From time to time 7032 Khz is unusable due to QRM from commercial or military printer traffic. At this time, today is one of those days.
Very few activators use Xtal controlled transceivers, and many of us can self spot now, yet the use of 7032 Khz seems to be “set in stone”. I don’t see why this should be when there are clearer frequencies either side of it which would be more effective for making SOTA contacts.
73 Phil G4OBK
In reply to G4OBK:
Hi Phil;
I am using a FunCube Pro plus SDR dongle for general receiving and I can only just make out the transmission on the waterfall here in Coventry, I probably would not have seen it at all if you hadn’t brought it too my attention.
Normally Roy G4SSH posts when it comes up, so you have beaten him too it this time. I have not identified it before when Roy has posted but that was in the pre SDR RX days. I never cease to be amazed how different the propagation can be to different locations not so far apart geographically.
About a year ago when we were having problems with huge SOTA pile ups, I suggested we in Europe use the bottom end of the 40m band during daylight hours as it is usually deserted as there is no DX propagation. This would also give some relief to the QRP operators especially on the weekends when there are no contests.
73de Ken G3XQE
In reply to G3XQE:
The usual wide band transmission commenced on the afternoon of the 24th July Ken and I have mentioned this in the August SOTA News. It is wiping out most SOTA QRP activations between 7028-7032 KHz at my QTH, although it varies in strength between 559 in the early mornings, gradually fading out and then returning around 1500.This would indicate the usual location around the Black Sea area
It usually remains for 3-4 days.
73
Roy G4SSH
In reply to G4SSH:
Hi Roy;
Yes I have noted your posts on the subject many times in the past.
I also note that when we are both chasing you normally give a report one S point higher to Eastern European activators than I do during the mornings whereas I seem to have the advantage in early evenings, especially in the summer.
With the frequent solar disturbances this year, I am finding it impossible to work the Eastern Europeans on 40m in the mornings as they are too weak and QSB takes them out for too long to work in a pile up situation.
At this time, I can no longer see any trace of the data transmission, it would be interesting to see how reception varies over the Uk with time.
If it makes you feel any better Roy, I have my own problems with 7,032, my plasma tv purchased when I was not active puts out a 3khz wide nasty centred exactly on 7,032 but luckily it is rarely switched on in the mornings but puts a crimp on my 40m chasing in the afternoons.
73 de Ken G3XQE
In reply to G3XQE:
Another reason why the qrg is not as central to sota as it used to be is the advent of KU6J’s auto RBN spotting. But the reason why the qrg remains popular is that you know chasers will be monitoring and they will spot you. So calling cq on 7.032 is usually quicker than self spotting and even the RBN autospot facility in terms of generating callers.
BTW 7.032 was totally unusable on GD005 yesterday due to the above.
Tom M1EYP/MM
Hello…
Today 2013.07.28,7032/±2kHz are clean,soo only local qrm/qrn S1-3:)).
Robert SP8RHP.
In reply to SP8RHP:
At the moment (28 July 2145 UTC) I still have the multi-tone at S7 from 7029-7033 KHz at my QTH Robert
73
Roy G4SSH
In reply to G4SSH:
I see twelve tones here on the SDR waterfall, the Ft2000 shows S9 plus 10db in a 500hz bandwidth. (22:15)
I would not normally see this if the plasma tv was running as a radiated sproggy from it would overlay the transmission with a stronger signal.
There was no sign of it here this morning, I was not up early enough to check under darkness conditions though.
73 de Ken G3XQE
In reply to G4SSH:
Hej Roy…
Is 22.50UTC,nothing between 7020-7040 Roy on my SDR.
P.S.My antenna is HexBeam for 7MHz.
In reply to G3XQE:
Switched on the RX this morning at 06:15 UTC.
The 12 tones were clearly visible with rapid QSB, difficult to get an S meter reading due to local electrical pops and bangs taking the S meter up to S3.
S meter was around S1 between peaks.
At 06:50 UTC the majority of the tones were below the noise level with just a couple showing intermittently at the HF end of it’s spectrum.
Interesting that the signal was not discernable in Poland last night when it was so strong here, looks as if the tx antenna is directional ???
73 de Ken G3XQE
In reply to G3XQE:
The signal is S9 here on my vertical at 07:10 UTC
QTH near Dresden JO71AD.
73 de Tom
DL1DVE
The reason I am having to give 40m readability reports on CW of R3 and signal reports from S6 up to S9 over the last few days is due to the sever printer QRM we are still experiencing in the UK between 7031 and 7034 KHz, as mentioned earlier in this thread. Signals, even QRP ones can be very good but when competing against an east/european or russian data transmission running in excess of 1 Kw you don’t stand as much chance of making more than a few QSOs. It has actually become easier to make QSOs on 7118 KHz SSB!! With the number of operators in OK HA S5 etc sending around 7032 KHz I suspect you cannot hear this interference as strongly as we can in the UK or you likely would not choose to oeprate there!
The data sender is still there 24/7 and this makes 10 MHz and 14 MHz the best bet for inter-continental SOTA CW QSOs. Alternatively anywhere on 7 MHz away from the above freqs would be better.
73 Phil
In reply to G4OBK:
Hi Phil,
I have confirm that the QRM is terrible here in the Eastern Bohemia (JO70we). It´s not only my my point of view, but OK1ZE and some others active aroun 7.032 confirm it as well.
As I am on SOTA freq nearly daily, I state the problem appeared in the mid of July and I am not able to use 7.032 +/- 2 kHz, where the interference is S9+ from time to time. Today´s ecpedition of OK1AU/OK1AXB have use freq 7.032 and despite relatively short distance between us (28 miles) I had problem to read them.
Vrata OK1KT
In reply to OK1KT:
Thank you for the info Vrata, it seems the problem with this transmitter is Europe wide.
73 Phil
In reply to OK1KT:
I have looked at the QRM using the waterfall and spectrum facilities of my MixW software, and it looks to me as if it is a version of multitone PSK being transmitted continuesly. Some times there is some form of modulation on the tones and at other times they are just unmodulated “carrier” tones.
There was an article by DK2OM in the German Amateurfunk from October 2012 describing the signals coming from the Russian AT3004D system, and what is currently on 7030 to 7033 looks very similar to what was described.
73
Ken
In reply to GM0AXY:
I agree, Ken. But it doesn´t help at the moment. Thanks for the notice.
73
Vrata OK1KT
In reply to OK1KT:
The nasty signal on 7032 seems to have QSY’d this morning. I’m not sure when as I haven’t been around 40m much this weekend. Now all I can hear there is the rhythmic click of a local electric fence, but the noise blanker can deal with that.
73 Phil
Guess what? The signal is back centred on 7032!
In reply to G4OBK:
Perhaps they’re reading SOTAwatch ?
Andy
MM0FMF
In reply to MM0FMF:
Has anyone checked 2344, the third harmonic?
Kent, K9EZ