Big Iron: Chasing VUCC on Indoor Antennas

T Minus 3...2....1

2010-07-27T14:29:00.000-05:00

What a great summer it has been, despite the nearly complete lack of E-Skip in July. June was one of the best months ever for E-Skip including several 2 Meter openings. As Murphy would have it, I missed nearly all of them due to work and family commitments. But I did manage to work three new states, and a few new grids. I'm at 97 grids worked now on 2, all via the indoor antennas.

I'm hoping that the August Perseids meteor shower will be a good one this year, allowing me to move over the magic 100 grid mark. Or we'll see a nice tropo opening here as the summer draws to a close. It's been well over 100 degrees here for the past two weeks, but despite the presence of a lingering high pressure system, conditions have been only slightly better than average. I think if you're going to endure "heat advisories" warnings on NOAA Weather Radio, then you should at least have some tropo to go with it!

Some other highlights of the Summer of 2010 so far:

The ARRL June Contest saw this station working VUCC in a single weekend of limited operating time, on 100 watts, all using the indoor 3 element beam! That's one I won't soon forget.
Worked Joe Taylor, K1ST, one of my radio heroes using his new WSJT 8 software on ISCAT mode via 6 Meters. What a thrill! Can't thank Joe enough for his invention which has made most of this possible.
Added a 30 watt 1296 DEMI transverter, which should help me on that band.
In the process of upgrading antennas for 2 Meters, 902, and 1296--should be ready for the September contest.
A new "serious rover" Austin, K4AMK moved to Helena, AL only a few miles from my home. He's in the process of building a very serious contest capable rover, and should really change the game here. He's also interested in Optical DX, so we're working on some transceivers to make a VUCC attempt in that region soon too.

VUCC In a Weekend, On Indoor Antennas!

2010-07-27T14:12:00.000-05:00

This past weekend's ARRL VHF Contest began with a healthy dose of Murphy. At
the request of my good friend, Marcus Thomas, KF4YHP, I had planned on doing a
multi-multi operation using his 75 foot portable tower, 7 element M2 6 Meter
beam, and 17B2 Boomer, along with my compliment of rover antennas for the
other bands thru 1.2 Ghz.

Only days before the contest, Marcus injured his hand while working on a tower
for another ham in the area. The injury was severe enough to not only stop our
work on the feedlines for our effort, but to keep Marcus out of work and off
the air for the duration.

With only three days to prepare for the effort, I debated my options for the
contest Rebuild the rover rack and try to visit some nearby grids as a rover?
Throw up some portable mast in the driveway, and attempt a 6 band effort from
home? Forget the whole thing and go fishing with the XYL?

Murphy continued his domination at this point, as a major project at work
resulted in a lot of late nights and early mornings, with no time for hobby.
Thursday night saw me in a state of despair....no antennas in the attic
connected...no antennas on the rover rack...radio's and feedlines lying in the
shack floor. AHHHH!!!!

To complicate matters, our nephew had decided to pay us a visit over the
weekend. I quickly pressed him into service after I got home on Friday, and
together we managed to reinstall the hardline and antennas in my attic to get
me on 6M thru 1.2 Ghz.

Alabama experienced near record temperatures of well over 95 degrees, and
inside the attic, it must have been well into the 100's. Work progress was
slow, and breaks were frequent. As midnight neared, I began checking each line
for SWR...problems arose immediately. High readings on several bands, with no
apparent cause.

At 4AM, I finally called it a night, with only 6, 2, and 432 working
correctly. I resigned myself to a very limited effort on those bands.

As the contest began, 6 Meters roared to life, and filled my receiver up past
50.250! Even more amazing was that it lasted for hours on end. While I enjoyed
the runs on 6 Meters, my main goal was to work new grids on 2 Meters towards
the VUCC effort.

Mid-afternoon saw 6 Meter contacts grow very short, with my station working
into nearby South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee via E-skip. I quickly tuned
to 2 Meters and began listening in earnest for E-Skip there. None was heard,
however, and back to 6 I went.

Murphy stuck his final blow when I attempted to work nearby powerhouse, Jimmy
Long, W4ZRZ on 432. I recently purchased Icom IC-471 failed to operate
properly. Jimmy could hear me, but I couldn't detect his signal at all. We
switched to FM and worked using my 50 watt Icom FM rig! Drat!

Late in the day on Saturday, I finally gave up on the affair, and decided to
spend some quality time with the wife and my nephew. We went fishing at a
nearby lake until nearly 3AM..and had a blast. I got a ton of Bream, and tried
to enjoy my family.

Sunday morning saw exhaustion and heat taking their toll, and I slept right
thru my 6AM wake up call. Finally staggered into the shack around 9AM...to
find 2 Meters dead, and 6 again wide open. Having no other options, I
concentrated on working 6 Meter contacts, determined to have some fun and just
enjoy renewing friendships.

By 11AM, I noticed that I had already worked 78 grids, despite very limited
operating time. A thought crossed my mind; "I wonder if I could work 100 grids
before the contest ends"? As a few more new ones were logged, the possibility
of earning VUCC in a single weekend using only 100 watts and the indoor
antenna seemed a real possibility.

The push was on....and by 1PM, I passed the century mark. VUCC in a weekend,
using nothing but a stock Icom 746 Pro and an indoor antenna. Wow! No wonder
they call it the Magic Band! By contest end, I had worked 126 grids, four
countries, 33 states, and had a ton of fun!

Thanks to all the wonderful operators who struggled to pull out my weak
signal, and even more to those who stopped for a brief moment to encourage me.
Great contest, and despite not working any new ones on Two, one that I won't
soon forget.

73,

Les Rayburn, N1LF
EM63nf
VUCC 6 Meters #1,712
Grid Bandit #222

T Minus Nine & Counting

2010-06-08T16:41:00.000-05:00

June 2, 2010 brought a sustained Sporadic E-Skip opening to the Southeastern United States. Six Meters opened early in the morning to the Caribbean, and then to Mexico. Several times during the morning, the band grew "short" here with nearby grids like EM48 being worked on 6 Meters via E-Skip.

For those new to VHF, E-Skip paths typically cover 600-1100 miles, with longer paths being worked via "double hop" propagation. When these events become intense on 6 Meters, the distance to stations being worked grows shorter, with contacts of less than 300 miles becoming possible. As this happens, the Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) climbs higher.

Many hard core DX'ers will track the MUF using a variety of indicators. One of those is when you start to see 6 Meters "go short". Other good things to check are listening for E-Skip on local FM channels that are "empty".

During this opening, my local channels were being overwhelmed with stations from Houston, Dallas, and Kansas City. These E-skip openings happened first on 88.5, then 101.1, finally reaching above 107.5.

A quick check of the NOAA Weather Radio frequencies at 162Mhz revealed only the "usual suspects"...so I knew the MUF was somewhere between 108 and 162. I sent several CQ's on 144.200, hoping for rare 2 Meter E-Skip, but nothing was heard.

As the afternoon, progressed, this cycle repeated itself. E Skip on 6 Meters would build to a frenzy, and Mexican TV stations would fill the screen of my old B&W set in my shack. First TV channel 2, then 3, then 4....The FM dial would fill up too, but nothing on 2 Meters. Drat!

I started catching up on some e-mails in our home office, and an hour passed. I drifted back into the shack, to see a crystal clear picture on Channel 5 from Mexico. Wow. The bands must be jumping. I spun to the NOAA Weather Radio channels and heard strong signals on the two vacant channels in my area! The MUF must be above 162 MHz!

Quickly, I spun the dial to 144.200 and heard KA0JGH calling CQ from Nebraska with no takers. I called him, and he came right back with a 59+ signal report. Wow! A new grid and a new state. I moved up and down the band listening for other calls.

Managed to work W0NRW from EN11 for another new grid, and then AE0G in EN10. Then disaster struck...my wife tapped me on the shoulder, pointed towards her watch, and reminded me that we had a date for dinner with another couple. But....but....

Common sense prevailed. A contest weekend is coming, with the CQ WW to follow soon after that. I'd spent almost the whole day in the shack on 6 Meters, and DXing TV stations. Trying to get out of this dinner would be a suicide mission. I switched off the rig, and went to freshen up before dinner.

As we drove, David Benton, WA4JGG called my cell phone to tell me that 2 Meters was open. My wife listened on our Bluetooth speaker, and said, "Honey, why didn't you say so? We could have canceled". After 28 years of marriage, I know better than to take bait like that. I just smiled, and said, "I'm sure the band will be open again soon".

I hated to miss most of that opening, but EN10 and EN11 put me at 91 grids on 2 Meters with the indoor antennas. And I live to fight another day. Hoping that I'll pick up at least one or two more this weekend....

Great opening, and lots of fun. Thanks to my new friends in Nebraska, and the world's best XYL. She's even worth passing up a 2 Meter E-Skip opening for...how many men can say that?

VUCC #1,712 On Indoor Antennas

2010-06-08T15:18:00.000-05:00

The US Postal Service delivered a welcome surprise in today's mail. A beautiful certificate from the ARRL for 6 Meter VUCC # 1,712. I don't think I've been that excited to open something since Christmas morning 1966, when Santa brought me Major Matt Mason, his Space Station, and Moon Crawler!

I made my first VHF+ contact in December of 2008 on 2 Meter SSB, using a four element Yagi that was mounted in that attic in my deed restricted home. After another afternoon of struggling to work a net on 80 Meters using the disguised antennas in my backyard, I thought maybe I could finally try weak signal VHF stuff. The antenna was already mounted on a small rotor, and I used it for ARES work on distant repeaters. A quick flip turned it "Horizontal" and that was that.

That brief contact started a passion for a whole new area of amateur radio, after being licensed for decades. I'd always been into "weak signals" but spent most of my time on 160 Meter CW, and doing cutting edge homebrew stuff on the 1750 Meter "Lowfer" band.

My only VHF experience had been serious TV DXing, but it was nothing like this!

Despite the handicap of indoor antennas, I was lucky to find a group of VHF Men who took me under their wings, and encouraged my interest. Jimmy Long, W4ZRZ has done more than anyone could ask of an Elmer or a friend. Patient, generous, and encouraging. He's also not beyond giving you a quick kick in the pants if your efforts are slacking. Thank you Jimmy!

Jack, WA5UUD answered an unending series of stupid questions, and made an effort to alert me to every band opening on 6 &2 since. I wouldn't be able to work out beyond 50 miles without the help Jack has provided.

Marshall Williams, K5QE has really encouraged my efforts on all fronts, and helped me optimize my rover station this year. Still a thrill for me to even hear the Mighty K5QE on these indoor sticks! Thank you Marshall.

David Hines, N3ZBK handled my QSL chores when work started to overwhelm me, allowing me to complete the first band in my quest. He's also become my new EME guru, trying to get me started on a new adventure.

Bill, AF4OD, the SE Rover King-has donated microwave gear for my efforts, took me to his secret "sweet spots", and encouraged me to get out of the house and try my hand at roving. Neil, N4ION donated gear to get me started on 222---and now it's my favorite band! Thanks Neil for introducing me to the "Forgotten Band". Sean at the ARRL who encouraged me to become addicted to VHF Contesting (Like any good narcotics dealer, the first one is always free!)

JD, N0IRS and the "Grid Bandits" who took me under their wing. How cool is it to be Grid Bandit #222! Bill Olson, K1DY who has tried patiently to explain antennas to the village idiot. Thanks, Bill for all you've done too. Ben, K4QF who taught me the three rules of VHF, "Be On. Be Horizontal. Be Loud." Or has he likes to add, "In your case, two out three ain't bad".

Judge Van Deacon & The gang at the Ocoee Amateur Radio Club from my hometown of Cleveland, TN who stopped their contest efforts to help repair my rover in the rain last year. You guys rock! Marcus, KF4YHP, who helped engineer the rover antenna system, and kept my spirits up when I got down on the handicap of indoor antennas.

Gene, W3ZZ has challenged me and chided me too on occasion...thanks for your patience and inspiration Gene. The gang on "Ping Jockey" for giving me the thrill of working the "Rox" which became my secret weapon. And all the VHF Men on these lists who have endured my endless stories, mindless questions, and often ill informed opinions. I've learned so much from you all!

Lastly, I have to thank two really special people. Rex, W5RCI, who told me only days before he fell ill that my 222 signal was so loud, he might consider passing the mantle of "Mr. 222" on to me. What a thrill it was to work him on CW on 432 and 1.2 Ghz. It's not often one gets a chance to play baseball with a Hank Aaron, or Babe Ruth, but I can truly say that I worked the legend. Rex is still missed every morning here on .200.

And my XYL, Abby Rayburn, who has endured being a ham's wife for 28 years. She's also been my faithful rover partner, designed and built a custom PVC rack for my rover, and generally encouraged me to follow this silly dream. I love you, Miss Abby...

I'm proudest of all that I confirmed 121 grids for the award, and 112 of those were made using only the indoor antenna. My initial goal is complete...but the journey has just become. I still want VUCC on 2, 222, 432, 902, 1.2 GHz, and maybe even higher.

Listen, I know I'm rambling on---but I can't help it. I'm excited, and thrilled---and just damn proud to be one of you, the Lords of Light, a VHF Man. I've said it before, but it bears repeating:

I wasted almost 40 years on HF. All the fun truly is in the "World Above 50 Mhz". My sincere thanks to all who have helped along the way, and strained their ears to copy this weak, indoor signal. I'm forever in your debt.

73,

Les Rayburn, N1LF

EM63nf

VUCC 6M # 1,712

Grid Bandit #222

LoTW, VUCC & The lack of Leadership

2010-05-26T13:14:00.000-05:00

A recent thread on the VHF E-Mail Reflector about when (if ever) the American Radio Relay League plans to implement VUCC credits using their electronic QSL software called "Logbook of the World".

LoTW, for short, has been around for almost a decade now, but still doesn't accept contacts made above 50mhz towards credit for the VHF UHF Century Club (VUCC) Award. So, even if you have 200 grids confirmed on 2 Meters using the software, you can't print out that list and have it accepted by the ARRL towards credit for the award.

Many in the VHF community feel slighted by the delays and excuses coming from Newington. Making matters worse is the growth of alternative electronic QSL programs such as "E-QSL" which is accepted by CQ Magazine for their awards program, and more recently, the QRZ.com electronic awards program.

The LoTW software uses a high level of security, including the use of special encryption keys, and others steps to protect the data to the highest standards. So high in fact, that they exceed the level of security used for my on-line banking account, my brokerage account, and even my daughter's FASA college grant account!

These security steps have made the software difficult to install and use, a real pain to transfer to a new computer, and generally slow to be adopted by hams. In contrast, the E-QSL program is fast, easy, and wildly popular. I expect the QRZ.com program to take off too.

The problem lies when trying to keep up with all of it. Now each QSL has to be confirmed a minimum of three ways to keep everyone happy. That means uploading your logs, and sending out cards. Since the ARRL won't accept E-QSL's or QRZ.com cards, you have to still do them manually via US Mail.

VUCC cost me $270 in postage, return postage, envelopes, etc. A hefty price just to confirm 100 contacts. In contrast, you could easily qualify for DXCC, especially if you're active on RTTY or the digital modes, for no investment at all. Most hams active on the digital modes tend to be early adopters of LoTW, and logs are often uploaded within hours of the end of a major RTTY or PSK DX contest.

The rise of alternative programs is completely understandable. The league missed it's opportunity to lead in the area of electronic-QSL's and have failed again and again to update the software, add programs like VUCC, and improve the interface.

The real shame is that in doing so, they reduce their own "market share" with a new generation of hams. Currently, DXCC Honor Roll, VUCC, and other ARRL Awards are the most highly prized, but that doesn't mean it will always be that way. They could quickly become antiques as other award programs grow and are adopted by the next generation.

What's that old saying, "Lead, follow, or get the hell out of the way"? When it comes to VHF+ matters, the league continues to allow it's priorities to be set by those who experience is grounded in the HF world. You see in their contesting rules, the lack of support for VUCC on LoTW, and even in their monthly magazine, QST, which often includes editorial slants painting VHF Men as second rate operators compared to their HF brothers.

It's time to wake up, Newington...adopting VUCC as part of LoTW should be "JOB ONE" until completed. I hope others will join me in making their feelings known to their Section Managers, and elected officials.

73

VHF Contesting Webinar

2010-05-26T12:44:00.000-05:00

For those who missed it, Gene Zimmerman's web seminar (webinar) on the topic of "VHF Contesting" is now available on the Potomac Valley Radio Club web site:
http://www.pvrc.org/webinar/webinars.htm

Zimmerman is best know as the author of "The World Above 50 MHz" column in QST each month He's served in that post since 2002. Gene is also a top-notch contest operator in both the HF world, and VHF+ efforts, being one of the principals of the highly successful K8GP "Grid Pirates" Multi-Multi group.

The webinar had over 60 attendees, including two from Europe, and lasted approximately an hour and half. It's a perfect general introduction to VHF Contesting (just in time for the June ARRL Test, and July CQ WW Test in July). But it also featured some lively discussion about the design of a truly serious VHF station that will be of interest to both DX'ers and contest operators.

For those trying to be successful on VHF in deed restricted settings, I really think it's vital to "work smarter, not harder". You won't be able to succeed with the typical formula of big antennas and big amps--so you've got to make up those db's in other ways. The best way is to be a better operator--work on your station and your skills. Webinars like this go a long way towards that education.

Thanks to Gene, W3ZZ and the PVRC for the efforts involved. Check it out.

VUCC Within Reach

2010-05-04T13:17:00.001-05:00

The winter of my discontent has turned in the Spring of renewed hope for me. It began on March 6th, when I had my cards checked for 6 Meter VUCC at the Birmingham Hamfest. I have just over 127 grids confirmed on the "Magic Band". While I haven't received the certificate yet, the league office confirms it's on the way.

Late March and April brought some great tropo openings into the Southwest.

A chaotic work schedule has resulted in a string of 20 hour + days, and sleeping through most of the tropo opening here in the Southeast. On March 12th, I was determined to change my fortunes, and set several alarm clocks for 6AM Central time, after going to be bed at 2AM.

Still managed to sleep through them, but woke at 7AM. Rushed to the shack, glanced at the APRS map, and began spinning the dials. Heard several loud station in Texas in a group on .230, and called them during their first break.

What followed was a three hour long spree of tropo DX, bagging 10 new grids, bringing my total to 87 grids worked on 2 Meters with the indoor antenna. Many stations were loud, literally speaker quality and then some.

When K5RUS asked me to run the bands, I really started to regret moving my 222-1296 gear to the rover set-up. I literally had nothing up that I could get on the higher bands. Drats! I decided just to focus on 2 Meters, and not worry about what I might be missing on 222 and up.

The highlight had to be when a weak station called me...I struggled to make out his callsign---and then clearly heard XE20R in DL98. Raf was actually calling me! WOW!

We worked, and I nearly had to pinch myself. DX on 2 Meters with a 6 element antenna inside the attic. And it wasn't even via Sporadic E's.

Thanks to all the patient stations who pulled me out of the noise that day. You can't image what a 10 grid day means to someone who is used to logging perhaps one new grid every month or two. It's was like Christmas at Easter Time.

13 Grids and counting for VUCC on 2 Meters!

Late April and early May have brought some nice E-Skip openings on 6 Meters...and two new countries on that band. Last night, I even managed to work AA6DD in California via double-hop E's. He was loud, even on the 3 element indoor beam.

Granted, I've worked the West Coast many times, but never this early in the season--and never with signals that good. I'm hoping that we'll soon be blessed with a decent 2 Meter E-Skip opening. One good day could put me over the top and complete my quest to earn VUCC using indoor antennas on another band.

73,

Les Rayburn, N1LF

EM63nf

Grid Bandit #222

The Winter of my Discontent

2010-03-11T16:19:00.000-06:00

The period of time between September of 2009 and March of 2010 should be called "The Winter of My Discontent" as it applies to VHF activities. A surge in new business at work left me with little time to pursue my hobby, or make progress towards my goals of VUCC on all bands up through 1296.

In fact, my puny efforts in both the September and January VHF contests are the best proof. In both cases, I failed to even submit a log. A real let down from my efforts in the recent past.

But I'm determined to shake off the funk, do some spring cleaning and get moving again on the high bands. So here's my recent progress in a nutshell:

Had cards checked for VUCC on 6 Meters at the Birmingham HamFest on March 6th. Happy to say that I now have 121 grids verified, and am waiting on the certificate and lapel pin for the first rung on my ladder. Yeah!
At the same HamFest, I purchased a TE Systems 350 watt brick amplifier for 2 Meters. Hope to put it to good use on both Meteor Scatter and possibly even "backyard-portable" EME efforts! (stay tuned for more on that effort)
I'm having a couple of Loop Fed Array (LFA) Yagi's constructed by a good friend who's become my antenna guru. If you haven't read about these, jump on over to: http://www.g0ksc.co.uk/component/content/article/25-the-project/107-lfa-arrived.html and have a look. Recent articles in DUBUS magazine have highlighted this new design. They feature low noise pickup perfect for urban areas like mine, and great SWR performance across the band. Hope they'll improve my ability to hear the weak ones. The picture above is a 5 element 6 Meter version.
Added a new 222 MHz FM mobile rig (25 watts out) and a B2 Engineering J-Pole in the attic to help pick up some FM contacts during future contests. May also swap this rig into the truck with a mag mount. That way I can monitor 222 FM and SSB at the same time.

So I apologize for being off the air--and away from the blog. I certainly haven't given up the fight, and hope to complete 2 Meter VUCC this year. Also planning a bigger effort in the Spring Sprints. 6 Meters has been open a bit lately (early, huh?) so here's hoping we all have a great summer ahead of us, VHF Men!

Keep the faith and listen for the weak ones!

73,

Les Rayburn, N1LF

Grid #76-Thanks to WQ0P

2010-01-04T19:08:00.001-06:00

One of my VHF Mentors, Ben Lowe, K4QF gave me some great advice about VHF; "There are only three rules. Be on. Be Loud. Be Horizontal".

Or in the case of someone operating from a deed restricted neighborhood, I turned to another wise man, Meatloaf, who said, "Don't be sad. Cause two out of three ain't bad". Saturday rewarded my patience with a a new grid and a new state for me on 2 Meters, when Greg Cerny, WQ0P in Belvue, KS was able to pull my signal out of the noise using the WSJT software.

On one of our exchanges, the software recorded a signal pulse duration of over 2.5 seconds, which qualifies as a "blue whizzer" to be sure. Greg must have a great station, as he was copyable almost every sequence and often well above the noise.

He wished me Happy New Year during his 73 sequence transmission, and I returned the favor. QSO's like that on MS are really fun. My quest for VUCC on 2 Meters continues, with new grids coming at an average rate of about 1 new one every 2-3 weeks.

Santa also brought me a present of a TE Systems 160 Watt 6 Meter brick amplifier. That should really help my signal on the Magic Band...my Icom 746 Pro puts out 100 watts into a dummy load, but despite that I can' t seem to get more than 50-60 watts out of it when feeding my 3 element Yagi due to interactions in the attic. I'm hoping I can get up to 100 watts or so with the amp, giving me another 3db. I don't dare try to run much higher power than that indoors, as things will play havoc with electronics in my home.

Prepping for January VHF SS, hope to work some new grids on 432 and up during that one.

Thanks again Greg for Grid #76 on 2 Meters and the new state!

The band is dead? There's an App for that!

2009-12-07T14:43:00.000-06:00

VHF Men who have had a chance to read a few issue of DUBUS magazine may have
noted that Meteor Scatter operators in Europe put a lot more emphasis on
manipulating the WSJT software to achieve successful contacts than we do in
North America. That's a very general statement, as there are certainly some
very skilled WSJT operators in the US and Canada as well...but for most it
seems to be a casual experience. They're quite content to sit back and let the
software do most of the work and rarely attempt to manipulate it to their
advantage.

Others use the software infrequently, perhaps only during major showers, and
don't take the time to unlock it's full potential.

Recently, Harry Johnson, WB3BEL wrote a very compelling response to a
discussion about this topic on the WSJT reflector. For anyone interested in
the mode, it should be required reading. Following some of the techniques that
he outlines will make you a better WSJT operator, and you'll put more contacts
in the logs. With his permission, I'll share an edited version of those
remarks now:

I agree that while the physics and geometry tend to debunk the notion of
"one-way" rocks. The term will endure to describe the frustration due to one
party decoding more pings the other. I will say I am by no means an expert,
but I have a few observations that may benefit others.

It would be true that if the mode were full duplex and both stations had
similar effective ERP and G/T you would both receive reciprocal reflections
off of the same physical meteor trail. But, that really isn't how we run on
MS. We run simplex mode. So it is probable that if the meteor pings are short
and/or few, one station receives more than the other.

However, if this does not appear random over a long time period you may want
to investigate why.. If you more frequently receive fewer pings than your
partner or you often take longer to move to the next message than they do, and
you have similarly equipped station it's worth investigating.

I'd say that most of the major reasons have a common basis; poorer signal to
noise ratio. It may be you have high local noise, it may be that you have less
skill using WSJT controls or decoding using your eyes and ears. Or it may be a
defect in signal quality.

If its local noise you will have a struggle. An antenna with lower sidelobes
may help. Finding a quieter freq may help. Finding the source and neutralizing
it is your best option but may be difficult or an ongoing battle. Sometimes
pointing off direct bearing by both parties can help especially on short
paths.

If you have a big frequency error either TX or RX the decoder will be less
sensitive. The solution may be to start a sked with Tol = 400 and progress to
lower Tol (200, 100...etc) after receiving the first bursts and adjusting VFO
if early in sked or RIT if later. What you are trying to do here is get the DF
low and then tighten the Tol. You don't want to change your freq if the other
station has also made a correction. This is a bit of mind game. For example,
if I have only run a few sequences and RX a fragment of other stations TX1,
and see a big DF say +250. I can fairly safely assume that they have not seen
me with a big -DF and counter corrected. I will move my VFO +250. and then
lower Tol to 200. But if its later in the QSO and say I RX the other station
TX2. I might just move the RIT assuming they may also have made a change on
their side. So being a better operator may improve success here.

WSJT is NOT as sensitive in decoding SH tones as your brain using eye and ear.
If you set WSJT to be super sensitive to SH tones (choosing low clip value)
you WILL get false decodes and result in some busted contacts. Tiny noise
spikes will sometimes decode as SH tone. But listening for specific tone using
headphones and looking for a trace line at the right vertical position on the
SpecJT in combination with the WSJT decoder for SH is many more dB sensitive
and less prone to false decode. If in doubt, you can click on the region on
the specjt trace to encourage multiple decode using different start time for
the captured data. Or you can wait for a second confirming ping. I find that
WAY FEWER THAN HALF of decodable SH messages automatically decode in WSJT.
Know how to adjust the RX level close to 0 dB, and understand how some noise
blankers/AGC reduce sensitivity to short fast rise time pings.

I don't fully understand it, but if I am listening using headphones and
discern a definite meteor ping especially TX1 or TX2 with data, I will
relentlessly click on it or slightly before and after it in time until I
squeeze some useful characters out of it. It's like...I know you are hiding in
there...and I am going to beat on you until you give up a few letters. These
reluctant to decode pings come from signals with lots of impairment. They may
be for example (not exhaustive):
1. Very weak (1 or 2 dB),
2. Very strong /without a sharp rise time
3. Have a big DF.. or a lot of time varying doppler..
4. TX/RX station has a lot of hum, distortion, sound card jitter on signal...

So also it depends on how hard the operator on the other end is trying. If you
walk away from the screen to get a coke, watch TV you will get fewer decodes
than a skilled op trying to choke every character string out of the
ether...Some guys want to see the full message in a decode. Other guys will
mentally glue call fragments together ala old SSB days. I think that is all
fine. If you get carried away and look for single isolated characters you may
be over the line. You can click a blank screen enough times and force any
letter to decode standalone.

So while the best remedy is higher power, bigger antenna, better QTH and rarer
DX call, you might still be able to better your odds of logging a station by
perseverance and skill with your tools.

Good luck with the meteors.

-Harry WB3BEL

[Despite his modesty, Harry is an excellent operator, and very successful at
digging out stations with significantly less ERP than his own. He's done a
great service to the VHF Community by presenting some techniques that can help
everyone make more contacts using the WSJT software]

Marshall Williams, K5QE, another top notch VHF Man, also offered his observations on how operators can improve their decodes, and make more QSO's using the software:

Have you noticed what I observed just by luck?? I often will click 10-20 times across a ping, looking for every scrap of information that might be in there. It is amazing how often you will find one or sometimes both calls in the ping, even though a single click on the middle of the ping nets garbage.

If you have not done this, I suggest that you try it often and see what your results are.....Of course, it can be a schedule that you are not part of...just something to receive.....

On The Cover of Rolling Stone (or QST at least)

2009-11-11T14:39:00.000-06:00

The results were published today for the June 2009 VHF QSO Party in QST Magazine. My paltry efforts in the Unlimited Rover category resulted in a 3rd Place finish in that category and a listing of my name and callsign in the hallowed pages of QST.

Now, the league has lost some of it's luster since I was first licensed decades ago, but I'd be lying if I said that I didn't still get excited to see my name in the magazine, work W1AW on the air, or get a contest certificate in the mail. The years have made be wiser, and perhaps a bit more of a cynic, but there is enough romance left in these old bones to still get a warm feeling for these things.

In truth, my score of 24,000 was nothing to write home to mom about. And if the "Unlimited" category of Rover didn't exist, I wouldn't have placed in the Top 20 for Rovers. But for someone who operates with indoor antennas 90% of the time, and is always playing second fiddle to other stations, it was a nice morale boost.

Even this minimal showing would not have been possible without a lot of help from my VHF Elmers. First among them would have to be Jimmy Long, W4ZRZ. Jimmy not only loaned me equipment for my rover effort, but also provided a lot of training, set up support, and encouragement along the way. He always seems to be there with a pat on the back or a kick in the backside (whichever is needed) at just the right time to keep me motivated.

He's also one of the best VHF operators that you'll ever meet, and a heck of a contester. I've learned so much from him, and couldn't begin to repay him.

Bill Capps, AF4OD loaned me his 5Ghz and 10Ghz equipment for the contest when he saw that work would prevent him from making a major effort. He also has provided some valuable intel about good operating locations, and roving in general. Thanks Bill!

And lastly Jack, WA5UUD has indulged my endless questions about all things VHF---and is the first to call me on the one to alert me to openings. He also hung with me during my journey into EM61 where VHF operators are rare, and warned me of an approaching storm. Jack is one in a million, and I'm proud to call him friend. Thanks for staying with me Jack!

There are many more VHF Men who've helped out too---Marshall, K5QR comes to mind, and Bill Olson, and well, pretty much everyone on the VHF Reflectors, and e-mail lists.

If I haven't said "Thank you" or told you that I'm grateful before, please let me do so now. It's quite a special fraternity that I've been allowed to join here. "VHF Man" is one of the best things that an amateur can be.

73,

N1LF

Grid #73 & The Jig To Come

2009-11-11T14:18:00.000-06:00

Tropical Storm Ida and a cold front have put an end to the tropo for now, so what's a grid chaser with indoor antennas to do? Turn your eyes to the skies!

The Leonids Meteor shower will peak on November 17th, but even now the daily rates are starting to rise. Last night I had some limited operating time, but jumped on Ping Jockey to try a few contacts. My first attempt was with Terry Bess, K8JX in EN64, and we managed to pull off the 770 mile contact in a little over 15 minutes using WSJT software. This is Grid #73 on 2 Meters for me, and was a nice contact indeed.

Dan, VE2DSB monitored our QSO and decoded a couple of pings from me, and even managed to decode several from Terry off the back of the beam. After completing with Terry, Dan and I attempted a QSO for what must be the 30th time or so. Alas, no joy in Mudville. Dan and I were still not able to complete our QSO despite a half hour long attempt.

The ironic thing is that Dan was actually my first ever contact using the WSJT mode, but the QSO did not count because he walked me through it using the Ping Jockey Internet reflector. On that initial attempt, we completed in about 20 minutes, with Dan providing guidance and tips on operating the mode via the Internet logger. At the time, I think we both thought that we'd simply "do it again" for credit without the aid of the reflector later on.

Hours after the first contact (with three completed QSO's under my belt) we tried again without success. It's now turned into a running joke between the two of us. At 1,200 + miles it's no piece of cake for a meteor scatter contact, but both of us have completed longer ones.

Still the effort and the goal give us a glimpse into what the early VHF Men had to endure. Endless schedules in an attempt to complete a QSO, and seemingly endless disappointment. Dan and I are resolved to try around the 17th of this month during the shower peak to see if we can finally bag that elusive QSO.

I've got a bottle of bubbly chilling in the shack fridge to mark the event, when it finally happens, and have promised to dance a jig too. My wife is looking forward to that---you see, I can't dance, and all attempts to do so have become the stuff of legends in our family.

For those out there struggling with less than perfect antenna situations, hang in there, and remember that getting there isn't half the fun, it's all of it.

73,

N1LF

Scaring Up a Good Time-Halloween Tropo

2009-11-11T14:05:00.000-06:00

Forgive my excitement---because I'm sure that this week's tropo openings in the Southeast and Midwest are not exactly the stuff of legends to most VHF men. But to a newcomer like me, it seems like the opening of a lifetime. Despite having only limited time to spend at the radio, I got all treats and no tricks!

On Wednesday night, I managed to work five new grids and dozens of stations that had previously only been worked via WSJT meteor scatter. The band was literally filled with signals, as I tuned across the band hearing QSO's in progress from 144.170 all the way up to 144.220. It was hard for me to believe!

I'm sure that this has something to do with the veil between ourselves and the spirit world being thinnest at this time of year, and all that. But be in voodoo, hoodoo, or just that Old Black Magic, I'll certainly take some of this witchcraft!

I worked stations from Iowa, Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, and Arkansas, all in one magical evening!

You may say that these conditions were caused by atmospheric conditions, related to a pressure boundary, and all that scientific mumbo-jumbo, but you guys can't kid me. This was black magic! How else can you explain someone over 900 miles away telling a station with a 6 element indoor beam that his signal was "So loud, literally booming in!" Or reports from three states away of "S-9 +, you're the loudest signal on the band!"

Nah, I was married on Halloween, 27 years ago---so I know a thing or two about this darkest of holidays. You can try to feed someone else your lies about this tropo stuff. You guys should just come clean and admit that you've made a deal with the devil.

Regardless, as they say in Texas Hold 'Em...I'm all in! Now at 70 grids worked on 2 Meters with my indoor antennas, I'll gladly make a bargain with Lucifer for the next 30 grids!

Happy Halloween, indeed!

1st Ever Tropo Contact!

2009-10-20T13:59:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago brought another first for this VHF Man. A frontal boundary set up in the Southeast allowing for some medium range tropospheric propagation on 2 Meters, 222, and 432. Now based on what the experienced operators say, it was a "run of the mill" tropo opening, really nothing to write home about, but for this newcomer it was a blast!

I came late to the party, first hearing about the opening via an e-mail from one of the TV DXing e-mails lists. In years past, I was an avid DX'er of TV signals, and even though I'm not active in that part of the hobby these days, I still read the mail and plan to return to it someday.

I got the e-mail alerting me to an opening in Tennessee and North Alabama at about 7PM. I rushed out to the shack to see the APRS Map lit up in bright red all across my area. I turned on the rig and tuned to 144.200. Scanning around a bit, I heard nothing. I quickly checked the NOAA weather radio frequencies, and sure enough, some strange sounding material and city names indicated a strong opening towards the Mid-West.

Retuning to 144.200, I started using the voice keyer to call CQ. These went unanswered. On a whim, I filled on a 50 watt FM rig and tuned it to 146.520 Mhz (Simplex) and gave a quick CQ there too. To my surprise, I was immediately answered by Bobby Livingston, N5YLE in Little Rock, Arkansas! He was almost full quieting!

My FM rig has a three element beam, mounted vertically in the attic, and is fed with 1/2" hardline. While it's a solid performer on the local repeaters, it's no world beater. I was amazed!

Bobby turned out to be in EM34, which was a new one for me! Grid #64 went into the log book just that easily. Returning to SSB, I called several more times without answer. Suddenly, more and more stations began to appear. Most of them in EM55, EM65, etc. out to about a distance of 200-250 miles. Many of them were new calls in the log, but no new grids. The surprising thing is that even with my compromised antennas, many of them sounded strong like locals. Just working eight or nine stations on 2 Meter Sideband in a given evening was a thrill for me!

Sadly, the opening died off around 9PM, with no additional grids worked. But it was a taste of what tropo has to offer, and helped to build my hopes of making VUCC on 2 Meters from my indoor confines.

Thanks Bobby! My 1st ever tropo contact may have been on FM simplex, but it sill counts! The card is in the mail.

Grid #62 via WSJT Meteor Scatter!

2009-10-01T11:21:00.000-05:00

WB3BEL PUTS GRID 62 IN THE LOG

Thanks to the skill and patience of Harry Johnson, WB3BEL, Grid #62 on 2 Meters went into the logbook this morning. We worked just after sunrise on 144.130 using WSJT Meteor Scatter software.

Just moments before Harry had worked another station in Alabama in EM64 in just a few minutes. I advised Harry that it might take longer due to my indoor antennas. We started the QSO, and within just a couple of sequences, I received a loud "ping" on the radio and a brief bit of audio. This decoded into 26 N1LF 2626 WB3BEL

For those not familiar with WSJT software messages, that means WB3BEL has received both call signs and is indicating that my signal strength is 26. Since I had now received both calls, I quickly shifted to sending my reply, which is simply R26.

Using the software, many proforma messages such as R26, RRR, and 73 can be sent using "short message tones" which really improve the performance in a weak signal environment. We had both agreed to use short message format prior to our attempted QSO.

Long minutes passed, and several more meteor pings brought me the same message over and over. This wasn't making sense. Harry has an impressive antenna array and should be hearing me fine. The issue is usually the receive side on my end. Literally, if I can hear them, I can work them.

I kept waiting for the "RRR" message from Harry that would indicate that he had copied my signal report and both calls...making the QSO valid. But instead, I just keep getting 26 N1LF 2626 WB3BEL. Something was wrong...but my XYL was making conversation, and we'd had less than four hours of sleep. My brain wasn't in "troubleshooting mode". As over an hour passed on, I finally spotted my error! I had forgotten to "check" the short message format box.

Harry's software had been hearing my replies but was unable to properly decode them! I switch to short message format and send "R26" again. Within two sequences, I got Harry's reply, "RRR". I responded with "73" and when he had copied that, I explained my error on the chat page.

So, special thanks to Harry for hanging in there! SASE from the village idiot is in the mail to you today, Harry. Thank you for Grid #62 and another step closer to my goal.

I've been seeing new callsigns on Pingjockey lately, and hope that more VHF Men will give WSJT a try. It's great to be able to work folks nearly around the clock, and is a great mode. With the Leonids meteor shower coming up in November, you're getting your feet wet at the perfect time. They should be plenty of good DX in the new couple of months. Give it a try!

Home Owners Association Antenna Issues

2009-10-01T11:01:00.000-05:00

HOA Puts A "Stop" To Rover Antenna Too

Honestly, I'm trying hard to stay positive about living in a deed restricted neighborhood, and the impact that has on amateur radio activity. But I'm at my wits end.

Friday's mail brought a "warning notice" from my homeowners association informing me that I was in violation of the CC&R agreement which prohibits any outdoor antenna with the exception of small satellite dish antennas. According to the letter, the HOA had received a complaint from one of my neighbors who could see the "tip tops" of several large antennas in my backyard.

Since I have no outdoor antennas, I was more than a little puzzled. A quick stroll into the backyard revealed the problem. My PVC "rover rack" of large VHF/UHF Yagis was sitting on my patio table so that I could mow the lawn. Even with the privacy fence, the tops of it could likely be seen by one of my neighbors. I knew just which one is must be.

The Back Story: Just a few days prior to receiving the letter, my wife and I had been in the backyard spray painting some props for our Halloween decorations. We had placed a painters drop cloth on our patio and were doing a few touch ups during the early afternoon. We also used a Skill saw to cut a few PVC pipes for use in the props. A noisy and messy operation best done outside.

One of our neighbors was having several of her friends, and their children over for what Yuppies refer to as "play dates". Despite the emphasis on children, these are little more than excuses for the wives to dress up, act snotty, and gossip about their friends. During that afternoon, I had noticed several "hard looks" in our direction meant to convey her disappointment that we were doing labor in our backyard during her social event.

My wife and I rarely even visit the backyard, and our college age kids have even given up using the hot tub, so I'm sure that she didn't expect anyone to be outside making noise during the afternoon. It should be noted that our temporary project is perfectly acceptable use of our property according to our neighborhood rules, leaving her little to complain about to the HOA. I suppose that when she spotted the antennas, she simply jumped on it as an excuse to make a fuss.

In any event, the experience has convinced me that any attempt to "hide" a tilt over mast would be futile. I'll simply have to learn to live with the reduced performance of attic mounted antennas, and place the rover rack into storage off-site.

There is little else that I can do until the economy improves and the demands for existing homes perks up. Maybe in a year or two, we'll consider selling the home, and moving to another neighborhood. Meanwhile, the quest for indoor VUCC on 2 Meters continues....

September Contest a Bust

2009-09-15T08:41:00.000-05:00

Friday afternoon found one of our biggest client's with an emergency requiring me to spend most of the weekend in an editing suite. Instead of a full blown, six band Rover effort, we had to settle for some quick QSO's from the parking lot.

Our "normal" mobile setup is a Yaesu FT-857D feeding a 1/4 magnetic mount whip for 6 Meters, and a M2 Loop for 2 Meters. It's perfect for working some e-skip and locals on 2 Meters, but not what you'd want for a contest effort.

Despite that handicap, we managed about 40 QSO's, including several on FM during the Alabama ARES Simplex Exercise. (At least that part of the contest was a success!) We also worked a few QSO's on 222 MHz, using my HT.

We had planned to mount the PVC "Rover Rack" with nice sized Yagi's and rigs for all bands...but it just never happened. This is the first time since I've started on VHF almost two years ago that I didn't beat last year's score for a given contest. Disappointing, but at least the client was happy!

We'll be on for the Sprints and back in force for January. Until then, look for us most mornings on 144.200 and on WSJT modes too.

222 MHz VHF's Best Kept Secret

2009-08-27T14:50:00.003-05:00

The 222 MHz band is VHF's best kept secret. I can't hope to explain the physics, but like many VHF Men, I can swear that similar equipment and antennas on 222 will have the same or slightly better range than you'll get on 2 Meters.

How is that possible? Beats me...but I suspect it has something to do with a much lower noise floor on 222. Unfortunately, the 222 band is not available in Japan, nor in many other parts of the world. This limits the amount of commercial "plug & play" gear for the band.

But new rules in ARRL Contests may help to encourage more participation on the band. The new "Limited Rover" category requires that entrants use the bottom four bands available for any contest. This means that all VHF/UHF contests will now require 222. Anyone hoping to win this category will certainly want to add 222 Mhz.

A good way to "break into" 222 MHz, especially during contests is to try FM first. There are a number of new and used 222 FM rigs out there, like the Kenwood Units pictured in the vintage ad above. Also, Jetstream is producing a new 222 MHz rig, the JT220M, which is very resonably priced. Check it out at:

http://www.randl.com/shop/index.shtml

In addition, several HT's offer the 222 MHz band such as the Kenwood TH-F6A (a great radio with full five watts output on 2M, 432, and 222!), the new Yaesu APRS HT, and others. Most simplex activity during contests is on 223.500mhz. Best results will be obtained by working stations on SSB on 2 Meters or 432 (if you're in the UHF contest) and then "moving them" to 223.5 FM. Buy or build a gain antenna such as a "Cheap Yagi" and make sure that it's turned horizontal. Even with 5 watts, you'll be able to work out a good distance.

The next step up is to purchase a used 222 multi-mode rig or better yet, a good transverter to work with your 10 Meter rig. I have a Down East Microwave Transverter married to a Yaesu FT-817ND IF rig. The transverter puts out 30 watts, which I use to drive a Mirage 125 watt amp. This works great, and isn't terribly expensive. Getting more power than this on 222 requires another large expense, and someday I may add it, but right now I'm having fun working folks on this modest station.

Meteor scatter on 222 is possible (I have two contacts to date) but more difficult than on 2 Meters. E-Skip makes it to 222, but it's rare, not more than once every two or three years. EME activity on 222 is growing, with lots of stations to work. The main mode of enhanced propagation is tropo, but as I said, signals are often much louder on 222 than on 2 Meters.

During the June Contest, I worked Marshall, K5QE in Texas on 2 Meters with signals ranging about 57 on my end, and 53-55 on his end. When we switched to 222, he came back to my call immediately saying, "Man, you're the loudest signal I've heard on 222 tonight!" Signals were 59 to 59+ in both directions. As a rover, it's great to get reports like that.

222 MHz is my favorite band, and I really miss it's biggest supporter in the Southeast, "Mr. 222" Rex, W5RCI from Marks, MS. Sadly Rex is a silent key now, but the Southeast still has several voices on 222, all of them eager to work you on the "Secret Band".

Join us in Room 222 soon!

Grid #60 on the 2 Meter VUCC Chase!

2009-08-26T09:48:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Robert Howard, K0RDF for my 60th grid on 2 Meters! We worked this morning using WSJT Meteor Scatter at a distance of about 568 miles. The contact was quick and fairly easy, lasting about ten minutes from start to finish.

140659 21.4 340 6 26 -96 K0RDJ N1LF K0RDB N1LF K0RDF N1LF K0RDF

"Ping Jockeys" will quickly recognize the gibberish above, as the "readout" from the WSJT software decoded after a strong ping from a meteor trail. Copy is solid at "26" while my received frequency is off by just 96 hertz. A quick adjustment of my RIT control, and then I narrowed my TOL (basically like a "bandpass" filter in the software) to limit my received bandwidth to only 100hz. This allows me to be right on frequency with Bob, and limit bandpass to only 100hz.

That way any pings that follow, even if they're weaker, I should be able to dig Bob out of the noise better. In actual practice, most pings are good and loud. But it's best to practice for worse case, as distants contacts around 1,200 miles or so take every bit of processing power that the software has.

There is an art to decoding weak pings, and good operators can recover callsigns and signal reports that are well below the noise level. I'm working on becoming a better MS operator.

WSJT remains the "secret weapon" for my ERP challenged station. About 70% of my grid total was accomplished using FSK441 or JT65b. Hoping to finish the tilt over ladder mast soon, and try my hand at EME too!

Thanks again Bob!

The Southeastern View on VHF

2009-08-18T11:31:00.002-05:00

Just had to share the recent comments from Jim Worsham, W4KXY about the view on VHF Operating in the Southeastern part of the country. These comments were made on the VHF Contesting E-mail List:

We guys in the Southeast enjoy reading all of these discussions
about the validity of the various modes, skeds, etc. Down here our
philosophy about VHF contesting is we will work anyone anywhere using any
mode, band, etc. that we and they have. We can't afford to be snobs about
it.

Jim is often active from W4NH, the Fourlanders Contest Team, which is one of the best VHF contesting stations in the area. He's also our rep to the VUCA, and does a lot for the entire VHF Community.

Grids 54-59 on 2 Meters

2009-08-14T16:27:00.003-05:00

This past week has been a very productive one on the bands. Despite a generally lackluster Perseids meteor shower, I still managed to work five new grids on 2 Meters, bringing my total to 59 grids worked since January of 2008.

The Perseids netted several netted several new contacts on 6 Meters as well, and a very memorable contact with K0RI in Colorado Springs, CO at a distance of 1,071 miles. What made it memorable is that the entire contact took less than 2 minutes using the WSJT sotware!

Also managed to work Danny, N5OMG in New Orleans on 2 Meters without any help from the falling rocks at all. We used the JT65b mode of the WSJT software and just the usual middle of the evening backscatter to complete the 300 mile QSO during what most would describe as "dead band" conditions. Thanks again to Joe Taylor, K1ST, without whom I'd never have a legitimate shot at earning VUCC on 2 Meters.

It's becoming clear that time at the dials is the most important factor in reaching my goal. But that's always been the case on these bands. One of my mentors advised me to follow the Three B Rule:

1. Be On. (When the band is open, the rox are falling, the moon is near the horizon, whatever)
2. Be Loud. (More power, Scotty! More iron in the air helps too)
3. Be horizontal.

I plan to concentrate on putting in a tilt over mast at my station, and beefing up the 2 Meter antenna to at least 12 elements. I'll also be able to better use the SSB Electronics mast mounted pre-amp. It's great in some directions now, but the attic has too many noise sources. In some directions, turning on the pre-amp only makes things worse. Getting the antenna outside should really help with that too.

Thanks to all who listened hard for the weak one. Each grid is like gold to me, and I'm more grateful than you could know. See you on the bands!

N1LF/R For August UHF Contest

2009-08-14T10:26:00.004-05:00

I learned some hard lessons during my first Rover outing in the June 2009 VHF Contest. As faithful readers will recall, I used a 40 foot tall aluminum mast mounted on my trailer hitch for that effort. This provided great height, but also resulted in about two hours of work for each stop on my route. Way too many contacts were missed due to this handicap.

I reasoned that the "run and gun" approach would be better, and after looking at dozens of rover setups from around the country, decided to build a PVC "rack" that would sit on my pickup truck bed and allow me to operate quickly once reaching a new high spot in my route.

The design for the PVC rack was my XYL's, Abby Rayburn, who has the workshop that would be the envy of any man. She's a "handy gal" in the extreme, and cut the rack to her own exacting specifications. It was cemented with heavy duty PVC glue, and beefed up with wooden dowels inside for added strength in critical areas.

After it dried, we mounted several long Yagi's for 2M, 222, 432, 902, 1.2ghz, and 2.3ghz to the rack. In addition, I'm using a trailer hitch mounted painters pole that holds dual 2M KA4UB loops, and a single loop for 432.

The ability to run these loops during driving periods adds more than a few contacts to the logbook.

Inside the vehicle, I took an old garage organizer shelf that was lying around, and cut the legs between two of the shelves down to about 8" apart. Then I mounted all the various radios, transverters, and power amps to the two-tier shelf using heavy duty wire ties. On the back, I installed a Rigrunner power panel with Anderson PowerPoles, and labeled everything with a Dymo label maker.

Also adapted an old stereo RCA switching panel to allow me to quickly switch the PTT keying circuit from the FT-817ND (IF Rig) to either of the three transverters. Another antenna switch routed RF signals from the IF rig to the transverter. Switching from one band to the next took only one knob turn and a click. Sweet!

Another antenna switch allows me to feed the 28mhz signals from the transverters to either the Yaesu IF rig or a RF Space SDR-IQ receiver. The SDR-IQ allows me to use the PC to look at a band scope display...making it much easier to find signals on the UHF and SHF bands. Didn't use it much during the contest, but it worked great.

Installed a large 12VDC deep cycle marine battery in the bed of the truck to power everything, and "Glow Fuses" on all leads.

Now to operate portable or rover, I can literally "pick up" the radios, and place the entire shelf unit in the back seat. Place PVC rack of antennas on the bed Secure antennas with motorcycle straps, connect feedlines and batteries, and be on the air! QRV on all bands 6-2.3ghz.

Power for the PC (laptop) comes from an I-Go 12VDC power adapater which didn't put out any RF hash at all. All logging for the contest was done using RoverLog for the first time. Found it to be very useful, but I still like the VHF Log from N3FJP better.

So, how did it play? My wife was really ill on Saturday, resulting in missing the first 30 hours of so of the event, except for some FM contacts from the hospital parking lot. On Sunday, I took it out to EM63 (Locust Ridge), EM62, and EM61. Picked up lots of new grids on all bands. Several stations said I was really loud on 222 and 902, which was great to hear.

The highlight of the event was having Danny, N5OMG in New Orleans call me on 432! We also worked on 222. I'd been trying to work Danny from the home station for over a year without success! We finally did complete on 2 Meters yesterday using JT65b mode (WSJT) from my home station. Thanks Danny!

Some have asked me if operating rover during the contests has improved my grid chasing. Hmmm...that's a hard question to answer. It's added grids to the totals to be sure, but the maximum benefit has come on the bands 432 and up.

The issue seems to be that "contesting" gets in the way of grid chasing. I have a nasty side when it comes to competition. You know, one of those obnoxious guys who take the church basketball league WAY TOO seriously. It's a problem, I'm not proud of it, and I'm working on it. But it also applies to ham radio. During a contest, I get fixated on my score---not how many grids I'm working.

I keep promising to spend one full contest day on Locust Ridge in EM63. It's only six miles from my house. Has great 360 degree views with almost no trees, and it's about 1,100 feet ASL. All stations worked from there count towards VUCC since it's within 100 klicks of my house, but moving to other grids helps the score...and I always end up chasing the score more than the grids.

In terms of "bang per buck", WSJT is the secret weapon for those in HOA situations. I've worked seven new grids on 2 Meters in the past week. My operating time is limited, otherwise my totals would improve faster there too.

Next step is a tilt over mast for the house, and working on optimizing my 2 Meter set up for Meteor Scater and limited EME. I think I can add at least 10 grids on EME with a 10 element beam, 200 watts, and the SSB pre-amp. Time to get to work!

I'll be operating N1LF/R during the September event again---so look for me. I'm on APRS as N1LF-1.

Grid 54 on 2 Meters

2009-08-10T08:06:00.003-05:00

As the Perseids Meteor shower peak on August 12th nears, action really picks up on 2 Meters. This morning added grid #54 for 2 Meters using the indoor antennas, thanks to WSJT!

Worked W8NJR, Terry for my 1st ever 2 Meter Ohio QSO and grid EN70 in the books. EZ contact taking only about 10 minutes to complete. I actually copied both calls on the 1st sequence.

If you're not on the WSJT modes, you're really missing out. I also put two new 6 Meter grids in the book this morning, filling in "close in" grids in EM42 and EM46 using JT65b modes. This was with virtually no backscatter enhancement on the band at...(dead band conditions)

Thanks Terry for Ohio and EN70. And thanks to Joe Taylor, my freaking hero!!!!

K0XXX EM46 Who says the bands are dead?

2009-08-09T14:27:00.005-05:00

It's 2:00PM in the middle of the afternoon. No sign of tropo, backscatter, and the 2 Meter band is dead as a doornail, right? WRONG! Using the amazing WSJT software, Mark Hambrice, K0XXX in EM46 managed to work my indoor signal using the JT65b mode!

At 307 miles, this is a routine SSB contact for many 2 Meter operators, but not for my station. Mark is running only 7 elements and 150 watts, so neither station on the path was a big gun. But it does prove what this amazing sofware can do, even under dead band conditions.

I never heard any of the tones being transmitted from Mark, so the entire QSO was "below the noise floor", but easy copy using the JT65b mode which is designed for Moonbounce (EME) work, but also works great for tropo and backscatter.

Thanks to Mark for Grid #53 with the indoor antennas. Over 1/2 way to VUCC on 2 Meters now. WSJT really is the secret weapon. Thanks Joe!

1000 QSO's on VHF

2009-08-09T11:41:00.002-05:00

A milestone of sorts was reached today. Worked K5DNL, Ken in EM15 (Oklahoma) on Meteor Scatter on 6 Meters. This 600 mile QSO was my 1,000th on weak signal VHF since starting about a year and a half ago.

Thanks to all who've listened so hard for my weak signals from the indoor antennas. Can't wait to reach 2,000 and more.

Smart Glow Fuses

2009-07-22T14:41:00.004-05:00

Many VHF Men, especially rovers, have learned the wisdom of fusing their power leads running to those pricey transverters, pre-amps, and VHF/UHF rigs. For rovers, this usually means fusing both the positive and negative leads as close to the radio as possible.

But as any rover can tell you, troubleshooting equipment in the dark on some lonely hilltop can be an exercise in frustration. Especially in the heat of a contest. During the CQ VHF contest while operating at night in North Florida, I had a fuse blow on my Yaesu FT-857D. Since I had not brought along the "rover rack" it was literally the only radio available, leaving me dead in the water until the problem could be fixed.

But luckily, I used "Smart Glow Fuses" which light up when they're blown. I also used the specially made clear fuse holders which are made just for these fuses. "Tracing the problem" was as simple as lifing the back seat and looking at the custom power distribution center. I replaced the 20 amp fuse that was glowing with another from my bag of spares and was back on the air in less than 30 seconds.

Smart Glow Fuses are sold at most automotive parts stores, and can also be found at Ace Hardware, Wal-Mart, and other retailers. They're available in a variety of sizes from 1 amp all the way up to 40 amps. They're a bit more expensive than standard blade-type fuses, but worth every penny if you're on that dark, lonely hilltop.

They also work great in the Anderson PowerPole distribution panels sold by West Mountain Radio, MFJ, and other companies. And they're perfect for fixed stations too, not just rovers.

N1LF/R For CQ July Contest

2009-07-14T15:48:00.004-05:00

Google Map of N1LF/R Proposed Route

An unexpected request form a client to come to Tampa, Florida for training this week has radically altered my plans for the contest.

N1LF/R will be active in the CQ VHF July Contest on 2 Meters (200 Watts into 10 Elements) and 6 Meters (100 Watts into a KU4AB Loop):

Saturday: 1800 UTC- I'll be looking for a high spot just North of Tampa in the "Land of Lakes, FL" area. Should be here all day.

Sunday: 0900 UTC- We start the trek back home, which will take me through EL88, EL89, EL80, EM70, EM71, EM61, EM62, and EM63.

We may alter the route to work a few more grids if possible. While in motion, I'll switch to the KU4AB stacked loops on 2 Meters, but will be able to stop and use the Yagi at times.

Best bet is to look for us on APRS. My SSID is N1LF-1. We would also appreciate those who check us on APRS or work us on the air spotting us to the various reflectors during the event. You can follow our progress at:

http://www.proaviator.com/findu/

Just type in "N1LF-1" and hit "find". We'll have the APRS running most of the time. If the packet is old, that means that we've stopped and turned it off to minimize interference to our weak signal stuff. But we will be on the air! Have fun everyone and listen for the weak ones

Great Ideas for Indoor/HOA Antennas

2009-07-14T13:17:00.002-05:00

A visitor to the Blog sent me a link to a PDF file called How To Play Radio With Hidden Antennae" by Eric Silverthorn, NM5M. You can view it on the North Texas Microwave Society web site (which is a goldmine of information on VHF topics!)

The PDF file appears to be a club program with lots of verbal discussion about the possibilities for overcoming deed restrictions, HOA's, and even XYL's who may not like the look of antennas. It contains dozens of photographs of installation ranging from indoor, attic mounted VHF/UHF stacks (like my own) to window mounts, "hidden or disguised" antennas, rover operations, etc.

Unfortunately, there is very little supporting text, so we don't get a feel for how successful these arrangements were, but there's certainly plenty of "food for thought" contained in the file.

VUCC On Indoor Antennas!

2009-07-07T19:30:00.003-05:00

Yesterday's mail arrived with the first batch of cards from the ARRL June 2009 VHF Contest. Within them were enough confirmations to put me at 110 confirmed grids on 6 Meters, using (mainly) indoor antennas! So the good news is that it can be done, at least on the Magic Band.

Current grid totals are a little over 200 grids worked, nine countries, and all but two states. (I still need Oregon and Alaska) but not bad for a three element beam in the attic and 100 watts.
A handful (less than 10) of my confirmed grids came from mobile contacts, but each of those grids was also later worked from inside the house. My first Six Meter contest was with K5HCT (Here Comes Texas!) in May of 2008...so it took a little over a year to gather enough confirmations for the award.

On Two Meters, the picture isn't nearly so pretty...only 47 grids worked so far from inside the house. The majority of those coming via meteor scatter using WSJT. No e-skip contacts yet this season, but that could still change.

In hindsight, I should have opted for the rover option sooner. But I really have enjoyed the challenge of earning VUCC using indoor antennas. At this point, I'm switching to more of a compromise approach using rover operations during contests to build the grid counts, and also constructed a "tilt over mast" that will be hidden below my privacy fence during the day, and deployed at night for operation on 6, 2, and 432. This should really help with MS work, and maybe bring EME into the realm of possibility at least on 2 Meters.

I'm "stealing" my design from this web site. It's a wonderful execution of the idea...and I can't wait for the welding to be finished so that I can begin installation.

http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Tilt-Over_Mast

Microwaving with W4ZRZ

2009-06-30T14:03:00.002-05:00

Last night my son and I journeyed back to nearby "Locust Ridge" which is 5.1 miles from my home in EM63og. The site is at 900+ feet in elevation and completely clear cut to make room for a housing development. When the economy went South, many of the homes were never built, leaving a 1/2 mile stretch of paved road with flat lots of either side.

Unlike most high spots in Alabama, the trees have been removed, leaving clear views in 360 degrees. I operated rover here during the June 2009 VHF Contest and was really impressed with the signals on all bands.

We returned last night to complete our microwave contacts with Jimmy Long, W4ZRZ on all microwave bands. We had tested from this site just prior to the contest, and worked Jimmy on all bands up to 3.5ghz, but did not attempt 5.7 & 10ghz at that time.

Our "spot" is marked with both sticks and small flags, and we use the GPS to insure that we return to this exact site, hoping to complete VUCC for several microwave bands here in the future.

With ease, we worked both CW and USB contacts with Jimmy Long, W4ZRZ last night using equipment borrowed from Bill Capps, AF4OD. The 1.5 foot dish uses Down East Microwave transverters for the two bands, and shares a common Yeasu FT-817ND for an IF rig.

Output power on 5.7 is 15 watts, while 10ghz is limited to less than 2 watts. Despite the handicap, the 10ghz is often much louder due to the dish size realtive to frequency. Jimmy Long, W4ZRZ is going to add a 10 watt amp in the near future, before venturing into Arkansas, Mississippi, and Kentucky in an attempt to provide VUCC contacts to AG4V.

Hopefully, he can mount another such mission before summer's end to try to add the four grids that I need in the microwave bands for VUCC as well.

The sunset was beautiful and my son actually seemed to enjoy Dad's radio nonsense for a change. Weather was perfect too...and Jimmy was loud as always. With the completion of these contacts, I've now completed with him on all bands 6M thru 10ghz. We even did a demonstration of these contacts for Field Day on Saturday in nearby Shelby County, though those wouldn't have counted for the VUCC effort.

Jimmy does so much to encourage newcomers to VHF/UHF operations, and I'm very grateful for his friendship. See you on the Ghz range too!

The Moon is a harsh mistress...

2009-06-30T13:50:00.002-05:00

I can confirm that the 1960's Sci-Fi novel is correct. The Moon is, indeed, a harsh mistress. My first attempt at EME using the attic mounted six element 2 Meter Yagi was a complete failure. No signals were detected from W5UN's massive array. Nor did he detect any signals from my attic.

We were using WSJT JT65b near my local moonset, which in theory, should have provided another 5-6db of ground gain. Unlike meteor scatter, EME is truly a "weak signal" mode, with signals being several db below the noise floor on average. My system simply isn't optmized enough for this type of operation yet, even with the big guns.

It has inspired me to at least consider some sort of "tilt up" mast for the back yard that could be dropped below my privacy fence when not in use. Hopefully this wouldn't run afould of the neighbors or my home owners association..and if it was, I could always remove it and retreat back to the attic.

The tilt over mast would allow the option of installing much larger Yagi's (10-12 elements on 2 Meters) and improve both terrestrial, EME, and meteor scatter operations from the home QTH. I'm really enjoying portable/rover operation, but with my limited operating time, it won't be a good option for day to day work. If I'm to earn VUCC on 2 Meters, it will still have to come in large part from operation at home...and that means dealing with the deed restrictions and working around them.

Up to 47 grids on 2 Meters now from the indoor antenna...which is good progress, but also painfully slow. New grids have become red letter events now. Perhaps a tilt over mast will make EME operation possible, at least with the big gun stations, and that could add another 10-12 grids to my totals. Enhanced Meteor Scatter performance could add several new grids as well, especially with some major showers coming up at the end of July.

Thanks to Dave, W5UN for his generous attempt. It certainly won't be the last time that we try to pull it off. Just have to improve the station first.

Indoor EME?

2009-06-23T12:28:00.004-05:00

After reading the title, you may be having a hard time controlling your laughter. I know that the idea of working Moonbounce (also called EME) using an indoor antenna sounds a little crazy. But I've got proof of at least one instance when it was done successfully. And here's the kicker, the ham with the indoor antenna was only using 25 watts!

It took place on 14th of January in 2008. The contact was between Angus Young, MOIKB and super-station, KB8RQ. At the time, Angus was running a homebrew 7 Element Yagi, with 25 watts of power to the attic mounted antenna! The mode was JT44, from the WSJT suite.

You can read the full newspaper story at:
http://www.scarborougheveningnews.co.uk/news/Why-Angus-is-over-the.3686368.jp

An amazing feat, though most of the work was done by the monster array at KB8RQ in Ohio, and certainly not by Angus's meager radiator. But in any event, it serves as "proof of concept" that such contacts are possible.

I've arranged to attempt to repeat the feat tomorrow night with Dave, W5UN, whose MBA (Mightly Big Antenna) has graced the cover of QST and many other radio magazines. Like KB8RQ, Dave will be doing all the work...but fingers crossed.

Since my antenna lacks any elevation control, I'm limited to working EME attempts only at Moon Rise and Moon Set. This is similar to a lot of other stations who've worked 2 Meter EME using single long Yagi's.

The problem is that my Yagi isn't long (6 Elements) and it's indoors. Being short means that it will "see" a lot of the sky and my sky noise level will be higher, since the reflector (moon) will occupy only a tiny space of the beamwidth.

In my favor is that I'm running 200 watts, and feeding the antenna with 1/2" hardline. I also have a mast mounted SSB Electronics pre-amp...but I think the contact remains a long shot. If successful, it would open up the possibility of working several other "big gun" EME stations and adding to my grid total which now stands at 47 on 2 Meters. Still a long way from VUCC.

Let's hope that The Man In The Moon smiles on us tomorrow! Fingers crossed & thanks to Dave, W5UN for the attempt.

VHF Men & History

2009-06-19T14:14:00.002-05:00

One thing that I really encourage anyone interested in weak-signal VHF work to do is to try to learn a bit about the history of amateur efforts on these bands. Over the past couple of years, I've amassed quite a collection of books, magazines, and other materials.

Take for example, this copy of The Radio Amateur's VHF Manual. This league publication dates from 1972, and I also have two earlier editions from the 1960's. From those pages, you'll learn a lot about the pioneers of these bands, many of who are still active today. And for those of us who have "simple set-ups", a lot of the information that was "state of the art" at the time has since become affordable and commonplace. In other words, you'll see a lot of your own station's gear in these pages.

One of the best publications is Beyond Line of Sight. A History of VHF Propagation from the Pages of QST, edited by Emil PoCock. Published by the ARRL, you can find used copies on Amazon.com, or Ebay. It contains a wealth of information about tropo scatter, Spordadic E, Meteor Scatter, etc. It also reads like a "whos who" of VHF Men.

Frankly, I wished the ARRL would resume publishing the book, it's that good...and could be easily updated with some of the recent material, including the study that Gene Zimmerman is currently publishing on Spordic E in his QST column.

I think it's important to have a sense of what others have accomplished before you inherited the bands that they pioneered. It also inspires a person to investigate new ways of pushing the envelope such as WSJT digital modes, or EME. Start on your vintage VHF library today.

All Who Wander Are Not Lost. They're Roving!

2009-06-19T14:05:00.004-05:00

I wonder how many people out there are just like me? For years, you've looked at the photos in QST or CQ VHF of those "nuts" out there running around with their cars, trucks, and vans covered with antennas, hauling out microwave dishes to the summit of some distant mountain, or parked on some snow covered peak with a flat tire? You've sat and looked at those photos, and thought, "Man, those guys must be crazy!"

Well, take it from me. If you're ever had those thoughts while looking at the photos. You were right!

What's missing from those photos are the smell of bug spray, body odor, and road grime mixed with coffee, soda, and bad road food. Those photos can't convey the sore muscles, the slurred speech, or the blurry vision. They can't begin to reveal the frustration of answering a million questions from curious on-lookers, or showing your drivers license to the third policeman in two days.

But they also can't provide you with the sense of accomplishment as you give a friend a grid square that he's being trying to get a QSL card out of for years. They can't provide the thrilling sensation of working K5QE on 2 Meters and 222 after nearly two years of trying. Photographs can't provide the feeling of your heart skipping a beat when Marshall comes back to you on 222, saying "Man, you're loud!".

Nope, roving is just something that no amount of research, planning, or conversations with seasoned veterans can really prepare you for. Like most of the best things in life, it's something that you really have to experience for yourself. Having done so once, I can't wait to go out again.

================ PROLOGUE =========================================

My preparation for this rove was problematic at best. To start with, I traded for a new Dodge Ram 1500 just two weeks before the contest. This involved removing the radios from my old truck, and having to do an entirely new installation in the new vehicle. We also had a long planned family camping trip/vacation from Sunday to Friday June 12.

This lead to a bad scramble of borrowing equipment (Thanks to Bill Caps, AF4OD and Jimmy Long, W4ZRZ for loaning me microwave gear, connectors, and a lot of advice!) Then we had to engineer mounting, packing, etc. I decided on a combination of "run and gun" and "stop and shoot".

A pair of KU4AB stacked loops were added to the truck, along with a simple 1/4 mag mount for six meters. This took care of the "run and gun" part. These were married to my Yaesu FT-857D which is permanently installed in the truck, and provided for over 90% of my QSOs. I even made a number of contacts on the loops on 432, though I don't recommend it. Many times on 2 Meters, the loops received comments like, "I can't believe how loud you are for a rover". The trick was getting them up high and clear. I used a fiberglass "painters" pole, which I painted black and mounted with stainless steel hose clamps to the frame of my Tarheel trailer hitch mount HF Antenna.

This allowed me to extend the top loop to over 12 feet, and near the 15 foot legal limit. Unfortunately, during the afternoon on Sunday, while on a dirt road on Beck's Mountain in EM61, a low hanging limb broke the mast. I had another painters pole as a backup, but the repair took me off the air for over an hour.

When parked, I removed the Tarheel from the trailer hitch, and used an aluminum push up mast where attached to the trailer hitch. Thanks to Marcus Thomas, KF4YHP for the mast, and ideas! This allowed me to get all the other yagi's up high and in the clear. Unfortunately, I had to rely on "used" LMR400 that turned out to cause major problems on 2 Meters, 432, and 1.2ghz.

The other issue is that this set up averaged over an hour each time, and proved very costly to my efforts. Next time, we're going with a PVC frame to support the antennas, and "run and gun" all the way. Still it made for an impressive sight.

My wife Abby Rayburn, who is very handy and has a workshop that would be the envy of any man, solved a lot of other engineering issues prior to the contest, including fabricating the brackets and standoffs for the tall mast. She also did the driving on Saturday! Thanks my love!

==================HIGHLIGHTS & LOW POINTS==============================

My two meter beam had issues on Saturday, so Sunday I switched to a backpacker style 4 element beam from Arrow Antennas. This little antenna worked wonders! On the opposite end of the scale, the 222 system performed like a champ putting out loud signals with only 125 watts from the Mirage, and the DEMI transverter can hear a pin drop!

Thrills included working K5QE, and giving out EM61 to some local friends who've had a hard time getting cards from that grid. Six Meters was open just about all day on Saturday, which disappointed me. When six is open, it's hard to find folks on 2 Meters or higher. My main goal was new grids on the higher bands, and 6 Meter openings make that difficult. I'm sure September will be best for that effort.

Working my first QSO's on 3,5, & 10Ghz was also great fun. I'm adding a transverter for 902 for the next contest, and ditching the FM rig. Now maybe I can work someone besides Jimmy and Craig!

Breaking off the mast for the loops was a low spot...and we had a lot of severe weather in Alabama, including hundreds of lightning strokes per hour, so Sunday afternoon operating time was curtailed as I waited out the downpours. Jimmy Long, W4ZRZ suffered some lightning damage as well. At one point while in Pike County (EM61) we had over three inches of rainfall in less than an hour! I got off the dirt roads of Beck's Mountain just in time thanks to a "heads up" from Jack, WA5UUD who was watching my back.

Lots of room for improvement over my first effort, but it was a joy to work stations with ease that I usually have to strain to hear from my indoor location. See you all again in July and September.

What the Hell Was I Thinking?

2009-06-05T19:44:00.005-05:00

The race isn't always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. But as my father used to say, "That's how the smart money bets". For over a year now I've tried to console myself with lots of stories about how the turtle beat the hare, and all that jazz. But with 2 Meter grid square count at 42, 222 at 7, 432 at 11, and 1.2ghz at 3, it's hard to remain optimistic.

So, in the spirit of "Bringing the Mountain to the Man"....I decided to try "rover" operation in the upcoming summer contest. At first my plans were modest, 4 band "Limited Rover" out to do it. Nothing too crazy. A push up painters pole on an umbrella stand. Simple, right?

Then I thought about adding a few more bands....just a pipe dream really.

But then I made my fatal error. I mentioned this pipe dream to Jimmy Long, W4ZRZ and Bill Capps, AF4OD. Bill is Alabama's best known rover, and has given me several grids through his efforts in the past. Jimmy is the "Big Gun" in EM63, winner of several VHF/UHF contests, and a mentor to my meager efforts.

Before I could blink, this duo started offering to loan me equipment and "walk me through the process". A visit to Jimmy's home left my new Dodge Ram 1500 pickup loaded to the gills with transverters, dishes, tripods, marine batteries, and more.

A couple of weeks go by and then my old friend, Marcus Thomas, KF4YHP decides to lend me a hand too. He brings over a wonderful US Army Surplus push up mast, and improvises a way to attach it to my trailer hitch. Suddenly, I have an 18 foot tilt up mast...and a lot of antennas in the air. Marcus also chips in making up the cables. Everything is 1/2" superflex hardline and Belden 9914.

Now the backseat is filled with radios, brick amps, and transverter...and my simple rove is attracting scores of neighbors curious about the idiot in their midst. Maybe indoor antennas was the way to go after all....

In any event, I'm getting ready for the "smoke test" with Jimmy Long, W4ZRZ tonight some 35 miles away. Hopefully it's all cabled correctly and it all works.

See you in the contest...hoping it pays off with a lot of new grids worked!

Thanks to Bill, Jimmy, and Marcus...I THINK!!!!!

K5N on Indoor Antennas

2009-06-04T13:24:00.002-05:00

Friday was a big day for this VHF Man. It started with the news that my good friend Jack, WA5UUD had successfully worked K5N. The chase was on for the rarest grid east of the Mississippi.

Then I spent most of the afternoon at the home of Jimmy Long, W4ZRZ. He was in the midst of repairing his recent antenna damage, getting ready for the June contest. Despite his demanding workload, he took time off the towers to teach me the basics of microwave operating. Bill Capps, AF4OD has decided to forego the microwave effort for the June contests, and agreed to loan me his microwave rover set-up for my first ever attempt at roving. The gear consists of mainly DEMI transverters, along with Toshiba power amps, all mounted on plywood bases.

It includes 2.3ghz, 3.4, 5.7, and 10ghz. The gear is "jointly" owned by Jimmy Long, W4ZRZ and Bill, with each contributing parts to the cause. We set the gear up "portable" in Jimmy's garage, and he helped me calibrate the transverters with a frequency generator. He then walked me through setting up each unit, the basics of finding the beam headings for the desired station, and walking me through aiming the antennas.

One by one, we worked quick QSO's on SSB and CW on 5.7ghz, 10ghz, and then 3.4 and 2.3. It was quite a thrill to make those QSO's, even if they were from a distance of 100 feet or so. With Jimmy and Bill's generosity, I should be QRV on all bands with the exception of 902mhz. I may even lug along the 902mhz FM rig just to round things out. This was followed by hours of conversation about roving, including a ton of tips from Jimmy. Then a tour of his impressive shack. You haven't lived till you've seen a water cooled 1.2ghz amplifier! And it's hard not to be jealous of a rack full of Luna-Link amps, each with their own power supply! Wow!

I returned home in time for a great dinner with the XYL, and then a race home to make my midnight schedule with K5N on JT6M. It took most of the half hour to complete the QSO. But it was a great thrill to see "N1LF K5N EM58" decode on the computer. In my haste, I had forgotten their proposed exchange, and wasn't expecting to decode their grid square. But I struggled through it, sending both my grid and signal report just to be sure.

When I received their "RRR" several minutes later, I happily replied with "73 TNX K5N". Like many, I'm very grateful for the hard work that went into that effort. How does that commercial go? "...working K5N on indoor antennas?" Priceless. All in all, a great day to be a VHF Man.

6 Meter Opening to Mid-West

2009-05-25T22:38:00.002-05:00

Nice opening tonight on 6 Meters into the Mid-West. While Minnesota was a regular here last year, most of the stations on tonight were new to me. Picked up new grids in EN11, EN43, EN23, DN96, EN16, and EN08.

Grid square total up to an even 150 grids worked in just a little over one year on 6 Meters.

Best contact of the night goes to KD0GWB, John Wicklund of Horace, ND in EN16. John is just ten years old and licensed in March. Fine Business operator, sounding like an old pro on 6 Meters. When I told him that I'd send him a card, he said that he didn't have any printed yet but would "make one" for me! Wow! That's the amateur spirit!

Welcome to the Magic Band, John...and also to a magical hobby. Everyone look for John on the band, and make him feel welcome.

Great night, lots of fun to hear the band open again.

73,

DE N1LF, Les

Improving the Signal to Noise Ratio (AKA Before & After)

2009-05-14T13:37:00.004-05:00

At the suggestion of Jordan Arndt, VE6ZT I spent most of last evening removing my 222, 432, and 1.2ghz Yagis from my indoor, attic mounted "stack". The cluttered stack is pictured above. After completing that task, I relocated the 3 Element 6 Meter beam to the top of the mast which places it at about 22 feet above "true ground".

More importantly, it moved it a good 11 feet or so from the AC wiring and other cables that run along the attic floor.

The 2 Meter 7 Element Yagi remained it's it's location on the stack, about five feet above the wiring, and 16 feet above "true ground".

Prior to relocating the antennas, I did basic noise floor plots for both antennas using the WSJT software. Tuned to 50.125mhz and 144.200mhz, I adjusted the software for a 0 db noise level at an azimuth reading of 00. I then moved the antennas through each 10 degrees of azimuth and plotted the noise level for each one.

As you can see from the "before" numbers on both bands, noise floor levels would rise to as high as 11db on 6 Meters in some directions, and 7db on 2 Meters. Noise floor levels this high made it impossible to do any "weak signal" work in these directions. 6 Meter Meteor Scatter was very difficult, though e-skip work was certainly possible. Last season saw 149 grids worked on the Magic Band.

With the antennas removed and the 6 Meter beam relocated, I repeated the noise floor mapping without adjusting any settings. The readings were taken approximately 2 hours apart. In an indoor environment, the clock can be a major factor in regards to noise. As neighbors switch off appliances, TV's and other devices, the noise floor can change significantly in some directions.

But even allowing for that, these readings were taken at approximately 9:30PM local time, and as you can see from the plots, the results were impressive on both bands. Six showed the most improvement, as much as 20db better in some directions.

2 Meters did not benefit as much, but improvements of over 4db were noted there as well. For an installation like mine, that's a huge improvement!

I allowed WSJT to run overnight on 50.260 with the beam pointed out West. When I checked this morning just prior to 10am, I had captured three complete QSO's from Texas stations. That's a big improvement over any other unattended recording that I've tried in the past.

Bill Olson, K1DY also suggested adding additional ferritte cores to the feedlines of the 6 Meter antenna, which I did while it was on the ground. Jordan has suggested that using a balanced "T" match feed might help to reduce noise pickup as well. I'll likely try replacing the 6 Meter beam with an M2 CM3 when the budget will allow. For now, the additional ferritte chokes should keep feedline radiation and noise pickup to a minimum.

The plan now is to play with the antennas at length and see what the improvement translates to in terms of real world improvements. One thing I immediately noticed is that my lowest noise floor on 2 Meters is now at 40 degrees azimuth. It was almost due North, so most of my SSB and CW grids have been worked in that direction. The lower noise at 40 degrees opens up the Carolinas and there VHF population to me. Very excited about that.

The other antennas will be added to the rover package, and I'll pursue most of my other band work strictly during major contests. As Jordan pointed out, I wasn't gaining grids on those bands at home anyway, and having the antennas up there only served to degrade performance on the "work horse" bands of 6 & 2 Meters.

I can't thank Jordan & Bill enough for all the advice. Everyone on the VHF Reflectors has been helpful too.

Here are the "before and after" noise floor plots:

SIX METER NOISE PLOT FOR WSJT 50.125 (Before & After)

36 0db -13db
35 1db -13db
34 1db -13db
33 1db -14db
32 2db -12db
31 2.5db -9db
30 4db -8db
29 5db -8db
28 6db -4db
27 8db -2db
26 10db 0db
25 10db 1db
24 11db 2db
23 11db 4db
22 10db 4db
21 10db 4db
20 8db 4db
19 7db 3db
18 7db 2db
17 8db 0db
16 9db -2db
15 8db -4db
14 8db -4db
13 8db -4db
12 8db -5db
11 8db -7db
10 8db -7db
9 10db -8db
8 11db -7db
7 11db -7db
6 11db -8db
5 11db -8db
4 11db -9db
3 10d -10db
2 8db -11db
1 3db -12db
0 3db -12db

2 Meter Relative Noise Floor Readings.
Icom IC-746 Pro. Pre-Amp off. S Meter set to "5" to avoid AGC "OFF" AGC Setting. WSJT calibrated to read "O" db at heading 00. Freq=144.200mhz

"After" readings are after the removal of 222, 432, and 1.2ghz antennas on May 13, 2009. 6 Meter 3 element beam moved to top of stack, approx. 22 feet above true ground.

AZIMUTH READING

00 0db -2db
01 2db -2db
02 4db -3db
03 4db -6db
04 5db -6db
05 5db -1db
06 4db 0db
07 4db 0db
08 4db 0db
09 3db -2db
10 3db -3db
11 3.5db -4db
12 4db -4db
13 6db -4db
14 6db -1db
15 6db 0db
16 5db 0db
17 4db 0db
18 3db 0db
19 3db 0db
20 4db 0db
21 6db 2db
22 6db 3db
23 7db 3db
24 6db 3db
25 5db 3db
26 4db 2db
27 2db 1db
28 2db 1db
29 2db 1db
30 2db 0db
31 1db -1db
32 0db -2db
33 0db -2db
34 0db -2db
35 0db -2db
36 0db -2db

T-Match Vs. Gamma Feed

2009-05-12T15:19:00.002-05:00

A noted VHF man suggested today that I might try swapping my MFJ 3 element beam for 6 Meters with it's Gamma match for another with a balanced or "T" match feed system.

His logic is that the gamma match does not isolate the feedline from the antenna and that noise may be traveling along my hardline to the antenna. While I've added ferrite chokes at the feed point, this might be a valid way to reduce noise pickup a bit more.

The pattern of the antenna might also benefit which would help decrease noise pick up off the back side of the beam. I'm considering the M2 6M3 pictured above as a replacement.

He also suggested that removing the antennas for 222, 432, and 1.2ghz from the stack and increasing the spacing between the 2 Meter and 6 Meter antennas might yield improvement. Since I've worked very few new ones from these antennas anyway, that may have a lot of merit too. These antennas could be committed to rover/portable operation.

That would give me fewer bands from the home station, but might improve performance and reduce noise on the two most popular bands.

Much to consider. Comments, anyone?

Flagg Mountain, Dipoles, and Frustration

2009-05-12T13:16:00.003-05:00

Weeks have passed now without a single new grid being worked on VHF or higher. This is due to a number of factors:

Limited Operating Time. Perhaps the biggest reason of all. Just haven't had time to be at the radio. Responsibilities at work, home, and serving as Section Emergency Coordinator for ARES take their toll. Missed a nice tropo opening on 2 Meters for instance.
Finances. IRS tax bill and other expenses related to the sale of my business meant selling my Icom 910-H. I'm making due with an Icom 746 Pro and Yaesu FT-857D. It's also limited my ability to try new things to improve the station.
Truck Lease. I'm blessed with a company truck but the lease is running out on May 25th. We're purchasing a new truck, which means rebuilding a portable VHF station in the next few weeks prior to the June contests.
Location, Location, Location. The noise floor in my HOA neighborhood continues to rise as more homes are built. 6 Meters on the attic antenna is almost unusable for anything other than e-skip. WJST modes from that antenna are usually impossible due to the noise floor.

But I'm not quitting now. Time to change my strategy and see if I can improve the grid totals that way.

One option I'm seriously considering is operating from a portable location during the June Contest. As long as it's within a 100km radius of my home QTH, I could still count any new grids worked towards VUCC. One location that we scouted last week is in Coosa County, AL called Flagg Mountain. It's at 1,140 feet and it's the highest Southern peak in the state.

I'm hoping that it would give me more access to much needed grids in Florida and into Georgia. Other options included Cheaha Mountain in East Central Alabama, which is the state's highest peak. The issue here in the South is getting above the tree line for a clear view. Almost impossible to acheive 360 degree views here. But I'm checking out several sites in the next two weeks.

Another option I'm experimenting with tonight is "temporary" antennas on push up masts. I plan to deploy a 6 Meter Hamstick Dipole along with an Arrow Antenna 4 Element beam tonight to test how it works. I'll set this up in my drive way after dark with a short run of coax back to the station. I can compare the noise plots with ones I've already done on 6 and 2 with the indoor antennas.

To give you an idea, my noise floor will vary as much as 11db in some directions on 6 Meters, and as much as 8db on 2 Meters. This limits my operating directions for weak signal work.

I'm hoping that moving the antennas away from my own home will reduce the noise, and getting them clear of the roofing materials will boost signal levels a bit. If it works, I'll try it again with a 7 element 2 Meter beam and a PAR Moxon antenna for 6 Meters. This "temporary antenna" set up may become a mainstay of my operation on the low bands.

222 and 432 grid chasing may be relegated to portable hilltop operations.

I hate to admit defeat, but my patience for indoor operations is lagging. Portable operation seems to be the best bet. The Flagg Mountain Tower, pictured above, is privately owned by a group that is restoring the tower and some cabins at the site. Access to the summitt is possible, but it requires a million dollar liability insurance policy and a lot of pre-planning.

We'll just have to see if that's in the cards for June or not. VUCC on VHF from indoor antennas is certainly possible. I've worked 149 grids on 6 Meters is less than a year. 91 Confirmed.

Two Meter has yielded 40 Grids worked, with 20+ confirmed. 222 and 432 in the teens. A great e-skip opening on 2 Meters could double those totals in an afternoon, but that doesn't happen very often.

The noise floor limits my "secret weapon" of Meteor Scatter via WSJT to a just a few directions. Limited participation hurts even more. Time to change the game.

Another option that I'm kicking around is EME. Currently running 200watts on two meters into a 7 element beam. 1/2 hardline and an SSB Electronics pre-amp. In theory, it's good enough to work several of the big gun eme stations. But it remains to be seen what the actual effect of the roofting materials are, even in favored directions.

Plus I know almost nothing about EME, so the learning curve is steep for an operator with limited time to devote to the effort. Anyone know a good EME mentor or one of the Big Gun stations who might be up for the challenge of working EME on Indoor Antennas?

VUCC Chase Still on!

2009-04-28T15:41:00.002-05:00

Progress on VUCC has been slow due to work commitments and taking on the role of SEC for Alabama. I'm up to 89 Confirmed grids (out of 141 worked) on 6 Meters now. E-Skip season is starting up, and we've had some nice tropo openings too in April.

Unfortunately, I missed them all! But I'm adding the mag mount 1/4 to the mobile rig for six meter work, and hope to pick up some new grids early this season. With any luck, VUCC for the Magic Band will be complete before the end of June.

A large tax bill meant selling off my Icom IC-910H, so now I'm off 432mhz and 1.2ghz for the time being. Using an Icom IC-746 Pro has my primary 6 and 2 meter rig now.

This may push me towards a decision to operate "rover" mode during the June contests. An elevated position near my home would allow me to pick up some new grids on 2 Meters, and 432 as well (I have 432 at 25 watts from the mobile rig). It's starting to make sense as a game plan to continue the quest.

No lack of passion, just lack of time and money!

See you on the bands!

73,

DE N1LF

Spring Sprints Ahead, closing in on VUCC for 6M

2009-03-19T10:13:00.003-05:00

Radio time has been considerably limited this year, with the economy causing huge demands at work.

My current plans are to attempt Rover operation for the first time during the Spring Sprint for 144mhz in a few weeks. I have a 7 Element antenna on the way, and plan to operate using the Icom IC-910H from my pickup. I have a small "painters pole" push up mast and base along with about 25 feet of 9913.

This will give me 100 watts on 2 Meters, a decent antenna, and the ability to get out to some high spots in my area. My main goals for the contest are to:

1.) Pick up some new grids! Hopeful for some tropo, but we'll see.

2.) Test the "rover" concept and see if it makes sense for me to consider a larger effort in the summer contests. While I've been pleased with the indoor antennas in my HOA situation, it's clear that success will be a long time coming with this method.

On a positive note, the addition of a QSL Manager is starting to pay off on 6 Meter returns. I've worked 144 grids in a little over a year of operating. Have 67 grids confirmed so far.

Two meter total is a little over 40 grids, 222 stands at 12, and 444 at 15. Long way to go on all these bands, but I'm still really enjoying the chase.

January 2009 Update

2009-01-20T16:07:00.002-06:00

Since being named as Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) for Alabama ARES in August, I've been too busy to be on the air much on VHF/UHF. Fortunately, over the New Year's break, I did manage to do a little 2 Meter WSJT Meteor Scatter work, and picked up grids 39 & 40. Thanks for the new ones!

Then geared up for the ARRL VHF Sweepstakes. Exactly one year ago, I participated in the January event as my first ever V/U contest. My score for that outing was "40" with a total of 8 QSO's. Considering what a newbie I was, and the poor equipment, I should not have been surprised with the results.

What a difference a year makes. This years outing netted 50 additional contacts (58 QSO's), over 2000 points, and a new grid on six meters. I also managed to work my first ever 2.3ghz contact with Jimmy Long, W4ZRZ from a makeshift operation in the front driveway.

I mounted a 1 watt DEMI transverter on a painters pole, anchored to an umbrella stand. At the top was a single 30 element 2.3ghz loop yagi. I carried a small gel cell battery, an my Yaesu FT-817ND IF rig out to the truck, and set everything up on the hood.

In the cold, I nervously coordinated the contact using 2 Meter's and sent CW using the FT-817ND's micrphone keys! Jimmy commented on my poor fist, but we exchanged grids and I put 2.3ghz #1 into the logs. What fun!

Still, I confess to some frustration. None of my 2M WSJT skeds worked out, which I had hoped would net me some more grids towards VUCC on 2 Meters...and conditions were poor, so I didn't pick up anything new on the other bands.

As an operator and contester, I was pleased with the improvement. Basically I worked most of the local regulars, and didn't miss them due to silly practices as in the past. But as a grid chaser, it was disappointing.

I'm considering a portable operation from a nearby high vantage point for the Spring Sprints or possibly the June contest. June isn't great for this, becuase if six is open, then you can forget about working anyone on the higher bands. September would be the better choice.

I hate to give up on working them using only the indoor antennas, but my progress is very slow this way. On 2 Meters it may prove possible given enough patience and some decent Sporadic E openings, but on 222 and 432 it seems out of reach. I can work nearly everyone I can hear, and that doesn't allow for much wiggle room.

Still, the old hands tell me it's the worse year that they can recall for Tropo---and we certainly didn't have any in the Fall. So maybe I'm just getting discouraged.

The IC-910H is proving to be a much better rig than I first thought. Added the DSP noise reduction and that helped a lot. Easy to operate, and makes band changes on 2, 432, and 1.2ghz a snap. Need to get a keyer interface going so that I can work CW easier. Maybe another Navigator?

September VHF Contest

2008-09-12T11:56:00.002-05:00

Due to Hurricane Ike, and my duties as SEC for Alabama, my time for the contest this weekend will be limited. I may be on HF for much of the time, but I do plan to participate from the home station. Regular readers of this blog will notice that I haven't posted anything in the last month or so. We were in Denver, CO and St. Paul, MN shooting a documentary about the two political conventions. Hard to believe but I haven't made a single VHF contact in weeks!

Not much new at the station, though I do have some limited 900mhz capabilities this time around. Added a modified 30 watt FM rig and loop yagi for this band. I'll be on FM simplex during the contest hoping to hand out some points.

By January, I hope to have a DEMI 900mhz transverter for all modes. I've also added a 30 watt 222mhz DEMI transverter, which will give me 125 watts into 12 elements on my favorite band. Look for me on 222.100mhz.

Otherwise unchanged, which is a shame. I've got shiny new pre-amps, and even that 300 watt Beko amp for 432 waiting to be installed...but no time. Ah, well...winter is coming and that should give me some down time to work on the station.

Listen hard for my weak signal from EM63.

Also, while we enjoy the contest, please keep the folks on the Texas coast in your thoughts. If you can help out on HF, or VHF, please do so.

73 de N1LF

VHF/UHF Links

2008-08-14T13:10:00.002-05:00

Searching for information on an aspect of weak signal VHF/UHF activity can be a frustrating experience, even for experienced researchers. More so than in any other area of ham radio, the weak signal VHF community tends to be very specialized.

One guy may be the leading expert on low noise pre-amp design, another may be into Yagi optimization. Looking for information on how to build a 1st class Rover operation? Good luck with that.

Fortunately, Ron Williams, WZ1V has done all the heavy lifting for us. He has complied the most complete set of VHF/UHF "Links" that I've found to date. You can (and should) spend a day or more exploring the many sites that Ron has discovered. The best part is that he actively updates the list, which prevents wasting time on broken or outdated sites.

You can follow this link to Ron's VHF UHF Master Link Site.

Thanks Ron...you've made it easy on this newbie.

73 DE N1LF

It's a marathon, not a sprint

2008-08-13T14:22:00.003-05:00

I've posted the phrase, "It's a marathon, not a sprint" on a Post-It-Note, and placed it near my Grid maps for each band. As I work new grids, I mark them with a highlighter, which I suspect is a bit of a ritual for VHF Men.

Experience is quickly teaching me that the "hype" of big V/U events such as contests, meteor shower peaks, and others rarely translate into a large boost in the grid rankings. This week's Perseids peak proved no exception.

It was indeed thrilling to hear 15-20 second long meteor bursts on 2 Meters. My operating time was very limited due to huge commitments at work, but even with that I managed 14 QSO's on 2M MS. The problem was that those only translated into 3 new grids.

Maybe we should call it "USS". That could be short for the "Usual Suspects Syndrome". The VHF community is plagued by this condition, and it affects all bands and modes. A contest weekend approaches and hope springs eternal that you'll work some new ones. But reality sits in when you realize that you'll actually be working the "usual suspects".

Ditto for WSJT and big meteor events. The band is wide open, huge pings fill the air--but the same 15-20 guys who operate the mode almost daily seem to be the only ones who notice.

144.200 saw some long burns during the Perseids peak. I heard an XYL somewhere out there in the Western states happily ragchewing with a friend on Tuesday morning. Repeated calls never seemed to attract her attention. And after three or four burns without catching an ID or location, her voice never returned.

It's like being a fisherman, and talking about the "One that got away".

Since starting activity in late March, my progress to date is:

6 Meters-148 Grids Worked
2 Meters-37 Grids Worked
222-8 Grids Worked
432-11 Grids Worked
1.2ghz-3 Grids worked

On two meters, WSJT continues to be a G0d-Send, producing the bulk of my new grids. More activity from a wider range of stations would help the grid count, but the operators just aren't there.

(Trust me, it's as easy as PSK-31 on HF! If you haven't tried WSJT do it today) You need a multi-mode rig, a soundcard interface, and some patience. It sounds daunting, but it's easy if you just get on the air and try it out.

Six Meters continues to delight and surprise almost daily. And I actually look forward to this year's E-Skip season ending, because I can concentrate on Meteor Scatter on the Magic Band in earnest.

222mhz is my favorite band--as it's quieter than you can imagine, and signals are often stronger than over the same path on 2 Meters. Again, we just need more activity.

432 has also been a surprise, though I continue to hear stations that I cannot work. Hope to get the Beko 300 watt amp working here soon, and want to try EME again.

1.2ghz seems ripe for JT6M mode, but almost no one who uses the band seems to be active on JT6M. Maybe the EME crowd, but they're not as interested in terrestrial contacts.

Still, VUCC on 2 Meters and up seems a long way off. Those 37 grids didn't come easy, and finding about 63 looks nearly impossible to accomplish. But, it's a marathon, not a sprint.

Haven't yet experienced a wide spread 2 Meter E-Skip event, nor a big tropo event, which are actually supposed to be fairly common here in the South. Either would promise adding quickly to the grid total.

My hat is off to the operators who have accomplished VUCC, especially on 2 Meters. Quite an accomplishment. Given the handicap of indoor antennas, this race may take several seasons to run.

73 DE N1LF

Improve your APRS Map Experience

2008-08-05T10:01:00.002-05:00

The APRS Mapping web site has to be one of the most useful tools available to VHF DX'ers. Since it relies on real time 2 Meter APRS data it can help to determine both tropo and e-skip openings. You can visit it at:

http://www.mountainlake.k12.mn.us/ham/aprs/path.cgi?map=na

My only complaint with the service is that it does not automatically update or refresh itself, the way that other tools such as the 144mhz Propagation Logger or the VHF QSO Real Time Maps do. For users of the Firefox web browser that isn't a problem. You can simply add an extension called "Reload Every" and set the interval that you want the page to refresh itself. I have mine set for about 10 minutes, and that seems to work well.

http://reloadevery.mozdev.org/

I haven't checked, but I'm sure that you can find a similar tool for Internet Explorer. Hope this helps others.

There Was A Star Danced, And Under That I Was Born....

2008-07-28T12:04:00.000-05:00

The words of the Bard are fitting considering all the fun I've been having working meteor scatter on 2 Meters. 8 QSO's and more importantly to me, eight new grids. I've also had a couple of terrestrial contacts and new grids using the JT6M mode of the WSJT software.

For those who might think that I'm strictly computer guy, I also picked up a new grid over the weekend using that oldest of digital modes, good old CW. But the digital modes offer a significant advantage over even CW, with JT6M and other modes that are part of the WSJT suit able to detect signals several db below the noise level. Given my compromised antennas, this allows me the chance to work a lot of stations that would otherwise be impossible to log.

One of those stations that I've been trying to work most of the month without success is Dan, VE2DSB. A few nights ago he turned me onto a great tool that helps to visualize the current meteor showers, and the direction of those rox.

After doing a little reading in the out of print book, "Beyond Line of Sight", you can begin to grasp the geometry involved. But using the Virgo Sky View tool makes it much easier to visualize.

See for yourself at:

Virgo Sky View

There are also some great links available to help you understand how the direction of travel, speed of the meteor, and other factors affect your chances for a successful meteor scatter contact. Hope these are of help to other newcomers, as we approach the August 12th peak of the Perseids meteor shower.

The International Meteor Organization: Theory of Meteor Reflection

James Richardson, The American Meteor Society: Some Notes and Equations for Forward Scatter

While Sky View can help you to understand which directions of the azimuth have the greatest chance for success on any given day, don't forget that random meteors are constantly striking the earth's atmosphere. These meteors are not part of any shower, and thus don't fall from a given direction (or radiant as they say). The random nature of these events means that successful contacts are possible between almost any two stations within about 1,200km of each other, if they're patient enough.

Thanks to DL1DBC Sabine Cremer for creating this JAVA based web tool, and to my friend Dan, VE2DSB for sharing it with me.

73 DE N1LF

Love on the Rox

2008-07-24T14:09:00.000-05:00

The most important factor for becoming a successful meteor scatter operator is summed up in one word, "patience". Contacts on 2 Meters typically run 15-20 minutes, and can take considerably longer. During major showers, such as the upcoming August 12th Perseids event, QSO's can be completed much more quickly, but during the average session, boredom can become a factor!

To increase my chances at success, and waste less precious operating time to unsuccessful attempts, I'm trying to educate myself on meteor burst communications. Thankfully, Uncle Sam provided me with a lot of it years ago when I worked at the "Special Communications" C-School at the US Naval Submarine Base in Groton, CT.

At the time, we were using a state of the art "burst" communications system for submarines that relied upon exact synchronization of clocks, high power, and highly accurate receivers and transmitters. The system used meteor burst as it's propagation mode, and as such, we were required to learn quite a bit about how that mode worked.

I've refreshed some of that knowledge and learned much more by reading a great book called, "Beyond the Line of Sight", which is a compilation of articles from QST on the various V/U propagation modes. It has some great articles on Meteor Scatter. Though it addresses mostly CW and voice modes which were more commonly used at the time, almost 100% of the information applies directly to WSJT modes like FSK441 as well.

It's out of print, but you can pick up copies on Amazon.com. I highly recommend that all VHF Men obtain a copy.

Another great resource is an e-mail list devoted to meteor observations called, www.meteorobs.org. While most of the discussions center around visual observations of shooting stars, there are also discussions about radio observation. In fact, several amateur radio operators also operate "observatories" to chart, and record the number of radio meteors observed at their location daily. This information is shared with professional groups and is very helpful to the scientific community.

You'll not only learn a lot about which angles and times of day will offer the best chance of success between two stations, but you'll also be more aware of minor showers. These are often not visually spectacular, but on the radio front can be pretty darn special.

Hope these resources can help others getting into MS mode! Hope to hear you on the rox soon!

Staying Motivated

2008-07-24T13:16:00.001-05:00

VUCC on 2 Meters is considered by many to be one of the more difficult operating awards in amateur radio to achieve. Just six months into my personal campaign, I can believe it.

To date, I've worked a total of 29 grids on 2 Meters, most via local troposcatter. A few have come via two brief Sporadic E Openings, and a handful via meteor scatter using the WSJT software. But progress is often slow.

During my quest to work my first 100 grids on six meters, if a day went by without working a new one, I considered that a flop. On 2 Meters, that period of time is more like a week, sometimes longer. To date, I've worked 149 grids and five countries on 6 Meters, but on 2 Meters I've worked only two (Canada via WSJT Meteor Scatter)

The recent CQ-VHF contest was a major disappointment. Conditions here were generally poor on both bands, and I had high hopes that this event would draw out more nearby stations. Instead, I worked the "gang" that is usually on here most mornings, and added only 2 grids to my totals on 2 Meters. Not the outing that I expected at all...

By Sunday afternoon, I found myself staring at a ARRL Grid Chart...a handful of them colored in with a yellow highlighter. 29 grids? How on earth am I going to manage to work another 71 grids?

On the WSJT front, despite having over 600 registered users of the software, most days on Pingjockey.com seem to bring out only the "regulars", and I've worked most of them already. To say the least, I was singing the blues...

Then a conversation with a VHF Man in Florida lifted my spirits. Located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, stations in Florida find themselves surrounded by "water" grids with no stations to work. For even some of the Big Gun stations there with Kw amps and large arrays, VUCC remains just out of reach, he explained. His personal quest had taken from 1998 until 2005 to complete VUCC on 2.

As he explained, "It's a marathon, Les...not a sprint".

That helped to put things back into focus. He also pointed out that since I'd only been on since December, I'd yet to even experience my first real tropo opening, or an e-skip opening that lasted more than a few minutes. I hadn't been active during the peaks of the Perseids showers in August, or most of the other storms. In short, the best was yet to come.

29 grids isn't a ton, but considering the limitations of both the operator (work full time, 2 kids, etc.) and the station (indoor antennas, low power), my progress was pretty good. VUCC wasn't out of reach, it just might take a few years.

Like weight loss, staying motivated to achieve the goal is a big part of the battle.

73 DE N1LF

On the Shoulders of Legends...

2008-07-24T12:03:00.000-05:00

After weeks of trying, I finally managed to work Rex Turner, W5RCI in nearby EM44. For weeks I've been listening to Rex chat with some of his buddies in the early morning hours, but have failed to attract his attention with my small signals.

I deliberately avoided working any other stations in EM44, wanting Rex to be my first for that grid. Why you ask? History, I suppose. I've always been a fan of studying the past, and that extended into my interest in VHF. For years before getting involved, I read CQ-VHF, The World Above 50mhz, and related materials, knowing that someday I'd want to be involved in weak signal work.

Over time, certain callsigns appear over and over in those pages, and Rex's call was very well known even to a newcomer like me. Rex has been one of the dominant weak signal operators in the Southern part of the United States for almost half a century. He helped to pioneer most of the advances that we take for granted today. Long haul tropo, meteor scatter, EME, and perhaps most importantly, the 222mhz band.

Rex has long had one of the best 222 signals on the band, and has championed it's use for decades. He's nearly everyone's "Mississippi" on 222.

One of the best books written about the weak signal world is an out of print book called, "Beyond Line of Sight". It's a compilation of articles from the pages of QST that cover most of the propagation modes used on V/U. Just scanning that book, I must have noticed Rex's callsign two dozen times.

Just days before the July CQ-VHF contest, I finally worked Rex on 2 Meters, he reported my signal right at the noise level 5/5...but I couldn't have cared less. It was just a thrill to work him and know that his QSL card would soon grace my collection.

Days later during the contest itself, Rex got on for a few hours on Sunday afternoon to hand out some contacts. His signal was loud and powerful on 2 Meter SSB---and he reported my own signal 5/9. We quickly QSY'ed to 432.1mhz to attempt a 70cm contact. While I could copy him with ease on SSB, he couldn't pull me out of the noise. So I switched to CW using an old J-5 straight key.

Immediately Rex came back to me reporting my signal 599...we chatted at about 20wpm for the next few minutes. He told me that he hoped to work me on 222 soon. (My 736R is in the shop right now)...and I replied that I couldn't wait for that.

After the contact, I was reminded of those Visa commercials:

IC-910H-$1,700 dollars
Directive Systems Yagi-$125 dollars
SSB Electronics Pre-amp $380 dollars
Working a legend on 432 with a straight key $Priceless

One of the best things about being a VHF Man is that most of the people who pioneered these bands are still with us, and many of them are still active on the air. Unlike HF, where the immortals are long gone, on the high bands, we can still sit at the feet of the masters, learn from them, and work them on the air.

Thanks, Rex. It was an honor.

73 DE N1LF

Stars Fell on Alabama...

2008-07-07T12:58:00.000-05:00

Of course this phrase refers to the classic 1934 jazz tune, and earlier than that, a book by Carl Carmer, describing the spectacular Leonid meteor shower of 1833. But in my case, it is a fitting description for the July 4th weekend this year.

My operating time was very limited. I awoke at 6AM, and rushed out to the shack, attempting to hear some of the stations checking into the East Tennessee 432mhz net. Scatter was poor, with no enhancement noted. So instead, I called up the boys on PingJockey, and decided to give WSJT another try.

Within three hours of sitting down at my desk, using this amazing software, I'd managed to work four new grids, and thanks to VA3WLD, my 2nd country on 2 Meters!

Learned a lot in the experience...including that my recently acquired ARR 144mhz GaSFet pre-amp was DOA. That's a shame, because it's clear that I'm near deaf on 2 Meters using the Icom pre-amps.

Today, I'm shipping all three ARR pre-amps back for service, just to verify that they're working correctly before I install them. One of the hazards of used equipment.

Everything I can read on the net tells me that my Icom mast mounted pre-amps are on the noisy side with noise figures of over 1db...but even if I can improve that with the ARR's it may not translate into real world success. Why? Super low noise pre-amps at best suited for EME work, where antennas are pointed at "cold" sky...for both meteor scatter and tropo work, most of the action is at the horizon.
Pointed down there, the noise floor comes up sharply, and 1db may already be below the noise. Having antennas in the attic can't be helping either.

One station that I worked on Saturday reported hearing me well on nearly every sequence, while I could only copy his station during audible "pings" (bigger rocks and louder signals)

So still a lot of work to do here. I'm installing slightly larger antennas for both 2M and 222 soon. Improvements should be on the order of 1.5-2db. Not huge, but every db counts, right? That will max out the room for hardware, though.

Another "trick" that someone on the WSJT group suggested is to "tilt" the 2M beam up towards the sky more. Perhaps as much as 15 degrees. I may try this too...pointing up would allow better pre-amps to help out for sure.

Still all in all...quite a thrill, and a huge aid to the VUCC hunt! Now I want to see if my puny station can manage WSJT on 222, or even 432.

If you haven't tried MS yet...download WSJT and give it a try!

Hopefully a lot more stars will be falling on Alabama soon!

73 DE N1LF

Congratulations on VUCC. Please sign the divorce papers.

2008-07-02T09:26:00.000-05:00

Often after a disaster, the victims will look back and comment how it was such an ordinary day at first. Yesterday was such a day. It began with a simple phone call at work.

"Honey can you be home a bit early from work today. We've got company and I'm making this wonderful Chilean sea bass". My XYL of 26 years, Abby is both an understanding ham's wife, and a fantastic cook. Her skills in the kitchen inspired our son to become a chef, and their mutual passion is a source of much pride in our home.

"Oh...and on the way, can you pick up a new coffee maker, ours is acting up again". Ah! I saw a chance to impress her. In the dim corners of my mind, I knew that she'd be eying one of those commercial style Bunn coffee makers for weeks. A quick trip to the store on the way home, and coffee in 3 minutes would be within her reach.

On the way to the store, I switched on the Yaesu FT-857D in the truck. It's not much of a V/U set up. A 1/4 whip on six, and a small KU4AB loop for 2 Meters on the back. To my surprise, the Magic Band had awakened from it's two week nap, and a few Maryland stations were worked on the drive home. Nothing new, just the regular grids including CT, NY, and MD.

I switched over to 2 Meters...dead as usual, but there was THAT noise. You know the one, right? That strange brewing sound...and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. Hmmm...

The coffee maker was purchased, and by the time I'd made it to our home, six meters was really hopping. More importantly, the grids I was working were moving closer to Alabama. Still nothing on 2, except for more of that sound...

I rushed in and greeted my niece and nephew, visiting from TN. My wife was thrilled with the new coffee pot, and I could smell the sea bass broiling in the oven. Fresh spinach and baby corn ears were simmering on the stove. I explained that six was open, and I had a feeling about 2 meters as well...My wife smiled and said, "Go ahead and see who you can work".

I rushed to the radio room and switched on both the Icom 756Pro III and the IC-910H. Six was open, but not booming. I tried to work a few CQ'ers on .125 but the QRM was getting extreme. Too many stations from multiple directions...so I announced that would QSY to .145.

Thus began the "Sea Bass Fiasco".

A quick CQ on .145 suddenly put me into the midst of a pileup! Stations were calling me like crazy. One after another...and I struggled to get up to speed. At first it was more of the familiar FN19's, and 20's. More Maryland stations, but then things began to shift. I was getting calls from PA, and then WV...and then VA! I turned up the volume on the IC-910H, trying to keep an ear on 2 Meters while working the pileup.

Then I was literally flooded with calls from VA, TN, GA, and KY. These stations were literally right on top of me. Some less than 300 miles away! Even with my limited experience, I knew this was no ordinary opening. I kept thinking, 2 Meters must be open.

I checked the APRS map...still nothing. The 144 logger...nothing except others noting the short skip on six and asking for noise on 2. More stations worked me, one after another. All within 500 miles...How could 2 Meters not be open???

The pileup was thrilling. I struggled to work stations, and had to resort to saying things like, "Ending in November", or "The Whiskey 2 Station only". To their credit, all the operators I heard would stand by and wait for their turn. I wanted to work them all, because I knew how rare this kind of short skip was.

One station in SC mentioned that he needed only Alabama for WAS on Six Meters. He had worked the state two years ago, but no amount of begging or SASE's had resulted in a card. Would I please QSL?

Yes, OM, I QSL 100%...He thanked me over and over for helping to make his dream of WAS on Six come true. He didn't know that being asked was a like a dream come true for me.

NC, SC, more GA stations...and then a flood of Tennessee stations filled the log. In the midst of it, I forgot to check my computer monitors to see what was going on on 2 Meters. I had my hands full with the pileup...

Then a polite tap on my shoulder. My wife smiled and said, "Dinner's ready". AHHH!!!!

I quickly came up with a plan. I turned down the volume on the 6 Meter rig, and turned up the volume on the IC-910H. If Two Meters opened, I'd be able to hear it in the dining room.

Dinner was spectacular. The Chilean sea bass had been marinated, pan seared, and then broiled briefly in the oven to finish. Fresh spinach leaves mixed with baby ears of corn danced in a ginger sauce. Hand whipped mash potatoes, and a creamy dish of fried corn chowder rounded out the meal.

Just as the first bite of fish and spinach melted in my mouth, I hear a loud voice on 2 Meters in the next room. I sprang from the chair and bolted into the room. 2 Meters was open! The APRS map showed a huge red star burst pattern right over the Southeast. And the 144 logger showed stations working all around me.

A quick CQ was answered but the station returning my call was just too weak. The operator called me again...I could make out my own callsign, but not his---KA--something. He switched to CW, "This guy is pro thank god!". I reached for the pencil and the bottom dropped out in the middle of my own callsign. No!! Damn it!!

I began twisting the beams and listening hard on 2 Meters....after about ten minutes, my wife brought the sea bass still steaming on the plate into the shack. More static and weak calls....had I missed the opening on two or had it simply skipped around EM63?

A few minutes later my cell phone rang...my wife answered it and brought it to me immediately. "It's Jimmy Long [W4ZRZ]...he says that there's someone on 432 who wants to work you".

Jimmy had been moving folks up to 432 from 2 meters---it had been his powerful signal that I heard on the speaker, not a E-Opening. Todd, N4QWZ in EM66 [TN] was coming in great tonight on 432...did I want to try to work him with my single Yagi? Sure!

I quickly QSY'ed to 432.1, and worked Todd on the first call. I think we were both surprised at how easy it was. I listened to Jimmy work several weak stations, most of them below my noise floor. Jimmy has a terrific new array of 15 element Yagi's, eight of them in all with a power divider from his mountaintop home. He's even louder on 432 now than 2 Meters!

Six and two died down after that...with little more heard until I switched them off and returned to our company.

My wife smiled and made small talk the rest of the evening...never once complaining. A bit later after I'd finished my evening exercise, I went to ask her about our dogs, and while she responded kindly...I got THAT look. You know the one.

In a flash, I realized exactly what I had done. AHHH!!! How could I be so stupid? She made this incredible dinner and I had deserted her and our guests and then never even apologized for it.

Even though it was nearly 1AM by then, I made a point to talk with her for almost another hour. Apologizing over and over for my mistake.

This morning the alarm went off at 6AM, and I got up to head towards the shack. My plan was to try to work some new grids on 2M via WSJT. As I approached the radios...I remembered that discretion is often the better part of valor...and decided not to switch the radios on at all.

Instead, I showered, then gathered up some laundry, stacked a few dishes in the dishwasher, and prepared our dogs for their vet appointment (which I volunteered to take them to). I even made sure that some fresh coffee was brewing in that new Bunn.

When I left, I apologized once more, and Abby smiled and said, "I understand...when the band is open, it's open. You have to work them when you can".

Isn't she great? But just to play it safe, if today brings the band opening of the century, you may not hear the N1LF callsign there. I've got some making up to do. And hey, let's face it. They'll always be another band opening, but there's just one Abby.

73 DE N1LF

I Wanna Rockkkkkkk!!!!!!!

2008-07-01T11:29:00.000-05:00

It's official. I've become a rock-hound. This morning, I made my first two official Meteor Scatter QSO's using the digital sound card mode WSJT!

For those forced to operate with less than optimum antennas or power, this mode is a god-send. Also if you're planning a expedition to a rare grid, WSJT should certainly be in your bag of tricks. It allows propagation in a range of 500-1400 miles virtually round the clock, and it's possible to work a ton of stations using small antennas and low power.

This morning, I was able to work W9NHE in EN53 (WI) and WA5UFH in EL19 (TX) within the span of about an hour. Both operators are experienced meteor scatter operators and were very patient with me as I struggled to master the software and exchanges. In both cases, "pings" or meteors entering the atmosphere were few and far between, so contacts took a while, but I've worked much harder on SSB and CW to work someone two grids square distant from my location!

I used my standard VHF/UHF rig (An Icom IC-910H) along with a soundcard interface like you'd use for PSK-31 or other modes. In my case, I'm using a SignaLink USB interface made by Tigertronics. I got it from DX Engineering, which is one of the best companies that I've ever dealt with.

This interface is a great one, because it has a built in sound card, leaving your computer's free for other tasks. Set up is simple and requires only the single USB cable. They sell inexpensive cables to connect the radio to the interface too.

If you're new to the mode like me, let me give you a few pointers. The "Calling Frequency" for the mode is 144.140khz. Most activity takes place in the morning hours starting around 6AM Central time. There is also activity in the evenings just after dark, and few die-hards who are available just about 24/7.

You can call "CQ" on the calling frequency but most contacts are scheduled or arranged on the fly using an special internet chat server called "PingJockey". You can simply post a message that you'd like to try a contact and one of the more experienced operators will guide you from there. You agree on a frequency, and a message format (short or long), etc. Usually the station that is the furthest West will transmit first in exact 30 second time periods.

It sounds a lot harder than it is...but much like PSK-31 and other digital modes, once you get started it seems to come easy.

I highly recommend that you download the software for the mode, which is free of charge here at:

http://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/K1JT/

You should also download and read the short manual, which helps you understand how to operate the mode at:

http://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/K1JT/WSJT_User_600.pdf

And lastly, you should download and view a great PowerPoint presentation on the mode created by K0SM.

http://mail.rochester.edu/~af006m/K0SM-RVHFG.PPT

There is a lot of information out there on the web, but frankly it can all make this mode seem mysterious and complicated, it's neither. Just give it a try!

Some have questioned the validity of contacts that involve the PingJockey chat server, but I think this isn't a valid concern. Using the chat server allows you to make a schedule. Same has having a schedule to try and work someone on SSB or CW. You know you're you're trying to work (callsign), where to point your antenna (grid square), and what frequency.

But at the end of the day, you still have to work them! Is it possible to cheat using the chat room? Sure...but it's easier to cheat using a telephone or private e-mail. In the case of the chat room, the postings are all on record and could be used to question the validity of a contact.

If you watch the postings, you'll notice a lot of busted QSO's, where folks just give up because the rocks aren't cooperating at that time. In my case, I actually made two previous "learning" QSO's just prior to the June Contest, but neither one counted as a valid QSO, because we exchanged other data on the chat server. These were still very helpful in getting me comfortable with the mode. But not good for VUCC credit.

For me it's simple math. 2 new grid squares, in 2 new states in about an hour on 2 meters! This mode may become my not-so-secret weapon! Thanks to Ted and Tip for my first QSO's on WSJT.

From now on, I plan to order my DX "On the Rocks!"

73 DE N1LF

Fixed Antennas for Contests?

2008-06-27T11:29:00.001-05:00

Recently the VHF Contesting E-Mail List has had some interesting discussions about "compact beams" for indoor attic installations. While I think the Directive Systems "Rover" beams are a great solution, some other interesting ideas have also been kicked around.

Even if you're not interested in "contesting", this list is still a great place to learn a lot about VHF in general. Here's the information:

To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting
or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
vhfcontesting-request@contesting.com

Today, there was a post from James Duffey, KK6MC which offered a number of suggestions that might be useful for those contemplating operation with indoor antennas. With his permission, I'm going to reprint that post below.

One of the ideas that he mentions is to install longer, fixed antennas pointed towards population centers to supplement shorter antennas on rotors. This really intrigues me! My attic had only two locations that were suitable for the installation of rotors and antennas. The largest of these contains my "stack", and I've just about maxed out the length of antennas that can fit that space.
I went so far as to have an architect help me decide where I could safely move structural supports to give me more space. But the attic contains other voids which could offer very long booms a home, only they couldn't rotate. Hmmm.... That really has the wheels turning.

As compared to amplifiers and hardline, antenna gain is the cheapest way to get a bigger signal. Especially on 2 Meters and 432, I could really benefit from longer antennas. The trick now is to figure out which directions and available, and which would do me the most good.

My goal wouldn't be higher contest scores, but more grids.

Here are Jame's suggestions, which I think all have a lot of merit.

A Moxon rectangle as a simple to build with proven performance 6M
beam. It can be built simply from materials obtained at your local
hardware or building supply store:

< http://www.n2mh.net/moxon.htm >

If you have room to swing the Cushcraft A270-10s you will have room
for this.

For 144 MHz, 222MHz, and 432 MHz, the WA5VJB Cheap Yagis are easy to
build, have good patterns and gain for their length.

< http://www.wa5vjb.com/yagi-pdf/cheapyagi.pdf >

To see how you can put two of these on a single beam, look here:

< http://www.wa5vjb.com/references/Cheap%20Antennas-LEOs.pdf >

There are various sizes so that you can pick the one you that will fit
in your attic.

These beams can all be stacked. You can go lower in stacking distance
than is usually suggested. If you don't have much space, two feet is
OK on 2M above the 6M beam and a foot above that for 432. The pattern
will start to deteriorate, but the SWR and gain will not change much.
You will have to accept compromises.

You don't need to stack the beams so that they are all parallel. You
can put the boom of the 2M and 432 MHz beams parallel to the elements
of the 6M beam for instance. This is less than optimum in terms of
passing stations from one band to another, but it can get you a bit
more space.

You also don't need to swing the beams a full 360 either. You can make
the Moxon so that it is reversible; see Cebik's page for details on
this. You can also build beams for the higher bands this way, put the
beams back to back with a common reflector and then switch the feeders
from one driven element to another to change the direction.

Depending on the shape of your attic, You may also consider multiple
antennas pointing in different directions. For contests, it may be
usseful to have long boom antennas pointing towards population
centers, even if they can't be rotated.

Some thoughts, I hope that you find them useful. Go ahead and try
things, it is better to get on the air with a sib optimal antenna than
waiting until you get the "best" solution. With an antenna up and
installed, you can operate and see where your problem areas are, then
pay attention to improving those. - Duffey
--
KK6MC
James Duffey
Cedar Crest NM

Situational Awareness

2008-06-26T19:39:00.000-05:00

Soldiers and law enforcement types refer to "situational awareness" as being keenly aware of the environment that you're operating in. Alert to possible opportunities to gain a tactical advantage.

If you're operating with indoor antennas, it becomes even more vital. Fortunately, there are lots of ways to get this vital "intel".

The best way is also the easiest...use your ears. Park your radios on the weak signal calling frequencies when you're working in the shack. 50.125mhz for six meters, 144.200mhz for 2 Meters, 222.100 for the 222 band, 432.100 for 70cm, and 1296.100 for 1.2ghz. All in USB mode. Obviously, you're listening for CQ's...but also other subtle "cues".

For example "Sporadic E" has a bubbling sound that is very different from other types of noise. You'll usually hear this on six meters and 2 meters just prior to an opening. Sometimes you may hear it, and the opening will never come, but often it will.

You may also want to program in the National Weather Service NOAA Weather Radio frequencies. They're in FM mode, and spread out over seven channels:

162.400
MHz

162.425
MHz

162.450
MHz

162.475
MHz

162.500
MHz

162.525
MHz

162.550
MHz

I made a simple chart that noted each of the four major beam headings, North, South, East & West, and listed which stations I could usually receive under "normal" conditions. Depending on the direction, I average about five channels out of seven. Those with outdoor and larger beams will likely get stations on all seven frequencies.

During enhanced conditions, tropo, and rarely even Sporadic E events, you'll suddenly have new stations dominating the frequency or two stations competing for the FM Capture Effect! This is a sure sign that 2 Meter is open! Get on 144.200 and make some noise!

Here in Central Alabama, it's easy to tell when the band is open to the West. NOAA stations in Mississippi use a female "text to speech" computer voice, while Alabama is an all male voice state. If I hear a female voice, then I know the band is open! Just remember these are in FM mode, not USB.

Another great source of information is the Internet. I can't recommend installing a high speed Internet connection in the shack enough. Cable modems, DSL, or satellite can provide high speed connections to the web. For VHF Men, there is nothing like it. Here are some of the sites that I often keep opening while operating:

DX Sherlock VHF-UHF Real Time QSO Maps: This pulls data from the DX Spotting networks and displays them as points on a map of North America. There is a lag in the information of several minutes, but it can give you a great idea of where the band is open to. Very useful for 6 Meters and 2 Meters...less so on the higher bands.
144 Mhz Propagation Logger: Kind of a combination DX Spotting tool and "chat room" for weak signal 2 Meter operators.
VHF (APRS) Propagation Map: The technology here is very cool. This map uses the 2 Meter APRS network to detect signals that are being propagated past the normal range of digipeaters (LOS) and plots them in shades of yellow, orange, and red. Areas of red usually indicate tropo or Sporadic E openings. There are "false positives" from time to time, but in general it's a great tool. I only wish that the page would update itself every few minutes, instead you have to remember to "refresh" it if you want real time information.
Bill Hepburn's Tropospheric Ducting Forecast: Basically a "weather forecast" for tropo propagation. Like your weatherman, Bill's map are not always accurate forecast, but they are reliable enough to make them daily viewing for most VHF DX'ers.
Sidewinders On Two (SWOT) Radar Map: Sidewinders on Two is the oldest organization for 2 Meter DX'ers and membership is highly recommended. Their web site also contains instructions and a real time map of NWS radar. Unlike your local TV station, the NWS maps don't filter out "ground clutter" or "false returns". This ground clutter often amounts to tropo or strong backscatter openings on VHF

There's lots more to learn on the web about VHF DXing, but these sites cover most of the real time information sources used by DX'ers. There are others...such as "PingJockey" for WSJT mode, and I highly recommend them for that mode. There are EME (Moonbounce) chat rooms and six meter specialty sites as well, but these are the most used tools.

Remember though, nothing beats "chair time" and your ears!

73 DE N1LF

More on KU4AB Loops

2008-06-25T18:37:00.000-05:00

Sorry I forgot to post the photo of the KU4AB.com 6 Meter loop which is also mounted in my attic. See the photo on the left.

It's mounted on the other side of the house, well away from the "stack". It's fed with Andrews 1/2" hardline which runs about 25 feet down into my shack in the garage.

To make installation of all my antennas easier, I cut a hole in the ceiling drywall, about 2 feet long by 1 foot wide. I then attached some very pretty maple shelving boards in the form of a "box" to route cables from the attic down to below desk level at my station. This makes running even hardline a snap! And it looks great, matches the maple workstations in the garage, and passes the "XYL Test".

The KU4AB loop is connected to my Icom 746 Pro, while the 3 element beam works into the Icom 756 Pro III. The advantage of the loop is that I often hear stations off the back of the beam that I would otherwise miss. I've also worked over 35 grids and many, many states on the loop alone.

I also have a KU4AB 2 Meter loop mounted on my pickup truck. I run a Yaesu FT-857D in the truck, and use it to work weak signal 2M stuff. Again, not a world beater, but very solid, stainless steel construction. Plus the price is nice, and delivery was super fast.

If you're like me, I usually read the product reviews of any amateur equipment at www.eham.net. Take things there with a grain of salt, cause some guys post negative reviews to try to screw up ratings, and some don't really know how to operate the equipment that they buy...but with enough reviews you get a sense of how good the product really is. KU4AB antennas receive good ratings, and I can see why.

I've seen some indoor installations where they stacked or "phased" KU4AB loops to give a bit of gain. Haven't tried it yet, but I may do so on the mobile.

Originally, I didn't think I'd have room for the 3 element Yagi on six meters, and planned to use the loop as my primary antenna. While it won't beat the beam, I have no doubt I could have worked 90% of the DX to date with it. Maybe the really weak double-hop stuff from the West Coast wouldn't have made the trip, but most everything else would have. VUCC would certainly be in range using just this antenna and 100 watts.

See you on the Magic Band!

73 DE N1LF

The Big Iron Photo Gallery

2008-06-25T18:01:00.000-05:00

Above you'll see several photos of my attic mounted antenna installation. Some look at this and see very short "rover" style Yagis, with large beamwidth and modest gain. Instead, I see "Big Iron" where every available inch of space available as been converted into gain for my signal.

It's not even comparable to the average rover station, but it's an optimized design given the circumstances. As a former engineer, I can appreciate the elegance of that. All designs are compromises. The secret is in making the ones that hurt you the least.

You'll see photos of the VHF Shack (Icom IC-910H). Not pictured is the Yaesu FT-736R that I use for 222. (Though I've ordered a Down East Microwave Transverter to replace it). You'll also see the Andrews 1/2" hardline mounted to the attic floor, pictures of the KU4AB 6 Meter loop (I use this as a "spotter" omni-directional antenna on my Icom 746 Pro. It's also fed with 1/2" hardline)

Also pictured is my original 2M/440 short beam, returned to vertical polarization, and some other innovative antennas from my "attic farm".

Hope this gives folks a better idea of my installation and maybe inspires some work in the lofts of your homes!

73 DE N1LF

You want to do what?

2008-06-25T16:02:00.000-05:00

Ah, what would life be like without the skeptics? Think of all the fun you'd miss out on if you never go to say, "I told you so". Or at least I hope that's how this all turns out.

When I told many VHF guru's of my desire to earn VUCC with nothing but indoor antennas for a location only 400 feet above sea level, the reactions ranged from laughs, and my favorite of all advice, "Move."

Fortunately, there were some who offered encouragement. To their credit, even some of the skeptics said, "It won't work, but if you want to try I'll help you". Then there were the true believers...like Bill Olson, K1DY.

After carefully measuring the space available in my large, open attic, I posted to the VHF E-mail reflector asking about antennas with tight turning radius that might fit my needs. Bill works closely with "Directive Systems" of Maine.

Directive Systems make an innovative line of antennas, specifically designed for VHF rovers, who must keep their booms short if they're to remain "street legal" on the highways. The trick is maximum gain in the shortest possible boom length. Bill suggested modifying these antennas for true "center mount" ignoring the center of gravity and other mechanical considerations that would affect an outdoor mounting.

So far, it's turned out to be the best and most important decision that I've made. Pictured above you can see the entire "Stack" which consists of the following:

MFJ 6 Meter Yagi. 3 Elements mounted on the bottom.
Directive Systems DS-144RS 6 Elements on 2 Meters. Modified "Rover" antenna.
Directive Systems DSFO222-10RS. 10 Elements on 222.
Directive Systems DSFO432-15RS. 15 Elements on 432.
Directive Systems 2325LY Loop Yagi. 25 Elements on 1.2ghz.

Next up, I added the Icom mast mounted pre-amps to the rotor stack for 2 Meters and 432mhz. A Mirage mast mounted pre-amp was added for 222. I've since found out that the noise figure on the Icom pre-amps is about 1.0db. Not too good, even for a broadband pre-amp. So with Jim Long's help, I'm upgrading these to the Advanced Receiver Research pre-amps.

Specifically, I'm adding the 160 watt RF Sensed, mast mounted GaASFET pre-amps. You can find a lot more information about these amps on this link to their web site, AAR GaAsFET.

The noise figures on these are much lower, around .55db. I did a quick test by installing them in-line near the radio...and they clearly improved the signal to noise ratio on 2 Meters. If you want to use them with some of the satellite rigs like my Icom IC-910H they can even install RF chokes to allow you continue sending 12 vdc up the coax. I opted to "hard key" them from the PTT line instead.
From a design standpoint, a lot of folks might question the considerable expense of this installation. The feedline runs are short, so I could have used Belden 9913, for example. It considerably less expensive, and the losses are not much greater than with the 1/2" hardline. My thought was that the entire installation is already a compromise. In a lot of cases, I'll be working stations who are at or even below the noise floor. If anything, every fraction of a db is more critical for an indoor installation, not less.

The installation has been "completed" to this point for about a month. I finished just in time for Sporadic "E" season on 6 Meters and the June ARRL VHF Contest. Results are pretty good so far. 109 grids worked on 6, along with four countries. 13 grids on 2 Meters, including four of them worked via E-skip. (My most distant contact on 2 Meter SSB has been in DM79 in Colorado), five grids on 432, and five grids on 222.

A lot of even modest stations could beat those numbers in a weekend...so patience is part of the plan. We're headed into the dog-days of summer here in Alabama, which should mean some good Tropo openings. Thus far, it's been mostly backscatter and E-skip. I've yet to be part of a really good tropo opening.

One lesson I learned already. Use CW!! If your code skills aren't up to speed, or don't even exist...you can still take advantage of this mode. Using a soundcard interface like you'd use for PSK-31, you can use software like the amazing, "CW Skimmer" to help you copy callsigns and grid square exchanges.

My code speed is good up to about 15-20wpm...but during a recent e-skip opening on 2 meters, there were five or six stations all sending CW at the same time on 144.200. No way I could copy all those signals by ear at the same time, but CW Skimmer had no problem with it.

Likewise, there are several software programs like CWType that allow you to send flawless Morse Code using only your computer keyboard. The bottom line is that if you need those grids, CW may be the only way to get them.

Another "secret weapon" that I'm just now trying is the amazing WSJT Meteor Scatter and EME modes. This amazing software allows you to work 6 Meter and 2 Meter meteor scatter contacts almost 24 hours a day. And as it turns out, a smaller 2 Meter Yagi might actually be better for this mode than those big boomer, because the wider beamwidth allows you to "see" more of the sky and catch more meteor pings! Score one for the small pistols.

I'll let you know what kind of results i get with WSJT as I gain more experience with it. I think it's the only real option for 2 Meter VUCC that I have. Perhaps even 222!

Just the other day, I received an e-mail from another "true believer", Dan O'Connel, WA7TDZ. Don operated with quads for 6 Meters and 2 Meters in his attic for years, along with a 432 "Quagi" mounted between them! My his estimation he has worked close to 100 grids on 2 Meters, and over 300 grids and 38 countries on 6 Meters! All with indoor, attic mounted homebrew antennas!

So, maybe I'm not crazy after all. Maybe it can be done. I'm still not aware of anyone who claims to have earned VUCC entirely on indoor antennas on any band other than 6 Meters, but that doesn't mean that they aren't out there.

Until receiving Don's e-mail, the "best" grid square totals I'd heard of for 2 Meters with indoor antennas was only 14! Don thinks he worked close to 100, without the benefit of WSJT.

73 DE N1LF

Only 99 grids to go...

2008-06-25T13:59:00.000-05:00

Big Iron. For serious VHF men, this brings to mine multiple antennas, phased arrays, and power dividers. Monster sized Yagi's perched high on towers, mounted on mountaintop locations.

Or in my case, a tongue in cheek reference to both the Marty Robbin's song and my very limited VHF/UHF "stack". I won't bore you with the details, but my wife's back surgery and recovery dictated a move into a single level house, and here in the South if you want that in a decent neighborhood, you're also talking about deed restrictions and Nazi-like homeowners associations.

Here in EM63, near Birmingham, Alabama that means "No outdoor antennas, period". No flagpoles, no TV "Log" antennas, nothing bigger than a small satellite dish. Yes, I could go to court. Yes, I could move, yes, I could do a lot of things. Thanks...but I've heard it all before. The fact is that for most of us ham radio isn't the most important thing in our life, and other considerations often come first.

My wife loves the house. She wants to live here, and I want her and my neighbors to be happy. If that means that I never make the DXCC Honor Roll, so be it. For the first year after we moved here, I made due with a couple of J-Poles in the attic, and a horizontal loop around the inside of my privacy fence for HF. It's an NVIS (cloud burner) antenna for sure, but it works great for ARES stuff---and I managed to work 90 countries without a lot of effort. Then, I was to fall victim to "The Bug".

It started harmlessly enough. I had mounted a small 2M/440 vertical beam in the attic to get into some distant repeaters. It was attached to a small TV rotor and some RG-213 coax. One Saturday afternoon while working in the attic, I switched it to horizontal polarization and went down into the "garage-shack". I tuned the radio to 144.200 and USB. Nothing but static on that December afternoon.

I remember thinking, "There's nobody on weak signal stuff around here". Ten minutes passed while I soldered a jumper cable for my soundcard interface. Then I heard a very loud, CQ. It was Jim, K4AAF in Birmingham. I responded to his calls, we exchanged "grid squares" and I told him he was my first ever weak signal contact after being a ham for nearly 40 years. We talked for over half an hour about VHF/UHF....and at some point, I started to feel light headed.

I was seriously ill, but didn't know it yet. The following weeks were spent looking at pre-amps, and Yagis...re-reading every issue of CQ VHF and The World Above 50mhz. Hmmm...the January ARRL contest was just around the corner. I wonder if I could work a few guys on that little beam. What the heck? The Icom 746 Pro had a 100 watts on 2 Meters, and it wasn't totally deaf, right?

Years ago, I had been a very serious TV DX'er. I had low noise pre-amps, hardline, an Icom R7000 with NTSC adapater, and even a phase box for e-skip. This VHF stuff wasn't totally new to me....I'd just never tried the ham radio side of things. How hard could it be, right? Besides, I'm not serious about this. I mean, I live in a deed restricted neighborhood. I'll just play with it a little. It'll be fun. Harmless.

That's how the sickness works. Within a few months, I had gone completely crazy. I wanted to earn VUCC on all the "low bands". 6 Meters. 2 Meters, 222, 432, and maybe even 1.2ghz. Purchases had been made. An Icom IC-910H, several pre-amps, a Yaesu FT-736R with 222 module, some brick amplifiers, and oh, yes...lots and lots of 1/2" Andrews hardline. Houston, I think we have a problem.

Thus begins the quest for VUCC using only indoor antennas. Like most travels, it's about the journey as much as the destination. Along the way, I'll try to share my experiences and inspire others to take up the challenge. I'm very much indebted to folks like Jack Bruce-WA5UUD, Jim Long-W4ZRZ, and Bill Olson-K1DY for their help and encouragement.

If you haven't tried weak signal work on the VHF/UHF bands, all I can say, is "Come on Up, the Weather's Great!"

73 DE N1LF