Tag Archives: HF

CW and QRP, Digital, Featured, General, Newsletter, Station Equipment

Remote Control Ham Station Enhancements

As explained in a previous article, we have been working on enhancing our Remote Control Ham Station system. The upgrades include additional remote client options, better remote networking via the Internet, and better integration with our microHAM system.

Source: Remote Operating Enhancements | Our HAM Station

As part of the fall upgrade plans at our station, we have completed quite a few enhancements to the Remote Operating Gateway and associated client devices in our station. The upgrades include:

You can read more on our Stationproject Blog about our Remote Control Ham Station Enhancements.

We try to do some station upgrades in the fall of each year to maximize our operating fun during the winter months. We always welcome members who want to join in on our projects as a means to learn about station building. More to come as we make progress with our planned projects.

Special thanks to Dave, K1DLM who has helped us with ideas for several aspects of this project.

Fred, AB1OC

Featured, General, Newsletter, Station Equipment

Plans for Enhancing Our Ham Station This Fall

Source: Plans for 2017 Station Upgrades – Radio, Shared Amplifier, and Remote Op Enhancements

We are planning a number of enhancements at our Ham Station this fall. Our plans include:

We try to do some station upgrades in the fall of each year to maximize our operating fun during the winter months. We are at the design stage on these projects and I wanted to share some information about what we are planning from our Stationproject Blog.  We always welcome members who want to join in on our projects as a means to learn about station building. More to come as we make progress with these projects.

Special thanks to Dave, K1DLM who has helped us with ideas for several aspects of this project.

Fred, AB1OC

Featured, General, Newsletter, On The Air

Amazing DX Opening on the 12m Band

Today proved out some simple, tried and true advice for me – it pays to take some time and tune through the bands. I just got a Maestro Remote Control Device for our FlexRadio SDR and I took a break around lunchtime to tune through the higher HF bands to see what I could hear. We use a Flex SDR as a Remote Operating Gateway into our station and the Maestro allows me to run our station over our home network with going down to the shack.

I am not sure why but I decided to give the 12m band a look today. When I did, I was stunned! It is about noon time and the 12m band is wide open between Africa and the US!

12m DX - XT2AW Burkina Faso
12m DX – XT2AW Burkina Faso

I worked two DX stations on 12m SSB. The first was XT2AW, Harald in Burkina Faso. Harald was working split and was not real loud but I had no trouble completing the contact with him. Excited, I tuned across 12m some more and found an old friend – Theo, ZS6TVB in South Africa. I had a very nice QSO with him. We both marveled over the propagation on the 12m band that we were experiencing. He was 57-58 here in New Hampshire!

The sunspot conditions are pretty weak (SFI 85, SN 26) to create such a good opening on 12m. I believe that we may be experiencing Transequatorial Propagation (TEP) which can provide a significant propagation enhancement on paths with traverse the equator. Anita and I experienced similar TEP propagation on 10m when we were on Bora Bora Island early in 2012 with similar solar conditions.

It just goes to show that it pays to tune the upper HF bands. Especially on days when “they are not open”. Also, 10m also appears to be open to Africa right now – I am hearing a station in Mauritania…

Fred, AB1OC

 

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