Author Archives: dk5ai

5H3EME – 2m EME

Posted on by

The beautiful Zanzibar Island in Tanzania (AF-032 / KI93rv) was the destinationof Alex K2BB, Pavel UU0JR, Serg RT5D, Sasha UT7UV and Oleg US7UX. Under the call sign 5H3UN they were active on the Hf-bands, also using 5H3EME for 6m and 2m Moonbounce.
For 2m EME they had two 10 element cross-yagi antennas with elevation, a Javornik II 144-28 transverter with dual channel RX – LNA, Odyssey II SDR transceiver and finally a 1kW solid state amplifier.
After along night waiting for a signal at 01:10 UT 5H3EME came out of the noise and after two calls the QSO was in the log – DXCC # 90 on 2m. The goal is approaching …

A21EME – 2m EME

Posted on by

Next step on the way to the 2m DXCC was the QSO with A21EME in Botswana (KG25wk) this morning October 21, 2019 on 2m via EME. The Team – Lins PA3CMC, John ZS6JON, Chris PA2CHR, Paul ZS6NK, Andrew ZS6AVH, Bernie ZS4TX, Sam HB9COG and Dan HB9CRQ activated 6m up to 10 GHz. The signal peaked up to -21 dB on my single 14 Element Yagi.

Late 2m Sporadic E Opening

Posted on by

Completely unexpected and very late for the season, this afternoon the 2m band opened again via Sporadic E direction of the Iberian Peninsula. Within about 45 minutes, 6 EA and a CT station came into the log. Unfortunately again no stations in SSB or CW were heard or worked.

EA1NL, EA1UU, EA1YV, EB1DJ, EA2BFM, and EA4CRP were heard only.

CT8 – 2m EME

Posted on by

Another one in the bag. Well known SSPA-designer Jim, W6PQL, was again active on 2m EME from Pico Island in the Azores (HM58rn). He used a pair of 2m20xp and one of his own designed SSPA’s. His signal was easily copied up to -23 dB here.

Baltic Way 30 – Short Term Award

Posted on by

This Memorial Award is announced by Eesti Raadioamatööride Ühing (ERAÜ), Latvijas Radio Amatieru Līga (LRAL) and Lietuvos Radijo Mėgėjų Draugija (LRMD) to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the Baltic Way – a peaceful protest against the Molotov – Ribbentrop pact signed on 23rd of August 1939, dividing the independent countries of Eastern Europe in spheres of influence between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. On the same date in 1989 more than 2 million people across Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania joined hands to form a 675 km long human chain – the Baltic Way, showing their fight for independence.

Although this Award is not difficult to get, it has a special meaning for me. A few weeks ago, I visited all three Baltic States and drove part of the way from Vilnius to Tallin via Riga.
This memorial stone is located in front of Cathedral Square in Vilnius and contains the word “stebuklas”. This was the starting point of the huge human chain between Vilnius and Tallinn on August 23, 1989. Nearly two million Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians protested hand in hand, 650 kilometers in length, for the independence of their own states.

CY9C – 2m EME

Posted on by

Back in August 2016 Lee, WW2DX and a Crew started to activate St. Paul Island (NA-094) on Hf and 2m EME as CY9C. At the second day of the DXpedition unfortunately gale force winds destroyed the antenna array and the 2m activity came to an abrup end.

Now, from July 31 to 08, 2019, CY9C is back on Hf and EME on 6m and 2m. Today I was lucky to work Lee on 2m EME for a new DXCC #87.

July 2019 – Sporadic E 6m/2m

Posted on by

Also the month of July brought some nice Es openings to Asia as well to North America. Unfortunately, due to geographical reasons, the midwest of the USA could not be reached again from here. On July 24 at around 8:00 am my signal was heard from a VK3 station. Unfortunately, there was no 2-way-QSO this time.

In total, another three new DXCC entities could be added on 50 MHz in July: 4L/DL7ZM (Georgia), BA4MY (China) and JW7QIA (Svalbard). Thanks to David, DL7ZM and Peter, LA7QIA for their great DX-Peditions!

Stations worked on 50 MHz – July 2019
Top 10 distances on 50 MHz – July 2019

For ES on 2m this month see further below (Opening 23.07.2019)

144 MHz: International Space Station on SSTV

Posted on by

From July 29 until August 04, 2019 the ISS send again pictures in Slow Scan Television. The images are always transmitted in Mode PD 120 on 145.800 MHz in Frequency Modulation. The following images were received with a 14 Element Yagi and decoded with MMSSTV software. More information about Amateur Radio on the ISS can be found on the ARISS website and the ARISS Blogspot.

Pictures received between July 29 – July 31, 2019 (Expedition 60 – Series Inter-MAI-75).

Pictures received on August 01, 2019 (Remembering Owen Garriott W5LFL)

This remembers me to a QSO I had with W5LFL Owen on December 04, 1983, on 144 MHz SSB, when he was onboard the Spaceshuttle “Columbia”.

DK5AI – D41CV on 144 MHz via Es: New Region I Distance Record on 2m – 4.966 km!

Posted on by

The day was quiet on 6m as the band opened up to Africa in the afternoon, July 23, 2019. I was busy watching for a TU2 station from Ivory Coast and a look to the MUF showed some red spots in southern France, means the MUF was above 140 MHz!

Time to switch to 144 MHz. Not too late and after some CQ-calls CT1FJW popped in, followed by other stations from Portugal. And there was another caller in between – could I trust my eyes? I thought my heart stopped beating. D41CV from Cape Verde was calling me! 15 second periodes for FT8-mode could be sooo long, would the propagations be stable enough to finish? Yes they were and then it was done: D41CV was worked on 144 MHz via Sporadic E plus Tropo Extension over an unbelievable distance of 4.966 km (3,086 mi), also setting a new Region I Distance Record! The signal of D41CV war copied for about less than 5 minutes.

If we have a closer look at the Hepburn Tropo Index, we can find the highest value of 10+ for the area west of Africa just between the Canary and Cape Verde Islands. This maritime tropospheric ducting widens the range of the massive Sporadic E Opening between Germany and EA8. What a lucky constellation today!

Thanks Monteverde Contest Team Club for calling and for this incredible QSO and Record!

Thanks to EI7GL who made a very nice analysis about this remarkable contact, see here.

Heard but not worked were CT1BYM -9, EA1HRR -6 and EA8TJ -7.

June 2019 – Sporadic E 6m/2m

Posted on by

Seasonally 50 MHz was open every day within Europe. In addition, there were some very short band openings to Africa, Asia and North America. Towards the US and Canada, the terrain of my QTH rises to 10 degrees elevation, so at all only two stations from Canada have been heard and worked.

In total, five new DXCC entities could be added on 50 MHz in June: 9G2HO (Ghana), 9M2TO (West Malaysia), J69DS (St. Lucia), SU1SK (Egypt) and VU2NKS (India).

New ones received on FT8-Mode while I was not in shack were 4S7AB (Sri Lanka), YI6ATT (Iraq) and BA7IO (China) – what a pitty! Hope to get them soon!

Stations worked on 50 MHz – June 2019
Top 10 distances on 50 MHz – June 2019

144 MHz ES was a big disappointment, just one opening from here on June 16. Unfortunately, all activity apparently concentrated on 144,174 MHz and FT8-Mode, what a waste of time! In such short openings it would have been easy to work many stations in SSB or CW, but FT8 is definately the wrong mode. Unfortunately, no station was heard in CW or SSB.
Just heard in FT8-Mode, mostly for only one periode: RA3EL (KO82), UR3UK KN59), RX3QFM (KO91) and UA3QC (KO91).