WADARC WEEKLY BULLETIN – NOV. 4. 2016
THE PAST WEEK
The net-via-repeater on Saturday was another success and we wait with bated breath to see who will be the ringmaster tomorrow. The general idea is that the newly licensed can get gain experience among local friends before addressing the world at large and in that respect it works admirably
Rumours of the incipient demise of the 80m net (Sundays at 0730 ,3712 ) proved to have been exaggerated as several regulars turned up having got up an hour early through failing to adjust clocks.
This week has seen a week of disparate time settings with USA Eastern time only 4 hours behind instead of 5. Sunday evening they will wake up to this and move their clocks back an hour to return to normal. I feel sure the new president will fix this permanently.
Daylight conditions on 40m cheered up a little so that Kenn in the wild west of Somerset and Alan in the frozen north of Lincs. were well received on Thursday morning..
Wed. saw Phil.’s impromptu display of a 6′ dia mag-loop with MFJ ad hoc tuner/matcher/current indicator. The radiation resistance of small loops like this is very, very small and your scribe, for one, looks forward to an opportunity to peep inside to see how MFJ have achieved such a large impedance ratio.
RALLIES THIS WEEKEND
If you’re planning to be early birds catching worms on Sunday you will need to be up at dawn to make your way the Kempton Park racecourse well before 10 for KEMPTON PARK RALLY.
Driving before dawn is a tedious game and it is surprising that a spontaneous “Who’s coming on the bus with us” is not organised by someone. Freedom from drink inhibitions, lots of space to bring home satellite dishes and all the jollity for which Wadarc is renowned are but three of the advantages which spring to mind.
THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO
-(1) A wonderful AM event
Attempts to edit the Portugese description failed miserably so it it is here reproduced in full A great chance to check the performance of your hybrid or ex-WW2 radio –
The Portuguese Associação de Radioamadores do Litoral Alentejano (Why can’t Worthing club have a name like that ? )- ARLA is organizing the traditional amplitude modulation event, throughout 48 hours during the November 5th and 6th weekend.
This will be the sixth edition of the previously well-known “Dia Nacional de AM em Portugal” ham radio fest (Portuguese AM National Day).
The amplitude modulation days, will take place in 80m, 40m, 20m, 10m, 6m and 2m amateur bands, between 08:00am UTC Saturday Nov 5 until 11:59pm UTC Sunday Nov 6.
ARLA invites all ham operators and SWL, national or worldwide, to participate on this special celebration day, which is taking place for the first time during two consecutive days. The operation will be exclusively in AM mode, so the chosen emission frequencies must respect the IARU band plan.
The event will take place in several bands, but the following frequencies should be considered for calling or meeting points between the participants:
3 705.0 kHz (+- 5kHz);
7 146.0 kHz (+- 5 kHz);
14 270.0 kHz (+- 5 kHz);
29 075.0 kHz (+- 5 kHz);
51,575.0 MHz (+- 5 kHz);
144,550.0 MHz (+- 5 kHz).
As referred above, this year we’ve increase the event to 48 hours due respecting the aspiration of several previous participants, but maintaining the same goals of last events:
- a) To give the opportunity of emitting with old fashion, recovered or collecting AM equipments.
- b) Promote a different experience as well as celebrate, whenever possible, this mode of transmission that it’s not often in used nowadays as a rule.
- c) Pay a tribute and our respects to the old and shuttled down, shortwave amplitude modulation broadcasts in Portugal.
The logbook isn’t mandatory but it would be great if you send your log to the organization.
Those who can and are willing to share it with us, providing us a lot of joy, please be so kind and send your records to
cs5arla+dia.do.am@gmail.com
All participants that accomplish a single contact with CS5ARLA radio station, operated by Carlos Mourato (CT4RK), will receive a participation certificate.
Best regards from Portugal.
João Costa CT1FBF
Vogal da Direcção da ARLA
WARNING from G3GVB. if you are not an experienced AM user read the manual where it will v. likely warn you to operate on no more than 30 % of usual SSB power carrier when using AM
After that wonderful flowery Portugese announcement, the remainder of weekend on the radio events seem limp and insipid
The ARRL CW Sweepstakes Contest,
NCCC RTTY Sprint,
NCCC CW Sprint,
IPARC CW Contest,
Ukrainian DX Contest,
RSGB International SSB Sprint Contest,
IPARC SSB Contest,
EANET Sprint, High Speed Club CW Contest,
The ARS Spartan CW Sprint is scheduled for November 8.
The Phone Fray, CWops Mini-CWT CW Test and
RSGB 80-Meter Club SSB Sprint are scheduled for November 9. (why are’nt we in that ?) it’s club night !
Please see November QST, page 94 and the ARRL and WA7BNM contest web sites for details
Forthcoming WADARC CLUB MEETINGS
- Sat 5 November . GB3WO Repeater net 7.00 pm (expect fireworks)
- Sunday Breakfast – a good nosh from the buffet for those not jostling for parking space at Kempton Park- Sun 6th November – 9:00 am –
- She was only an ATU’s daughter but she always let the Band filter past. or something along those lines as we watch in awe while Phil. UDU demonstrates the versatility of two different ATU’s in unison. (Sort of AC/DC ?) – Wed 9th November – 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm
- Club Evening – Wed 16th November – 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm
- Construction Competition – Wed 23rd November – 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm
- Club Evening – Wed 30th November – 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm
- Sunday Breakfast – Sun 4th December – 9:00 am – 10:00 am
- Test or Practical Evening – Wed 7th December – 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm
- Christmas Party – Wild ! Wed 14th December – 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
- Club Evening – Wed 21st December – 8:00 pm – 9:30
- Club Meeting on the repeater Wed 28th December – 8:00 pm – whenever.
- Sunday Breakfast – ( just black coffee and dry toast pse.) Sun 1st January – 9:00 am – 10:00 am
DX News
4 November, 2016
TANZANIA, 5H. Maurizio, IK2GZU will be QRV as 5H3MB from November 7 to December 2. QSL to home call.
MADAGASCAR, 5R. Eric, F6ICX will be QRV as 5R8IC from Sainte Marie Island, IOTA AF-090, from November 6 to February 4, 2017. Activity will be holiday style on the HF bands using mostly CW. QSL to home call.
SENEGAL, 6W. A group of operators will be QRV as 6V1IS from Dakar from November 7 to 19. They also plan to be active from islands Ngor and Goree, both IOTA AF-045. Activity will be on the HF bands using CW, SSB and various digital modes. QSL via IK7JWX.
ALGERIA, 7X. Special event station 7U2ARU will be QRV from November 7 to 15 in celebration of the 2nd anniversary of the founding of the Algerian Amateur Radio Union. QSL via operators’ instructions.
CHINA, BY. Bodo, DF8DX plans to be QRV as B4/DF8DX from Shanghai from November 9 to 16. QSL via operator’s instructions.
ANTARCTICA. Alan, MW0YCC will be QRV as VP8DPJ while stationed at the British Antarctic Territory Rothera Research Station on Adelaide Island, IOTA AN-001, until April 2018. QSL via operator’s instructions.
EASTER ISLAND, CE0. Esteban, XQ7UP is QRV as CE0Y/XQ7UP until November 12. Activity is mostly on 20, 15 and 10 meters using SSB, RTTY and PSK31. QSL direct to home call.
SOUTH COOK ISLANDS, E5. Roly, ZL1BQD is QRV as E51RR from Rarotonga Island, IOTA OC-013, until November 25. Activity is on 40, 20 and 15 meters using CW, JT9 and JT65. QSL to home call.
HONDURAS, HR. John, AD8J is currently QRV as HR9/AD8J from Guanaja Island, IOTA NA-057, until November 12. Activity is on 80 to 10 meters using mostly CW. QSL direct to home call.
GUINEA-BISSAU, J5. A group of operators will be QRV as J5T from the Bissagos Islands, IOTA AF-020, in November. Activity will be on 160 to 10 meters. QSL direct to IK2CIO.
JAPAN, JA. Yamao, JR5JAQ plans to be QRV as JR5JAQ/6 from the Tokara Islands, IOTA AS-049, from November 6 to 9. Activity will be on 40, 20 and 15 meters using CW and SSB. QSL via bureau.
FERNANDO DE NORONHA, PY0. Martin, LU9EFO will be QRV as PY0F/LU9EFO from November 7 to 14. Activity will be on the HF bands using mostly SSB. QSL direct to F4HBW.
MALI, TZ. Jeff, TZ4AM is QRV from Bamako. Of late he has been active on 160 meters. QSL via W0SA.
MICRONESIA, V6. Michael, DF8AN will be QRV as V63AJ from Yap Island, IOTA OC-012, from November 6 to 20. Activity will be on the HF bands using CW, with some RTTY and PSK. QSL to home call.
CAMBODIA, XU. A large group of operators are QRV as XU7MDC from Phnom Penh until November 13. Activity is on the HF bands using CW, SSB and RTTY with up to five stations active. QSL via I
Forecast:
No space for propagation news this week so that you can become aware of drama involving HF radio. Start listening..(it beats the hell out of “The Archers”)
Broadcasters, Jammers, Wreak Havoc on Amateur Radio Frequencies
10/25/2016
The battle continues between Radio Eritrea (Voice of the Broad Masses) and Radio Ethiopia, which is said to be jamming the Eritrean broadcaster with broadband white noise. The problem for radio amateurs is that the battle is taking place in the 40 meter phone band — 7.145 and 7.175 MHz — with the jamming signal reported by the IARU Region 1 Monitoring System (IARUMS) to be 20 kHz wide on each channel. The on-air conflict has been going on for years; Ethiopia constructed new transmitting sites in 2008 and is said to use two or three of them for jamming purposes. The interfering signals can be heard in North America after dark. According to IARUMS Region 1 Coordinator Wolf Hadel, , Radio Eritrea is airing separate programs on each frequency.
Other AM broadcast intruders on 40 meters include Radio Hargeisa in Somaliland on 7.120 MHz, which, Hadel said, is even audible in Australia and Japan. He further reports that the Voice of Iran’s signal on 7.205 MHz is splattering up to 5 kHz on either side of its channel, while Radio France International, which operates on the same frequency, is splattering down to 7.185 MHz.
Other odds and ends on 40 meters include the so-called “V beacon” on 7.091.5 MHz. The looped CW signal, which sends the letter “V” over and over, is audible every day. Hadel said the signal originates in Kazakhstan.
Hadel has reported HF radar signals from Russia on 40 and 20 meters, with “long-lasting transmissions, often with many spurious emissions.”
A Russian Air Force frequency-shift keyed signal identifying in CW as “REA4,” has been active on 7.117 MHz, while a Russian Navy FSK signal “Sevastopol” has been observed on 14.180. .. Other Russian military signals have been heard on 7.016 MHz.
Chinese broadband OTH radars on 14 MHz generated some “Woodpecker” complaints, “but this was not the Russian ‘Woodpecker,’” Hadel clarified. Mario Taeubel, observed 11 OTH radars on 40 meters, 40 on 20 meters, 13 on 15 meters and 2 on 10 meters during September.
Hadel reports that signals from Spanish and Portuguese, UK, and Irish fishing operations, Indonesian and Philippine pirates, and OTH radar signals are sprinkled throughout 80, 40, 20, and 15 meters, while signals from oceangoing sensor buoys are heard widely on various discrete frequencies on 10 meters.
There ! That should keep you all busy !
Bryan – G3GVB
