The Weekend in Radio...

It certainly has been a lousy weekend for doing portable radio.  The weather was fine, the band conditions not so much!

On Saturday the propagation numbers were: SFI=149, SN=152, A Index=13, and the K Index=2.  The QSB on both 20m and 40m was very bad on both days, with S9 stations disappearing in seconds and coming back as S1 or S2 before fading away completely.  

The map below shows my contacts on both 20m and 40m.  The majority were on 40m, which is opposite to what was forecasted for that day.  20m should have been the "go-to" band, but it was nearly dead.

Then we come to today.  We have pretty much the same propagation numbers: SFI=140, SN=146, A Index=14, and the K Index=2.  The QSB was still there, but not nearly as bad.  And, as you can see from the map below, my contacts were in and around the same areas.  

Both park activations were done with the KX3 at 10w, and as usual the 20m or 40m hamstick on the roof of my van.  

It will be interesting next weekend, Field Day, to see what my contact plot looks like.  I will be operating about 115 km west of my home QTH, so we will see if a location change, and using wire antennas makes a difference.  My bet is that it will......let's be honest, using wire antennas instead of the hamsticks must make a difference.

Stay Safe Out There !!

Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour

Next weekend, June 11th & 12th, is the 49th running of the Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour, and the 14th year the Frontenac Radio Group has provided communications support for the event.  After a two year hiatus we have managed to scrape together enough volunteers to look after our normal communications locations.  This Saturday will be the first time in 2 years we have had the whole gang together, in person, since Covid hit us.

We do have the threat of rain on us this weekend.  It's only a 30% chance, but it's not a thing we need or want.  The last time we got hit with cold rain was 10 years ago, that year 60% of the riders went down with hypothermia with the tour being abandoned half way, and riders evacuated by bus back to Ottawa.

There are only 1300 riders registered this year, the numbers being reduced from the more normal 2100 due to covid concerns.

For those hams who regularly use the VE3FRG repeater here in Kingston, please note it will be out of service next weekend and reserved for the Bike Tour traffic only.  If you need a repeater please use the VE3KBR repeater on 146.940- with a 151.4 tone.

If you're in any of the locations shown on the map below over the weekend, please watch out for the cyclists.

ARRL Field Day 2022...

Now, last year, after Field Day finished, I wrote that I wouldn't take part in it again due to the silly rule changes the ARRL had made because of Covid 19 that ended up making a total mockery of Field Day.   Then early this year I commented, negatively, about the ARRL voting to make these silly rule changes permanent because it had allowed so many more hams to take part....never mind the poor operating habits and bad behaviour those changes had encouraged.

I still think they are silly rule changes, nobody will change my mind on that.  It's called "Field Day"....not "Sit at home and operate from the comfort of your Shack Day".  Field Day is supposed to make you think, and operate, outside the box.  It was designed to make you travel to, and operate portable from an unprepared location, and then compare your results against those of the other participants who had done exactly the same as you had.

This is now hard to do when operating from a temporary field location, operating from batteries, using less than optimum wire antennas, when the people you're comparing yourself too are using 1500 watts with professionally installed towers and beams...all from the comfort of their normal home shacks.  It seems to me that the whole spirit of Field Day has been thrown away in order to make the event "bigger and better".

This year I have decided that I will in fact operate during the event.  I have been invited to Northumberland County to take part in a QRP Field Day.  You know, 5w maximum, and only home-brewed wire antennas allowed.  I'm going to have fun, tell tall tales and swop lies with friends I haven't seen in two years, and I will ignore those lazy individuals who decided to stay home and operate from the comfort of their own homes instead of following the true Spirit of Field Day.

It's going to be fun.

Stay Safe Out There!

Can You Trust the Propagation Forecast??...

Over the past two months I, and others, have noticed two things with propagation.  The first thing is that when the forecasted numbers are bad, we're still making good contacts.  The second thing is when the forecasted numbers are good, there's no contacts to be seen.....anywhere.

Today was a good example.  The forecasted propagation. numbers were:  SFI=102, SN=34, A Index=24, and the K Index=3.  It certainly didn't look very good, as an example the SN was at 110 a few days ago.  Today we also had some extremely deep QSB, which made making contacts, and hearing contacts, much harder.

This morning I went to Lemoine Point Conservation Area, VE-5141, for a quick POTA activation. I decided to use my Packtenna 20m EFHW antenna today, instead of my Hamsticks.

The picture to the left shows the 20m EFHW antenna with the 40m extension, and the home-brewed centre piece to hold it on the mast.

Using an analyzer Don, VE3MNE, and I ran the numbers on the End-Fed.  Just configured as the 20m antenna, and without the extension to take it down to 40m.  

The numbers where:  14.040 it was 1.9:1 and at 14.340 it was 1.8:1.   While it is usable, it wasn't so good on 10m, 28.040 was 2.5:1 and at 28.450 it was 2.4:1.  

It worked very well for me on 20m.  I went QRT with 13 contacts in the log after 20 minutes.  This little antenna will definitely get some more use this summer.

Here's todays activation map:

As for the propagation numbers?  Yeah, I think I will continue to note them, but ignore them...maybe I'll make more contacts that way!

Stay safe out there!

Saturday Night on the Bands...

Yesterday evening I decided to drive to Fort Henry and see what I could do on the bands for our clubs bi-monthly QRP Sprint.  The weather has not been the best here this long weekend, in fact we have had three people killed in a severe wind storm by falling trees that afternoon.  Luckily, the area I live in escaped the worst of it and had no damage.  Later in the day it was all over and things were already back to normal.

During the day the bands had been filled with deep QSB and near constant huge static crashes.  As a result I wasn't too sure how things would turn out that evening, but it was very nice out, and the temperature was 22C under beautiful blue skies.  

The propagation numbers for the evening were:  SFI=166, SN=110, A Index=10, and the K Index=2.

As is now usual for me, the radio was my KX3 set at 10w, and Hamsticks for my antenna.

At 2300 UTC I started on 20m, and first up was Luis, EA4TL, immediately followed by Rubens, IU1HJF. I ended up with 29 contacts, including YV1SW in Venezuela, and KP4M in Puerto Rico.  Other contacts were made out to Washington State, Louisiana, and Texas among others.  It ended up being a really good night on the hill.

Here are my contact maps by band, 20m on top and 40m below:

Friday in the Park...

Another day in the park, and another day of bad bands and deep QSB.   The propagation numbers today were SFI=173, SN=154, A Index=10, and the K Index=3.  The good news is that it was blue skies, sunny, and 22C, which certainly made up for those cold activations I did last winter.

Today was probably a good example of when not to use QRP power levels, but I still managed to have a successful activation, it just took longer.  As usual I was running 10w with my KX3, and hamsticks for my antennas.  There was no room at the activation site to set up a EFHW or a dipole.

It took me over an hour today to make 16 contacts, my slowest day ever...so far.   The QSB on 20m and 40m was terrible, quite possibly the worst I've heard it this year.  S9 stations disappeared in nano-seconds...never to be heard from again.

I only managed to get 2 contacts on 40m, and they were both local.  I must have called on 40m for 20 minutes with no luck before I moved to 20m which turned out to be a bit better, but you still had to work to get the contacts.

It's a long weekend here in Canada, so hopefully the bands will improve so we can enjoy ourselves!

Here's todays QSO map:

Stay Safe out there!!

Bad Bands?...

The bands do not seem to be very good these days.  The propagation numbers, while they look good, certainly don't perform the way you would expect them too.

During the day on Saturday the propagation numbers looked good, but contacts were pretty rare. Where I could hear stations calling (and there were not many), they were very much in my noise floor, and I was not able to work them.

On Saturday evening I decided to go to a local park and do a POTA activation, and to be honest, after my attempts during the day, I did not think I would get the 10 contacts to successfully activate it.  Man, was I wrong!

The propagation numbers in the evening were:  SFI=153, SN=120, A Index=7, and the K Index=2.  

I started at 0001 UTC, and in 44 minutes using my KX3 and a set of Hamsticks for 20m and 40m, I made 47 solid contacts, including two out to California, and a DX contact with Manuel, EA1GIB, in Spain.  Not too bad for 10w!!

There was some QSB, and I did have a S5 noise floor on 40m, but the stations kept coming. In the end it was a great night.

The night's QSO map:

A Beautiful Day...

What a great day it was, the temperature got up to a fantastic 23C.  I couldn't let that go to waste, so it was off to play some portable radio with the KX3.

Once again the actual propagation numbers belied how the bands were actually performing.  Propagation numbers this morning were:  SFI=119, SN=89, A Index=6, and the K Index=1.  However, there was very deep QSB on 20m which certainly didn't help matters.  It took me exactly 30 minutes to make 20 contacts, the furthest of which was in Washington State.

After 13 contacts I moved to 40m and made another seven contacts there.  I had been sitting on 14.297, and out of nowhere a noisy Over-the-Horizon Radar (Russian or Chinese??) started up on that frequency and that was it.....time to QSY to 40m.  The IARU Region 1 Monitoring System has been trying to keep track of these interlopers, who seem to keep popping up all over the 20m, 15m, and 10m bands.  I am going to suggest that this will continue as long as the conflict in Ukraine continues.

Apart from the QRM and the bad QSB, it was very nice to be able to operate outside in shorts and a t-shirt again.  

Todays QSO Map:

FT-891...

A new rig found its way into my shack this week, a new FT-891.  What an amazing little rig it is, 160 - 6m in a compact package.  Along with the rig a LDG Z11 Pro II showed up.

This rig will not replace my KX3 for portable operating, for one thing it's quite a heavy little rig, but it will be more a back up rig in the shack.   

I've had my main rig, the FT-950 for 12 years now, and while it's a fantastic radio, I simply do not use it to its full potential.  I'm no longer contesting these days and I feel it's just a waste of radio sitting on my bench.  It will probably be on the market soon.

Tomorrow I'm off to the park for our club weekly meet-up, and will be taking the FT-891 to give it a first work out to see what it can do.  Stay tuned for news on that.

Stay safe out there!!

Another Sunday in the Park...

Getting up early on a Sunday morning, and going off to play radio, is starting to become a habit!!  It was a great day, blue skies and not a cloud to be seen anywhere.  In fact it was 18C when I was in the park, not too shabby for the 1st May around here.

My antenna today was, surprisingly, not a hamstick.  I used what I call my WG0AT antenna, a 41' radiator, and a 17' ground radial.  It's attached to the radio by a BNC to Banana Plug adapter, and not with coax or a Balun.  Steve, WG0AT, kindly provided me with the details of this antenna after I saw a video of him using it on a SOTA activation.

It works on most bands, and tunes down to 1.5:1 for many of them, a couple were 2.1:1.  I can not use it on 80m, 17m, or 12m, it just won't tune them at all.  It's not really an issue as I don't normally activate on those bands anyway.  I must try this antenna with a 4:1 Balun and see what changes with it.

So how did I do?  Well let me start off by saying that the propagation was not the best (that's also becoming a habit!!).  We had very noisy bands with deep QSB, signals were S9 one minute and gone completely the next.

Propagation numbers for today: SFI=120, SN=50, A Index=18, and the K Index=3.

However, I did manage to work three stations in Florida, WB4TDH, N4II, on CW, and N4Y on SSB.  All three were taking part in the Florida QSO Party.  Best contact of the day goes to G7SQW, Andy, who was activating a park in the UK, and my mighty 10 screaming watts grabbed him on my first call.  I'm very pleased with that contact, especially considering todays conditions!

It looks like we have a wet week ahead, so I will have to squeeze any of my planned POTA activations in between the rain drops.....the good news is that it isn't snow in the forecast!

Stay safe everyone.

A nice spot to play radio! 

Sunday morning in the Park...

The propagation numbers this morning seemed to be a lot better than they were yesterday, so off I went after breakfast to the Marshlands Conservation Area, POTA VE-5143, and set up to activate the park.

Let me tell you that the propagation numbers that popped up on the space weather website, had nothing to do with what was actually experienced on air.  The published numbers were:  SFI=160, SN=118, A Index=12, and the K Index=1.

It took me 90 minutes to make 14 contacts on three bands, 15m, 20m, and 40m.  Not at all what I expected when I started. That is the longest amount of time I have ever spent on an activation so far.

The radio of the day was my KX3, but I swapped out my normal mag-mounted hamsticks on my vans roof, to a light-weight camera tripod mount.

This setup uses one 17 foot radial, which I left attached for the whole activation.  Furthest contact was on 20m and was with Mike, W5NXK, in Lufkin, Texas, 2100 kms away.  So I'd say the proof of concept test went well, regardless of the poor band conditions.

There are a couple of things I need to do for the next time I use this setup.  Firstly, I need to find a good way of securing the tripod so it doesn't tip over.  Today was fine, we had zero wind.  

Secondly, I need to add a few more ground radials. Yes, it worked with just one radial, but we all know it needs more.

Today was another first....it was the first time I activated this year and didn't sit in the van, I actually setup outside on a small portable table.  Yes, spring is here!!

Close up of the actual mount

Todays QSO map 

Results - QRP to the Field...

Today is the QRP to the Field event and I joined Bob, VA3QV, at Lemoine Point to do a bit of QRP'ing.  The bands were in an absolute atrocious state.  In fact we couldn't even work a local station, Jelle, VA3JDG, on 40m who was, in a straight line, only eight kilometres away.  Jelle was running 100w, and we still didn't hear him.

The propagation at 10am local was: SFI= 163, SN= 101, A Index= 6, and the K Index= 4.

We did hear some stations on MI and OH calling CQ POTA, but we could not work them at all.  Bob's screaming 5w SSB just wasn't cutting it this morning at all.

It was disappointing, but we still got to play radio in the great outdoors, and Bob got to check out his portable gear, and make sure it worked and had everything he needs. So all was not a total waste.

Hopefully tomorrow morning will have better propagation and we will be able make a few portable contacts when we meet up at Lake Ontario Park for another portable operating session.

Bob, hard at work trying to make at least one contact!

Bob's Xiegu X5105 in action.

Interesting Map...

Yesterday I did yet another POTA activation.  The bands have been not cooperating over the few days, and I was getting cabin fever not having decent conditions.  

As it was a "Support Your Park" weekend, I really wanted to get out and do a very quick park activation, and lucky for me the propagation numbers improved just in time:  SFI=122, SN=78, A Index=8, and the K Index=2.  Those numbers are a vast improvement on what we have had over the past week.

The bands were very busy as we had the POTA event, the Ontario and Michigan QSO Parties, and on Sunday we also had the first ever Quebec QSO Party.  It was very difficult to find an open frequency to start calling on.

I spent some time on 20m, and then moved to 40m.  The map below is interesting because you can clearly see the contacts made on each band without even tagging them.

Stay safe out there !!

QRP To The Field...

Coming up next weekend is this years edition of QRP to the Field.  

QRP to the Field is an annual operating event to encourage QRPers and SOTA stations to get out of the house and operate portable from the field or a local summit.  Find a nice operating location for yourself, or combine it with some buddies for a day-long adventure. QRPTTF encourages participation by QRP hams of all skill levels. 

There's not much SOTA activity in Eastern Ontario due to a lack of suitable summits, but we do have a cornacopua of POTA parks which are great places to operate from.

Both CW and SSB is used in this event.  CW speeds are usually in the 13-20 wpm range. 

It takes place Saturday, April 21, 0800 to 1800 EDT, and the event uses the standard QRP frequencies.

From what I can find this event, and the NJQRP Skeeter Hunt in August, are the only two that have an SSB category.

More information and the rules can be found HERE.

Stay safe out there !!

New Radio...

The Easter Bunny delivered a new radio to my QTH this week, a new FT5Dr, 144/430 C4FM handheld.  

Originally I had the FT2Dr handheld, but recently it was traded for another mobile rig.  That was a mistake, for some reason I forgot that I like to take a HT along with me when I'm off to do a POTA activation.  We have a large contingent of POTA activators here in Kingston, and it's a good way to keep in touch with them on the local C4FM repeater, and keep track of where they all are.  That way two or three operators don't show up independently to the same park to attempt an activation.

This is a great HT.  The RX and TX audio is probably the best I have heard from a small radio before, and so far I have had many compliments on the audio quality.  I have changed out the stock antenna for a Diamond SRH77CA dual band antenna, but to be very honest I don't hear much of a difference between it and the stock antenna.

Is there a downside?  Yes, it takes a full nine hours to charge the battery.  I did purchase extra the AA battery pack for the radio.  I figured I could use that to finish a QSO, or continue to monitor while the main battery charges.

I haven't really started exploring the capabilities of this radio yet, but I very much like what I have seen so far.  Would I recommend it?  Yes, with no reservations.

Stay safe out there !!