Re: VLF: DK7FC's 10th VLF kite experiment

[Daniele Tincani <danieletincani@yahoo.com>]

Good look?!?

I intended to wish good luck to everyone involved of course :-)

D.

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From: Daniele Tincani <danieletincani@yahoo.com>
To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org
Sent: Fri, February 4, 2011 5:47:45 PM
Subject: Re: VLF: DK7FC's 10th VLF kite experiment

Hello Stefan, VLF

 

weather forecast are promising, it is expected a sunny and nicely warm sunday. I think I will be able to carry out my /p recording from hills around here finally.

I plan to record about 2 hours from three different antennas (so about 35 minutes per antenna). It would be great to have your signal as a test signal to compare performances.

I will have only a small digital recorder with me (no PC or Internet) so I will see my "captures" only after post-processing at home.

Good look for everyone involved :-)

 

Best regards

Daniele

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From: Stefan Schäfer <schaefer@iup.uni-heidelberg.de>
To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org
Cc: Paul <paul@abelian.netcom.co.uk>; Renato Romero <contact@vlf.it>; Bernd Grupe <bernd.grupe@t-online.de>; Matthias Kirschenstein <matthias.kirschenstein@googlemail.com>
Sent: Fri, February 4, 2011 5:13:25 PM
Subject: VLF: DK7FC's 10th VLF kite experiment

Dear LF/VLF group and other interested listeners/watchers,

After a break of 2 months i will do my next VLF kite experiment on sunday, 6th februrary 2011. I've got the permission to fly a 300m kite vertical antena in daylight. My plan is to start early in the morning, coming on air at about 7 UTC.

The wind forecast tells that the wind will be above 18 km/h (3 bft) but will decrease in the afternoon. This is a job for my smaller kite (3.6 m^2). Maybe i have to change to 8.1m^2 in the afternoon.

Such a kite experiment is always very exciting and a little chaotic too. So i cannot tell a too detailed and strict TX plan. The antenna consits out of  2 pieces, a 200m and a 100m part. The 200m part is the first that is lifted. Usually i want to serve 3 VLF bands: 33km, 46km and 58km. The antenna is only resonatable at 46km / 6470 Hz if the 200m piece is connected. Thus i started on 46km in the last experiment. But due to the necessity to become QRV on 33km / 8970 Hz as early as possible to make a TA contact i want to start on 8970 Hz on sunday, maybe transmitting at 200m while rolling out the second 100m part. Anyway, if possible it's better to watch on all the 3 bands simultaneously, like 4X1RF, TF3HZ, KL7UK, DK7FC and others do it :-) But usually you'll be informed here by the group what currently goes on. My VLF grabber in 40.0 km distance will display the activity. 8970 Hz can be viewed at http://www.iup.uni-heidelberg.de/schaefer_vlf/DK7FC_VLF_Grabber.html and 6470/5170 Hz at http://www.iup.uni-heidelberg.de/schaefer_vlf/DK7FC_VLF_Grabber2.html

If the wind, interest and my personal energy holds on i will be transmitting from 7...16:30 UTC. TX power will be 550 W. Depending on the soil humidity this will result in up to 100 mW ERP on 8970 Hz. As usual, my TX location ist JN49IS36VH

If all works well i'll try to reach the following goals:
-Transmitting a constant carrier for about 1 hour (GPS locked) at 8970.00000 Hz at full power (it's always full power! ;-) ), hoping to leave a strong trace at several curious VLF receivers :-)
-Transmitting a message in DFCW-600 at 8970 Hz to give a better ID and to keep the activity interesting
-Trying a DFCW-3 crossband QSO with DF6NM on 9/137 kHz at 179 km (http://no.nonsense.ee/qthmap/?qth=JN59NK&from=JN49IS36VH)
-Transmitting a short message in DFCW-10 for well equipped stations in a range of some 100km. Just to check how far DFCW-10 can be detected
-Maybe trying a CW QSO with DF8ZR in 16km distance (who strongly improved his station)
-QSY to 5170 Hz / 58km or maybe 6470 Hz, depending on the feedback and the diurnal noise situation
-Transmitting a carrier and some shifted DFCW-600 letters to give better ID.
-Spontaneous tests depending on request, wind situation, QRN and personal energy

-Reaching the TF3HZ VLF grabber in DFCW-600 (http://simnet.is/halldorgudmunds/TF3HZ_VLFgrabber/ ). Halldor has put a lot of energy in this project, mni TNX!
-Reaching other grabbers like 4X1RF and maybe KL7UK (the limit of my optimism!: http://no.nonsense.ee/qthmap/?qth=JN49IS36VH&from=BP51IP ) or even a university in India(?). Generally reaching as many stations as possible. EI8JK, many stations in UK (G3XBM, M0BMU, or even GM4SLV?), some new of them (G3XDV, G3KEV?), maybe a first contact in Russia,RA3YO? And norway, LA3EQ? I've heard from the yahoo VLF group about stations in Romania/YO.
-Hoping to give VLF interested OMs a chance to check, compare and improve different antenna systems.
-Maybe convincing a station in Greenland/OX to put some interest on the bands below 1 MHz? :-)
-Making a fascinating day for all involved.
-Improving the station by reducing the ground losses of the system. Reaching 1.4 A / 15 kV rms at 8970 Hz

As far as i can see there is no chance for a DX distance record as long as i don't reach so far unknown stations or stations in USA/Canada or India. But the main aspect is not the distance record, although interesting and fascinating and exciting, but rather having fun, active "Dreaming" and making some interesting observations :-)

So, hope for a good activity and good wind conds. Any reports are highly appreciated. RX stations are THE important part of such an activity! Thanks in advance!

73, Stefan/DK7FC

PS: Some grabber links:
http://qsl.net/4x1rf/vlf/vlfgrabber.htm
http://www.mydarc.de/df6nm/vlf/vlfgrabber.htm
http://www.iup.uni-heidelberg.de/schaefer_vlf/DK7FC_VLF_Grabber.html   (8970 Hz in 40 km distance)
http://www.iup.uni-heidelberg.de/schaefer_vlf/DK7FC_VLF_Grabber2.html (6470 and 5170 Hz in 40 km distance)
http://simnet.is/halldorgudmunds/
http://kl7uk.com/VLFAlaska.html
There are many others available. The above are running 24/7. Sorry if there was someting forgotten.