radio
Hello Dear, This is not a typical DX expedition and the radio is just an addition to our trip, but as I am a handyman and amateur radio hobbyist, I love to do connections with friends from around the world using a small, car ham radio, and various kinds, personally built simple wire antennas. Also from time to time I like to take part in various contests related to the radio. As a result, it is possible to listen to us from time to time on the air, or to make radio connections with us. Below I have tried to describe how You can do it: 1. When we are on air ? - Whether, when and on what frequencies we are on air You can know from the gadget which is called DX CLUSTER and one of many is located under the link: http://www.dxsummit.fi. The table shows entries with the date and time and the frequency where I currently work (Table freq). In the “search” point you just have to write my current HAM callsign. List of my HAM callsigns from different countries are below.
2. How to listen to us? - There are several possibilities to listen to what we transmit: a. you can go to the website of application WebSDR example: http://www.nachtuilen.net/ or http://hackgreensdr.org:8901/ (you need to have Java installed in your browser). You have to select the frequency you see in the DX CLUSTER. If the propagation is good You should be able to hear us. If on these WebSDRs You cannot hear anything but on DX cluster you can see new information with our callsign, you should choose different application WebSDR from the list on http://www.websdr.org. When you enter a frequency it is also important to choose the right "band" and "modulation". So we choose like this: 3500-3800 kHz - 80m band, mode- LSB; 7000-7200 kHz - 40m band, mode-LSB; 14000-14400 kHz- 20m band, mode-USB; 18000-18500- 17m band, mode-USB; 21000-21300 kHz - 15m band, mode-USB; 24000- 24500 kHz- 12m band, mode-USB; 28000-29000 kHz- 10m band, mode-USB; 50000-50300 kHz - 6m band, mode-USB. Sometimes I like to make QSOs in CW modulation, also called the Morse code, it is also interesting, but difficult to decode. You can try to decode our signal by decoding applications for these emissions for example "CWget".
b. you can buy receiving device (or better, solder yourself ;) install a wire antenna and tune to the frequency that you see in the DX cluster. c. you can also go to the amateur or HAM radio club, you show colleagues what you mean ( you can show this page ), and friends from the club should tune the receiver and show you how it looks like. Often friends from the amateur radio club, after a short introduction and showing procedures will allow you to sit by the radio and make connection under the call sign of the club, so you can chat with us by the HAM radio. To meet on band's !
So far, I managed to get the signs in Poland, Europe - SQ3PMM; Morocco - CN2MM; Ghana - 9G5AG; Togo - 5V7MI; Benin- TY4AB; Rwanda- 9X9MM, Kenya - 5Z4/SQ3PMM; Tanzania - 5H3MC; Swaziland - 3DA0MS; South Africa ZS6/SQ3PMM Sometimes, if there is such possibility I also try to use the Citizen band CB- 11m with a different call signs as a “Mobile station from Africa”. If you are a HAM radio operator, and You don't have some of African countries on some bands in your logbook, you can write me an email and arrange a SKED with me. I will do my best to help you.
For the HAM radio connections I use:
- Radio Yaesu FT-857D 100 W max
- few meters of various kinds of wires in multiple configurations as dipoles, inverted V, long wire, hanging on the tree.
- telegraph straight key
Usually I use near these frequencies (unless it is specified otherwise in dxcluster or via APRS):
3.750 MHz 7.150 MHz 14.303 MHz 14.250 MHz 18.150 MHz 21.250 MHz 24.950 MHz 28.500 MHz 50.115 MHz 145.500 MHz If You have some question or You want to do a SKED, please contact with me:
You can find our current position on map aprs:
Best regards and see you on bands!
Michał