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Tower 1

Tower 1
Tower 1: Main tower supporting 50MHz 6M2WLC yagi, 14MHz 5 element yagi and 75m full wave loop.
Please note that all times are in UTC. As such comments relate to the next morning/day AEST unless otherwise stated.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Consistent backscatter from Paul VK4MA at present... with none of the doppler shift seen earlier today (screen shot below this post).


Thursday, October 25, 2012

More amazing doppler effects on Paul VK4MA CQn this morning. Paul signal is zero beat (600) yet two separate traces are being seen when he CQs.


Great doppler effect on Paul VK4MA with my yagi QTF 310


Es link on 50MHz between FK and VK4.. FK8SIX/B in at RST529, and Remi FK8CP being heard CQn up to RST559


Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Bored.... maybe. Just gave the shack a clean up in case I play in CQWW this weekend!


I usually compete as a SOAB HP, but without the ability to dedicate myself to this, I may just provide an additional multiplier for a few stations.
Interesting condx on 50MHz again today... whilst the band is not popping, report from Phil TI7/N5BEK hearing Paul VK4MA is a great sign.

The TEC map is looking promising...



But monitoring both Remi FK8CP and Paul VK4MA on 50.1106 has been quite interesting with the strength of their signals on backscatter oscillating between who was strongest.. and then MS dominating completely


Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Whilst HF condx have been exceptional, and 10m delivering some amazing LP contacts (C50C the pick), 50MHz has been quite depressed over the last few days.

An interesting observation and update since my post on Saturday Oct 13 (UTC) has been the complete lack of the localised QRM that has been experienced here of late. The last time this was heard was Thursday Oct 18... with nothing since then!

Hopefully this mean that either these deliberate actions have ceased... or unfortunately the station just not active over this period of time.

No doubt time will tell.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Monitoring 50.102 for T30SIX beacon, and a very large MS ping was just RXed.



Condx in that direction are being supported by some E layer prop, with FK8SIX being heard earlier at 0546z


Friday, October 19, 2012

The best indication of F2 we've seen in QG62 for a while, has been this:



NZ TV1 Kau Kau 45.249988MHz TV video carrier back scattering from the North Pacific (signal peak QTF 60). Strong enough at times to see the 50Hz sidebands.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

50MHz is currently open between Bob ZL1RS and XE/W6, interesting is that the resultant scatter from Paul VK4MA beaming into the area of ionisation is not as strong as expected, and very unstable.


Monday, October 15, 2012

I walked into the radio room this morning just as someone had finished CQn. Am unaware who it was, but presumed it was local (very close to the QRG that VK4HJ has when on CW), however far more interesting was the multi-path or shift being observed on their signal...


Saturday, October 13, 2012

It's disconcerting when interference interrupts weak signal radio communications, but when it's made by fellow radio amateurs and coincides with attempts to operate when a band conditions are marginal seems both deliberate and malicious in nature.

Whilst this deliberate 'QRMing' behavior has been witnessed on an increasingly frequent basis in QG62 on the 50MHz band, the following screen shots show the nature in which it was being delivered in the last two days.

This is a local station. The carrier signal strength is S9+20.

Friday Oct 12 0012z... VK4CZ operating on 50.100 CW liaising with Phil TI7/N5BEK determining if the path was open on 6m beyond the known TI and FK8 path, when after just a couple of CQ's the carrier transmission commenced moving up and down around the centre frequency of 50.100. Further attempts to


Some 10 minutes later, and following a CQ call on 50.111MHz CW by George VK4AMG the deliberate interference was seen to commence again.


George VK4AMG is seen CQn on 50.111 CW (50.110 SSB) and the carrier effect 'behind'  him.


And Friday Oct 12, 2116z (Sat morning AEST) and after a CQ call... the deliberate transmission of a carrier commenced again.


Whilst I've been witness to a number of poor operator behaviors over the years, the last twelve months I have seen some of the worst on air behavior ever on 6m.

I know as a result my own operating has changed significantly over the last 12 months. Where once I would regularly CQ, now I rarely do choosing to monitor the band and related indicators and avoid the deliberate interference and QRM.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

After observing the TEP last night completely missing South East Queensland and being focused to latitudes much further south (about time the VK3 & 5 stations had some TEP) we have CCTV indicators in strongly this afternoon.

Anhui 49.749.955MHz



Yongcheng 49.750.058MHz

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Paul VK4MA CQn 50.102... great signal, and none of the multi-path (doppler) effects from this morning when beaming the Pacific.


Whilst the southern VK2, VK3 and VK5s continue to report R1 and CCTV at RS59... work JA's and BYs, we're still just getting small bursts of signal from the R1 and CCTV like the following:


Just monitoring Fred KH7Y while he's CQn towards DU... just the odd ping being seen on SpecLab like the following:


What is it with the need to 'tune-up' on 50.110? We have 4MHz wide band (50.000 - 53.999), yet it seems that here in QG62, the internationally recognised calling freq is the only place it's done!


Interesting! Multipath effect on Paul VK4MA again... the imaged signal appearing ~60Hz from his zero beat signal, but this time lower!


Condx this morning on 6m are quite depressed following the CME and ensuing elevated A & K index. Scatter from Remi FK8CP this morning is consistent, but weak...


But scatter from Paul VK4MA is quite good, with occasional small MS pings...


Saturday, October 6, 2012

Condx this morning on both 10 & 6m were quite depressed. Whilst there was potential, the SFI had fallen to just 105 and even backscatter from Remi FK8CP was poor, peaking at RST419 at best. What was interesting however, was the effect of the scatter on the signal of Paul VK4MA that an be observed in the following SpecLab trace.


Paul VK4MA's signal appears to be multipathing, creating a slight shift in the QRG of about ~30Hz higher from the ground wave and the reflected signal. The QTF of my yagi was 90, side on to VK4MA.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

The day begins as normal with scatter from Remi FK8CP CQn on 50.1106


Afternoon TEP starting.... a few carriers from R1TV and possibly CCTV being heard.


Tuesday, October 2, 2012

What an interesting TEC map from 0600z... never seen the remnant hot spot left in the Pacific like this before


KH6HME/B 50.0606 making at appearance @ 0454z



Just to add some interest (and frustration), now listening to JAs working 3D2C on 50.110 CW.


And some more JA's calling 3D2C 20 minutes later.



Nice surprise! Fred KH7Y CQn on 50.105.


Monday, October 1, 2012

The online log for the 3D2C DXpedition has updated overnight, wih all 14 band slots worked so far now confirmed.


Been chasing another DXpedition while waiting for 6m to fire up... so far I've worked 3D2C on 9 bands (160 - 10m) and 14 band slots, and as at their last log update 10 slots were confirmed (the remaining 4 slots have been worked post the log update).


TEP condx just starting on 6m. R1 TV video signals and the 'Warbler' already in, but not yet loud with signals peaking RS51.


But what's interesting is the appearance again of the very raspy signal on 49760.420KHz... it's propagated in via TEP but with what looks like ~20Hz sidebands, not sure if it's just a very dirty video signal or data!


And the JE7YNQ beacon making it's appearance at RST529