Propagation proves generous in the last days, making less hard to leave behind some sleep hours. To be remarked, above all, some good signals on the 3 MHz band, which were simply unpredictable to me. However, less talking now, and more logs. As usual, QTH is Aosta (north-western Italy), receiver an Icom R71, and aerial a vertical home made, used also for ham operations, 10 meters tall and derivated from a "fishing rod". Logs divided in three sections, so everyone will find his favourite dish!

BC STATIONS

3350 kHz – 04.58 UTC – 19th August 2011
Radio Exterior de Espana, from Cariari de Pococí in Costa Rica, isn't the hardest DX catch one can think of. Anyways, that morning it was really solid (aside some local spurious signals, that I'll have to investigate deeper). A song, then time pips, followed by female and male announcer on a "projecto de restauracion y investigacion". Nice to wake up with Central America blasting!

5025 kHz – 22.04 UTC – 24th July 2011
Before Rebelde violently kicks in, 5025 can reveal Australia. That night, it did. Not the strongest signal ever, but the night channel of Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Outback Radio, from Katherine in the Northern Territory, is a news in itself when heard. Some music at the beginning of the clip. for what sounds like a usual domestic radio show.

15190 kHz – 21.23 UTC – 23rd August 2011
Radio Inconfidencia from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, can surprise for the intensity it can reach on 19 meters, at night. Yesterday, MUF had to be high, as it was better than the last ten nights. Mention, by two different speakers, of different brazilian towns (sounded like quotes for some goods, or something like that). At 2 minutes 40 seconds in the recording, start of a popular song.

TIME SIGNALS

3330 kHz – 05.09 UTC – 19th August 2011
CHU, from Ottawa (Canada), is one of the stations you have to sincerely worry when unheard. Stronger than this in some mornings (pips are well defined, even "digital" ones, but the voice announcement has here to be more guessed than heard. But, hey it's August and we're on three MHz.

3810 kHz (LSB) – 04.52 UTC – 19th August 2011
The guys at HD2IOA, Guayaquil in Equador, aren't among the most regulars here at early morning. However, sometimes, like in this case, they do remember the world shortwaves are done to go far! It sounds to me they changed the style of their time signal. Anyone more expert can advice?

10000 kHz – 05.07 UTC – 17th August 2011
Some mornings, PPE-Observatorio Nacional (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), struggles its way to Europe with Fort Collins. Not this time, when the female voice from the land of the golden beaches and the eternal sun made no mercy of other signals.

HAM OPS

7160.8 kHz – 01.47 UTC – 14th August 2011
K1KNM, Ken in Vermont, stronger than the European stations he was working.

7190 kHz – 02.03 UTC – 14th August 2011
WG3J, a club station in Maryland. Hoisy channel, but – as we do say in Italy, you would sign papers to cross the Pond with such intensity.

14125 kHz – 20.20 UTC – 22nd August 2011
Twenty meters are like a roulette. Night falls, and after a while you'll understand if it's long, or short, skip. Yesterday night they offered this wonderful QSO between FM5AN, Guy in Fort de France (Martinique) and CT1JEY. Chatty and strong as they were on a local VHF repeater. In a word, marvellous, like the bands in the last days!

73,
Chris

As I mentioned in one of the earlier posts, thanks to the help of dear friend and (radio) partner in crime R., I’m currently testing a new antenna. It’s mainly intended for amateur radio use, and be aware it’s not classed in the “close encounters of the third kind” file. However, it’s a simple “entry level” solution giving interesting results, even because being vertical it doesn’t require the space that a dipole, a long wire, or a Windom (this one remaining in my aim, tho’) would require.

Someone will already have understood I’m talking about something a lot of people seems to discover lately. I’ve been told that at Friedrichshafen 2011, four different stalls were selling projects recalling themselves to that formula. Ladies and Gentlemen, the fishing rod. Basically, you get a 10 meters long fishing rod (but the original project features a 7 meters), you have a wire passing internally, and at its base you place a 1:4 balun. Add coaxial from balun to the radio (with the center connected to the wire in the pole) and, as a first step, you’re done.

That way, it works. Obviously, due to its length, to have it matching on all amateur bands, you need an antenna tuner. That way, it can be brought under swr 1:5 on each ham segment. Fact is that, if you’re transmitting, in this configuration you risk an RF feedback, which can damage seriously your transceiver. To neutralize it, you can work on a couple things: a) provide grounding to the balun SO-239 socket; b) place an RF choke along the coaxial descending to the rig. That way, you should improve the rod performance.

About being received, we’ll talk another time. In terms of reception, I have to say the fishing pole changed in a significant way my spectrum panorama. It’s not that signals missed by the “Mini-Whip” are now heard, but many stations that were just noted with low audio, or loosing themselves in the noise, became now much clearer. In a word, readable, and that opens a quite new season to my BC DX chasing. As an example, hear for yourselves what was Radio Inconfidencia from Brazil (usually low, or at least just recognizable as “portuguese talk”), last Saturday 2nd July, on 15190 kHz at 20.57 UTC. Enjoy!

73,
Chris