4m UKAC tonight

 As you can tell, I seem to back losers!! A reminder that the 4m activity contest is on tonight starting at 1900z (8pm UK clock time). I hope to come on and maybe work someone. 

Oh look, there goes another flying pig! 😁

4m transverter

This is band I have not tried for many years. Many years ago I got on the band with this homebrew transverter and a wire dipole. It was in GQRP SPRAT magazine, but I forget which one.

4m is increasingly popular on modern rigs as the band is now widely available in Europe. When I was first on the band in the late 1960s there were very few countries on.

This transverter may give you some ideas for a winter project. It is well capable of reaching many European countries by SSB in the Es season. I am sure it can be improved.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/homebrew/4m-transverter .

4m (70MHz)

It is some years since I have been on 4m. There are now far more countries on the band many within Es range. The last time I was on the band I used a homemade transverter.  This design was in GQRP SPRAT.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/homebrew/4m-transverter .

4m website?

Certainly until last year there was a website dedicated to the 4m (70MHz) amateur band. A casual Google search failed to find it. It may have gone? 

It is many years since I operated on the band, but I can imagine it is an interesting allocation, especially in the Es season with so many countries now active and more rigs with 4m coverage. A few watts of SSB (or even FM) to a wire dipole should be enough to work many of the European countries now active on the band in Es openings.

UPDATE 0853z:  See Colin's comment. It is still there. www.70mhz.org   .

The 4m (70MHz) band

 

At one time very few countries had access to this band and there was no commercial gear.  Now it is widely available, especially in Europe and several transceivers now include 4m.  One place for data is the 4m website that has quite a bit about the band. It is some years since I was active on 4m.

In Es openings, many European countries can be worked with simple antennas and low power. One possibility is my simple transverter.

See https://70mhz.org/ .

4m

It is very many years since I was on the 4m (70MHz) amateur band. When I was first on in the late 1960s most operation was in the British Isles. 

These days many more countries have permanent or temporary access to the band. There are far more European countries with access nowadays. 

At one time there was a push to get CEPT to grant access to the band in all CEPT countries I think. 

The photo shows my transverter that has never been used at this QTH. I am not sure where it is even!

At some point I would like to get on 4m again. With a few watts and a halo antenna much of Europe should be workable in Es openings.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/4m_tvtr .

See https://70mhz.org/

4m transverter

One of my Facebook memories today was this photo of my QRP 4m transverter designed and made in 2011. I have not been on 4m for a very long time.

The band is being covered on far more commercial transceivers now and there are far more countries on the band. It is ideal for summer Es.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/4m_tvtr

Cape Verde (D4) on 4m?

EI7GL reports  on his blog that the team in Cape Verde intend to try 4m operation in the coming Es season. There is some doubt that they will reach much of Europe as this may depend on multiple hop Es. At this lowish VHF frequency marine tropo ducts may be harder.

See https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/2021/01/d4vhf-on-cape-verde-plans-to-be-on-70.html

4m in Germany 2020

Southgate News reports that 4m will again be available in 2020 for German amateurs. As Ger ismany at just the right range in Es openings, this is good news for amateurs in the UK.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/january/4m-returns-to-germany.htm#.Ximr4PKTLnE

4m transverter

Although this has been on the blog before, it is worth repeating it as it may spark ideas in some people. I have to confess it is some years since I tried this in a 4m contest with a hastily erected wire dipole.

Before that, my last 4m operation was working ZB2VHF from the shack of G3OUL (Liverpool University club station) with 4W AM on 70.26MHz. I think that was 1969, so quite a while ago!

The transverter certainly works, although I am sure it can be improved. These days I am too feeble and wobbly to try to make it better. It appeared in GQRP SPRAT, although I cannot remember which one. I guess it would have been in a 2012 or 2013 edition.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/4m_tvtr

4m (70MHz)

It is many years since I went, briefly, on 70MHz with a homebrew QRP transverter and a wire dipole. Even with this some impressive inter-G DX was worked. The transverter featured in GQRP SPRAT. It is also on my website.  If I buy a new radio it is unlikely to include 70MHz.

See www.70mhz.org .

4m transverter

Some years ago at the old QTH (2012?)  I designed and built this transverter for 4m (70MHz). As I recall I erected a wire dipole for the band just before a contest and worked a few stations on CW.

At the present QTH, I have never been on 4m.

Many years ago (1968?) I recall working ZB2VHF via Es one summer from university with 4W of AM on 70.26MHz. I can't recall the 4m antenna we used, but it was at best a small yagi.

As I recall, this QRP transverter put out 1-2W on the band, but could probably produce a bit more with some optimisation.

These days there are quite a number of countries on the band. This was not the case back in the 1960s when it was mainly a UK allocation and only 70.2-70.4MHz. Maybe I should give the band another go? As I recall it is quite an effective Es band in the Es season, and with a few watts much of the UK can be covered.

Return to 4m

With more and more countries now getting access to 4m (70MHz), I am seriously thinking about getting active on this band. Many years ago I designed and built this transverter for 4m. This has appeared on this blog before, but if you have no other way of accessing the band this may be a source of ideas.

4m (70MHz) band

More and more countries are getting access to the 4m band.  The latest seems to be Israel that has been given access this summer on a temporary basis. I keep saying that I should try the band - maybe next year?

Although I have been on the band briefly with a very unsuitable antenna and homebrew transverter and working over 200km with about 1W CW, this was many years ago.

Also, I remember working ZB2VHF with 4W of AM on 70.26MHz from university in the late 1960s. I don't recall the antenna, but it was not a beam I seem to remember.

See http://www.70mhz.org/

4m transverter

Some years ago I designed a QRP 70MHz transverter as I had no gear for that band. This was featured in GQRP SPRAT.

Using just a wire dipole in the loft I managed a few QSOs in a contest.

These days, there are commercial rigs covering the 4m band including the ICOM IC7300.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/4m_tvtr

4m (70MHz) band

For some time now I have been after a new challenge. A band I have hardly tried is 4m.

At the moment I have no 4m antennas and my QRP transverter is somewhere! The transverter has not been seen since we moved shortly before my 2013 stroke. It may be somewhere in a box in the loft.

4m sounds like a good band to try as I should be able to work by Es all the EUs allowed access. Also, much of the UK should be workable under normal conditions with a halo and say, 20W SSB. I guess all the UK would be possible with just a few watts on FT8.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/4m_tvtr .

4m (70MHz) next year?

Although I have "dabbled" with 4m in the distant past, I have not really tried the band seriously. As I am looking for a new challenge for 2018, my mind is drifting towards the 4m band. There are now lots of EU countries on the band which should be in reach by Es in the summer. As I recall, 4m is pretty effective for inter-G QSOs too, so 5-50W to a 4m halo should prove quite effective. 4m WSPR should be very effective. We'll see!

4m (70MHz) allocations

It is some years since I last tried 4m using my homebrew transverter and a wire dipole in the loft. Since those days many more countries are on the band. I imagine working Es DX in the summer is quite fun on the band.  The IC7300 even has 4m coverage.

I am not up to date with which countries have 4m, but I seem to recall a CEPT move to allow national organisations like OFCOM to allocate (part of) 4m to amateurs.

With the lower VHF bands being less popular with commercial users (big antennas on portables and Es interference), the chances of more countries allocating 4m to amateurs must increase.

In the USA the FCC might even allocate the band - well, by the 22nd century!

See http://www.70mhz.org/ .

4m Allocations Worldwide

Certainly in Europe and in a few countries elsewhere, the 4m (70MHz) band is being allocated to the Amateur Service. Lower VHF is not so popular for PMR users as antennas are quite large. There is a real chance of more widespread amateur allocations at 4m. This is an interesting band which has decent tropo ranges and Es openings especially in the summer months.

See http://www.70mhz.org/

4m (70MHz) operations

The 4m band is now widely available in Europe and in a few places worldwide. I have not tried the band from this QTH, well not yet. There is now the IC7300 which includes 4m in the European version. With 50W and a simple antenna, most of the UK should be reachable on CW or digital modes and a lot of the UK on SSB.

There is a new Greenland 4m beacon OX4M on the air from HQ90AL on 70.047MHz (25W) into a dipole radiating North/South sending  PI4 + CW + carrier.

Years ago I remember working Greenland with QRP SSB on a whip antenna from my garden using the FT817 on 15m. This new beacon should be ideal in the Es season.

See www.70mhz.org .

Incidentally, I see that Southgate News has a report on WIA's attempts to get a 4m band in Australia.

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2016/november/quest-for-australian-70-mhz-ham-radio-band.htm#.WDwwZ4XXLIU . 

Remember, you heard it here last 😉 .