France to get 7100-7200 40m frequencies

[Vortex Joe - N3IBX]

I've tried calling CQ on 7190KC (AM, of course) but usually eun into a broadcaster either ight on or near that frequency. Perhaps after 3/29 we won't have this problem anyome in the 7100 to 7200KC segment.

It also seems that ssb DX is pretty hot around 7185-7200 in the early hours of the evening, and periods where no foreign broadcasters are heard. It would be great to establish some sort of AM "Garrison" on 7190KC!

Just my two cents worth..........

Joe Cro N3IBX

Hello Joe!
Evenings after 22.00 GMT is only 7145 khz. free by me on 40 mtrs.
Mornings 7160, 7145 and 7180 to 7200 khz. free.

But next days I 'monitor' between 7125 - 7200 for possible AM qso freq.

Good DX,

PE1MPH
The Netherlands

Henk,
      Good hearing from you OM! I have to do some minor work to one of my my transmitters before I can run hi-power on 40M AM, and will let you know when I'll be on calling CQ. In the meanwhile, I'll listen for you on the frequencies you specified.

Hope to talk to you on 40M. It would be great!

Mod-U-Later,
                 Joe Cro N3IBX

[k4kyv]

I have worked Europe two nights in a row in the vicinity of 7160, between 0530 and 0730 GMT.  The first night was with an Italian station.  He was running only 10 watts SSB using a homebrew transceiver.  Last night, I worked Jean, OR4U in Antwerp, Belgium.  We signed out about 0730 GMT.  I was running AM, of course, while Jean switched between AM and SSB.  He was perfectly readable with both modes.  He expressed interest in more of the same at later dates, and I filled him in on the European AM activity on 75m.

I was using the 8005/805 rig running estimated 300w carrier output using 80m dipole @ 110', broadside to Europe, fed with open wire tuned feeders.  Apparently it is possible to have good quality two-way AM contact with Europe using modest power, late in the evening to early morning, when most US hams are in the process of calling it a night, while European early risers are getting in some  radio time before going to work or otherwise starting their day.

Jean mentioned that European amateurs are facing a new problem with "little" broadcasters as the "big" ones move out of the segment. (Relatively) low power broadcasters beaming to Europe from Asia seem to be moving in onto the vacated channels to fill the vacuum left when the high powered ones relocate per the WARC agreement. Apparently, they are taking advantage of the situation with the knowledge that no-one can force them off.  Jean said they do not generate quite the QRM level of the multi-hundred kilowatt major broadcasters, but they are still running 10-20 times the power amateurs are allowed to use, and are causing major QRM.

[k3sqp]

I called CQ last nite on 7190  for  45 min. Nothing heard. Frequency was clear.. I noticed some
" I can't get my dxcc/was by myself, so i'll get on a  list" net lower in freq.  Man thats as annoying as
as the 7290 No traffic net....
Will try 7190 tonite if its quiet..
Frank
K3SQP

[k4kyv]

I listened about 2330 GMT last evening, and there was a wide swath of spectrum, broadcast-free, in the vicinity of 7190 and elsewhere, along with several rather strapping broadcast signals.  Evidently condx were good to Europe and plenty of DX slopbucket activity was to be heard.

Problem was, it being the time right at the prime evening hour when people in N. America have returned home from work and want to play radio, while in Europe it's not quite bedtime for many, it was utter bedlam, full of pile-ups, worse than a slopbucket DX QRMtest.  Condx to Europe may be excellent at that time of day, but I suspect it will be a very poor time to try to establish rag-chew type of transatlantic AM contacts.

I tried again later, at about 0800 GMT.  There was very little heard but the white atmospheric background noise and a few broadcasters.  I heard one or two US slopbucket signals, but they were very weak and fluttery, like there may have just been a solar event.  I ran the automated CQ several times, but all I could get was a pissweak US slopbucket that I couldn't even copy.  No Europeans, AM or SSB.

But I think transatlantic AM may be easier near midnight our time / early morning European time, than at early evening our time / near midnight European time.

I can just imagine how US slopbuckets would pile all over the top of a weak European signal making a long transmission on AM at 6:30 in the evening.

I hope that English-speaking South African religious station vacates 7160 by  the 29th.  They strap into  here until s/off at 0600 GMT,  apparently transmitting to English speakers all over Africa, and that puts us right in line with their path to the west African coast.

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Lots of big sigs out of EU near their sunrise. But that makes it 0100 or 0200 local for those of us on the east coast of the USA. This will be less of a problem on weekends - at least for some of us.   

[kb3ouk]

I've noticed that 7190 is fairly quite, I've called CQ on there tonight around 7 pm. The 7100-7200 seems to already be fairly quite here already.
Shelby KB3OUK

[Vortex Joe - N3IBX]

Late yesterday afternoon, Mike(y), W3SLK and I attempted to get on 7190KC for a ragchew session, and in hopes of attracting other AM ops. Unfortunately, the path between us on 40M wasn't at a optimum and we couldn't copy each other, so we decided to take up residence on 80M, outside of the AM window.

Getting back to 40M, there was a large group on 7188, "County Hunters" or something like that exchanging signal reports, and yet another group on 7193. Establishing a "Garrison" of AM Ops on 7190 may be easier said than done. The band conditions on 40M were lousy (also evident by PW CHU signal) and in spite of it there was quite a flurry of activity by slopbucketdom. The band segment from 7175 to 7200 can be very congested with all sorts of activity and special interest slopbucket groups and nets.

All we can do is to give it a try on 7190. It only takes one "Tall Ship" to call CQ and try to maintain the frequency. Two tall ships are better, three, better yet, I digress.......

I'd say that we're not going to hold the frequency with our DX-60's, unless they're connected to a rather large and strapping leenyar!

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

We had a nice group on 7160 from about 6-8 PM Friday.

[pe1mph]

All we can do is to give it a try on 7190. It only takes one "Tall Ship" to call CQ and try to maintain the frequency. Two tall ships are better, three, better yet, I digress.......
I'd say that we're not going to hold the frequency with our DX-60's, unless they're connected to a rather large and strapping leenyar!

Hello Joe and other AM Lovers!

This morning around 06.00 I received weak AM on 3885.
To weak to copy names or calls.
On 3705 many SSB, so not possible to receive AM!
On 3550 weak AM from France.
 
Around 07.00 GMT I heard many SSB between 7130 - 7160 khz.
At that time no BC stations between above freq.....
I am 100% sure I heard USA in SSB, but they talking for me to fast to copy calls/names. Many DX between these freq.!
Evenso stations from Italian, Spain, Germany and England calling.
 
So maybe for (strong) USA I need to listen earlier...

This can be very handy:
http://www.dejuistetijd.nl


Thats all,

Henk
PE1MPH
The Netherlands
 

[KX5JT]

We had a nice group on 7160 from about 6-8 PM Friday.

Yes, that was a lot of fun Steve... even a bit later 40 meters was very promising.

W3TIM and I had an awesome hour long qso on 7.190 between 4:00 and 5:00 GMT this morning.  (Well yesternight for me from 11pm to midnight central daylight.)  After a few minutes the nearby sideband stations finished up and we were Free and Clear and it was amazing!.  I was thinking someothers would join but I did get an email from a listener praising the audio he heard and encouraging us.             

KX5JT

[kb3ouk]

I wonder if they didn't change something when they moved CHU from 7335 to 7850, because I can barely hear them anymore, and they used to come in strong all the time on their old frequency.
Shelby KB3OUK

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

I heard you guys. Tim is only about 90 miles from me, but I could still hear him, barely.

Both Don-K4KYV and I called CQ on 7160 from around 0600Z to 0620Z. No answers.

We had a nice group on 7160 from about 6-8 PM Friday.

Yes, that was a lot of fun Steve... even a bit later 40 meters was very promising.

W3TIM and I had an awesome hour long qso on 7.190 between 4:00 and 5:00 GMT this morning.  (Well yesternight for me from 11pm to midnight central daylight.)  After a few minutes the nearby sideband stations finished up and we were Free and Clear and it was amazing!.  I was thinking someothers would join but I did get an email from a listener praising the audio he heard and encouraging us.            

KX5JT

[kb3ouk]

I would have gotten on 40, I was tuned up and ready to go on 7190, if I was home this afternoon. Was outside helping to clean up a fallen apple tree from a few weeks ago and took almost two to three hours to do that, couldn't get the tractor (a 1950s Farmall Super C) to start, then kept stalling it and had to push start the thing cause the starter quit working (we think the switch is shot) adnc ouldn't shut it down cause we didn't want to keep pushing it to start it. And I haven't got on since cause a broadcaster was on 7190 when I last checked.
Shelby KB3OUK

[k4kyv]

Radio Ethiopia usually comes in well on 7110 until they fade out after 0700 GMT. By then the sun is getting pretty high in the sky in Ethiopia.  But I hope that South African religious station moves off 7160.  They completely wipe out the frequency here until they close down at 0600.

Also, hope these are not typical of the "little" stations Jean was talking about, that are rushing in to fill the vacuum when  bigger ones like Moscow and Deutsche-Welle QSY.

[pe1mph]

Radio Ethiopia usually comes in well on 7110 until they fade out after 0700 GMT. By then the sun is getting pretty high in the sky in Ethiopia.  But I hope that South African religious station moves off 7160.  They completely wipe out the frequency here until they close down at 0600.

Around 02.30 GMT I were listening on 40 mtrs.
On 7150 - 7165  (and more freq.) I heard Chinese? stations.
It 'sounding' as Chinese..... I could not understand...
Weak to fair signals...

At 06.00 GMT:
7150 BC station closing

NOW at 06.35 I heard Steve WB3HUZ on 7160.

Later +/- 07.05 GMT I heard Steve talking with Ken W2DTC.
But after 07.15 I receive nearly nothing anymore on 40 mtrs...
Conditions are over at that time???


Greetings,

PE1MPH