• The Mini Whip Antenna  by Lee Szuba

If you're stuck with limited space for an LF-receive antenna, this may be just the answer!

Steve McDonald, VE7SL, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from British Columbia, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].

It’s been Indian summer the last couple of days. That’s what we call it when we get a spell of summer weather during the cool fall days. It’s generally the last warm weather of the year.

I rode my bike along both sides of the Pemigewasset River yesterday and today. I worked Spain, Idaho, Madeira Island, Greece, Germany, Belgium and Tristan de Cunha.

Today was in the 80s! I rode my bike north along the Sanbornton side of the river. What a day… I rode about a mile and a half to the old bridge abutment and set up the KX3 under an oak tree in the shade. I tossed a 33 foot wire over a branch and started operating. I worked three stations in about 10 minutes on 17 meters.

First EG4ATB in Spain… it was a special event station and we exchanged 599s. The next was W1AW/7 in Idaho, and then I worked Madeira Island. Cedric CT3FT was just finishing up a QSO and I called him. He gave me a 579. “FB QRP WRKING VY NICELY,” he sent. He was running 500 watts to a 4 element beam.

The day was perfect. The trees are just starting to change color. The fields have recently been mowed and the scent of fresh hay fills the air.

On the Old Hill Side of the River

Yesterday, I was on the other side of the river. It was a beautiful day. I started out at Needle Shop Brook and headed south toward Franklin.

I rode south a couple of miles and set up at the edge of a large field in the sunshine just under a maple tree. I used the 33 foot wire and the KX3.

I started out on 15 meters and quickly worked SX7AMF, a special event station in Greece. We exchanged 599s and I tuned up a bit and worked W1AW/7 in Idaho. Then I switched to 12 meters and had the surprise of my life. There was ZD9XF in Tristan de Cunha calling CQ. This is a DXpedition on one of the most remote islands in the world! I got him on the second call and we exchanged 599s. I never expected that.

I switched to 17 meters and worked DJ9IE in Germany. Uli gave me a 579. He was 599. Before riding back, I worked one more… OP37AEF in Belgium.

These last few days of September are precious. There will be many months of snow and cold before we can enjoy the luxury of days like this again. I’m getting out every chance I have.

Jim Cluett, W1PID, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Hampshire, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

I’ve had a little play about whilst avoiding the household viewing of ‘Strictly come dancing’ aka ‘celebrity showing off’ with the APRS maps you can embed through APRS.fi

I’ve added a little map to the site here

Just a bit of fun but I do like APRS. Great for the fells.

Trouble is it seems to default to Helsinki regardless of the lat / long you put in the script

Alex Hill, G7KSE, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Cumbria, UK. Contact him at [email protected].

Tim Kirby, G4VXE, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Oxfordshire, England. Contact him at [email protected].