CO - Cuba on 60m band by Pavel, CO7WT

Cuban Hams can use 60m band

Faithful to their promise of a new universal 60m ham band in the last WRC, the Ministry of Communications of Cuba approved this January the access of Cuban hams to this new band.

The law approved on January 20 of 2014, from the Ministry of Communications of Cuba allows the use of the spectrum between the 5418 to 5430 Khz, a continuous segment of 12 Khz, this unlike other countries that are allowing just channels.

The assignation is as a secondary users as per ITU recommendations for region 2, with the emphasis on its use in emergencies nets, as Cuba is in the path of the Caribbean Hurricanes every year and this band allows a steady communication path for all the island.

The new law sets this band for every day use, but once an official emergency is declared by the Cuban State, then the use of the band will be restricted to emergency traffic exclusively, ceasing all others kinds of use on it.

The new assignation allows SSB, CW and Digital, the former limited to PSK31 and PSK63. All ham categories of the three existent in Cuba can access the band based on a power limitations of 10W for the novices and 50W for the rest; with a note of the relaxation of this power limitation up to 100W tops for all users in emergency conditions as needed for a reliable link establishment.

The access of the hams to this band is not immediate, the process involves the request and approval for individual hams to the related Authority and the modification of the ham's licence (an in-office process of about 1 day), so the band will populate steady, but slowly.

Most Cubans hams use commercial radios with full or partial coverage of HF bands or even homebrew radios, so the "hardware" will not be a major problem, for a significant percent of Cuban hams will be a matter of setting up an antenna for this new band or simply tune in his multi-band antenna.

Pavel Milanes Costa CO7WT

Source:

http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2014/january/cuban_hams_can_use_60m_band.htm


Good luck to all on 60m band,

73 - Petr, OK1RP
.../-.-

VE - Canada on 60m don't need special permit

Hello,

there is good news which I have got from Paul, G4MWO as it was shared worlwide...

News just in that VEs now clear for 5 MHz (ie don't need special licences any more)
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On Wednesday 22nd January, the Canadian regulator, Industry Canada (IC) released a decision to allow amateur radio operators to use the 5332 kHz, 5348 kHz, 5358.5 kHz, 5373 kHz and 5405 kHz frequencies on a no-interference, no-protection basis, 2.8 kHz bandwidth, same modes as U.S., 100W PEP maximum power.

These are the same channels, modes and criteria as those available to US operators on 5 MHz and are as the result of an official IC consultation held earlier in Summer 2012

Prior to this, Canadian amateurs have had access to these frequencies since 2012, provided they applied to IC for a special interim 5 MHz/60m developmental licence, utilising a VX9 series callsign.

The Industry Canada 5 MHz Decision document can be found at
http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/eng/sf10623.html

(Thanks IC, VE3QN, PB2T, G3PSM)

Paul; G4MWO

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Cheers

Paul G4MWO

So I hope that we will meet more and more VEs on 60m band soon with great sigs. Good luck to all!

73 - Petr, OK1RP
.../-.-

NVIS antennas presentation by Paul, G4MWO

Hi all,

even although it is an old, it is good to read.

G4MWO NVIS Presentation

Hi all,

Given that NVIS - Near-Vertical Incidence Skywave is an important propagation mode on 5 MHz, here's the tiny URL for my NVIS Presentation in Google Docs.

http://tinyurl.com/bwzmbkv 

Apologies for the colour scheme - it's Google's, not mine!

Cheers

Paul G4MWO

(Moderator, 5 MHz Section of the Southgate Ham Forum) 

Channels allocation for EA and OK lands - again to make it clear

Hello all,

I realized that some of You are a bit confused about the channels allocation allowed in Spain/EA and Czech/OK lands so there I am sending again the list of concrete channels allocated for each lands to make it clear as follows:

The allowed frequencies for OK land are:

Frequencies [kHz]:
5288.5
5330.5
5366.5
5371.5
5398.5
5403.5
all USB dial frequencies!

and corresponding

Frequencies [kHz]:
5290
5332
5368
5373
5400
5405
all center frequencies for CW operation.


The frequencies allowed/announced for EA stations are:

Allowed channels [kHz]:
5266.5
5293.5
5311.5
5380.5
5428.5
5437.5
all USB dial frequencies!

and corresponding

Allowed channels [kHz]:
5268
5295
5313
5382
5430
5439
all center frequencies for CW operation

The channels bandwidth 3kHz.
Do not mix it so avoid to use CW on USB dial and vice versa please.

My best regards,

73 - Petr, OK1RP
.../-.-

Anegada Isl. - VP2V on 60m

Hello,

we should pay attention to following activity as there is chance for 60m band operation...

"We believe that it is more important to give a new country to "small pistol" than to give an 8th band QSO to a "big gun" station. By doing this, we hope to fulfill the demand for a "new one", especially from stations located in Japan and the rest of the Far East." Bogdan VP2V/SP2FUD, Kazik VP2V/SP6AXW, Leszek VP2V/SP6CIK, Janusz VP2V/SP9FIH, Robert VP2V/SP9WZS

Frequencies:
The expedition will try to operate near the following frequencies, usually listening up. Please identify operator callsign and follow instructions.

Band	SSB	RTTY	CW
160m	1844	1835	1823
80m	3797	3580	3523
40m	7180	7035	7023
30m	-----	10140	10115
20m	14180	14080	14023
17m	18140	18100	18073
15m	21280	21080	21023
12m	24980	24920	24903
10m	28480	28080	28023
6m	50120	-----	50103

Zone WAZ: 8
Zone ITU: 11
IOTA reference: NA - 023
QTH Locator: FK78UR

Equipment:
http://www.vp2v.dxpeditions.org/equipment 

According to my last email with Janusz, SP9FIH I got information regarding the possibility to operate on 60m band as follows:

Re: 60m

Submitted by SP9FIH on Sat, 01/04/2014 - 12:43.

Thank you for good question Petr. We will check possibilities (license & equipment) and inform HAM community.

So never say never...we will see. I will update info there according to their feedback.

Good luck guys on the Isl.

73 - Petr, OK1RP
.../-.-

Asia on 60m, failing detection or pirated calls?

Hello,

maybe I am not alone who realized some interesting sigs on 5337.8kHz during last few days...

Last time I found some signals on 5337.8 tonite around 20:20Z when I copied particular CW sigs on this frequency in the buzzer QRM in my area. Very hard to copy and very weak level but if it was not only my hallucination then some CW was there.

Even I realized that the RBN beacon spotted on 5337.8 calling from Oleg, UA0CID with 31dB sigs over the noise. This was spotted by RN4WA skimmer. It must be failing detection or pirated call as last nite I had the same experiences when the same skimmer RN4WA spotted on this exactly same frequency 5337.8 another call from JH4JNG also with 31dB over noise.

I watched the frequency for very long time and again if it was not my hallucination I really copied some CW signals so I emailed to Yoshi, JH4JNG. He confirmed me that this band is not allowed in JA currently and he was not there at this time.

So just FYI, if You will be there and You will hear some calling or it will be spotted by RBN net then it will be interesting to let me know... but I guess we should not believe to it as it sounds like failure in detection or at least pirated calls.

...or some mystery on this magic frequency 5337.8? :)

73 - Petr, OK1RP
.../-.-

EA8 - DXCC #29 on 60m

Hello,

as I posted already I got the permit for 60m band operation for 2014 on 6 channels including most important 373, 400 and 405 for CW operation.

I turned ON the radio an hour after the New Year 2014 celebration over here and I was very surprised how many EAs was active on the band. As their channels allocation is a bit "different" the cross channel operation is needed.

I heard EA, EA6 and also EA8 on the 5268kHz CW with QSX to 5373kHz. Unfortunately I did not copy enough them to call.

So I decided to QSY to ch5 and after some listening to noise I decided to call CQ...after 2year I am back!

My first call was immediately replied by Bob, W4DR. Hi sigs was very good and I had no problem to copy. Nice QSO was done inlc. wishes HNY 2014.

After few minutes of another CQ I was called by KB8 station. His sigs was really weak and deep QSB did not allowed me to copy well. After longer fight I copied KB8BD, Ken from MI. Unfortunately I lost him after minutes in noise even although I got my report 449. So if I read callsign well then new state is worked but I am still not sure. So not count new state.

After some time I came back on the band in order to catch some Spanish stations. Yes, I was able to hear Fernando, EA8AK on his primary 5268kHz channel CW. Very good signal came to my antenna BUT...strong digital signal switched for few seconds each 2-3 minutes on the frequency and totally destroyed reception.

 Well I tried to call Fernando split to 373 and after 4 calls and his 2Q with US friends I catch him. My report was nothing special and Fernando was over here also around S5. Luckily the digital QRM was not the issue and we was able to manage and finished QSO quickly. 

My DXCC #29 - Canary Isl. EA8 is in the log. Thank You Fernando.

Unfortunately the negative point is that my XYL reported to me that I am making strong TVI using my coaxial feed inverted Z dipole in resonance (SWR 1.1:1 on 5400kHz) so I am really disappointed. I will not be able to operated in the evenings until I will solve it. But how as there is no reason to create TVI > coax cable from balun on dipole to tcvr, antenna in resonance, no SWR, PSU is connected to AC thru filter, chokes on the PSU wires, antenna is 5m from TV antenna. I am really worrying about the TVI to neighbours. I had several year TVI issues and I was not able to operate from my QTH for long time... :(

Best regards,

73 - Petr, OK1RP
.../-.-   

OK - Czech Republic is back on 60m band !

Hello all,

first of all I would like to wish to all friends healthy and peaceful New Year 2014!
I hope that You will meet more friends on the air and You will enjoy the 60m with lot of fun.


I am happy to say that I got the permit for 60m band operation from OK land after 2 years again! 

Individual permit for amateur radio service on experimental purposes base says:

Validity until: 31.12.2014

Frequencies [kHz]:
5288.5
5330.5
5366.5
5371.5
5398.5
5403.5

Used call: OK1RP

Based on the experimental operation in the 5MHz band report and after the MoD agreement the CTU is now able to allow the operation on more channels in the band for 2014 see the table.

The permit holder is requested to prepare and send his experimental operation report to CTU no later than 31.10.2014 in order to make analyze of the operation on different frequencies and modes.

The frequencies indicated in the permit are dial USB frequencies.
The max. power should be 100W E.R.P.
The allowed modes should be USB, CW(+1.5kHz)
The only 10 permits is available for 2014 based on written request to CTU.

The permit holder should follow the IARU recommendations for 5MHz operation and agreements (5290kHz allocation for beacon operation etc.)

This experimental operation permit on 5MHz band is strictly allowed on SECONDARY basis and general rules for the these users must be observed all the time in order to NOT jeopardize primary users operation on this band!

My best regards and see You on the air again,

73 - Petr, OK1RP
.../-.-