October 21st, 2014
Last night, when I was going to switch off all the stuff in my shack, I saw an email from Malte, DE7LMS. I opened it and found a link to a video he recorded of my recent presentation in Weinheim.
Tag Archives: GHz
IARU-Region-1 UHF/Microwaves Contest 2014
October 5th, 2014
After my complainments about using the ON4KST chat in March Contest and the response I received from Claus, OZ1FDH, and Kjeld, OZ1FF, recommending the KST2ME tool, I added my homebrew prototype of a selective ON4KST client extension to my station control software. It communicates via telnet with the server. While working satisfactorily under normal circumstances, it was a desaster under contest load. When the software didn´t crash, it at least slowed down, by computing hundreds of posts in shortest time. Between 300 and 400 users have been logged to the microwave chat during contest time. During the first contest hours I tried to solve the problems with certain bug fixes, resulting in a huge loss of contest time. So I had to return to the classic style in using the web client of the chat.
QSOs on 23 cm
In total I logged 73 QSOs on 23 cm to 12 DXCC countries, spread over 39 grid squares (results). ODX was HG7F over 817 km. The use of the AirScout software, written by Frank, DL2ALF, has been essential. Most of the QSOs have been completed by assistance of aircraft scatter.
A nice example is the one with DJ5BV in JO30KI. The distance isn´t really far enough to do it via aircraft sctatter, but it seems, both antennas were pointing west and that resulted in effects of aircraft backscatter with significant dopplershifted reflections.
Dopplershifted reflections of Gerd, DJ5BV, caused by backscatter of aircrafts.
Presentation “Let´s Bounce”
June 22nd, 2014
On July 24th, 2014 on 19:00 CEST I will talk about how to surmount the horizon on VHF and up at the local DARC Club in Bodenheim near Mainz.
After giving an overview over the classic propagation modes Es, Aurora, MS and Tropo, I will explain, how aircraft scatter and ISS bounce work. EME will be subjected too and the presentation will be completed by an introduction to “Visual Moonbounce” as performed by Daniela de Paulis.
Location:
Deutscher Amateur-Radio-Club e.V.
Ortsverband Bodenheim
Haus der Vereine
Laubenheimer Str. 22
55294 Bodenheim
The admission is free, but please register via email to
DK2FQ wolfgang.beer (at) gmx.net or to me dj5ar (at) darc.de
Article in “Funkamateur” magazine July 2014
June 22nd, 2014
German Funkamateur mgazine has published my article “Abenteuer Bakenbeobachtung von 144 MHz bis 10 GHz” in its recent issue July 2014. As many topics are related to posts on this website, some of them are compiled here. Links to certain other websites can be found in the link list to the right.
Weather, rainscatter:
Rainscatter on 23 and 13 cm Impressive ThunderstormWeather, troposheric ducting:
Another strange constellation (Update) Strange Conditions Opening September 21st 2013Aircraft scatter (video):
PI7ALK via Aircraft ScatterList of beacons, heard by DJ5AR in Mainz, JN49CV
My new beacon listMy new beacon list
October 9th, 2013
Tonight I created a new list of all beacons, I have been able to receive here in Mainz (JN49CV) on 23 cm and 13 cm since becoming QRV again in 2011.
It can be found here.
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.
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.
Opening November 14th – 16th
November 18th, 2012
Just a few contacts could be logged, because I was short in time during this opening. But some new squares were worked on 23 and 13 cm. SM7ECM in JO65nq was a new country on 13 cm.
Opening October 19th – 23rd
October 24th, 2012
The beacon check in the morning of October 19th gave me the impression of a strong inversion over southeast Germany. When looking for Stations on 23 cm on the SDR I noticed a big signal in CW: OE5VRL/5 calling to Hungary. I gave him a meep in the chat to tell him how strong his signal was here in Mainz, despite the fact that I was in the back of his 3 m dish. After turning the antenna to me he was stronger than many locals.
In the following days a lot of DX stations from OK, SP, HA, S5, OE, HB9, F, LX, G, PA, I and OZ filled the log while the inversion moved from east to west. All of the four OK beacons could be heard on 23 cm. Sometimes it was a little bit confusing when I was looking for new DX beacons and DB0AAT, DB0AJA, DB0GP, DB0LB, DB0FGB, DF0ANN, HB9EME and others could be heard in nearly any direction the dish was pointing to.
QSOs on 23 cm > 400 km
QSOs on 13 cm > 400 km
QSOs on 13 cm > 400 kmI am happy with a couple of new squares on 23 and 13 cm. Two new countries on 13 cm made it perfect: S51ZO in Slovenia and I1KFH in Italy. But I fear that it was more aircraft scatter than tropo.
Beacons heard on 23 cm
| DB0AAT | JN67HU |
| DB0AJA | JN59AS |
| DB0FGB | JO50WB |
| DB0GP | JN48WQ |
| DB0LB | JN48OV |
| DB0LTG | JO31TB |
| DB0VC | JO54IF |
| DB0WTT | JO40LG |
| DB0YI | JO42XC |
| DF0ANN | JN59PL |
| DF5AY | JN49DX |
| F1XBC | JN06JG |
| F1ZBK | JN38BP |
| F5XBK | JN18JS |
| HB9BBD | JN47GA |
| HB9EME | JN37KB |
| OK0EA | JO70UP |
| OK0EJ | JN99FN |
| OK0EL | JO70SQ |
| OK0EQ | JN89BE |
| PI6ASD | JO22KJ |
| PI7ALK | JO22IP |
| SR6LHZ | JO70SS |
A new dish
April 30th, 2012
I have assembled the 3 m mesh dish (f/d=0.45) I obtained from RF HAMDESIGN within one day. After another hard days work the new dish and a Spid BIG-RAS/HR rotor are mounted and ready for use now.
Thanks to Niklas, Armin and Charlotte.
First tests on 23 cm will be performed soon.