Loggings on 10 Metres

I logged a bunch of amateur stations today in SSB on the 10 metre band while participating in the CQ WW DX SSB contest. Countries from which I logged stations were: Austria, Canada, Corsica (France), France, Germany, Guyana, Ireland, Italy, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Turks & Caicos Islands, USA, and Wales (UK).

I got one 10 metre beacon: K5AB, Georgetown TX, USA, on 28280 kHz at 1618 UTC in CW. He was running 20 watts.

I also logged several American amateur stations running in WSPR mode on 10140 kHz between 1304 to 1356 UTC.

The reason I post these reports of amateur radio stations logged is to suggest an alternative form of shortwave DXing to SWLs. It's no secret that shortwave broadcasting is in a real decline, and it is common for SWLs to lament how there are many countries that they can no longer hear on shortwave. But many countries that are difficult or impossible to find broadcasting on shortwave still support lots of active amateurs and can be heard on the ham bands.

That being said, since the amateur stuff is probably not of much interest to most SWLs, henceforward I'm going to stop posting reports of amateur stations heard, except for particularly noteworthy ones.

Today's Amateur Radio Loggings

Received on the radio today. PSK31:

• 2026 UTC, 28120 kHz, K6JSS/KL, Anchorage, AK, USA, RST 459, English. QRP ARCI Station #1 in Alaska. I worked him on air.
• 2036 UTC, 28120 kHz, LU9DGE, Buenos Aires, Argentina, RST 339, English, working KD4JMV.
• 2036 UTC, 28120 kHz, KD4JMV, Naples, FL, USA, RST 599, English, working LU9DGE.

CW:

• 2100 UTC, 28024 kHz, VO1TK, St. John's, NL, Canada, RST 599, English. Calling CQ - I worked him.

WSPR:

• 0530 UTC, 10140 kHz, W3HH, Ocala, FL, USA, 1 W.
• 0622 UTC, 10140 kHz, W4MO, Venice, FL, USA, 5W.
• 1248 UTC, 10140 kHz, K3GEN, Montgomery Village, MD, USA, 1W.
• 1254 UTC, 10140 kHz, N3TFM, Kalamazoo, MI, USA, 0.5W.
• 1256 UTC, 10140 kHz, W4DJW, Greer, SC, USA, 5W.
• 1302 UTC, 10140 kHz, WB4KLJ, Arlington, VA, USA, 5W.
• 1302 UTC, 10140 kHz, K9IQY, Fairfield, IL, USA, 5W.
• 1524 UTC, 28126 kHz, OK/AD6XP, Czech Republic, 2W.
• 1532 UTC, 28126 kHz, OE1XRW, Vienna, Austria, 2W.
• 1532 UTC, 28126 kHz, DL3HBT, Luebeck, Germany, 5W.
• 1534 UTC, 28126 kHz, VE6PDQ, Edmonton, AB, Canada, 5W.
• 1552 UTC, 28126 kHz, DB1CP, Viersen, Germany, 5W.
• 1636 UTC, 28126 kHz, G0MBA, Clacton-on-Sea, England, 0.01W.
• 2128 UTC, 28126 kHz, VA7XX, Charlie Lake, BC, Canada, 0.5W.
• 2128 UTC, 28126 kHz, VE5DC, Sintaluta, SK, Canada, 5W.
• 2130 UTC, 28126 kHz, KB4RG, Marion, TX, USA, 5W.
• 2134 UTC, 28126 kHz, K5PA, Austin, TX, USA, 5W.
• 2140 UTC, 28126 kHz, VE6GEL, Calgary, AB, Canada, 5W.
• 2158 UTC, 28126 kHz, W5IPA, Corpus Christi, TX, USA, 5W.
• 2226 UTC, 28126 kHz, VE6SKY, Calgary, AB, Canada, 5W.

Two PSK31 Receptions

Two interesting amateur stations logged in PSK31 mode today:

• OX3IO, Nuuk, Greenland, at 2014 UTC on 28,120 kHz in the 10 metre band with an excellent signal. Name: Brian. I also worked him on air.
• TG9AHM, Guatemala City, Guatemala, at 2018 UTC on 28,120 kHz. Good signal.

More WSPR Receptions

Received today in WSPR mode on 28,124.6 kHz (10 metres):

• 1306 UTC, MW0GRJ, Flint, Wales, United Kingdom, 5W.
• 1312 UTC, OH8GKP, Liminka, Finland, 5W.
• 1346 UTC, IZ1ANK, Coldirodi, MI, Italy, 2W.
• 1524 UTC, G3PWJ, Pedmore, Stourbridge, England, United Kingdom, 5W.
• 1630 UTC, EA6GF, Mallorca, Spain, 5W.
• 1638 UTC, VE7VI, Gibsons, BC, Canada, 5W.
• 1708 UTC, HB9CMI, Waengi, Switzerland, 5W.
• 1708 UTC , DL4FMC, Germany, 5W.
• 1710 UTC, G3JKV, Towerhill, Dorking, England, United Kingdom, 5W.
• 1718 UTC, KF7O, College Place, WA, United States, 2W.
• 1806 UTC, N7NEI, Edmonds, WA, United States, 5W.
• 1844 UTC, N7YET, Dillon, MT, United States, 5W.
• 1918 UTC, PB0AIC, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 5W.

WSPR Receptions

Today I began once again to run my amateur station in WSPR mode. I was on for three hours but only received three stations, all near the start of the session. WSPR is amazing in the way it allows for stations operating at QRP or QRPp power levels to be received over very long distances. For example, today's receptions (all on 28,124.6 kHz in the 10 metre band):

• LU8ENU, Buenos Aires, Argentina, at 2030 UTC running an unbelievable 0.001 watt (that's 1 milliwatt!).
• N7NEI, Edmonds, WA, USA, at 2052 UTC at 0.5 watts.
• N7YET, Dillon, MT, USA, at 2048 UTC, operating at 5 watts.

Of course, for me the effectiveness of this mode was proven last April when I was transmitting a 5 watt signal in WSPR on the 20 metre band and a station in Australia reported receiving it.

Four Amateur Stations

The 10 metre band was open today, so after returning from the hike I went on the air to see if I could make any contacts there. I logged four interesting amateur stations during this:

• CO6CAC, Villa Clara, Cuba, on 28448 kHz at 2100 UTC in SSB. Operator's name: Carlos. He was working stations in English with a very good (59) signal. I worked him.
• HC2SL, Guayaquil, Ecuador, on 28022 kHz at 2114 UTC in CW (Morse code) with an excellent (599) signal. He was calling CQ and working stations. I worked him too.
• PZ5RA, Paramaribo, Suriname, on 28417 kHz at 2219 UTC in SSB working stations in Japan. He had a good signal.
• JA4EPE, Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan, on 28417 kHz at 2219 UTC in SSB with a weak signal. He was working PZ5RA. This is another first for me - although there are a huge number of radio amateurs in Japan, I'd never even heard one on air before today.

Two 10 Metre Beacons

As today is Thanksgiving Monday here in Canada, I had the day off work. The weather was nice so I decided to go out of town to go for a short hike in the woods to see the fall colours. I went to Mount Nemo Conservation Area in Halton, about an hour west of Toronto. I brought a portable radio with me, the Grundig G5. After the hike was done I spent a bit of time tuning the bands there. Logged two 10 metre amateur Morse code beacons. Both are relogs - I got both of these the previous weekend while in Algonquin Park:

• K5GJR, 28244.5 kHz, Corpus Christi, TX, USA, at 1835 UTC. Good signal. 5 watts into vertical antenna. CW.
• N7MSH, 28226.5 kHz, North Powder, OR, USA, at 1837 UTC. Weak signal but copyable. CW.

W5TXR Beacon

Today's logging: Amateur 10 metre band Morse code beacon W5TXR on 28,260.8 kHz. Location: Schertz, TX, USA. Time: 2220 UTC. This beacon runs 5 watts into a vertical antenna. Heard here in Toronto with a weak but copyable signal (RST 339). Sending V markers "V V V de W5TXR...".

Loggings from Algonquin Provincial Park

I went to Algonquin Provincial Park today to get in some hiking and to see the fall colours. This is about 250 km northeast of Toronto. I also did a bit of DXing while I was there and heard some interesting things.

In the car park of one of the hiking trails near the centre of the Highway 60 corridor I caught two local Environment Canada weather stations. One was in the regular FM band and the other in the weather band:

• CJNK, Lake of Two Rivers, 100.1 MHz, at 1835 UTC in English and French with fair signal. Environment Canada Weather with weather conditions and forecast for Algonquin Park and area. 50 watts.
• VEF956, Lake of Two Rivers, 162.4 MHz, at 1842 UTC. English and French with good solid signal. Environment Canada Weather, parallel to CJNK.

The other loggings are from late in the afternoon. I was finished hiking and dusk was about an hour off. I stopped at the picnic grounds at Tea Lake Dam, near the west gate to the park. I sat at a picnic table tuning shortwave, using my trusty Kaito KA-1103 with its built-in telescopic whip antenna.

• NMG, New Orleans, LA, 8502 kHz, from 2140-2150 UTC. Fair to good signal. In English, in SSB. Marine weather conditions and weather forecast. Mentions of NOAA Ocean Prediction Center and National Weather Service Hurricane Prediction Center.
• N7MSH/B, North Powder, OR, 28226.5 kHz at 2155 UTC. CW (Morse code) amateur radio 10 metre beacon. Good signal.
• K5GJR/B, Corpus Christi, TX, 28224.5 kHz at 2155 UTC. CW with fair signal. Amateur 10 metre beacon.
• K6FRC/B, Sutters Mountain, CA, 28250 kHz at 2157 UTC. CW with fair to poor signal. Amateur 10 metre beacon.
• WI6J/B, Bakersfield, CA, 28287 kHz at 2157 UTC. CW with poor signal. Amateur 10 metre beacon.
• K4SAK/7, Reno, NV, 28348 kHz at 2200 UTC. SSB with good signal. Net Control in Northern Nevada Sideband Net.
• K5HK, Reno, NV, 28348 kHz at 2200 UTC. SSB with good signal. Checking into Northern Nevada Sideband Net.

WIRED: UVB-76

There's an interesting article in the October 2011 issue of Wired magazine about the mysterious Russian shortwave station UVB-76 (on 4625 kHz). It's not often that a non-radio magazine writes about shortwave these days. The article is well worth reading.

You can also listen to this strange station online at uvb-76.net.