Operating a SDR like a classic radio

January 9th, 2014

For a couple of weeks now I am using a DJ Control to handle my SDR. It is much more comfortable compared to working just with mouse and keyboard. An user interface, written by Tobias, DH1TW makes it possible to combine the benefits of a software defined radio with the comfort of an analog transceiver by pressing buttons and turning knobs.

SDR with DJ Console

PowerSDR can be operated by a DJ Control

Most of the control elements of PowerSDR like command buttons or sliders can be mapped to knobs and buttons on the DJ Control by the user. Of course I use the big knobs for VFO A and B. The one in the upper left is used for the RIT. The sliders in the center are mapped to control the gain of the headphone and the speaker. MOX, TUNE, CW, SSB, VFO switching and others have been mapped to real buttons.

My FLEX-1500 is mainly used to operate transverters for 1296 and 2320 MHz. The Interface works well on all microwave configurations up to PowerSDRs limit of 99.0 GHz.

Visit DH1TWs website for more information.

Review: Activityweek Rhineland-Palatine 2014

January 8th, 2014

The battle is over. I had my last QSO with Patrick, DH2PA on 70 cm just before the contest closed after seven days. There was a big regional activity on VHF, UHF and SHF, much more than last year. Finally I logged 414 QSOs on the four bands I have been active, compared to 266 in 2013. It is remarkable that there were many locals with improvised equipment on 23 cm. Just one new square on 2320 MHz could be worked during the activityweek: IK3GHY in JN65DM via aircraft scatter. But collecting new squares is getting harder and harder, the more are already worked. The tropo conditions remained normal during the seven days, so there was less DX than last year. This time I found four partners for 4-band-QSOs: DL7QY, DL8YG, DF5AY and DB6NT.

The top five of the most worked stations in this contest:
1. DL7QY    24 QSOs on 4 bands (2 m, 70 cm, 23 cm, 13 cm)
2. DC8WPA   18 QSOs on 3 bands (2 m, 70 cm, 23 cm)
   DJ1FZ    18 QSOs on 3 bands (2 m, 70 cm, 23 cm)
   DK0RLP   18 QSOs on 3 bands (2 m, 70 cm, 23 cm)
   DK7UP    18 QSOs on 3 bands (2 m, 70 cm, 23 cm)

Thank you all for your support and your patience!
Statistics:
        total       District K      DL ex K    F,I,OK,OZ,SM   Squares
BAND    QSO Stn     QSO Stn DOK     QSO Stn     QSO Stn       total new
 144    183  94      99  43  26      82  48       3   3          15
 432    134  66      69  31  20      65  35       0   0          10
1296     79  37      36  14  12      34  16       9   7          16
2320     19  11       1   1   1      15   7       3   3          10   1

Aircraft Scatter – useful for short distances

January 3rd, 2014

Thursday night I tried a QSO on 23 cm with DG2PU in JO30PH, what´s a distance of only 80 km. Unfortunately Thomas is located down in a valley with Taunus and Hunsrueck mountains between us. His neighbor Marcel, DK7UP is closed by, but up on a hill. While it´s no problem to contact Marcel on 23 cm, Thomas signal was only 41, peaking 51 from time to time. Since beacons in similar distances often produce nice signals via aircraft scatter here, I suggested to try a QSO using airplanes to get reflections, but Frankfurt airport was already closed at that time that there was only very little air traffic. So we tried this evening. Our antennas were elevated by about than 10°, because the hot spot was in a distance of only 40 km (and a heigt of 10.000m). The second plane passed by in perfect manner and I could copy Thomas for about 10 to 15 seconds with 57, enough to complete a QSO. Due to the short distance the hot area around the center of the path is relatively small and reflections will not last too long.

2014-01-03 09_36_19-AirScout -DG2PU

Path between DG2PU and DJ5AR in AirScout

Strange Conditions

December 11th, 2013

It is funny to check the beacons tonight. Most remarkable are two constellations, shown below:

2013-12-11 21_59 DB0VC and DB0AAT

While looking for DB0AAT in JN67HU, DB0VC in JO54IF could be received too. When beaming to Kiel, DB0VC can be heard even on 2320 MHz. It is beacon #9 on 13 cm.

 

2013-12-11 22_23 DB0NCO beats DB0FKS

DB0NCO beats Frankenstein

From my QTH DB0NCO has the same bearing as DB0FKS. The location of DB0FKS, the  Frankenstein Castle, can be seen visually from here in a distance of 34 km. DB0NCO is 203 km away but tonight it is stronger than DB0FKS, when coming up in QSB.

Back from Italy!

October 27th, 2013

Last night we returned from Italy, where we spent some days after the Alpe Adria Meeting. It was nice to receive the award for the 2nd place in the Alpe Adria Contest 2013 on 23 cm, to meet the Hams there and to have interesting talks with them.

DSC_9866 Alpe Adria 2013

Dino, IV3FDO was very hospitable and took some time to show us certain interesting places. So we learned, that the most delicious prosciutto of the world is produced in San Daniele and not in Parma.

Opening September 21st 2013

September 21st, 2013

While performing a last beacon check before going to bed and all local beacons were quite normal, I took notice of a weak carrier 1 kHz up of F1ZBK on 1296.855 MHz. After optimizing the antenna and using a narrow filter I heard EA2TZ in IN93BF over 1073 km for the first time ever.

2013-09-21 20-50 EA2TZ

Left signal: F1ZBK/B, right signal: EA2TZ/B

 EA2TZ/B as received by DJ5AR over 1073 km on 23 cm

After posting this information in the ON4KST chat, Matej, OK1TEH sent the phone number of EA2TO and told me that Javier is currently QRV on 23 cm from IN83. After exchange of a few SMS he came back on my CQs and we could complete a QSO: A new DXCC, a new square and a new tropo ODX of 1173 km on 23 cm!
When closing down the station I had a quick look on 70 cm. There he was again: EA2TO in SSB. We had a nice chat and for me: A new DXCC, a new square and a new ODX of 1173 km on 70 cm!

Only 2 QSOs tonight, but I am very happy with it.

Rainscatter on 23 and 13 cm

June 20th, 2013

While performing my daily beacon check, a strange constellation around 1296.850 MHz appeared on the display of my SDR. The dish was turned to 254° at that time, to look for F5XBK.

2013-06-19 RS F5XBK F1ZBK ON0NR HB9EME

From left to right: F5XBK, F1ZBK, ON0NR, HB9EME

Combined with strong QRN and radar noise I could copy F5XBK in JN18JS quite normal via tropo but also F1ZBK in JN38BP, ON0NR in JO20KJ and HB9EME in JN37KB via a rain scatter point in JN39LP. Later DB0GP in JN48WQ and DB0AJA in JN59AS could be heard too.

Then I continued to have a look on 2320 MHz where DB0UX in JN48FX, DB0FGB in JO50WB and DB0MJ in JO31UB could be copied via a scatter point in JN39JR.

Beacons heard via rain scatter on 23 and 13 cm

The map shows the location of DJ5AR in Mainz (green marker) in relation to the scatterpoints (blue markers). The paths to the beacons on 1296 MHz are in light blue and on 2320 MHz in dark blue. For that time heavy thunderstorms with flooded roads and cellars were reported for the area of Hermeskeil in JN39.