DL4MFM's Amateur Radio Blog
Es bestehen zur Zeit Netzwerkprobleme, die außerhalb meines Einflussbereiches liegen. Deshalb funktionieren im Augenblick die meisten SOTA-Tools nicht. Da hilft nur eins: Abwarten …
Update: Geht alles wieder (16.00 UTC)
( There were DNS problems somewhere around the DynDNS provider. They received the IP right from the DBase Server but could not solve back the domain name into the IP, whatever ist was … now it works again)
On 29th December 2010 reached me the Rockmite 40 kit. I build it up and on 22nd January I made my first SOTA Operation with the Rockmite in the classic peppermint case. The transceiver has 500mW output and I worked 6 stations from LA, DL, G & F with fog, drizzle and temperature about 0°C.
Am 29. Dezember 2010 traf nach ca. einem Monat der Rockmite Bausatz aus den USA ein. Beim Zoll musste ich noch 6,91€ Umsatzsteuer
bezahlen und dann habe ich meinen Bausatz und einen ganzen Stapel Papiere mit vielen Stempeln und Unterschriften erhalten.
Der Aufbau war zwar ein bisschen fummelig, aber die Platine war tatsächlich an einem Abend bestückt. Jedoch fehlte ein Kondensator im Bausatz und ich musste bis zum neuen Jahr 2011
warten, um mir einen Kondensator aus dem Electronic Shop zu besorgen.
Nachdem dann der Kondensator eingesetzt war, konnte am 4. Januar der „Smoke Test“ stattfinden. Zu meiner Überraschung funktionierte der Empfänger sofort und ich hörte eine Italienische Station CQ rufen. Aber auch der Sender funktionierte.
Den Transceiver wollte ich nun in eine klassisches Altoids-Pfefferminzdose einbauen. Die hatte ich schon seit 2 Jahren in einer Schublade liegen. Auch dieser Arbeitsgang dauerte etwa einen Abend, dann war das selbstgebaute Funkgerät fertig.
Klar, jetzt wird jeder erstmal fragen, was will man mit 500mW auf 40m ausrichten?
Die Antwort gab es heute. Bei Schmuddelwetter und Temperaturen um den Gefrierpunkt bin ich auf den Piesberg gestiegen. Anstatt der MP-1 Antenne habe ich heute lieber einen Dipol ghenommen, der sicher eine bessere Performance hat. Nach kurzem CQ und einem Spot auf SOTAwatch.org meldete sich auch schon Alain, F6ENO. Schnell darauf meldeten sich auch noch DL3JPN, G3VXJ, F6CEL, G4ELZ und LA1ENA.
Der Run dauerte nur 5 Minuten. Der Nieselregen kroch aber langsam unter die Jacke und bevor die Elektronik Schaden erleiden würde, habe ich beschlossen QRT zu machen.
Einen ausgiebigen Rockmite Test werde ich dann nochmal bei schönem Wetter durchführen.
Well, I played today a little bit around with the App Inventor for Android. My idea: the Android device receives the GPS position and passes the coordinates to a web application connected to my summit database. This application lists all summits up to 100km. Programming with the App Inventor is like a mixture of visual programming and puzzeling. Very funny.
Here you have an example of the display, you will get on your Android mobile if you are in Hannover, Germany
The very rudimental App (but it works!) can you download here: www.AdventureRadio.de/apk/NextSota.apk
Or use the QR-Code:
   | No Conditions are Good ConditionsOne of my favorite contests ever is the DARC 10m Contest. In the80’s several times per year it is reduced to only one date: The January DARC 10m Contest. Mostly there are bad conditions, two years ago I worked stations from Italy or Spain during the contest. But today the band was closed. This is a big advantage for the radio-hiker on the summit: No DX condition means, that the high-power stations with beams can work also over groundwave only. My station today: about 20w output into my MP-1 antenna. Temperatures on the tower around 0°C, no rain or snow. So I decided to operate directly from the platform. I started 10 minutes too late, because the ascent on the „Dörenberg“ was very difficult. Crusted snow and ice-fields forced me to go very slow. A normal ascent takes 20-25 minutes, now I needed 1 hour. On the top of the summit were 30cm crusted snow, but the tower was luckily free of snow and ice. Quick I installed the MP-1 and connected the transceiver. Log ready, clock ready, free frequency and: CQ CONTEST DC7CCC/P CONTEST. The first call was at 09:11 UTC and was followed by the first answer. Until 10:59 I logged 117 QSO. This year SSB only. CW is in this contest a waste of time except you are in the CW class only. Only one group hikers visitied the tower today. After the first hour of the contest wind came up … the last 30 minutes the windchill gave me a -20°C feeling. I was glad when the contest ended and I left the tower quickly. I cancelled also the planned additional 40m SOTA operation. Results: 117 QSO, 1 DXCC, 58 DOKs = claimed score 6903 points. I hope it won’t give too much deduction of the points. Some stations had problems with DC7CC and DL7CCC and DC7CCC 🙂 QTH: Hermanssturm, Dörenberg, JO42AE, 331m high plust 21m tower. Ref: DM/NS-036, WFF DLFF-125 (Terra Vita) |
On sunday, the 2nd January 2011, I made my first activity in the new year. My station FT-817 running 5w with MP-1 antenna. It was difficult to find a free frequency because a contest (again 🙁 …) was running. A boring QRP contest qrmed all interesting HF bands for 24 hours.
Temperatures were around 0°C. So no problem to work without gloves. In spite of the heavy qrm I made 17 SOTA QSO. Thanks all stations for calling.
After the activation I had a short fonecall from my XYL Bettina. Then I packed together my station. And then I missed my cell-fone. I called Bettina several-times on our 2m „home-frequency“, but no answer. I switched to the local 2m repeater DB0OBK and asked around, whether s.o. can make a call to my mobile fone. Klaus, DG6BBL/m, returned and quickly I found my (white-colored) fone in the snow when Klaus rings my cell-fone. Many thanks to Klaus.
Vor zwei Jahren wurden etliche SOTA-Referenzen in DM (Deutsche Mittelgebirge) gestrichen. Nach der Anzahl der SOTA-Spots ist die Aktivität „gefühlt“ gesunken. Aufschluss gibt die SOTA Datenbank.
Die Aktivität in DM sank somit seit 2008 um 73,8%. Während 2008 139 registrierte DM-Aktivierer mit durchschnittlich 22 Aktivierungen qrv waren, waren es im Jahr 2010 nur 89 Aktivierer mit durchschnittlich 11 Aktivierungen.
In England (G) stieg die Zahl der Aktivierer, aber die Anzahl der Aktivierungen ist abnehmend bis konstant. In Wales (GW) fiel die Anzahl der Aktivierungen um etwa 50%, aber die Anzahl der Aktierer stieg von 15 auf 24.
2008 hatten wir insgesamt 10.510 Aktivierungen, 9.796 in 2009 und 2010 einen Rekord mit 11.135 Aktivierungen. Die Zahl der Assoziationen wurde verdoppelt: Von 25 auf 50 (100%). Die Zahl der Aktivierer stieg nur um 23% von 627 auf 810. Die durchschnittliche Anzahl der Aktivierungen pro Aktivierer fiel von 28 auf 11.
(Quelle: www.sotadata.org.uk, Stand 21-Dec-2010, alle Vergleiche zwischen 2008 und 2010)
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Now, 2 years after the lost of many references in Germany, is a good time to look and compare about SOTA-activity.
The activity in german Low Mountain Region dropped since 2008 by 73,8%. While 2008 139 DM-registered activators where active with 22 activations average, it were in 2010 only 89 activators with averaged 11 activations (1) .
In England (G) the number of activators raised but the count of activations is constant until decrasing. In Wales (GW) the count of activations fell about 50% but the count of activators raised from 15 to 24.
2008 we had 10510 activations, 9796 in 2009 and 2010 a record of 11135 activations. But the nummber of associations were doubled: From 25 to 50 (100%) but the number of activators raised only by 23% from 627 to 810. The average number of activations per activator fell from 28 to 11.
(Source: www.sotadata.org.uk, standing 21-DEC-2010, all comparisons between 2008 and 2010)
I continued operations from DM/NS-108 through November 2010 and continue during December 2010 … but now in snow. Last Saturday, 4th December, it was very cold. We wanted to make a handful QSO only but then a pile up started and after 30 minutes were 40 stations in the log. My first CW activation operating with gloves. ICECOLD! stn: 5w, MP-1, 7MHz only
Yesterday at WNA / SAC my ball pen failed … it was empty. I made only 5 qso, that was the maximum brain-storage yesterday 😉
F5LKW/p and DC7CCC/p. I had 5w output into a MP-1 Antenna on 10MHz. Roger (F5LKW) had 10w and a MP-1, too. Here his video:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XN7NxnnKGg&fs=1&hl=de_DE]
This weekend was the Marconi Memorial CW Contest on 144 MHz. I wanted to take the chance to work some stations in CW on 2m this morning. I was one hour qrv during a walk over NS-108 Piesberg. It was my first participation in this contest since I am licensed (1978). I heard a lot of stations but mostly with low signals. In spite of my qrp station ( 5 wtts / HB9CV) I worked new ODX from DM/NS-108:
I heard some stations far far away like OM7W (885 km), but no chance to work them (today).
See all QSOs on the QSO-Map
This is the QSO with OK2M:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm724j9XTQ8&fs=1&hl=de_DE&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999]
These are the results for 10/2010 from the Piesberg, DM/NS-108 :
