First ever SV signal captured in USA on 136.171KHz

My signal captured by W1TAG, DF6NM, G4WGT, RN3AGC, EW6BN

Last night 29/04/2013 my QRSS-60 transmittion on 136.171KHz captured by W1TAG at FN42CH.

Also I see very good signal in the G4WGT grabber.

And as every evening at DF6NM and YO/4X1RF grabbers:

QRB with W1TAG is 7491 Km !!!

QRB with G4WGT is 2512 Km.

QRB with DF6NM  is 1506 Km.

QRB with YO/4X1RF is 865 Km.

I see also my signal in the DK7FC grabber, under his transmittion (QRB 1617 KM).

Received reports from RN3AGC, Andrey in Moscow:

 

and EW6BN, Yuri:

 My signal is the weak one under the strong DFC signal produced by Stefan, DK7FC.

TNX to all captured my signal and specialy to W1TAG for transatlantic report.

73, Spiros/SV8CS

Opera 32 rcvd by RX3DHR (2330Km)

Last night my signal captured by a new station RX3DHR near MOSCOW 2330 KM.
Best QRB last night GW0EZY at 2488Km.

04:54 136 SV8CS de G3XDV Op32 2260 km -36 dB in Welwyn, IO91VT with 0.3w
03:15 136 SV8CS de G3XDV Op32 2260 km -35 dB in Welwyn, IO91VT with 0.3w 03:14 136 SV8CS de GW0EZY Op32 2488 km -38 dB in Welshpool IO82HO with 0.3w
03:14 136 SV8CS de YO/4X1RF Op32 865 km -35 dB in Bucharest KN34AL with 0.3w
01:35 136 SV8CS de G3XDV Op32 2260 km -33 dB in Welwyn, IO91VT with 0.3w
01:35 136 SV8CS de YO/4X1RF Op32 865 km -35 dB in Bucharest KN34AL with 0.3w 23:55 136 SV8CS de RX3DHR Op32 2330 km -36 dB in Zaraysk . with 0.3w
23:55 136 SV8CS de RX3DHR Op32 2330 km -36 dB in Zaraysk . with 0.3w
23:55 136 SV8CS de YO/4X1RF Op32 865 km -34 dB in Bucharest KN34AL with 0.3w
22:15 136 SV8CS de GW0EZY Op32 2488 km -37 dB in Welshpool IO82HO with 0.3w
22:15 136 SV8CS de RX3DHR Op32 2330 km -33 dB in Zaraysk . with 0.3w


73, Spiros
SV8CS

New QRB 2388 Km by G8HUH

 

NEW QRB 2388 Km.
 I had a new QRB of my 137.540 OP32 signal.
G8HUH captured my OP32 transmittion at his QTH loc IO81mg.
Also PA3FNY at QRB 2005 Km and 4X1RF at 1398 Km.
Stations list:
 

04:19 136 SV8CS de 4X1RF Op32 1398 km -37 dB in Haifa KM72LS

04:19 136 SV8CS de G8HUH Op32 2388 km -37 dB in Somerset IO81mg

02:39 136 SV8CS de 4X1RF Op32 1398 km -36 dB in Haifa KM72LS

23:19 136 SV8CS de 4X1RF Op32 1398 km -39 dB in Haifa KM72LS

23:19 136 SV8CS de YO/4X1RF Op32 865 km -35 dB in Bucharest KN34AL

21:40 136 SV8CS de DL-SWL/RX1 Op32 1830 km -38 dB in nr Wolfsburg

21:39 136 SV8CS de PA3FNY Op32 2005 km -37 dB in Utrecht.

Now the main loading coil installed outside off the shack but the variometer still inside the shack with the RF A-meter, (spend 4 hours to retune the system HI HI).
Next days I will start to  build a new loading coil with 33 cm diameter and the variometer intergrated in the main coil.

 My LF station is in experimental situation and always is changing.
After the installation of loading coil at 10.00z (12.00 local time) with full day light started to TX in QRSS-60 to see if any grabber can copy my signal. Looking at the DF6NM grabber with big surprise I see very clear my transmittion (with day light). Also my signal received by DK7FC (who suggested to me to put the coil outside) grabber.

I hope to see you on LF and of course to make some qso's.
73, Spiros/SV8CS

OP32 decode from G3XDV (2260Km)

Last night, my signal captured by G3XDV at 2260 Km in Opera 32 mode on 137.550 KHz.

Power here is 0,5W on Marconi "T" type antenna. (3X28m horizontal/40m Vertical).
Thank you Mike.
Also had a very nice QRSS-30 qso on 136.170 with HB9ASB (my 4th dxcc on LF).
73, Spiros/SV8CS

1st Opera 32 decodes at 1830Km on 137KHz

At 00:02z 10/02/2013 I had my first decodes on 137.550KHz using Opera program in OP32.
DL-SWL near Wolfsburg at 1830Km and R7NT in KN97LF at 1815Km.

Here the map of R7NT qth:

 

And the DL-SWL qth:

 

To set my YUMA TX136 transmitter to TX in opera, Graham G0NBD help me a lot. TNX Graham. Also last night I had again very nice captures on the DK7FC and YO/4F1RF grabbers sending (the traditional) QRSS-60  CW mode. My output power is estimated to be less than 0.5W.

YUMA transmitter has not a good stability when TX in qrss-60. I added a 12v Fan to cooling the "box" and the stability was very good.

I hope for a QSO on 136KHz band.

73,Spiros/SV8CS

First qso on 137 Khz - SV 1sts.

After finishing the antenna for 472 and 137 KHZ started to construct the loading coil and the Variometer for LF (137KHZ).

The 472 - 137 KHZ antenna placed between the two towers. Consists from 3 wires 28,00m long spaced 50cm each other. The antenna is a Marconi "T" type. The left side is at 30m height and the right side at 20m height. The center wire 40m long come directly to the shack. Ground system consists of about 150m wire with 4 poles in the ground and then connected to old galvanize tube water supply pipes.

The antenna on 137KHz has efficiency 1,77% and gain -17,50dbi. On 472 KHz has efficiency 17,7% and gain -7,50 dbi.

LOADING COIL AND VARIOMETER

The loading coil for 137KHz has a diameter 40cm, with 70 turns,coil lenght 20cm and about 100m wire 1,5mm2. The variometer consists of 2 coils. The external coil has diameter 16cm and the internal 5cm. Needed inductance for this type and size of antenna for 472KHz is 175 μH and for 137KHz 3mH. Both variometer coils give a tunning range between 270 to 390 μH.

Using as transmitter YUMA TX136KHz I have in the output 50w. To test the antenna current I build a RF-ameter with a toroid coil 25:1 and a 100mA full scale meter. With 50w I can read 60mA in the RF-ameter. The antenna tunned on 137KHz has SWR 1,1:1.

 TXing on 137.710KHz QRSS-10 cw I can see very often my signal in some EU's grabbers.
1) YO/4X1RF grabber : http://qsl.net/4x1rf/yo/lfgrabber.htm
2) DK7FC grabber : http://www.iup.uni-heidelberg.de/schaefer_vlf/DK7FC_LF_Grabber.html
Finished so far 2 QSOs in 137.710 KHz in QRSS-10 CW mode.
1)  27/01/2013  at 19:11z YO2IS   QRSS-10 CW.
2)  27/01/2013 at  19:40  UW8SM QRSS-10 CW.
3) Heard DK7FC (wspr-15 strong) - DF6NM (wspr-15) - IK1HSS (wspr and qrss-10) - G8HUH (wspr-15) - UW8SM (wspr-15).
My first transmitions captured by my local radioamateurs neihbors SV8DOU (50m !!!) - SV8RX (8 KM) - SV8YM (12 KM).

Here is my QRSS-10 CW signal captured by YO/4X1RF grabber in Bucharest 03 Feb 2013 at 18:20z on 137.710 KHz.

In the R7NT  DXCC 136 KHz list you can see GREECE for first time on 136 number DXCC country 50.

http://136.73.ru/h_history/dxcc.htm 

I would like to thanks Stefan, DK7FC - Marco IK1HSS for big help and ON7YD for his nice LF web page : http://www.strobbe.org/on7yd/136ant/

I hope to see you on LF band soon. For skeds or reports please e-mail me  : sv8cs at otenet dot gr

73, Spiros

SV8CS

 

WE6XGR 474.2 Khz wspr report

Tonight we had another very good Transatlantic propagation on MF (474.20 Khz).

Here on WSPR screen you can see WE6XGR, from FN12lp, captured on my QTH, Zante Island Western Greece, (KM07js), at a distance of  7840 Km. The experimental call is WE2XGR/6 issued to W2ZM, but he is using for WSPR tests the call WE6XGR to fit into WSPR format.

 



2013-01-13 04:46

WE6XGR

0.475606

-28

0

FN12

+47

50.119

SV8CS

KM07jr

7840

4872

 

 

Earlier I had also nice WSPR capture on 136 Khz from DK7FC and IK1HSS.

 

2036 -13 -0.7 0.137460 0 DK7FC JN49 30

2040 -19 0.0 0.137490 0 IK1HSS JN35 23

2042 -13 -0.7 0.137460 0 DK7FC JN49 30

2044 -20 0.1 0.137490 0 IK1HSS JN35 23

2048 -16 -0.7 0.137460 0 DK7FC JN49 30

2052 -18 0.2 0.137490 0 IK1HSS JN35 23

2058 -16 0.1 0.137490 0 IK1HSS JN35 23

2100 -19 -0.8 0.137460 0 DK7FC JN49 30

2106 -15 -0.7 0.137460 0 DK7FC JN49 30

2106 -21 0.1 0.137490 0 IK1HSS JN35 23

73, Spiros/SV8CS

136,30 KHZ beacon

136 Khz new band in GREECE.

Yesterday 05/01/2012 started for 1st time to TX on 136Khz in beacon style, temporary, just for testing the equipment and the antenna..

For the moment the antenna is a delta loop with total lenght 80m and a toroidal transformer. The results are not good but my signal was heard at about 10 Km far from QTH. Next days I will change the antenna with an INV "L"  25m vertical and 50m horizontal , or better with a "T" type Marconi and adding the loading coil  with variometer.

A very interesting site for LF antennas is here:

http://www.strobbe.org/on7yd/136ant/

 

The transceiver (transmitter with converter in 10 Mhz) is a YUMA  TX136.

http://www.nikkemedia.fi/juma-tx136/

Hope to see you soon on 136 Khz.

73, Spiros/SV8CS

FITSAT-1 beacon reception 437.250

FITSAT-1 (NIWAKA).
Today 19/12/2012 at 18:17z on 437.250 received the beacon starting with "HI DE NIWAKA" and continous with varius telemetry data in CW mode.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/mk0bab4w6upyyy1/FITSAT-1%20NIWAKA.wav
You can find more information in this web page:
http://www.fit.ac.jp/~tanaka/fitsat.shtml

This FITSAT-1 was deployed from ISS at 15:44z on 4th October 2012.

 

Has also a flashing LED and when the LEDS are ON, acording to program you can see the flashing LEDs write CW messages in the night SKY. The NIWAKA's high power LEDs will be driven with more than 200W pulses to produce extremely bright flashes.These, will be observable by the unaided eye or small binoculars.

 

The FITSAT-1 (Niwaka) body is made by a section of 10 cm square aluminium pipe!!! Also NIWAKA carry a mounted neodymium magnet to force it to always point to magnetic North like a compass.

You can also try to listen on 437.445 Mhz Packet 1200bps AX.25  or to see Picture data 115.2 Kbps FSK on 5.840 Ghz ans of course to see the LEDS flashing as a moving star.
Timothy HB9FFH made a telemetry decoder for FITSAT-1.
It is available here:
http://carpcomm.com/satellite/fitsat1
73 to all
Spiros - SV8CS

SV 1st with PT0S on 6m band

PT0S 50.110 SSB and CW qso.
Today Wednesday 21 Nov 2012 at 15:50z worked PT0S dxpedition on 50.110, SSB and CW.The signal from PT0S was weak here in my QTH (KM07JS) but qso both ways 100%.
This qso is the first between SV and PT0S land in 6m.

The Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago (ASPSP) is a group of 15 small islets and rocks in the Atlantic Ocean, lying close to the equator and about 520 nautical miles (990 km) east of the Brazilian city of Natal. The rocks are close to the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), are area of constant and severe thunderstorms, resulting in permanently noisy radio conditions, especially on the lower bands. The rocks are located relatively close to both North America and Europe. We hope that the proximity of the rocks to Europe and North America will allow relatively small stations to work this rare entity.

The operators there are:PY2XB, Fred - PY5CC, Peter - AA7JV, George -  HA7RY, Tomi.
My equipment is Kenwood TS-480 with 100W and 7 elements LFA antenna with very good take off to West. http://www.pt0s.com/NEWSUPDATES.html

Thank you guys for 6m and 160m QSO.
73, Spiros
SV8CS

NEW digital Mode (JT9-2) by K1JT.

WSJT-X new mode.
Joe K1JT has made a new digital mode for Low bands (MF 470/500 Khz and LF 136 Khz).
This new mode was disigned for use at MF around 472-479 Khz/500 Khz and also for LF 136 Khz. More info can you find here :
http://www.physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/K1JT/wsjt.html and

http://www.physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/K1JT/WSJT-X_Quick_Start_Guide.pdf

Yesterday I was on 136 Khz (dial usb) monitoring the band on LF and copy very well Stefan DK7FC transmiting in JT9-2 digital mode with this new program WSJT-X by K1JT.

Using Kenwood TS-480 for RX with a QUAD-Loop horizontal antenna with total lenght 230m.

73, Spiros
SV8CS

New antenna for 472-479 Khz

Yesterday 10 Oct 2012 with the help of my friend SV8DOU we finished to install a new antenna in my 2nd QTH (KM07JR) for MF and LF. The experimental antenna is a horizontal QUAD-Loop with overal lenght 230m. The wire run around the property at variable height (from 4m to 10m).
The reception is better now with less static and man made noise. Next days I will try to tune the antenna to 472-479 Khz.
The results are here:
1) QRS beacon from 9H9ES (478.4 Khz CW dial).

 

2) QRS beacon from SV1AYC (478.7 Khz CW dial).

 

3) Reception with OPERA prog. OP8 by EA5HVK.
 00:25 477 SM6BHZ de SV8CS Op8 1434 mi -32 dB in ZAKYNTHOS Island
 21:41 477 DK8KW de SV8CS Op8 1816 km -28 dB in ZAKYNTHOS Island

Opera program by EA5HVK for download is here:
http://rosmodem.wordpress.com/
Spectrum lab program by DL4YHF is here:
http://www.qsl.net/dl4yhf/spectra1.html
73, Spiros- SV8CS

NEW BAND 472 - 479 Khz in Greece

After the modification made by our PTT regarding the SV, band plan, now we can use the MF band from 472 Khz to 479 Khz as sub-band in secondary use with maximum TX PWR 1W EIRP.
Trying to listen on this portion of the band with big surprise I copyed some strong signals coming from DL, OM and I.
Yesterday 03/11/2012 I had 3 QSO's in cross band using from my side either 80m or 40m.
My QSO X-Band :
1) OM1II   03/11/2012  at 18:50   472,7 Khz qsx  3504 CW.
2) IQ2MI   03/11/2012  at 21:20   501,0 Khz qsx 7052  CW.
3) DK7FC  03/11/2012 at 22:02   472,2 Khz qsx  3568 CW.

I heard also a new SV beacon on 479 ( dial CW) with the call SV1AYC.
The signal coming here in KM07JS (about 300Km from beacon location) is 559 max. with qsb but this beacon in on the same QRG with NDB, non-directional beacon,  VIB (qth Viterbo Italy).
Soon I will be active on both bands 472 Khz and 136 Khz with YUMA transceivers.
For now on 137 Khz I am monitoring for JT9-1 mode signal (WSJT-X).
I have not yet any special antennas for 472 or 137 Khz but I am using by beverages.

I hope to see you on this bands asap.
73, Spiros - SV8CS

OX3LX 2m EME from HP15EO

OZ1DJJ, Bo he was on Greenland from 28 July until 10 August operating 144 Mhz EME with call OX3LX from HP15EO grid locator. I had a 2m QSO via EME with him
5 August 2012 in JT65b mode. His signal was very strong. Bo, had a single 2M5WL antenna with a Beco HLV-100 linear amplifier.
More about Bo, activity in http://www.df2zc.de/downloads/emenl201209ax.pdf
Here some foto's taken from DF2ZC personal page.

You can see a video on YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lla_W2-Txxs

73, Spiros
SV8CS

IF YOU PLANNING CONTEST ANTENNAS - Hi Hi

FOR SALE !!!!!

Sackville shortwave transmission farm of Radio Canada International FOR SALE (last day of operations Oct 31, 2012). In case your planning the new contest location and antennas, here we are !!. You can buy the building, the land, the transmitters and antennas !

There are 7 Thomson 250KW and 2 Harris 100KW sort waves transmitters and running within factory specifications, switched between large curtain array antennas located on 250 acress close to the Atlantic Ocean. By the way we have also in Greece some locations like this by the ex VOA in Serres, Kavalla, Crete etc if you ... interested to buy !
Info from  RADIO WORLD international edition magazine :

Good Luck !
73, Spiros SV8CS