Station Philosophy  Operating Spectrum  Radio Hardware  PCs and Software

  Annual Report 2009

DJ2PJ's shack, some 5 x 5 metres in size, is located in the basement of a house, built in 1972 on a piece of land which is 28 metres long and 18 metres wide. The building lies in a densely populated residential area, showing all disadvantages of an intensive electro-smog noise level day and night, which affects nearly all shortwave and the VHF frequencies. The location is in no way a place for optimal or even near-optimal DXing.

DJ2PJ's radio equipment is arranged on two desks standing side by side in the middle of the shack. This arrangement with the station in the middle of the room, and not in front of a wall, was chosen in order to have easy access to the rear of each of the station components: for inspection and repair, measurements, replacement of cables, insertion of new components, etc.

Another important feature is the installation of a second working-position with complete radio equipment of its own, primarily used for testing hard- and software, for experimentation, and for development.

The station concept  reflects the operator's conviction that amateur radio, while being a technical-communicative hobby, is a two-legged pet: one leg being experimentation (new radio modes, new operating and technical concepts...), the other one competition (DX, contests...). Should only one of these two parameters be missing, amateur radio would run the risk of dissolving in the abundance of other attractive communicative hobbies which our modern world readily offers (PC, Internet, mobile phones...). This means that, at least partially, an amateur radio station should always be in a process of change (on the basis of experimentation and optimization) and never be seen as something static or final.

DJ2PJ is technically and logistically capable of radio communication on all legal amateur-radio shortwave bands, with, at  present, the exception of 160 and 6 metres.

On shortwave, the following radio modes are covered: radio telegraphy (CW), radio telephony (SSB), radio teletyping (RTTY), slow-scan television (SSTV), Hellschreiben, the different phase-shift keying modes (PSK), mainly PSK31, most multi-frequency-shift keying modes (MFSK), mainly MFSK16, but also JT65A, Olivia, Domino, and Throb. First steps were made with WSJT, WSPR and PSKReporter. I very eagerly try out every new digimode coming into existence. CW, RTTY, and PSK31 are the modes most frequently operated, followed by  Feld-Hell, JT65A, and Olivia. All other modes play a subordinate role in daily radio life, but are practized regularly to see if and how they work.

For most of the above-mentioned modes, great attention is directed to working DX, i.e. contacting stations in far-away countries and territories. So-called ragchew contacts are nevertheless very much welcome.

The picture below (sorry, not an up-to-date one...) shows the two working positions (A and B) of the station:

Working position A  consists of a YAESU FT-1000MP Mark-V and a veteran YAESU FT-1000D transceiver (each one delivering an output power of about 200 watts). The Mark-V is preferably used for the digimodes, FSK-RTTY, and SSTV in connection with a microHAM microKEYER II (which operates an external sound card and the WinKey CW keyer by K1EL). The FT-1000D (equipped with all available filters) is the working horse for mainly CW, SSB and for FSK-RTTY, the latter making use of an SCS PTC-II multimode controller. As the CW output of the microKEYER has been made switchable, it can also be used for keying the  FT-1000D.

Working position B  provides an ICOM IC-746, which, in addition to the shortwave bands, also covers 50 and 144 MHz, a KENWOOD TS-60 all-mode 50-MHz transceiver (normally used on DXpeditions), and an additional REIS SE 200XL-B linear amplifier (130 watts RFout) for 144 MHz.

This working position serves two purposes: (1) Acting as the platform for QSOs on 144 MHz and, in a couple of months, hopefully, also on 50 MHz; (2) acting as the platform for testing new concepts and devices, new PC programs and their updates and, of course, for checking equipment and its setup before going on a DXpedition. The idea is that testing and experimentation should in no way have any (maybe adverse) impact on the daily routine of making contacts, and making contacts no restrictive impact on experimentation. Position B should be seen as "in development".

As adequate switching for the PTT and ALC lines is provided, each of the three shortwave transceivers can have its RF-power amplified by a single-valve (3CX1200A7) AMERITRON AL-1200 linear, set to deliver some 600 watts output in CW and SSB or 400 watts in RTTY and SSTV, while a driving power of less than 20 watts is applied. The linear amplifier is fired up, however, for less than 1% of contacts made. As for the digimodes, the power rarely exceeds 50 watts. It belongs to the station philosophy of DJ2PJ to never use any excessive power, except in really extraordinary pile-up situations and the like. In the great majority of cases, the RF-signal is fed through the amplifier ("barefoot operation") and makes its way to, mostly through, a MFJ-989C Versa Tuner V which also serves as antenna selector and dummy load. Its antenna tuning facilities are only made use of whenever the standing-wave ratio (SWR) becomes critical.

Antennas. DJ2PJ normally makes use of three shortwave antennas: a rotable MOSLEY CL-33M with three trapped elements for 20, 15, and 10 metres, a hy-gain AV-640 vertical for all bands between 40 and 10 metres, and a simple inverted vee for 80 metres. 

DJ2PJ's  very promising LAZYFifteen antenna project  -  an 18 metre high self-constructed and homebrew ladderline-fed 2 x 7.5 metre vertical dipole for all bands from 40 to 10 metres, including the WARC bands, tested since early August 2007 - had to be given up due to severe mechanical instability of the glass-fibre mast onto which the dipole had been taped (see picture below). The DX results were fantastic, with outstanding signals especially on the low-frequency bands covered. 

The CL-33M (see left picture below), with its fairly good broadband characteristics, good front-to-back (F/B) ratio, and friendly SWR on all three frequency bands, has found its place on a mast which rests in a special steel construction which is fastened to the roff truss of the house (made by DJ3WJ). The mast can be lowered by means of a pulley block until it stands in the first floor of the house. This makes servicing antennas on top of the mast relatively easy. The mast is secured by four strong nylon ropes.

Antenna rotation is accomplished by a RC5A-3 rotator which is equipped with a worm drive, a very robust and "silent" device (a necessity for nocturnal DX-work...). 

Height above ground of the CL-33M is a little more than 13 metres. There seems to be no influence by metal house installations etc., also no RF in shack. The CL-33M is a very efficient DX-antenna, even in comparison with the wonderful KT34XA and DJ2UT-yagis I had been using over more than fifteen years.

To be able to be active on those bands not covered by the CL-33M, in July 2008 a hy-gain AV-640 has been erected in a height of 4.5 metres replacing the LAZYFifteen (see right picture above).

Since autumn 2009 life on 80 metres has begun again for DJ2PJ with a shortened inverted-vee dipole "swinging" a few metres below the yagi antenna and nearly scratching roof skin. Although a very few oversea's QSOs have been made (North Africa, Western Siberia, and North America) with it, this is all but an efficient antenna. Even within Europe its signal is below average. The 80-metre story obviously does not find an end... A better solution has to be found.

A TONNA 17-element longyagi installed above the CL-33-M yagi covers 144 MHz.

Today's amateur radio with its high technical and logistical demands is unimaginable without computers and programs. In working position A an AMD Athlon XP+2400 (512 MB RAM, 2 x 160 GB HDD) PC is in use. With its integrated four serial ports (COM1 - 4) and another five virtual COM ports generated by the microKEYER II, it delivers and receives all necessary signals for communicating in the different modes, including the constant stream of radio-command signals for displaying and controlling  transceiver status. The PC offers both Windows98SE and WindowsXP in different partitions (selection during the booting process).

At present the following communication software (always newest versions) is in use (working position A):

Other (utility) software generally used at DJ2PJ:

The PC at working position B is an old IPC AMD-K6-2 450MHz run under Windows98SE. The harddisk with its 6 GB is a little limited but acceptable if only used for amateur radio including internet communication. A new solution will be realized during the next few months. Working on it.

As soon as they are switched on, both computers are permanently connected to the INTERNET via ADSL (>6,000 kbit/s), using a  four-channels routing device for cable connection and a WLAN channel. Since permanent connection to the INTERNET is possible, the UHF-link to the DBØSPC-7 packet cluster was abondoned long ago and replaced by the more immediate and faster TELNET. After having tested every TELNET software I could find, especially DX-Telnet, RXClus, and VE7CC's DXSpider User Program (see above), I am absolutely convinced that Lee's (VE7CC) software is by far the most useful, followed by RXClus.

A word on logging. DJ2PJ has made more than 100,000 contacts since 1954, and most of them are documented in paper logs, supported by a (somehow troublesome) retrieval system. Even though, it was contrary to reason to subsequently type all these contacts into a computer database (which would take years, maybe). That's why DJ2PJ still notes down his QSOs into an (individually designed) paper log, although, since 2006, he is additionally using electronic logging with the very nice and simple XMLog logging program by W1ECT (see above). Moreover, all QSOs made between 2000 and the end of 2005 have been typed into XMLog. Even a logsearch on this website for the years between 2000 and today has been realized (daily updates). QSOs made before 2000 will probably not be considered for electronic logging. 

DJ2PJ's station concept is these days still undergoing revision and modernization. Main focus in 2010 is on

• another antenna solution for 3.5 MHz (possibly including 1.8 MHz)

• introducing 50 MHz, using a TONNA 5-element yagi

• implementing the digimodes, namely JT65A, on 144 MHz

 

DJ2PJ's Annual Report: 2009

1,759 QSOs have been made, that is >200 more than in 2008. There has been no activity from OHØJWH or from another place outside Germany.

A new simple shortened inverted vee (about 2 x 8 metres), feeding point only 8 metres above ground and only a few centimetres above roof skin, was used on 80 metres. With the exception of a few contacts with North Africa, Asia and North America, DX results were more than modest. Signals on 80 metres are very much below average, even throughout Europe. This makes the antenna no solution for DX and working the missing twenty countries on that band for DXCC. First EZNEC-calculations for a homebrew 15 metre long vertical covering 80, 40, 30 and, as a provisorium, also 160 metres were already made. Problem still is an efficient ground or counterpoise system.

QSO-Statistics 

Standings as of 31st December 2009:

Great efforts again were made testing the AV-640 erected in 2008, unfortunately delivering no clear results as to antenna efficiency on the upper HF bands. 10, 12, and even 15 metres did not open well and only sporadically, as sunspots still were a rarety in 2009, the flux very rarely exceeding the 80 mark and mostly persisting in the sixties. A report on the AV-640  including a print version in pdf-format has been published on this website. Both are only available only in German. A translation into English would be wishful but quite time-consuming - time I do not have.

On Christmas Eve 2008, I had decided to participate in the CQ DX Marathon 2008 -  a rather late decision for a competition which had nearly reached its end. The result received in July 2009, however, was not as bad as anticipated: With 253 points (214 DXCC entities plus 39 CQ zones worked) in the Unlimited Class, I had become number 61 in the World, number 20 in Europe, and - believe it or not -  number one in Germany.

This was encouraging enough to decide for the CQ DX Marathon 2009, this time starting with full steam ahead from the very beginning. Despite bad conditions on the high-frequency bands, I  happened to collect 294 points (254 entities plus all 40 CQ zones). Let's wait for the results.

In general, my focus is not on awards or diplomas anymore. Sometimes, and inconsequently enough, I make an exception. And here it is (maybe, because I admire Marconi that much...):

Highs...

• First steps in WSPR, using the fabulous program by K1JT

• Introducing the microKEYER II by microHAM replacing the old ETM-9 keyer and making use of an external soundcard for RTTY and the Digimodes

Lows...

• the still unsatisfying 80-metre antenna solution

Click on Lynnie, the novice operator      to go back to the Menu.

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