Springtime Teases

Breakup this year seems slow to proceed.  An abundance of snow as well as days and nights toggling between 35-40 and 10-20F means a constant cycle of slow thaw and re-freeze.  Antennas weigh on our minds, Dan and I.  KL1JP has already begun construction of a 160 vertical, and a new Hexx beam arrived in the mail.  Planning for Field Day has begun in earnest, too.

Until the ground thaws, a lot of preparation for summer is in order.  Gather parts, place orders, line up volunteers.  As the snow parts, a few blades of grass are beginning to green.  Still, the ground is solid as cement just below the surface.  It's a tease.

A new QSL design has just been shipped to Gennady UX5UO.  Fantastic work at a reasonable price.

Weak Signal Redux with JT65A

While I like to operate a fair amount on PSK31 during non-contest time, that mode simply is not robust enough to cope with the flutter and Doppler smearing on the trans-polar paths.  To be fair, the popularity of PSK31 and its performance on a light band make it a valuable asset in the mode arsenal.  However, phase-shift keying detection requires a relatively pristine and stable carrier.  Also, the lack of forward error correction in the data stream makes it completely vulnerable to corruption caused by the peculiarities of a turbulent ionosphere.

Various other weak signal modes on HF have captured my interest for a while, as you can see by reading earlier posts on playing with Olivia during a solar storm and impressive results on QRP via the Weak Signal Propagation Reporter Network.  Modes based on multi-tone frequency-shift keying are inherently better suited than PSK for rough skywave conditions.  Detection is easier, because the demodulator does not have to lock to an unsteady carrier.  Also, if the data stream carries some redundancy and/or error-detection or error-correction coding, the impact of a lost tone here and there due to selective fading can be minimized.

Over a decade ago, Joe Taylor K1JT began to develop some rather robust modes for weak signal communications at VHF to bring exotic propagation modes like moonbounce and meteorscatter more down to earth for hams unable to erect giant arrays and to run legal limit power amplifiers.  The project evolved into "Weak Signal Communicatons, by K1JT", or WSJT for short.  The protocols now in use include FSK441 for meteorscatter and JT65, which has proven very popular for V/UHF moonbounce and is increasingly used by weak-signal enthusiasts for HF skywave propagation.  JT65 has a number of sub-modes, but you will find JT65A in common use on the HF bands.  If you have a soundcard interface for your radio and can keep the PC clock fairly well synchronized, you have all the fixin's for a JT65A operation once you add some software.

Several weeks ago I downloaded the WSJT 9.0 package, which is available for Windows and Linux.  I must admit to have been a bit overwhelmed by reading through the user's guide, but eventually things started to make some sense.  Getting everything set up and ready to use takes some deliberation, and it helps to have an experienced Elmer to guide you through getting on JT65A.  (The Alaska-Yukon Weak Signal Group is a great resource for us northern hams.)  Those a bit impatient who just want to cut to the chase with a single mode can download JT65-HF written by Joe Large W6CQZ.  The software runs on Windows only.  The interface is  intuitive, and soon you can be pointing and clicking your way to DXCC.

Make no mistake.  JT65A is not a ragchewing mode.  Each transmission and decoding cycle takes about one minute, and messages are limited to 13 characters.  Nevertheless, it is very effective getting basic information exchanged across an otherwise-impossible channel, even more effective than CW when the signal-to-noise ratio dips to the -10 to -20 dB range.  Case in point:  Last night on 40M, I monitored an exchange between ZS (South Africa) and FR (Reunion Island) in the SW corner of the Indian Ocean.  I couldn't hear a thing, and I could barely make out the tones on the waterfall display.  

JT65A is powerful stuff!  Many operators use 10-25W into simple wires or vertical antennas for worldwide contacts.  These are during conditions in which your grand pappy would have had sense enough to go fishing instead.

QRPp and a Magnetic Loop

W0MRZ had an awesome signal into KL2R this afternoon on 20m PSK31.  He said he was running 500 milliwatts and a magnetic loop antenna just delivered.

Update 2 Jan 11:  We successfully made a two-way QSO on 40m just before 0200Z!

Some New Ways to Use the FT-950

An ah-HAH moment occurred recently with respect to the FT-950 operation with a DMU-2000.  In searching for ways to better use the two, I believe I've improved the effectiveness of operation using VFO-A and -B as well a different band scope settings on the DMU.

http://www.akradio.net/DMU2000.htm

End of Year Activity: SRD, 10M, RAC, RR

I used to get a lot more stressed over the holidays.  All the shopping, decorating, cooking, and dreaded family gatherings interfered with some fun, year-end activities on the air.  KL1BE and I agreed some time back to severely prune the commercialism, and magically there is much more time for radio!

First on the December docket was Skywarn Recognition Day.  SRD in Fairbanks serves as the primary opportunity for the Arctic ARC to activate KL7FWX at the National Weather Service Office.  Dan KL1JP has been instrumental in organizing these events for several years.  This time he focused on heavy automation with Ham Radio Deluxe, his FT857D, a Microkeyer II, and an LDG autotuner.  I helped configure the HRD and MK2.  Echolink driven primarily by Mac Carter KL2GS netted hours of contacts.  Phone, CW, and digital modes worked on HF.  In total, a 10-year best number of stations went into the log.

The ARRL 10M Contest proved a hoot, although some prime operating time was missed due to other obligations.  I haven't made so many contacts on 10 meters in ages.  Later in the month I find the RAC Contest an enjoyable hunt, and this year was more successful than most.  The few hours of Rookie Roundup was enriching, and I worked some good new ops.  December always ends on the positive note of leisurely holiday ragchewing.

So now the look is ahead to the on-air events in the coming several months.  Push onward and upward!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Code-a-rific CQWW

Between October and March, my XYL Connie KL1BE will often ask, "Is there a contest this weekend?"  My answer is usually yes, and she responds, "Of course."  The query is merely perfunctory, and after all these years of gaining momentum, KL2R occupies my off-time a lot.  Having recently moved from engineer to paper-pusher at the office, I find ham radio more rewarding these days.  I can still get my brain engaged and hands dirty solving technical and method problems.

The weeks in and around November, of course, are filled with Sweepstakes, CQWW, and a number of other on-air sporting events proving to be quite popular.  I had mixed feelings about entering solo in CQWW CW this year.  I am always excited to do a CW contest like this, but how would I fare over the 48 hours?  I had been up since 2 AM Friday.  Never mind, though.  I got a late start after helping KL1JP configure some new equipment and software for the KL7FWX special event.  Twenty was alive with JAs and UA0s, then it tanked quickly.  15m was slightly promising to Asia for a while. I tried 40 with only a little success.  I was soon exhausted and had to sleep, but not before I set an end-goal of 1000 Qs and/or 500k points. 

I apparently missed a good 40m opening, but I started Saturday right with some good runs on 15 and 20, plus a few contacts on 10m.  I trudged on most of the day and night looking for good multipliers with the grayline.  The Middle East opened nicely on 20m late in the evening, and I worked Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar.  Europe was steady later on.  Around midnight into early Sunday morning, 40m was just a blast.  I have never seen so many strong signals in 13 years working from Alaska.  I could snag many East Coast stations with one call, a rarity.  I worked into Japan, the US, and Europe simultaneously.  I had one anomalous contact on 15m with an S5 in the middle of the night on 15.  Weird.

At 0330 Sunday, I had to sleep again.  I had planned a three-hour nap, but I failed to set the alarm clock correctly.  I didn't get started again for nearly six hours.  I missed catching the early run of US on 20 and some more action 15.  I pressed on with S&P after only a handful of weak runs.  I found I could keep a rate between 45 and 60 per hour this way.  I had a 240/hour run the day before. along with several periods of 180.  In the end, I made only 3/4 toward my goal.  But with 761 contacts in the log and several new countries, I'm pleased with the results.  I worked ZL8X on five bands, a real highlight.  Africa, the UK, and Spain could have been better represented, but I think this time the path to that general direction seemed lacking.  Check out the Google Earth plots at the akradio.net website.  It was Worldwide fun, though!