Re: LF: TA ... last night

[HB9ASB <hb9asb@gmail.com>]

Hi Jay
The transmitter power last night was about 700W RF. Here is a picture of the antenna:
http://funkperlen.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/img_0463-groc39fe-webansicht.jpg
If we come closer, it looks like this:
http://funkperlen.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/mein-shack.jpg
The shelter under the tower is our shack. The tower is freestanding and isolated from the ground, 125m high, and was the spare antenna of an AM broadcast transmitter on 765 kHz. There is certainly a good radial network buried in the ground, but we have found no data. Here you may see the simulation of the tower, we made. The text is in German, but I think the pictures are more important (please scroll down):
http://funkperlen.wordpress.com/2011/01/17/sottens-auf-137-khz/
We feed the antenna with a tapped variometer. So far straight forward. The problem was the coil from one leg to ground (as a static discharge and as a feed-line for the flight traffic lights). The inductance of this coil is far too low for 136 kHz. So we've put a capacitor in parallel to get a resonant circuit on 136 kHz:
http://funkperlen.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/photo-groc39fe-webansicht.jpg
for the fine tuning we used one of the original capacitors of the AM transmitter located in the shack :-)
http://funkperlen.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/img_0451-groc39fe-webansicht.jpg
There is also the original Variometer, a beautiful piece, but we couldn't use it:
http://funkperlen.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/image_large11.jpg

I hope I've answered your questions
73 de Toni

2011/2/19 <jrusgrove@comcast.net>

Toni

 

Thanks for the info on you operating conditions. Curious about the configuration of the antenna / matching system and what transmitter power was in use last night. The signal was VERY strong! Will be QRV for any additional T/A transmissions from Sottens.

 

Thunderstorms weren't in the forecast and are quite rare here in February. Earlier in the week we had daily temperatures with highs of 20 degrees F ... yesterday we peaked out at 60 degrees F ... currently we're back in the 20's with near whiteout condx in snow squalls! There's an old saying in New England ... "If you don't like the weather, wait a minute". It sure applied this week.  

 

Sorry for the weak signal on 40m - was running exciter power only. I did fire up the 8877 but an intermittent (maybe just in the metering circuit) forced a precautionary shutdown.

 

Jay W1VD  WD2XNS  WE2XGR/2

 

 

 

 

----- Original Message -----

From: HB9ASB

To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org

Sent: Saturday, February 19, 2011 8:06 AM

Subject: Re: LF: TA ... last night

Hello Jay

Thank you to made this event possible. The transmitter we are using was built in 1999 and it is still equipped with a Vackar-VFO (6.8 MHz divided by 50). I will replace it by a DDS after the Operation in Sottens. For QRSS10 its stability is at the limit. We can't use it in lower modes. Despite this, the heavy drift at start up is a mystery. May be we touched the dial unintentionally.
There is also a problem with overheating of the LPF. I have to build it bigger, with a cooling fan.

I don't know yet, if somebody will activate the TX next weekend, I will be busy Friday and Saturday evening. But to get earlier on the air would certainly help to find operators ;-)

So far we have been lucky with the weather condx: In the past weeks it was dry and unusual warm for the season. No rain, no snow. This may change now. Hope we don't get the thunderstorms you had. The Tower is isolated from the ground and there is only a chocke on one leg to discharge the static build up when in use. Every time we go to the site, we have to open five heavy blade-switches, one for each leg and one in the shack - in summer it must be terrible.

Your 40m signal was not strong over here and we lost you almost in the hick-hack of the contest.

Thanks again for your support and your patience. 73 de Toni, HB9ASB
 

2011/2/19 <jrusgrove@comcast.net>

Toni

 

Thanks again for the FB QSO!

 

A couple notes from last night in case you're planning more T/A activity ...

 

HE3OM was quite strong here right from first key down so an earlier start time would be appropriate. Between this weekend and next sunset changes about 8 minutes. Recommend a start time 1/2 to 1 hour earlier - longer if you can manage it. A number of years back I received Brian CT1DRP as much as 1-1/2 hours before local sunset. While it wasn't a regular occurrence it did show what's possible. Your signal is the strongest I've seen from EU so who knows what limits can be pushed.

 

Signal strength steadily deteriorated as the evening progressed as I've noticed this on other EU signals this season. Earlier is better.

 

On initial startup there was a quick drift down in frequency from 316 to about 310 where it stabilized for the rest of the QSO. On slower QRSS modes this could drop you 'off screen' on a grabber that displays only a narrow frequency range. Assume that was just the equipment warming up. 

 

Thanks to all involved for getting HE3OM on the air - the effort is appreciated!

 

Jay W1VD  WD2XNS  WE2XGR/2 

              

 

    

----- Original Message -----

From: HB9ASB

To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org

Sent: Friday, February 18, 2011 7:13 PM

Subject: Re: LF: TA tonite

TNX QSO Jay
now we receive on 137.790 in QRSS60
73 de Toni

2011/2/19 HB9ASB <hb9asb@gmail.com>

Hi Jay
thanks a lot. We listen on 7015kHz after transmission
73 de Toni

2011/2/19 <jrusgrove@comcast.net>

Toni

 

Signal was unstable but is settling down. Watching in QRSS10.

 

http://www.w1vd.com/grabber.html

 

Jay W1VD  WD2XNS  WE2XGR/2

----- Original Message -----

From: HB9ASB

To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org

Sent: Friday, February 18, 2011 5:38 PM

Subject: Re: LF: TA tonite

ok Mal
We started on 316 in QRSS10 and will listen on 7015.
73 de Toni

2011/2/18 mal hamilton <g3kevmal@talktalk.net>

Now starting on 136.318 qrs 30 and QSX 7022.

Pse reply on 7022 normal CW with callsign and report if detected. and I will immediately cut and send callsign and report.

will also QSX 137.780 or as requested.

Nw starting QSO mode

73 mal/g3kev