Welcome to Tropical band

To most people the phrase "tropical bands" bring a pretty clear picture to mind - a bunch of shirtless guys playing calypso music. But to experienced shortwave DXers those two little words express the most challenging and enjoyable part of the radio hobby. The phrase kindles memories of a DXer's best catches and favorite QSLs, of exotic stations, music and of early morning listening sessions. (Don Moore)
I like the "Tropical band" name for new 60m allocation. (OK1RP)

Effective from 1st Jan 2017 please paper QSL via OM-bureau only.


Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Icom IC-7000 on 60m band

Hello,

the RX range expand mod from www.mods.dk and the TVRO & MARS Mods by Steve, N5AC (US version) for IC-7000 tcvr You can find over here IC-7000-mods

These mods will expand the RX range and provide an out-of-band mod that does TX from 0-54, 118-173, 400-470 MHz on Your own risk.

73 - Petr, OK1RP

60m - Tropical band in 9A - updated 29/8/2011

Hi,

as I got few questions regarding the actual situation with 9A stations on Tropical band there I am posting an updated information about the 60m band operation in Croatia.

Regarding licenses for 60m band operation in 9A all licenses are issued on experimental basis for one year period of time and they can bereissued again. Some of the licenses was valid until 30th May but it doesn't mean that all licenses are valid for same period of time. Each amateur radio operator in 9A can get experimental license for 60m. Of course if he/she request it from 9A Telecom authority(http://www.hakom.hr). Such experimental license is valid for one year from the date ofissuing. As far as we know there are more stations with license for 60m for example 9A9T, 9A4ZZ, 9A2EY etc.

I confirmed it with Chris, 9A5K and for example his license was valid also until 30th May 2011 but he is planing to reissue his license during September so we can expect him on 60m again during next months.

Currently: all licenses on 60m in 9A are limited to 100W. Frequencies are the same > VFO based 5260 - 5410 kHz...

Many thanks for informations and support to Chris, 9A5K ! Hope to see You Chris again on the air.

73 - Petr, OK1RP

Thursday, August 25, 2011

KP4 - DXCC #22 on 60m

Hi all, I am pleased to report that I finally catched Willem, WP3UX. Again it was not easy and again I worked cross mode/cross channel as I used CW of course whereas Willem used SSB. I have to cfm that most quiet channels for trials with weak sigs are 5371.5/5366.5 instead of 5403.5 (QRMed quite often). Also secret weapon - RX ant w/BPF and preamp was necessary! 73 - Petr, OK1RP

Thursday, August 18, 2011

60m - Tropical band in OM - updated 18/8/2011

Hi all,

today I got very good news from Dezo, OM5NA about the new allocation for Slovakia on 60m band as follows:

After several negotiation and requests the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority in Slovakia allowed finally OM stations to operate on 60m band up to 5410kHz.

According to that an entire band 5258.5 - 5410.0 kHz is allowed in Slovakia for experimental purposes as secondary service. The allowed power is max. 100 W ERP and licences are valid for 1 year as same as in OK land. In case of conflict with primary user the ham radio license holder has to take effective measures or even stop the operation. No contests are allowed on 60m band. Ham radio operator has to indicate his callsign after each trasmission.

Thank You to Dezo, OM5NA for information. Congrats to all OMs and specially to SARA and A.R.E.S. associations in Slovakia for their great job! I wish good luck to all with hunting new DXCC from Slovakia.

73 - Petr, OK1RP

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

60m - Tropical band in CU

Hi all,

as Eloy, CU3AK confirmed to me by email he is again allowed to operate on 60m Tropical band. There I am posting the more details about the 60m band allocation on Azores Isl. as follows:

The licence of Eloy, CU3AK is valid until 30 December 2011 and he can operate the following freuquencies: 5288.5 kHz, 5371.5 kHz & 5403.5 kHz. Modes allowed on 60m band are A1A (CW) & J3E (SSB). There is no power limit.

Eloy is using nice setup with Kenwood TS570D runs 100w and the antenna is the Barker & Williamson, BWD90 which operates all frequencies continuously from 1.8 to 30 MHz without an antenna coupler/tuner, allowing operation on any frequency in that range.


If You need the Azores on 60m then look for him over here...

73 - Petr, OK1RP

Sunday, August 14, 2011

NVIS - The phenomenon of last few years only?

Hi all,

did You heard about the NVIS already?

The NVIS - shortening of the Near Vertical Incidence Skywave utilizes high-angle skywave paths between stations instead of ground-wave or surface-wave in order to communicate via HF radio equipment. Although it seems to be the phenomenon of the last few years and lot of ham radio guys talking about it and using it to reach local stations the NVIS technique is definitely not new!

The NVIS was originally evaluated by U.S. Army Forces in Thailand during the Vietnam conflict in the mid of 1960's. It was found that the mobile stations using whip antennas bent parallel to the ground could communicate more reliably with their base-stations instead of standard vertical whips mounted in it's original vertical position. Signal strengths would be weaker using high-angle skywave but communications would be more reliable less subject to fading known as QSB in ham radio and consistent between all stations. This was because the intervening terrain was less of an absorber of signals. Terrain obstructions between stations such as hills, mountainous areas, jungle growth, built-up areas with tall buildings no longer become path obstructions with stations when NVIS techniques are employed.

I do not like so much the NVIS technique simply because I am looking for long distances communication on the 60m - 160m bands in general. Nevertheless I realized that I am also using the NVIS technique on 60m band to reach close areas. My half sloper originally tuned for 160m band with really bad ground system worked pretty poor over there. I was not able to work comfortably UK stations and I got very poor reports from there.

After few weeks I decided to build new antenna for 60m but unfortunatelly I had not tower or another support to put planned dipole enough high. So I installed the Inverted Z (legs are folded to Z letter) with 10m apex only. (see here http://60mband.blogspot.com/2011/01/experimental-60m-inverted-z-for-pocket.html)

Immediatelly after the installation this antenna I found that my sigs rapidly increased in nearby location. The reports gotten from UK stations from now are superior and I have no serious problem to work station around Europe. When I though about it in fact I have just 0.16 lambda apex feed point so it can be called NVIS technique on 60m band too... and it really work well for these kind of ranges.

If You are interesting more in the NVIS techniques then click over here:
http://www.tactical-link.com/field_deployed_nvis.htm

or You can read the famous presentation of Jack, W5JCK here:
http://w5jck.com/index.php

73 - Petr, OK1RP

CU - DXCC #21 on 60m

Hi all,

last week I was very delighted with getting an email from Eloy, CU3AK that his 60m band authorization arrived already...

"Hi Petr, I have received the authorization until the end of the year. The frequencies allowed are 5288.5 - 5371.5 - 5403.5 so I will call you on 5371.5 kHz and please give me the listen frequency. 73's Eloy, CU3AK"

I replied to Eloy immediatelly to congrats for getting the license for Tropical band again and we arranged the sked on 60m band. I will call on 5260 kHz on CW and I will be ready to listen Eloy's sigs on 5371.5 kHz CW/SSB around 21Z.

Well I was on the air on time but no sigs from Eloy. Just noise and sometime the QRM as usual. After few minutes I decided to call CQ on the FA channel w/QSX 5371.5 and wait until Eloy's call back. At the 21:10Z I began to be a bit nervous as I did not heard any sigs on the listenning frequency. Azores Isl. are not so far from me and using 100W into the Inverted Z dipole at 10m should be enough. I quickly checked the actual SN and SFI and also A/K indexes... All seemed to be ok and the radio blackout was not forecasted.

After another CQ I decided to tune up/dwn if I will hear atleast some weak sigs around or so. Wow, Eloy's sigs just 700Hz down were S8 and very clean. Eloy called me on CW > yes I am fool and had my K3 switched to USB and Eloy called me outside the narrow filter incidentally.

Well we exchanged reports and we made very nice QSO during next few minutes. Eloy's sigs were really nice and even tone was really beautiful. I suspect that Eloy is using TenTec tcvr...:)

I am so happy to say that my DXCC #21 is done by CU3AK, Eloy on 60 band from today (12-Aug-2011)

Thank You very much Eloy for Your effort to arrange the sked and for giving me new one on 60m band!

73 - Petr, OK1RP