LoTW Upload

 

Just uploaded additional 250+ JT mode QSOs to LoTW.

Last QSO in the log:

27.04.15 19:19:00 WB2KEC.

Thank you for all the QSOs over the weekend. Lots of activity!

CU on the bands.

 

73s, Toni

Vertical antenna performance on 40m band

Referring to my previous post I have now tested the vertical antenna on 40m. The antenna tunes nicely to 40 and gives good bandwidth.

The pskreporter chart from last night. We had bad aurora around midnight local time but still my station was heard throughout the EU mainland and US east coast. Not bad. Next I will tune the antenna to 80m JT-segment and continue testing.

Simple but effective vertical

At last the snow has melted in Finland. It is time to start planning and constructing some new antennas.
This is an antenna that I have always wanted to construct but never had really time to do it. Simple vertical antenna with coil loading for radiator and optional coil loading for radials. This antenna tunes nicely on 40m and 80m bands. The 80m bandwidth is quite narrow, but in this case it does not really matter, because the main focus is digital with this antenna.

Temporary installation for miniVNA measurements.

Easy to collapse to transportation length. Up and down in less than five minutes.

Measurements with miniVNA with four 10,2meter radials (on ground).

The coil is made from 1.5mm thick wire. Total impedance is 56uH.


40m band tunes nicely with decent bandwidth.

So does 80m but is very narrow. Good for digital though.

Schematic of the antenna. Should be self explanatory
The loading coil for radials can be bypassed by just connecting the radials and the coaxial cable shield directly.

I think antenna is worth trying. I will report the performance after some JT-mode tests.

880 JT-mode QSOs uploaded to LoTW

Note to the Logbook of The World users.

I have just made the most recent upload. If your QSO with me is not showing on your LoTW account please do not hesitate to probe me with email.

This upload included 880 JT-mode QSOs with 808 exclusively on JT9 mode (from 53 DXCC entities).

Last QSO in this upload was with M0CLZ at 09:28UTC.

See you on the bands!

Toni oh3t

To CQ or not to CQ?

I have been on 20 + 30m JT9 mode now for few weeks. The band seems to be completely dead, but every now and then I get a QSO.

A dead band is dead if no one is calling CQ or if there is no propagation. And of course if there is no one to communicate with it is tough to make a QSO.

Please activate the bands and call CQ!

Cheers,

Toni oh3t

Digital mode boom in OH land

Over the past few weeks I have been actively promoting JT modes in local HAM radio forums.

I have written emails and local wiki guides with links to various pieces of software.

JT modes seem to facinate many operators. So.. if you see sudden burst of activity from OH land please give these stations nice QSOs!

Cheers,

Toni oh3t

Keeping the JT9 bands warm

I think it is the chicken and egg problem.

HAMs continue working JT65 still even it seems to be history. JT9 has significantly less bandwidth (only 16Hz!!) and even better decoding capacity in bad conditions.

I am committed keeping the JT9 signal on air! When I am at (or remoting) my  computer I will call CQ. After a long configuration work I got my Yaesu G-1000DXC rotor also working with my computer and HRD Rotator software. So the rotor is also working with remote commands.

Main bands 15, 20 and 30m. Usually I am calling JT9 CQ around 800Hz (+2 kHz selected) with WSJT-X software.

During the past two weeks I have worked more than 150 stations with JT9 mode, some with more than one band. If you feel like it you can work me several times even on the same band.

Most important thing, let us keep the JT9 bands warm!

Cheers,

Toni OH3T