Why the 30 Meter Pipeline to Norway?

As do many WSPR addicts, I now start my radio day with a visit to the WSPR database. I feel a real NEED to see who received my 20 mW signals as I slept. As described in a post below, this week I've been greeted with a long table showing one station, and ONLY one station -- LA3JJ -- was picking me up. This morning's readout (below) was even more surprising than the earlier ones, because last night Jon was picking up almost ALL of my WSPR transmissions: The chart shows him receiving signals at 2 minute intervals. I know that conditions are improving, but isn't this kind of unusual?
Another sign that conditions are improving: That little blue line arcing to the West. As I was writing this, W1XP copied my sigs at 0452 UTC. Isn't WSPR fun?! You can get a better sense of the possibilities here by playing with the database info and the map. Plug in my call (I0/N2CQR) and you can watch (almost live) who is hearing me:
http://wsprnet.org/drupal/wsprnet/spots

Timestamp	Call	MHz	SNR	Drift	Grid	Pwr	Reporter	RGrid	km	az

2010-02-13 05:02	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-24	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 04:58	I0/N2CQR	10.140154	-27	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 04:54	I0/N2CQR	10.140154	-19	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 04:52	I0/N2CQR	10.140154	-23	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 04:52	I0/N2CQR	10.140152	-25	0	JN61fv	0.02	W1XP	FM14di	7558	297
2010-02-13 04:50	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-25	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 04:46	I0/N2CQR	10.140155	-21	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 04:44	I0/N2CQR	10.140155	-22	-1	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 04:42	I0/N2CQR	10.140151	-27	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 04:40	I0/N2CQR	10.140155	-22	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 04:36	I0/N2CQR	10.140155	-24	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 04:34	I0/N2CQR	10.140155	-22	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 04:32	I0/N2CQR	10.140156	-24	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 04:30	I0/N2CQR	10.140156	-21	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 04:28	I0/N2CQR	10.140155	-22	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 04:24	I0/N2CQR	10.140155	-20	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 04:22	I0/N2CQR	10.140155	-19	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 04:20	I0/N2CQR	10.140155	-23	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 04:16	I0/N2CQR	10.140155	-19	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 04:14	I0/N2CQR	10.140155	-22	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 04:12	I0/N2CQR	10.140155	-24	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 04:04	I0/N2CQR	10.140157	-30	-1	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 04:00	I0/N2CQR	10.140155	-24	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 03:58	I0/N2CQR	10.140155	-24	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 03:54	I0/N2CQR	10.140154	-22	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 03:52	I0/N2CQR	10.140154	-26	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 03:50	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-26	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 03:46	I0/N2CQR	10.140154	-24	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 03:42	I0/N2CQR	10.140154	-24	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 03:40	I0/N2CQR	10.140154	-22	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 03:38	I0/N2CQR	10.140154	-22	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 03:34	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-22	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 03:32	I0/N2CQR	10.140154	-25	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 03:30	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-26	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 03:28	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-24	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 03:24	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-23	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 03:22	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-29	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 03:20	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-24	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 03:18	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-21	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 03:16	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-25	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 03:12	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-24	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 03:10	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-23	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 03:08	I0/N2CQR	10.140152	-23	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 03:06	I0/N2CQR	10.140152	-22	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 03:02	I0/N2CQR	10.140155	-23	-1	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 03:00	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-22	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 02:58	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-19	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 02:56	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-26	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 02:48	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-24	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 02:46	I0/N2CQR	10.140154	-22	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 02:44	I0/N2CQR	10.140154	-27	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 02:42	I0/N2CQR	10.140154	-25	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 02:30	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-27	-1	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 02:28	I0/N2CQR	10.140154	-21	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 02:26	I0/N2CQR	10.140154	-26	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 02:24	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-25	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 02:18	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-26	-1	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 02:16	I0/N2CQR	10.140154	-25	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 02:14	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-23	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 02:10	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-27	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 02:08	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-19	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 02:06	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-23	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 02:04	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-21	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 01:54	I0/N2CQR	10.140152	-27	1	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 01:50	I0/N2CQR	10.140152	-25	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 01:48	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-20	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 01:46	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-16	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 01:44	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-15	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 01:42	I0/N2CQR	10.140152	-22	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 01:38	I0/N2CQR	10.140152	-26	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 01:36	I0/N2CQR	10.140152	-26	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 01:34	I0/N2CQR	10.140152	-23	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 01:30	I0/N2CQR	10.140152	-23	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 01:28	I0/N2CQR	10.140152	-22	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 01:26	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-24	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 01:24	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-21	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 01:22	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-25	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 01:18	I0/N2CQR	10.140152	-24	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 01:16	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-25	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 01:14	I0/N2CQR	10.140154	-23	-1	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 01:12	I0/N2CQR	10.140154	-23	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 01:10	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-24	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 01:06	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-27	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 01:04	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-22	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 00:58	I0/N2CQR	10.140152	-25	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 00:56	I0/N2CQR	10.140152	-23	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 00:54	I0/N2CQR	10.140152	-24	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 00:52	I0/N2CQR	10.140152	-25	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 00:48	I0/N2CQR	10.140152	-28	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 00:46	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-27	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 00:36	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-22	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 00:34	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-17	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-13 00:08	I0/N2CQR	10.140260	-31	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-12 23:44	I0/N2CQR	10.140152	-20	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356

QR2S: A New Kit for 30 Meter QRSS

Preannouncement

QR2S by Genesis, design: Bat Masterson YU1OL

QR2S is 30m band QRSS transceiver. It consist of high dynamic single conversion

receiver with switchable HD RF preamplifier and crystal bandpass filter of 450 Hz,

demodulator with I/Q output. Transmitter comes with oven controlled xtal oscillator (OCXO), tunable center frequency and microcontoller- adjustable power output in range of 1.2 mW - 1.5 W. Operating mode: CW (variable dot), DFCW and 'graphic' mode.QRQ CW ID. PC controlled via uC (osc temp adjustment, power out, cent freq, modulation) After initial setting with provided application, QR2S is stand-alone RX/TX unit. QR2S is through-hole/ SMT hybrid kit. Component count 350+

Price estimate/target: US$ 149 plus $18 air mail delivery worldwide.

Kit status: PCBs and majority of components are in stock, beta test OK.

Estimated release date: end of March 2010.

Pre-orders welcome! If you wish to reserve your QR2S (no payment required yet!)

please email info@GenesisRadio. com.au By registrating your interest in this project you will help us estimate number of kits for the first production run.

Physically, QR2S PCB is just a touch smaller than G3020.

This time we went for blue color soldermask.

You will also notice significant improvement in component layout/silk- screen print!

And for the first time our board has bottom silk screen as well :-)

Bat Masterson is seasoned PCB designer and I am extremely pleased to have him on Genesis team!

For more photos see http://www.genesisr adio.com. au/QR2S/

Of course, once more units are build and tested in coming weeks, our web page will be updated with photos, screenshots and assembly manual.

I believe Genesis QR2S is the first QRSS-dedicated transceiver and I hope it will provide great platform for everyone interested in homebrewing, experimenting, QRSS mode or just kit building.

As always, thank you for your patronage.

73, Nick VK1AA

--------------------------------------------------
GenesisRadio
4th Floor, Suite 403
Culwulla Chambers
67 Castlereagh St.
Sydney 2000 NSW
AUSTRALIA

Phone: 02 9232 0500
Fax: 02 9233 2273
www.GenesisRadio.com.au
--------------------------------------------------

Conditions Improving; Pipeline to Norway

From LA3JJ's WSPR blog: The development of our hobby is amazing, some new things will catch on very fast. I was thrown into this WSPR thing late November last year and must admit that I have not had many “real QSO’s” since then. And my wife also appreciates this as I can in a greater extent be a part of the real world while I am enjoying my hobby. She noticed the change, so I explained some of the changes. “Oh, so you are just talking to robots now, well that’s a strange development!”


The sunspot count is 55, solar flux is at 91 and I've noticed an improvement in propagation on 30 meters. Yesterday at 0656 UTC my 20 mW DSB sig was received in North Carolina by AB4SF. And 30 seems to be staying open later than it has been -- it used to close pretty suddenly when the sun went down, but my little beacon has been picked up through most of the last two nights by one station -- and only one station -- LA3JJ (seen above). It is kind of weird, this pipeline to Norway. All through the day I'll be getting reports from stations all over Europe. Then the sun goes down and all of them lose me... except LA3JJ, who continues to receive my sigs until around 0400 UTC. This chart shows what is happening:

Timestamp	Call	MHz	SNR	Drift	Grid	Pwr	Reporter	RGrid	km	az
2010-02-11 03:56	I0/N2CQR	28.126052	-25	-1	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-11 03:28	I0/N2CQR	28.126052	-30	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-11 03:24	I0/N2CQR	28.126052	-25	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-11 03:22	I0/N2CQR	28.126054	-26	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-11 03:16	I0/N2CQR	28.126052	-21	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-11 03:14	I0/N2CQR	28.126052	-25	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-11 03:12	I0/N2CQR	28.126052	-24	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-11 03:02	I0/N2CQR	28.126052	-27	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-11 02:58	I0/N2CQR	28.126052	-21	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-11 02:28	I0/N2CQR	28.126052	-27	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-11 02:18	I0/N2CQR	28.126051	-26	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-11 02:12	I0/N2CQR	28.126053	-24	-1	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-11 02:10	I0/N2CQR	28.126051	-24	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-11 02:04	I0/N2CQR	28.126050	-25	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-11 01:46	I0/N2CQR	28.126050	-25	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-11 01:44	I0/N2CQR	28.126049	-24	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-11 01:40	I0/N2CQR	28.126049	-29	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-11 01:36	I0/N2CQR	28.126049	-28	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-11 01:30	I0/N2CQR	28.126049	-25	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-11 01:28	I0/N2CQR	28.126050	-24	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-11 01:26	I0/N2CQR	28.126050	-27	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-11 01:24	I0/N2CQR	28.126050	-27	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-11 01:22	I0/N2CQR	28.126050	-27	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-11 01:18	I0/N2CQR	28.126049	-27	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-11 01:16	I0/N2CQR	28.126051	-24	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-11 00:02	I0/N2CQR	28.126052	-29	0	JN61fv	0.02	LA3JJ	JO59bh	1943	356
2010-02-10 20:16	I0/N2CQR	10.140144	-27	0	JN61fv	0.02	OK4AS	JN89ex	948	17
2010-02-10 20:14	I0/N2CQR	10.140144	-25	-1	JN61fv	0.02	OK4AS	JN89ex	948	17
2010-02-10 20:10	I0/N2CQR	10.140144	-25	0	JN61fv	0.02	OK4AS	JN89ex	948	17
2010-02-10 20:06	I0/N2CQR	10.140144	-27	0	JN61fv	0.02	OK4AS	JN89ex	948	17
2010-02-10 20:02	I0/N2CQR	10.140143	-24	0	JN61fv	0.02	OK4AS	JN89ex	948	17
2010-02-10 20:00	I0/N2CQR	10.140143	-22	-1	JN61fv	0.02	OK4AS	JN89ex	948	17
2010-02-10 19:54	I0/N2CQR	10.140144	-26	-1	JN61fv	0.02	OK4AS	JN89ex	948	17
2010-02-10 19:48	I0/N2CQR	10.140147	-30	0	JN61fv	0.02	IZ0INA	JN61gv	7	90
2010-02-10 19:48	I0/N2CQR	10.140143	-22	0	JN61fv	0.02	OK4AS	JN89ex	948	17
2010-02-10 19:44	I0/N2CQR	10.140144	-27	-1	JN61fv	0.02	OK4AS	JN89ex	948	17
2010-02-10 19:34	I0/N2CQR	10.140144	-23	-1	JN61fv	0.02	OK4AS	JN89ex	948	17
2010-02-10 19:14	I0/N2CQR	10.140144	-24	0	JN61fv	0.02	OK4AS	JN89ex	948	17
2010-02-10 19:06	I0/N2CQR	10.140152	-26	0	JN61fv	0.02	PA0LSK	JO21ur	1207	337
2010-02-10 19:04	I0/N2CQR	10.140152	-25	0	JN61fv	0.02	PA0LSK	JO21ur	1207	337
2010-02-10 18:58	I0/N2CQR	10.140152	-28	0	JN61fv	0.02	PA0LSK	JO21ur	1207	337
2010-02-10 18:58	I0/N2CQR	10.140152	-23	0	JN61fv	0.02	DF3VW	JN39hk	953	334
2010-02-10 18:54	I0/N2CQR	10.140152	-28	0	JN61fv	0.02	DF3VW	JN39hk	953	334
2010-02-10 18:44	I0/N2CQR	10.140152	-28	0	JN61fv	0.02	PA0LSK	JO21ur	1207	337
2010-02-10 18:40	I0/N2CQR	10.140152	-26	0	JN61fv	0.02	PA0LSK	JO21ur	1207	337
2010-02-10 18:36	I0/N2CQR	10.140153	-30	0	JN61fv	0.02	DF3VW	JN39hk	953	334
2010-02-10 18:32	I0/N2CQR	10.140152	-26	0	JN61fv	0.02	PA0LSK	JO21ur	1207	337

Query time: 0.010 sec

KPH: Maritime Radio History

That's OM Dick Dillman at the controls of maritime radio station KPH in Bolinas, California. Bob, W8SX, sent me an mp3 recording of a show that Dick did for public radio station KWMR. It is about the magic of radio, and about the efforts of Dick and his friends to preserve an important element of radio history. You will also hear about spy stations, the Linconshire poacher, SKY KING and much more. You guys will like this program. It will fit nicely in those iPods and mp3 players:

http://www.g4aqg.sussex.ac.uk/IRT.mp3

More info on station KPH can be found here:

http://radiosquirrels.net/gallery/show?keyword=kphhistory

Drake 2-B Goes Digital with WSPR

7 spots:

Timestamp	Call	MHz	SNR	Drift	Grid	Pwr	Reporter	RGrid	km	az
2010-02-06 16:04	DK9MS	10.140210	-11	-1	JO40tm	2	I0/N2CQR	JN61fv	983	166
2010-02-06 16:04	PA3BTI	10.140271	-8	0	JO22og	5	I0/N2CQR	JN61fv	1276	152
2010-02-06 16:04	DL9DAC	10.140246	-4	0	JO31qi	20	I0/N2CQR	JN61fv	1120	158
2010-02-06 16:02	DL6NL	10.140262	-20	2	JO50cb	0.1	I0/N2CQR	JN61fv	924	168
2010-02-06 16:00	DF6DBF	10.140279	+1	-1	JO31si	10	I0/N2CQR	JN61fv	1116	159
2010-02-06 16:00	M5LMY	10.140248	-14	1	IO91oi	5	I0/N2CQR	JN61fv	1455	131
2010-02-06 16:00	DL1EEZ	10.140201	0	0	JO31qi	20	I0/N2CQR	JN61fv	1120	158

Query time: 0.002 sec

 Until this weekend  have been "transmit only" on the WSPR system, running the world's only homebrew double sideband WSPR rig (please correct me if I'm wrong).  I'm also running one of the most low-powered of WSPR stations (20 mW). 

I've been feeling a bit guilty about my "transmit only" status.  I felt like I wasn't doing my fair share in the WSPR effort.  I was sort of a digital free-loader. 

So Saturday I decided to do some receiving.  I fired up the old Drake 2-B.  I ran a lead from the headphone jack of the receiver into the audio in of my old Tecra 8100 (running Linux Ubuntu Jaunty Jackalope). Antenna was a pathetic little end-fed wire.  The only tricky part was getting the Drake on the precise freq.  I just put my WSPR transmitter on 10140200 Hz and then put the bandpass in USB 2.1 kHz.  I found the computer clock was off a bit (I had neglected to run the ntp program), but once that was taken care of signals started pouring in.  And reports were automatically uploaded to WSPR HQ, and appeared on-line (see above).

I was very pleased to receive DL6NL's 100 milliwatt signal.  OM NL is well known in the QRSS/WSPR world.  A picture of one of his more QRO rigs appears above.  A shot of his balcony Microvert antenna (the white thing at the end of the dark indicator line) appears below.  

Haiti: Dominican Hams Help

The video (from a phone patch the day after the quake) gives you a real sense of how bad it is. It was good to see that hams from the Dominican Republic were going over to help out. See below.

From: http://spectrum.ieee.org/telecom/wireless/hams-in-haiti/1
BY Anne-Marie Corley // January 2010

... Which leads to the other difference in Haiti: The country is home to very few amateur operators in the first place. Though there are around 100 to 120 ham licenses active for Haiti, according to Pitts, only about seven or eight operators were actually in Haiti as far as the ARRL can determine. According to Bill Pasternak, the president and cofounder of the Amateur Radio Newsline, which broadcast audio from one ham operator outside Port-au-Prince soon after the earthquake hit, most of the operators who have Haitian licenses aren’t even Haitian but rather missionaries and aid workers who travel in and out of the country.
Pitts says that the ARRL has heard from only a few operators, most from outside Port-au-Prince, though one operator did radio in from the city just to let the organization know he was alive. ”The ones that were there did all they could,” Pitts says, ”but we haven’t heard from all of them.” It is likely that some were killed, Pitts speculates. Others may have been concerned with safety, McPherson suggests, so hams in Haiti have been ”on and off the air,” he says.
To help out, hams from the neighboring Dominican Republic have traveled into Haiti several times to set up equipment, despite being attacked by looters last week. They set up a 2-meter analog repeater high on a mountain close to the Haiti–Dominican Republic border. The repeater takes in weak signals—even one from a clip-on radio putting out just 5 watts—and rebroadcasts those signals on a different frequency and at a higher power.
Dominican operators installed a second repeater near the airport in Port-au-Prince and were expecting a third to arrive from ARRL Tuesday, which they will likely put in the region southeast of the capital.

”They’re doing really good work,” Pitts says of the Dominican helpers, ”getting things where they need to be and coordinating with other teams.”
Pitts adds that the international nature of ham radio is well suited to emergency missions like this one. Hams in Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Florida, and Puerto Rico, among others, were on the air and listening for any signals soon after the earthquake. ”Nobody was going to hiccup without being noticed,” Pitts says. And because they talk in radio code, language barriers don’t matter as much. ”We all have the same language,” Pitts says. ”We’re used to talking with each other.”
The embedded hams in Salvation Army recovery teams work, too, McPherson says, because they can tap into the entire amateur radio community. Nonofficial operators, for example, who may hear an embed trying to reach Haiti or to call out, may help relay a signal. ”It’s like [all the] amateur community is listening, standing by to help,” McPherson says.
The lesson to be learned, according to Pitts, is that ”in a situation or population where amateur radio is encouraged and present,” hams can provide better and faster information during a major disaster, which allows a faster response. ”That golden 48 hours is where the hams really can shine, if they’re there.”
So while cellular and Internet communication return ever so slowly to normal (or better than normal), what Haiti might also want to invest in is a few more homegrown radio operators.

SolderSmoke Podcast 121

 http://www.soldersmoke.com

5 February 2010
Into the Apennine snow! 
Technical troubles 
Roadkill computers
Luddite Curmudgeonism
Mars and Andromeda from Sabina
Telescopes and Olive Oil
Math and Electronics
Crashing R/C planes
5X5JD and the Uganda Tuna Tin
AA1TJ's diode amplifiers
Rotating parts boxes
MOVIE REVIEW: Avatar (2.5 Soldering Irons)
MAILBAG  

PA1ZZ Gets Ticket in Southern California

A while back we reported on the Californian travails of long-time listener Rogier, PA1ZZ.   We are happy to report that OM Rogier has joined the ranks or U.S.-licensed radio amateurs and is preparing to wiggle the ether with the FB rig pictured above. 

Hey Bill,

Since the FCC doesn’t like it if you use the foreign license as a Permanent resident. I took the plunge and passed the technician and general exams in one day.

So here I am KJ6ETL QRV from San Mateo, CA.

One day I will do the Extra class but that's for later. First I have to study for my career, hobby comes 2nd…

I still had my DSW-II build from a kit when I was living on Bonaire. But never managed to get in the air due to the lack of a dummy load to tune the final stage and a very strong HF signal from a local US religious broadcast station (50KW) aiming at South America and the Radio Netherlands relay station. Both put so much HF in the air that my SWR meter needle was pushed in the corner without my transmitter hooked up…

Now, years later, I polished the March R3A paddle and finally tuned the DSW-II. Next step will be to hang an invisible 20mtr band dipole on our balcony (hoa’s….) and see what happens.

Since my morse skills are very rusty and antenna and power are rather limited I might want to jump ahead and start with the digital modes...

Smiles across the wires,

Rogier

15% off on SolderSmoke -- The Book

Lulu is running a sale today.  You can get SolderSmoke at 15 percent off by using the coupon code SHADOW when you check out of the Lulu site.   It is better for me if you get to Lulu via Amazon.  Here is the link: