Realtime Propagation Charts

G0KYA has a most useful page offering realtime propagation predictions in the form of maps showing exactly where signals should reach on a given band at a given time of day. It uses the latest available solar data so should be a very good guide. The maps assume 100W and a dipole at medium height, so for a QRP station the results to be expected will be less good.

VLF real DX: 2873km on 8.97kHz

Yesterday, Sat Dec 4th, DK7FC's VLF signal was copied by 4X1RF at an astounding distance of 2873km. Signal levels suggest that transatlantic reception may indeed be possible in the near future. Many other stations also copied Stefan's signals on various VLF frequencies yesterday. Congratulations to Stefan and everyone else who managed to copy his signal.

Full QTH locator square? Find it here

Just discovered that my full QTH locator is JO02DG85VD . This was found using a website I'd not come across before http://no.nonsense.ee/qthmap/ .

144MHz WSPR

For the first time I tried WSPR on 2m this evening. G4IKZ at 18km was a VERY strong signal but with a huge amount of Doppler shift which meant he did not decode. I've just seen G4IKZ has spotted me at +3dB S/N though, so perhaps it was just a passing plane.

DK7FC's 8.97kHz signal copied today (and in Israel!)

Weak signal around 8970.0Hz

Today I managed to weakly copy DK7FC's latest test transmission on 8.97kHz using my 20m spaced earth electrode and small FET preamp. Spectrum Lab, locked to a VLF MSK transmission helped by allowing me to look at precisely the right frequency. Distance is 648km. Stefan's signal was also copied in Israel, quite remarkable DX.

My VLF grabber on for DK7FC's tests on 8.97kHz

My frequency locked VLF grabber using Spectrum Lab software, running at QRSS600 speed (i.e. slow and narrowband),  is now active until Saturday evening in the hope I may see a trace of DK7FC's 9th VLF "kite antenna" transmission on 8.970kHz on Saturday. He will be using both QRSS and DFCW. He hopes to run up to 100mW ERP this time.

DK7FC on 8.97kHz this weekend

Stefan DK7FC is making preparations for a further test transmission on 8.97kHz this weekend. Saturday is his preferred day but if winds to support his kite antenna are too low, it may be Sunday. As usual, he will use very slow QRSS and DFCW.  During his last transmission he was received at 1310km and in a number of European countries.

8.76kHz field testing in the snow at 1.5km

With a temperature around 0 deg C I did a field trip today TXing on 8.76kHz VLF to test two things: (1) to check the rebuilt 4-5W TX based on the TDA2003 could be copied at moderate range and (b) to try out the new tuned preamp with earth electrode receive antennas and see how these compared with a loop. The usual first test site, a National Trust car park about 1.5km from home was chosen. Today it was totally deserted with more sensible people curled up in front of warm fires. Using the 80cm receiving loop or with the earth electrode antenna (electrodes placed about 13m apart) decent

copy was achieved in QRSS3, using Spectrum Lab this time rather than Spectran on the PC.  For the earth electrodes I just used barbecue skewers pushed in about 10cm into the very cold ground. Reception was also possible with the two earth electrodes just 2m apart. The first picture shows the signal received with a loop. The second is with the earth electrode antenna on receive. The ground was covered in a thin layer of wet snow and results when the soil, and soil surface, are dry should be better on earth mode conduction using earth electrodes at each end. The roads in the Fens were too icy to try reception at a more distant point 5-6km away. Also, I need a much longer baseline earth electrode pair in the car in case this is needed at greater range.

New front-end for 8.76kHz VLF earth mode tests

Today I completed the design of a new "front-end" for my tests on 8.76kHz when using earth electrodes as the RX antenna. Up to now I've used an 80cm loop/preamp at the far end of the test, usually with the loop on the ground for maximum signal pick-up. Now I want to compare results with an electrode pair antenna at the RX, laid across the road to form a pickup loop within the ground around any buried pipework and cables. The electrode pair is about 30-100 ohms, so I needed a low input impedance. I decided on a grounded gate FET amplifier with a simple LC tank circuit in the drain tuned to 8.76kHz fed via an emitter follower into the PC sound card. It has sufficient selectivity to reject 50Hz and lower harmonics and reject the stronger VLF and LF stations which could cause intermod and overload. I've also added a small LC lowpass filter on the input to the FET. This will be field tested at a site 5.3kms from the home QTH as soon as the weather improves: it is currently below freezing day and night!

Receiver/grabber improvements on VLF

Just received a special build of Spectran from Alberto I2PHD that keeps the same filename for captured grabber images. This means I can now use Spectran with my VLF grabber. This is fired up from time to time when people are doing VLF tests. It will also allow me to look for my own signal at home when I am out transmitting in the Fens locally some kms from home. I find Spectran easier to use than Spectrum Lab, which is a clever program but complicated for someone like me to configure.

I have also rebuilt the 4-5W beacon TX on 8.76kHz and given it a 1 hour continuous soak test. There is a video about this on my YouTube channel.

My next job is to work on a permanent VLF E-field probe outdoors and to make improvements to the receiving system for field use. I need a better preamp/filter that can also be used with earth electrode receiving antennas as well as the loop and E-field whips.