Argo plot of OK0EMW tonight on 505kHz

This is the Argo waterfall plot showing the Czech 505kHz beacon OK0EMW on QRSS3 (slow CW, 3 sec dots) coming in well tonight at 1700z. It was not audible by ear though. Note the QSB in the middle when the number 0 was being sent.

VO-52 satellite reception

Not listened for amateur satellites for some time so took a quick listen on 2m SSB around 145.9 this evening. Managed to catch a couple of VO-52 satellite passes and logged IK1SOW, EB2FJN, SP4BY and HB9XJ on SSB. I have printed out the passes for the next few days so will see what else I can receive on the FT817 and the vertical colinear antenna.

The first place to check for first-time satellite SWLs is the AMSAT page which has lots of helpful info on satellites, frequencies and passes.

WSPR beacons on the 500kHz band

There are now some stations appearing on the 500kHz band using WSPR mode which is a clever digital beaconing system allowing reception to be monitored and mapped/listed using PC software attached to a suitable transceiver and the internet. In effect you can set a transmitter running then check for reception reports from similarly equipped stations via an internet reporting page. See http://www.physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/K1JT/ for more information. K1JT designs some mighty impressive ham software! When I get a WindowsXP machine that is reliable again I will try this mode I think.

A family picture

One of our greatest joys this past year has been our first grandson.  He is now 1 year old and looking more like a little boy every day that passes. His mum is French and his dad Tim is English, so he is likely to grow up speaking both languages. This is a nice picture of my wife Lis, our elder son Tim and little grandson taken a few days ago. Our other son and his Australian wife are expecting their first grandchild next March. Whether either will be interested in ham radio remains to be seen.

SAQ (17.2kHz) active on Dec 6th

There will be an extra SAQ VLF transmission this month on Dec 6th at 1045UTC on 17.2kHz. No reports are being requested and no QSL cards will be sent out this time.

3X5A (Guinea) worked on 10m QRP

There were few 10m CW stations audible today (Nov 29) in the CQWW contest but among the few was the DXpedition to 3X5A in Guinea, West Africa.

I called them around lunchtime but at first they struggled to hear me but a few minutes later they were stronger and a solid QSO followed. This was a new country for me on 10m QRP. This is a picture of their QSL card from last year (from their website). See the Voodoo Contest Group website.

160m good tonight

Although I do not do that much on 160m I took a listen this evening and conditions were very good. Heard were UA6MF, EY8MM and 3X5A all on CW. If conditions are similar next weekend there should be some good DX around for the CQWW CW contest.

SK6RUD on 500kHz and "cross pond" LF reception

SK6RUD was a good signal on 500kHz again this evening around 2000z on my basic set-up here.

The better equipped stations in Europe are currently receiving some of the experimental 500kHz stations from the USA during the night hours and some have even managed to detect some of the Lowfer stations operating between 160-190kHz running less than 1W DC input. This is amazing when you think they are being received in the midst of the high power broadcast stations on this side of the pond.

Late Swallow - faulty GPS?

Had a change from ham radio today when I went birdwatching on the Wash in North Norfolk with our University of the Third Age group in Cambridge. Conditions were good but the wind very strong. Some decent birds about on the tidal mudflats and lagoons including black tailed godwits, mergansers, goldeneye, golden plovers and thousands of shelduck. No snow buntings seen although there were a few about. Apparently there was still a swallow up there last week, which is very late for the UK. Someone suggested it had a faulty GPS so didn't know which way to fly!

See http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/s/snettisham/ .

Backscatter - microwave compendium

Last week G4BAO showed me a copy of a new book running to nearly 400 pages called "Backscatter" which has been created from articles previously published in the microwave newsletter "Scatterpoint". The book is available for £14 and, if you are into microwaves from 1.3GHz upwards this is a very useful reference book.

It was fascinating to read about something called rainscatter which allows 10GHz stations to work each other by scattering signals off rain clouds/drops up to distances of 600-700kms. This mode allows narrowband uWave stations to work great distances, even from less than perfect home locations. Small 45cm dishes and about 1W RF seems all that is required at 10GHz to use this mode, which works even with NBFM. Signals sound like aurora as they get spread by the scattering process.

I can't see myself getting on 10GHz in a hurry but I can understand the fascination with such intriguing propagation modes to be explored.