Propnet 30m “POP” weekend summary
Patrick Destrem, F6IRF
1. Introduction
With about
a thousand QSO’s logged on the band since 2002 and thousand hours of listening,
I thought that I knew the 30m band quite well. However as says the Propnet advertisement
“If
the band is open and nobody is transmitting, can anybody hear it?” … All this weekend POP (Play On PropNet) is about this…
But first,
I must leave W2EV, promoter of the project, to introduce it (copied from
arrl.org news page):
Mark
the "Play on PropNET" Weekend on Your Calendar
Play on PropNET is a two-day, worldwide event designed to promote PSK31
and propagation study on the 30 meter band. This event, scheduled for 0000 UTC
October 6 -2359 October 7, will be on 10.1395 MHz. Simply download PropNetPSK,
a free PropNET software program, configure it for your station and activate for
the weekend.
PropNetPSK software will place the PSK stream at +1500 Hz (10.1410 MHz
true). In normal operation, the software will cause your station to
automatically ID at regular intervals (several times per hour) throughout the
weekend. If your licensing authority requires that an operator be present
whenever transmitting, switch to "Lurker" mode when you are away. This
will allow your station to monitor and report anything that is heard, even if
it isn't transmitting
PropNET uses the Internet as a reporting tool. Participants who are
connected to the Internet (even using intermittent dial-up connections) will
have their reports sent to a mapping system that will graphically display
everything that is "caught" (a PropNET term for received). Transmitting
stations will have their call signs shown on the map. Receive-only stations
(Lurkers) will display using their 6-cipher grid-locator rather than call sign.
Don't worry if you don't have an Internet connection at your station, as others
will hear your transmission and report it to the Internet.
As an added benefit, all stations that report activity will have their
activity added to an animated GIF file at the end of each UTC day. All
worldwide activity will be captured to that animation and will be able to be
played back at a later time.
All amateur and SWL stations worldwide are encouraged to participate for
this first event of its kind. Thanks to the 30 Meter Digital Group
for suggesting this activity and to the PropNET
community of experimenters for supporting it. -- Ev
Tupis, W2EV
2. My setup:
Nothing rare: Antenna
5/8 vertical (full description available at: http://f6irf.blogspot.com/ ), Transceiver
IC756 pro2, Output power 80W (estimated ERP about 100W)
Transmissions per hour: 3, frequency 10.1409 Mhz
(139.5 VFO/usb + 1400Hz )
RX: 10 PSK-channels within 500Hz receiver DSP filter
Local: I have a quite high level of man-made noise due
to a 380kV power line passing only 200m away from my antenna…
Figure 1: 3D and elevation pattern of my 30m vertical.
3. The conditions
Very low solar activity (SFI around 67) , SSNe/24 hours value negative…
Figure 2 : As shown by the above graphs,
conditions were near to an absolute minimum!
4. The statistics
Based on the weekend data provided by Propnet.org
(duplicated entries removed)
Catches details (station call-signs, exact locators
and number/time of catches) can be seen at
http://mangafight.free.fr/Squares%20worked%20by%20F6IRF%20(JN35AU)%20on%2030%20m.htm
Figure 3: the map shows the various locators catched
along the weekend. It includes locators were my beacon has been heard and
locators which I heard...
Following is the hour by hour data for most
represented “big squares” (first column represents 0100z to 0200z cumulated spots
over the weekend)
Squares according to the “maidenhead grid” (see above map),
times in UTC.
Sunrise/sunset for my location JN35AU (7oct): 0542/1705z
Please note that the data may be biased by interferences
(i.e. local QRN, Ionosonders, trans-horizon radars, pactor stations, RTTY pile-ups,
participants turning their station ON/OFF, etc…)
Figure 4: All propNet catches involving
F6IRF station (both ways) during the 30m activity weekend (6/7 Oct 2007) by
UTC. Due to the huge majority of US participants,
this graph is can’t be very significant “propagation-wise”.
Figure 5: S.E.
Figure 6: S.E.
Figure 7: S.E.
Figure 8: .E.
Figure 9: S.E France to W8/W9/W0 (6728 to 7302 kms)
Figure 10: S.E.
Figure 11: S.E.
Figure 12: Smoothed values to NA (by locator and cumulated).
Even at solar mini, the 30m band is
always open fm my place to some location in states…
5. Conclusions
Due to a certain number of factors, this study can’t be
considered 100% reliable and accurate.
To list just a few ones:
- Huge majority of US station participating and
obvious lack of stations from East-Europe,
- PSK mode strongly affected by “flutter” generally experienced
on EU to West-coast and East pacific paths.(W6/W7/KL7/KH6).
- Non control over remote stations parameters (remote stations
ERP unknown, stations changing their parameters or turning ON/OFF, local or
non-local interferences).
However it shows interesting openings that could not
be suspected, even with a large number of QSO’s on this band .
To mention just 2:
- During this weekend, at least 1 transatlantic path was
open “all the time”.
- F to ZL path (almost antipodal) was open more often
than suspected (more than just the well known “grey line” path)
At least there is something that I personally learned
from this activity weekend.
For stations which might have been annoyed by the huge
PSK activity centred around 10.141 during the weekend,
I just would like to mention the ITU definition of:
the “amateur service”:
amateur service: A
radiocommunication service for the purpose of self-training, intercommunication
and technical investigations carried out by amateurs, that is, by duly
authorized persons interested in radio technique solely with a personal aim and
without pecuniary interest.
See you soon on the bands.
Patrick
F6IRF, alias CN2WW,
Contester and experimenter,
Vice-president and active member of IARC (club
managing 4U1ITU station),
Member of the REF contest and HF-consultative
commissions.
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