Return-Path: Received: (qmail 14077 invoked from network); 1 Jul 2003 11:05:47 -0000 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Received: from warrior.services.quay.plus.net (212.159.14.227) by mailstore with SMTP; 1 Jul 2003 11:05:47 -0000 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal Received: (qmail 4484 invoked from network); 1 Jul 2003 11:05:44 -0000 Received: from post.thorcom.com (193.82.116.70) by warrior.services.quay.plus.net with SMTP; 1 Jul 2003 11:05:43 -0000 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1106 X-SQ: A Received: from majordom by post.thorcom.com with local (Exim 4.14) id 19XIvf-0008Lw-UF for rsgb_lf_group-outgoing@blacksheep.org; Tue, 01 Jul 2003 12:04:07 +0100 Received: from [147.197.200.9] (helo=hestia.herts.ac.uk) by post.thorcom.com with esmtp (Exim 4.14) id 19XIvb-0008Ln-Ug for rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org; Tue, 01 Jul 2003 12:04:04 +0100 Received: from gemini ([147.197.200.44] helo=gemini.herts.ac.uk) by hestia.herts.ac.uk with esmtp (Exim 3.22 #1) id 19XIvF-0005D2-00 for rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org; Tue, 01 Jul 2003 12:03:41 +0100 Received: from [147.197.232.252] (helo=rsch-15.herts.ac.uk) by gemini.herts.ac.uk with esmtp (Exim 3.33 #1) id 19XIvE-0002KM-00 for rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org; Tue, 01 Jul 2003 12:03:40 +0100 Message-ID: <5.1.0.14.0.20030701101916.00aa7848@gemini.herts.ac.uk> X-Sender: mj9ar@gemini.herts.ac.uk X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 5.1 Date: Tue, 01 Jul 2003 12:03:39 +0100 To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org From: "James Moritz" MIME-Version: 1.0 X-MailScanner: No Virus detected Subject: LF: 73kHz RIP Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed X-Spam-Status: No, hits=0.0 required=5.0tests=noneversion=2.55 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 2.55 (1.174.2.19-2003-05-19-exp) X-SA-Exim-Scanned: Yes Sender: Precedence: bulk Reply-To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org X-Listname: rsgb_lf_group X-SA-Exim-Rcpt-To: rsgb_lf_group-outgoing@blacksheep.org X-SA-Exim-Scanned: No; SAEximRunCond expanded to false Dear LF Group, In the last hours of the 73kHz band, I had contacts with MI0AYZ, G3AQC, G3LDO and finally G3XDV, before watching the final QSO on the band between G3XDV and G3LDO - very fitting to see the stations who had the first 2-way contact on the band also have the last. G3XDV was also my first QSO on the band about 3 1/2 years ago in January 2000. At that time, opinion seemed to be that 73k was a bit of a dead duck because of the QRM from Rugby, the general fearsome noise levels and hopeless antenna efficiency, and the band at that time being due for withdrawal in June 2000. However, looking through my log book whilst transmitting beacon signals last night, I find my final tally was about 90 QSOs of various sorts, including 15 stations in 4 countries in 2-way 73kHz contacts, 15 stations in 10 countries in cross-band 73k/136k contacts, one (G3WKL) 136k/73k cross-band contact, and 3 other stations heard but not worked on the band. I was also involved in /P operations at Puckeridge and Porthcurno. I spent a lot of time transmitting beacon-type signals - the most distant report was from W4DEX in 2001. 73kHz also played an important part in my LF antenna experiments; having roughly an octave of frequency separation from 136k was useful in looking at how antenna performance changed with frequency. The propagation on 73k also gave tantalizing hints that it was a different animal from 136k, but it is taking a long time to figure 136k out, and in the end time ran out for 73k. So, all in all, well worth the effort, and I am sad to see the band go. Although there did not seem to be any possibility of extending amateur operations on 73 kHz further, hopefully in the future there will be other amateur operations down here at the bottom end of the radio spectrum, which I look forward to. Cheers, Jim Moritz 73 de M0BMU